The source of a major fire in Exira early this (Friday) morning, remains under investigation. Exira Fire Chief Mike Bintner said the call about a fire at Jerry’s Bar located at 100 W. Washington Street, was reported at around 2:50-a.m. Bintner said it quickly became obvious that they were going to need a lot of help to fight the two-story blaze.  He said there were at least 26 departments who responded to the call for help, as well as local businesses.

Aerial (Ladder) trucks with high pressure hoses and snorkels were on hand from Atlantic and Harlan. Pumper trucks were on the scene from Adair, Anita, Elk Horn, Exira, Cumberland, Massena, Lewis, Greenfield, Fontanelle, Bridgewater, Griswold, Manning, Persia, Portsmouth, Manilla, Denison, Dow City-Arion, Coon Rapids, Stuart, Guthrie Center, Templeton, Walnut, Menlo, Adair and Casey, to name but a few. In addition, traffic control and support was provided by Audubon Police and the Iowa State Patrol. Emergency medical services were also on hand.

Water was trucked in from Audubon, and a former gravel pit. It’s unclear how many gallons of water were used, but the Chief said the aerials alone use 1,200 to 1,500 gallons per minute. There were several rubber bladders set up around the building on the street, to store load after load water for pumping on the building.

Chief Binter said the fire he said started in the bar at Jerry’s. Three additional buildings adjacent to Jerry’s were lost in the flames, as well. Those businesses include a craft and arts consignment store, a psychiatrist’s office and other space.  The State Fire Marshal is on the scene to try and determine how the fire started. In addition to the unprecedented show of support from fire departments who traveled more than 30 miles to assist, Bintner spoke highly of the Community’s Support of those firefighters, who provided them with water, sports drinks, and food. Some of those items came from Atlantic businesses and citizens. The donation was organized by the Trevor Fredericksen Foundation.

Jerry’s bar was recently renovated to include a new roof and deck area. The deck was relatively undamaged, but the rest of the structure was a total loss.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of 45-year-old Travis Lynn Heinlen of Fort Dodge today (Friday). Heinlen was arrested at about 9:30am after he was found hiding in a closet at a residence in the 1200 block of 140th Street in Red Oak. He was arrested on two warrants from Webster County for Violation of Probation and Voluntary Absence from Custody. He was being held on $6,000 bond in the Montgomery County Jail for Webster County.

The Atlantic Police Department reports two arrests in the past two days.

On Thursday, July 13th Atlantic Police arrested 37-year-old Dicey Christensen of Atlantic on two Cass County Warrants for Unauthorized use of a Credit Card. She was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

Today (Friday, July 14th) Atlantic Police arrested 54-year-old Larry Will of Atlantic for OWI and Driving While License Denied or Revoked. He was taken into custody and booked in to the Cass County Jail.

A two-story structure fire was occurring in downtown Exira early this morning. According to an Exira firefighter, the page went out at around 2:20-a.m., for the blaze at Jerry’s Bar at 100 W. Washington Street. Atlantic Fire Department’s quint (Ladder truck) and Anita Fire’s tanker truck were requested at 3:25-a.m.

KJAN News arrived on the scene not long thereafter. Even though there wasn’t much of  a breeze, smoke from the blaze could seen and smelled as far south as Brayton. Downtown Exira was filled with a thick, acrid smoke, as calls for help from the Audubon, Kimballton and Adair Fire Departments. The main problem was with the water supply, according to the fireman we spoke with. Cumberland, Massena and Marne Fire Department’s tanker trucks were also called to provide extra water between 5:30-and 5:40-a.m.  Griswold, Lewis and Coon Rapids Tanker trucks were requested as well just before 6-a.m..  Other personnel were on hand as well, including Exira Rescue, Portsmouth Fire, and the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office.

