Clarinda Police Cheif Keith Brothers says the Clarinda Police Department will begin Operation Blessing 2016, Monday, November 28th. This community project embodies the spirit of Christmas by helping to make sure every child in Clarinda receives a gift on Christmas day. Retired Police Chief Joe Newton and retired 911 Communications Supervisor Diane Newton will be managing the program again this year.

Children may be signed up for involvement in the program by calling the police department records office at 712-542-2194, extension 203, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Administrative Assistant/Records Clerk Tara McComb will take the child’s name, age, sex, address and two gift requests per child. Names of children can be submitted beginning Monday, November 28^th and will be accepted through Wednesday, December 21^st.

Cash donations in c/o of Operation Blessing 2016 can be dropped off at the office of Chief of Police Keith Brothers, Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.  or mailed to the Clarinda Police Department, 200 South 15th Street, Clarinda, Iowa 51632. Cash donations will be used by the Clarinda Police Department to purchase gifts for the children. If you wish to purchase a specific gift for a child, please contact the Clarinda Police Department and ask to speak with Joe and Diane Newton regarding purchasing a specific requested gift item(s).

Families will be contacted by the Clarinda Police Department when the gift items are ready to be picked up. If a family is unable to pick up the gifts, uniformed officers of the Clarinda Police Department will deliver the gifts.

Officials with the Cass County Health System Foundation have announced their 2017 Campaign to purchase a 3D Mammography Unit for Cass County Memorial Hospital. Foundation Director Dawn Marnin says “Breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, and we all know someone who has been affected by it. Having this new diagnostic tool available right here in Cass County will allow women to be diagnosed up to 15 months earlier. Early detection remains the key to the successful treatment of breast cancer, which makes this campaign so vital.”

At a cost of $450,000, the 3D Mammography technology is a big investment, and the Foundation is busy planning a direct mail campaign, employee and community campaigns, spring gala, and golf tournament – all aimed at helping raise the needed funds. Once purchased, the 3D unit will completely replace the current equipment, and it will become the standard technology for all patients who receive an annual screening mammogram.

Carrie Schmitt, Director of Diagnostic Imaging, says “This technology provides greater detail and visibility than previous units.  It not only provides earlier diagnosis, but it will reduce the number of call backs for additional imaging, which means less radiation exposure for those patients as well as much less stress.”

A 3D mammogram is conducted in a manner very similar to a traditional mammogram, with a technologist positioning the patient and taking images from different angles. The images produced from 3D Mammography provide a radiologist with greater visibility of breast tissue than ever before, allowing for a more thorough assessment of the results.

In recent studies, 3D mammograms not only were able to find cancers that remained undetected by traditional mammograms, but also were able to significantly reduce the number of false results – cutting back the number of callbacks for unnecessary additional screenings. Overall, 3D Mammography has shown a 41 percent increase in the detection of invasive breast cancers compared to traditional technology, and a reduction in reported false positives of up to 40 percent.

To make a donation or learn more about this campaign, contact Dawn Marnin at mardd@casshealth.org or 712-243-7409.

On this Veterans Day, Senator Joni Ernst is raising concerns about how the Veterans Administration is responding to “whistleblowers.” “We do have to be vigilant in this oversight and it quite literally is a matter of life and death,” Ernst said during a senate hearing this year.

The V-A’s Office of Inspector General operates a hotline to field complaints from V-A staff and veterans, but Ernst says it’s unclear whether the agency is reviewing those complaints quickly enough. “All too many times in the past there has not been the follow-up necessary and those months delay could mean another veteran that has been left untreated or another veteran that takes their life because of a lack of care by the VA,” Ernst says.

Ernst is asking officials for an update on the case of Brandon Ketchum of Bettendorf, a 33-year-old veteran who committed suicide in July. Ketchum did tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Ketchum wrote on his Facebook page hours before he took his life that he had asked to be admitted to the V-A Medical Center in Iowa City, but was sent home with medication.

Later today (Friday), Ernst will be presenting three Iowa veterans with the medals they earned for service in times of war, but did not receive yet. One ceremony will be held in Marshalltown at 4:30 p.m. for a Vietnam veteran and a veteran of World War II. At 6 p.m., Ernst will be in Ankeny to award the Bronze Star and other medals to a Vietnam Veteran. Ernst held similar ceremonies earlier this week in Lenox, Newton and Cedar Rapids to present medals to veterans.

