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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s state insurance division says residents in 13 rural counties who want to buy subsidized health insurance under the Affordable Care Act will have just one option for a provider in 2017. Medica, a Minnesota-based carrier, is the only health insurer that has agreed to sell individual policies in the state via the Affordable Care Act’s online marketplace.
The Des Moines Register reports that about 55,000 Iowa residents bought individual health insurance policies for 2016 on the marketplace, and most had incomes low enough to qualify for subsidies, which come as tax credits. Counties that will only have Medica as an option include Adams, Buena Vista, Iowa, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Mahaska, Page, Pocahontas, Taylor, Van Buren and Wapello.
Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart says he’s worried that more counties could be served by just one provider next year.
A survivor of the Nazi Concentration camps will be the guest speaker at a church in western Iowa, Thursday evening. Steen Metz was a young boy living in Denmark when the Nazis conquered the country in 1940.
Tova Brandt, Curator at the Museum of Danish America in Elk Horn (IA), says Metz and his family, along with other Danes, were arrested and deported to the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp in Czechoslovakia in 1943.
Some 15,000 children passed through Theresienstadt. Brandt said Metz is one of fewer than 1,500 who survived. His father died of starvation and hard labor, at the camp. Like many Holocaust survivors, Metz kept his war experiences private for many years. Following his incarceration, he returned to Denmark and emigrated to America, where he’s lived for several decades. In 2011 he started sharing his story after he self-published a memoir. He has spoken to over 250 groups, mostly students, over nearly the past five-years.
Thursday morning (Oct. 6th), Metz will make a presentation before students at the Elk Horn High School, and at 7-p.m., he’ll speak to an open audience at the Elk Horn Lutheran Church for about 45-minutes. A question-and-answer session will follow. There is no charge to attend. If you can’t attend, there is a social media option.
Brandt says they plan to record it and live stream the event on the Museum’s Facebook page. The presentation is organized by the Museum of Danish America. Contact the museum with questions at (712) 764-7001.
Officials with the Red Oak Police Department today (Wednesday), said a man who had worked as a Police Officer in Red Oak for about eight-months, was fired after being charged with Domestic Abuse/Assault. The charge against former Officer Ethen Schoonover followed a nearly month-long investigation into an incident that allegedly occurred September 6th.
Officials said upon receiving documentation from the Shenandoah Police Department about the incident, Red Oak Police contacted the Iowa Dept. of Public Safety’s Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. While a DCI agent was assigned to investigate the allegation, Schoonover, a patrolman/police officer, was placed on Administrative Leave.
Upon conclusion of the investigation by the Iowa DCI, the results of the investigation were turned over to Page County Attorney Carl Sonksen, at the request of Montgomery County Attorney Bruce Swanson. On October 4th, after a review of the investigating agent’s report and evidence that had been collected, a criminal charge of Domestic Abuse/Assault was filed against Schoonover.
(Corrects age of victim)
The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a child has died during an accident involving a skid loader Tuesday evening. Deputies and emergency responders were called to 2683 205th Street southwest of Afton, at around 6:10-p.m. Calab Brammer, of Lorimor, reported the accident. His son, 23-month old Calab Allen Brammer, Jr., of Lorimor, was pronounced dead at the scene. No other information on the accident was immediately released.
An investigation into the Sept. 24th break-in and burglary of Sparky’s One Stop in Bayard, has resulted in two arrests, with a third suspect having been identified while the case remains under investigation. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports on Sept. 26th, Collin Richards was arrested on charges that include Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Theft in the 2nd Degree, and Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. A juvenile also taken into custody faces the same charges. He was released to his parents. Authorities say criminal charges are expected to be filed soon, against the third, unidentified suspect in the case.
The Sheriff’s Office says surveillance video showed the the male suspects breaking-out the glass front door of the store before going inside and stuffing duffle bags full of tobacco products and alcohol. Evidence led to a search warrant being executed on Sept. 25th at Richards’ home located at 206 Main Street in Bayard. Deputies, assisted by Coon Rapids Police Officers, recovered a large quantity of stolen alcohol and cigarettes in the home.
Richards was taken into custody at that time, and charged with Possession of Stolen Property as well as Possession of Alcohol by a person 18-to 21-years of age.