Jerry’s bar recently underwent a renovation, from what we were told. Crews were working feverishly to contain the blaze to the bar. It’s expected they’ll be on the scene for at least a couple of more hours.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A county prosecutor in Iowa who was sued for threatening to charge a 14-year-old girl with sexual exploitation of a minor for sending suggestive photos of herself to a boy has agreed to drop the case. The girl and her parents filed the federal lawsuit in November, aiming to block Marion County Attorney Ed Bull from bringing charges. An agreement to dismiss the case was filed Thursday.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa (AP) — State officials are testing fur found at the site of a black bear sighting in southeastern Iowa. The Oskaloosa Herald reports that the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a black bear strolling through a soybean field on Wednesday. Officials say there have been multiple bear sightings reported in the area in recent weeks.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Five people in Iowa are among more than 400 people charged with taking part in health care fraud and opioid scams that federal prosecutors say totaled $1.3 billion in false billing across the country. U.S. Attorney Kevin VanderSchel in the Southern District of Iowa says the five were indicted in two schemes involving the distribution of opioids. The charges range from possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone and oxycodone to conspiracy and distribution of the drugs.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — A school board member has pleaded not guilty to a charge of domestic abuse assault. The written plea and a demand for a jury trial were electronically filed Wednesday in Lee County for 40-year-old Carlita “Carrie” Steele. She’s a school board member for Keokuk schools. A criminal complaint says Steele’s husband, Christopher, told officers that his wife had threatened to shoot him and herself Tuesday night.

Fire fighters from Atlantic and Anita were dispatched to provide mutual at the site of a large structure fire in Exira this (Friday) morning. According to dispatch reports, the fire was at Jerry’s Bar (100 W. Washington St). Anita’s tanker was request at the scene. The call went out at around 3:25-a.m.

No other details are currently available.

Nicholas Hunt, Chair of the Cass County Community Foundation, and Genelle Deist, Chair of the Audubon County Community Foundation, have announced that the fall grant program is now beginning for both Cass County and Audubon County nonprofit organizations.  The deadline to apply for funds through the online grant application process is September 1st. In Cass County, $29,000 has been allocated for the fall grant cycle. In Audubon County, the amount allocated was $40,590.

In Cass County, of the amount available, $2,500 is from the Griswold Community Development Endowed Fund, and $500 is from the Triumph Endowed Fund for Cass County. The Cass County Community Foundation grant dollars will be awarded for a single year.

In Audubon County, approximately $2,000 of the funds are for the Exira area, and are from the Leon and Iva Milliman Endowed Fund. The rest of the allocated fund include: $2,500 from the Charles T. and Kathleen Manatt Endowed Fund; $900 from the Audubon State Bank/Stephen Garst Endowed Fund; $1,000 is for the City of Audubon area from the Audubon Masonic Association Endowed Fund; $445 is for the City of Audubon from the Fred and Evelyn Nissen Endowed Fund for Audubon, and $445 for the City of Audubon from the Merle and Norma Petersen Endowed Fund. The Audubon County Community Foundation grant dollars are awarded for a single year.

Both the Cass and Audubon County Community Foundation grants and program’ Mission is to participate in funding community betterment projects and nonprofit organizations who have similar objectives.  The Goal is to improve the quality of life in the respective counties, by supporting needs that are not being met in the areas of civic, cultural, health, education and social service.  Their objective is to fund projects that will have a permanent impact for our county that people can take advantage of for many years.

Only organizations providing services in Cass County and Audubon County are eligible IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTIES.  They must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support and supply a copy of their 501(c)(3) IRS determination letter.  Requests for general operational funds will not be considered.  The CCCF’s mission is to provide funds to those nonprofit and governmental agencies that are involved in community betterment through their organizations.

After July 15th, application procedures and grant guidelines will be available online at www.iowacommunityfoundations.org/casscef for Cass County non-profits, or www.iowacommunityfoundations.org/auduboncef for organizations in Audubon County.  Click on the Grant Information tab or contact any board member for additional information.  Detailed instructions are provided in a downloadable form, as well as a link to the online application.  Only online applications will be considered.

These grant funds are made possible by the generosity of the Cass and Audubon County Community Foundation donors.  To inquire about donating to either Foundation, please contact a Board member.   Community Foundations in Southwest Iowa are particularly attractive charities because donations to these funds may be eligible for a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

Please contact Dennis Nissen at 800-794-3458 or dennis@omahafoundation.org or Denise Cardos at denise@omahafoundation.org with grant application specific questions.   All completed applications will be considered at the October board meeting with notification of results the end of October.

