Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) said Tuesday, that Dr. Chad McCance has been selected as an Iowa Hospital Association (IHA) 2017 Hospital Hero. He will be recognized on October 11, 2017, during the IHA annual meeting in Des Moines.

Brett Altman, CEO of Cass County Health System, said “While it is no surprise to us that he would be chosen, Dr. McCance was shocked and humbled when we told him that not only was he nominated, but he was selected.”

Dr. McCance is a board-certified general surgeon at Cass County Health System. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, and completed his surgical training at the VA and Methodist Hospitals in Des Moines in 1997. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and has been with CCHS since 2008.

Dr. Chad McCance

Dr. McCance was nominated for many reasons, including his dedication to his profession, his compassionate care for patients, and his service in the military. Letters of support for his nomination recognized these and other heroic qualities. A physician who refers patience to Dr. McCance said “The hours that he puts into caring for his patients and the quality of care that he gives are exceptional and my trust in him is absolute.”

Another surgeon noted his outstanding commitment as well as the “tremendous respect his patients have for him.” A patient whose colon cancer was diagnosed and operated on by Dr. McCance noted, “The health and wellbeing of his patients and of everyone is his central interest. He does not expect recognition for a job well done.”

According to the IHA website, the IHA Hospital Hero Award “recognizes hospital employees who have performed heroic acts or have consistently and tirelessly given of their time, talent and expertise to improve their organizations, patients and communities. These everyday heroes are the role models for other hospital employees and the communities they serve.” Only 10 people from across the state are chosen as hospital heroes each year.

A Democrat who’s been campaigning since this spring has suspended his bid for governor. State Representative Todd Prichard of Charles City says he’s witnessed “a real dissatisfaction with how the state is currently being run,” but Prichard says he does “not see a path forward” for HIM to win the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor next year. Prichard intends to seek reelection to the Iowa House instead.

Prichard is an attorney and a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. He’s just returned from a three-week tour of duty in Bulgaria.

(Radio Iowa)

The Harlan Police Department reports four arrests were made between Aug. 8th and 15th. Today (Tuesday), 46-year old Wade McFarland, of Harlan, was arrested on a Shelby County warrant.  He was transported to the Shelby County Jail.

Last Friday, 36-year old Mark Steven Haynes and 40-year old Jamie Allison Kassinger, both of Harlan, were arrested in the 1600 block of Durant Street.  Both subjects were transported to the Shelby County Jail where they were charged with violation of a protection order.

And, on August 8th, 37-year old Jonathan Earl Horn, of, Harlan, was arrested on Shelby County warrants.  He was transported to the Shelby County Jail.

Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson reports four recent arrests. Yesterday (Monday), 20-year old Shelby Brusman, of Bagley, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. And, 26-year old Thea Sherman, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Violation of Probation.

Sunday, Atlantic Police arrested 35-year old Chad Wilcox, of Atlantic, for OWI/1st Offense. And, on Saturday, 22-year old Brian Kenshalo, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Violation of Probation.

All four subjects were booked into the Cass County Jail.

When the Atlantic City Council meets  Wednesday at 5:30-p.m., one of the first things on their agenda is action on an order closing the 200 block of Chestnut Street on Sept. 2nd, for the Atlantic First Responders “Family Night Out,” event.

The street will be closed from 4:30-p.m. until 7:15-p.m., for the event that was approved during the Council’s May 3rd meeting. Family Night Out is being hosted by Atlantic Fire and Rescue, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Atlantic Police Department. Atlantic Police Lt. Devin Hogue has been working hard to make the free event successful. It will feature a host of activities for the entire family to enjoy.

In other business, the Council will act on passing a Resolution with regard to the City’s Financial Policies, that aim to make the City’s bonds more attractive to investors by increasing the bond rating from A+ to to AA-.  That would also reduce the interest rate the City pays to investors for the privilege of borrowing their money. City Administrator John Lund says the policies will largely require no changes to how the finances are managed. Instead, it formalizes the practice into policy, which is attractive to the bond market because it shows Structure, Rules and Accountability.

The Council will also act on repealing a resolution pertaining to how the City budgets for awards, recognition and events when dealing with employee milestones or other issues, such as sickness, deaths and births. In its place, will be an new policy that reflects increases in inflation and adds a line for accounting purposes on the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. The hope is to create more transparency and accountability in how the City spends money on internal events.