A woman from Shelby County was arrested early this (Wednesday) morning for calling 911 to report clown sightings at the Avoca Pool and Avoca High School. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says 36-year old Jennifer Lynn Brennan, of Harlan, made the non-emergency 9-1-1 call at around 4:15-a.m. Authorities located the woman at her place of employment in Avoca, and arrested her at around 4:45-a.m. for calling 9-1-1 for a non-emergency.
(Updated 10:45-a.m.):
AHSTW School officials posted a message on their social media page with regard to the incident. The message said “Administrators met with local law enforcement this (Wednesday) morning to verify any reports of “creepy clown” sightings on the AHSTW campus. None of these reports are true.
“Social media and news reports state, “creepy clown sightings” are on trend in the country. The hoax is that people dress as clowns, roam around, and try to lure others toward them and may directly threaten people or make threats to organizations like schools. Law enforcement has found little to substantiate the hundreds of reports in Iowa. That being said, authorities will file criminal charges against people who are purposely perpetrating a hoax.”
The School District said “Local law enforcement in the City of Avoca and Pottawattamie County are cracking down on anyone participating in this hoax. Please understand that “to incite fear or trespass on someone’s property” is against the law.” They reiterated that “The social media pictures that were reportedly taken on the AHSTW campus are photoshopped. All reports are unsubstantiated.” Officials advised parents to “Please help your child understand that this is a rumor. Let your child know it is safe to attend school.”
Nationwide, the alleged clown threats and incidents began to occur after it was announced a remake of the 1990 horror film “It,” was being made. The original movie was based on a 1987 Stephen King novel that increased the public’s fear of clowns.
Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce say the Chamber’s Image Committee has awarded Dan and Shellie Brown, of 1111 Plum Street, with the Community Improvement Award. The award recognizes the successful efforts to improve a property in the Atlantic Area.
Chamber Executive Director Ouida Hargens says “Dan and Shellie have done an outstanding job improving the exterior of their home over the past three years. And a beautiful job landscaping the entire yard. They take pride in their own property and the entire community and we greatly appreciate it.”
Pictured: Bill Saluk, Gene Fischer, Gerald Brink, Ouida Hargens, Executive Director and Dan and Shellie Brown. (photo submitted)
The Community Improvement Award is given to a businesses and residents that takes pride in making Atlantic a welcoming and beautiful community by continuing to improve its appearance.
If you would like to nominate a business or community member for a Community Improvement Award, contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce: 712-243-3017 or chamber@atlanticiowa.com
Thanks to a 150-thousand dollar grant, more nurses aides in Iowa are learning to provide basic dental care to patients. The two-year grant is part of a statewide effort to integrate oral health into standard care for seniors and people with disabilities. Di Findley, director of the non-profit Iowa CareGivers, says the Lifelong Smiles Coalition developed a training program for health care aides called, “Mouth Care Matters,” and 100 direct care workers have been trained so far.
Findley says, “One of the direct care workers mentioned at our statewide conference when they began to understand that connection between the mouth and the rest of the body, she said, “I’m going to start placing a much higher priority on oral health and checking that person’s mouth than I am putting lipstick on.'” Findley says standards for oral health care should be added to the intake process for nursing home patients and especially for those receiving home health care services. For example, aides or nurses could ask a few simple questions, like, “Can you eat?” or “Do you have sores or pain in your mouth?”
She says, “I think promoting standards that can be recognized at the state level and integrated into the bigger system, that’s the only way it’s going to change significantly.” The grant comes from the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. Delta Dental of Iowa is a nonprofit insurance company and its foundation’s purpose is to help improve oral health care in the state.
Learn more at: www.lifelongsmilescoalition.com.
(Radio Iowa)
More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) – After a 15-year restoration, a mechanic was taking a classic 1961 Chevrolet Corvette for a final test drive in Mason City before shipping the car to its owner in Florida. Then came the crash. Ray Shimak told the Globe Gazette he was checking on a shifter adjustment when another car swerved into the Corvette.
No one was hurt, but the crash damaged the Corvette’s right rear and front.
Shimak had been restoring the Corvette since 2006 for retired Mason City businessman Lee Snell, who bought the car in the 1970s and had worked on it for years. Shimak says the latest repairs should be done by Jan. 1st. He says Snell accepted the news of the crash well, noting “He’s a patient man.”