U-S Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price, M.D., announced today (Thursday) the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action by the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, involving 412 charged defendants across 41 federal districts. Of those charged, over 120 defendants were charged for their roles in prescribing and distributing opioids and other dangerous narcotics.

U-S Attorney Kevin VanderSchel said five individuals were indicted in the Southern District of Iowa in two schemes involving the distribution of opioids.

• 47-year old Shawne Marie Widener, of Hamburg, was charged with multiple counts of possession with intent to distribute hydrocodone and oxycodone.
• 31-year old Mark Edward May, 32-year old Chiann May Jones, 37-year old Clara Ann Milks, and 40-year old Jeremiah D. Jones, all of Missouri Valley, were charged with conspiracy and distribution of hydrocodone and oxycodone.

The enforcement actions were led and coordinated by the Criminal Division, Fraud Section’s Health Care Fraud Unit in conjunction with its Medicare Fraud Strike Force (MFSF) partners, a partnership between the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and HHS-OIG. In addition, the operation includes the participation of the DEA, DCIS, and State Medicaid Fraud Control Units.

Nationally, the defendants are charged with various health care fraud-related crimes, including conspiracy to commit health care fraud, violations of the anti-kickback statutes and money laundering, as well as crimes involving the illegal prescribing and distribution of opioids and other dangerous narcotics. The charges are designed to aggressively target schemes billing Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE (a health insurance program for members and veterans of the armed forces and their families) for medically unnecessary prescription drugs and compounded medications that often were never even purchased and/or distributed to beneficiaries. The charges also involve individuals contributing to the opioid epidemic. According to the CDC, approximately 91 Americans die every day of an opioid related overdose.

The individuals in Iowa were investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Iowa Department of Public Safety – Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Their cases are being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

DES MOINES – Blazing an art trail through the countryside. Reviving old-fashioned printmaking in a historic post office. Tracing connections between the environment and people of color. Those are just three of the 152 innovative projects that will receive grants for fiscal year 2018 from the Iowa Arts Council. Overall, the Iowa Arts Council awarded slightly more than $1.3-million to organizations, people and projects in 66 communities across 45 Iowa counties. The grants were announced today (Thursday).

Locally, among the grant recipients, was

• The Carnegie Art Museum in Clarinda ($2,726) for “Art From Anything,” a youth art camp that will culminate in a celebration and an exhibition of works;
• The Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn ($3,000), where Danish immigrant artist Anni Holm will collaborate with the rural community to repurpose artifacts deaccessioned from the museum’s collection into a new art installation for permanent display;
• Guthrie County Arts Council ($3,200) to bring in Global Multi-Instrumentalist Todd Green. Green will present school assemblies, a public lecture demonstration and public concert throughout Guthrie County.
• And, the Southwest Iowa Arts Council received a $3,000 grant to present the Southwest Iowa Art Tour, which connects people from rural communities to artists through a self-guided tour in an eight-county region. The tour will take Iowans and others to more than 22 different locations where they can interact with 75 artists in galleries and studios. (To view the complete list, go to https://iowaculture.gov/sites/default/files/arts-grants-grantees-fy18.pdf )

The Iowa Arts Council received 260 eligible grant applications requesting more than $1.99-million during this funding cycle.

Officials with Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) say a planning meeting has been set for 9-a.m. Wednesday, July 19th, at the Oakland Community Center. The purpose of the meeting is to further discuss the creation of a Watershed Management Plan for the East and West Nishnabotna Watersheds.

Project Coordinator Cara Markey-Morgan, says cities, counties, soil and water conservation district representatives, and all other interested parties are welcome to attend to learn more about participating in this important organization.  

For more information about the East and West Nishnabotna watershed meeting, contact Breanna Shea (breanna-shea@uiowa.edu), Kyle Ament  (Kyle.Ament@dnr.iowa.gov) or Cara Morgan (cara.morgan@goldenhillsrcd.org).