A call about a suspicious truck on the side of Interstate 29 in Pottawattamie County, Monday morning, resulted in the arrest of a woman on drug charges. The 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 was located at a location not far away, and a traffic stop conducted. During an investigation, Pott. County authorities found marijuana and some pipes used for narcotics. Taken into custody for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, was 37-year old Jessica Jo Hoguieson, of Council Bluffs.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – A judge has scheduled trial for a television reporter accused of violating an order not to take courtroom video of “The Bachelor” star Chris Soules. Prosecutors are pursuing contempt of court proceedings against KWWL reporter Elizabeth Amanieh. Judge Fae Hoover Grinde set a bench trial for Sept. 28 in Independence. If convicted, the 22-year-old could be punished with a fine and jail time.

KWWL published exclusive video of Soules’ April court appearance after he was jailed for an accident that killed Kenneth Mosher. Police say Soules rear-ended Mosher’s tractor and left the scene. Soules has pleaded not guilty.

Iowa rules allow journalists to record hearings if they have prior approval. Prosecutors contend a judge told Amanieh she wouldn’t allow video of the hearing and only photos would be permitted. She’s pleaded not guilty.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A 42-year-old Iowa woman who was convicted of killing her romantic rival has been sent to a Nebraska prison for life. A Douglas County, Nebraska judge, sentenced Shanna Golyar in Omaha today (Tuesday). She’d been found guilty of arson and first-degree murder after a nonjury trial. Prosecutors say she killed 37-year-old Cari Farver, who was last seen in Omaha in November 2012. Her body hasn’t been found.

Police say Golyar posed as Farver online and by phone for years after Farver’s disappearance and also posed as other people confessing to having killed Farver. An officer testified that Farver had been dating Golyar’s ex-boyfriend for some weeks when she disappeared.

Golyar’s lawyer argued that prosecutors presented no evidence that a homicide occurred: no body, no murder weapon and no crime scene.

A man who pleaded guilty to murder and 11 other counts for killing a western Iowa sheriff’s deputy and wounding another during a jail escape has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. A Pottawattamie County District judge issued the sentence today (Tuesday), after 24-year-old Wesley Correa-Carmenaty entered guilty pleas to first-degree murder, attempted murder, escape, kidnapping and other crimes. His trial was set to begin today (Tuesday), but his attorney informed authorities last week that Correa-Carmenaty would change his plea.

Authorities say Correa-Carmenaty had just been sentenced on May 1st to 45 years in prison in an unrelated murder case when he grabbed one of the deputies’ guns while being transferred to the county jail. He shot them both and used the jail van to escape. One of the deputies, 43-year old Mark Burbridge, died from his injuries. Another Deputy, 59-year old Pat Morgan, was seriously wounded.

Correa-Carmenaty was recaptured that day in Omaha, Nebraska, after carjacking a woman at gunpoint.

An Iowa native who now lives on the faraway island of Guam says the fear is fading after last week’s nuclear threat by North Korea’s leader. Jeff Nelson is originally from Jewell and is an associate pastor of a church on Guam. Nelson says Kim Jong Un’s threat was specific, that he planned to aim a missile to detonate within 25 miles of Guam’s U-S military installation, Anderson Air Force Base. “At first, everybody was a little shaken but as the days progress, even today, things have started to back off and the tension is not nearly as high,” Nelson says. “You can feel a kind of collective sigh of relief around the island.”

Nelson says the island’s residents received a brochure from the Guam government on what to do if there was a nuclear attack. “There were some instructions that went out, there was written material and they’ve gotten to the point where even on social media, they will send things out,” Nelson says. “All of the TV and radio stations were on top of it. They were just trying to make sure people were prepared for the worst if something did happen.”

He says people are a little more relaxed now, compared to when the threat was made last week. “The rhetoric has calmed down a little bit and both sides have pulled back a bit,” Nelson says. “The tension level is not nearly as high today.”

Guam is 2,000 miles from North Korea, where the missiles were to have been fired. North Korea’s leader says he’s received a report from his army on its plans to fire missiles toward Guam. He says he’ll watch the actions of the United States for a while longer before making a decision.

(Radio Iowa)