(Radio Iowa)

A high school student in Colorado, with ties to Atlantic, was recently selected as a Marie Curie Scholar starting this fall at the College of Saint Mary. A surprise scholarship check presentation of $80,000 honored Emma Turner, of Loveland, CO., Nov.9th, at Loveland High School. Emma is the daughter of Darrick & Laura Turner, of Loveland (and formerly of Atlantic), and the granddaughter of Atlantic residents Norman and Sherry Templeman, and Dennis and Jane Turner.

Emma plans to major in biology at CSM. College of Saint Mary’s prestigious Marie Curie Scholars Program, funded in part by the National Science Foundation, provides significant financial support and resources for academically talented young women who study science or math. Marie Curie Scholars may receive up to $20,000 annually for four years in gift aid – and participants also receive free tutoring, have opportunities for undergraduate research, may participate in National Institute of Health and NASA research fellowships, and attend and present at national conferences.

Fall is open enrollment season for many health insurance plans. One option is to simply re-enroll in the same plan you chose for 2016. However, that can be a risky strategy: insurance plans can change their coverage terms from year to year; consumer health-care needs can change, too. Instead, careful consumers will match their needs for the next 12 months to a policy that will provide adequate coverage at the most affordable cost.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering a FREE online workshop on Wednesday, November 30, from 6-8 PM. The Smart Choice Health Insurance Education program is research-based, non-political and non-commercial, and will equip consumers with tools they need to make the best possible decision when choosing health insurance plans for themselves and their families.

To register for this free online class register by noon on November 30 at http://tinyurl.com/pvmceb7. For more information, contact Barb Wollan, Human Sciences specialist in family finance, at 515-832-9597 or bwollan@iastate.edu.

A Southwest Iowa Beginner and Young Farmers group will kick off in Montgomery County on December 14, 2016. The Start to Farm: New Farmer Learning Network, organized by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, is a statewide program designed to provide education and support for beginning and early-career agricultural producers.

The SW Iowa group will meet several times throughout the year to discuss farm management and beef cattle production topics. Based on priorities and specific topics determined by the group, they will discuss production techniques, ways to grow and improve business practices, and farm management strategies.

Production topics include: winter nutrition, reproduction management, preconditioning, nutrition management, low-stress weaning, pregnancy checking, body condition scoring and more. Farm Financial topics include: developing farm financial statements, using key financial rations and indicators, managing cash flow, financing capital assets and livestock economies.

Participants will participate in a wide variety of activities, including the opportunity to learn about resources available to get started and tour successful farming operations. They also will become part of a community of Iowa beginning farmers.

There is no registration fee for this program. It will be held in the White 4-H Exhibit Building at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Red Oak, Iowa. The program will begin at 6:30 pm, and it will end at 8:30 pm. The address is 1809 4th Street, Red Oak, Iowa. For more information contact Montgomery County Extension at 712-623-2592, or through their website at www.extension.iastate.edu/montgomery ,or “like” Montgomery County-IA Extension on Facebook.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say one person has died and another has been injured in a crash that occurred during a police chase in Sioux City. The Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office says the chase began around 3:45 a.m. Friday, when a deputy tried to pull over a vehicle. The vehicle turned onto another street and accelerated, with the deputy in pursuit. The vehicle soon went out of control and crashed into a wall. The names of those involved haven’t been released.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Deter Motor Company and The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce have announced nominations are currently being accepted for the 16th annual ATHENA Award, in Atlantic.  The award will be presented Saturday, Jan. 14th, 2017 at the Cass County Community Center. It is given to an exceptional individual who has achieved excellence in her/his business profession, has served the community in a meaningful way and has assisted women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills.

Athena Award

The ATHENA Award was first presented in 1982 in Lansing, Michigan and has grown to include presentations to more than 6,000 individuals in hundreds of cities across the globe. Locally, past winners include Kathie Hockenberry in 2016, Lanette Plambeck, Pat Markman, Dolly Bergmann, Wendy Richter, Ann Pross, Janell Hansen, Jan Kinison, Carole Schuler, Glenda Farrier, Margaret Slepsky, Denise O’Brien, Leanne Pellett, Judy Marnin, and LaVon Eblen.

Deter Motor Company believes in the values underlying ATHENA’s philosophy of incorporating talent and expertise of women into the leadership of our businesses, our communities and our government. The spirit of the ATHENA Award Program is captured in a quotation from Plato, “What is honored in a country will be cultivated there.” By honoring exceptional leaders, others will be encouraged to excel.

Those interested in nominating an individual can pick up a nomination packet at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, 102 Chestnut Street, or by visiting www.AtlanticIowa.com. Nominations are due by December 2nd, 2016 at noon at the Chamber Office.