Cass County Public Health is celebrating National Public Health Week April 1-7, 2019. Public health impacts every aspect of our lives, and National Public Health Week (NPHW) shines a spotlight on how far we have come, as well as acknowledging how much more we need to do to make healthy living easier where people live, learn, work, and play.

The national theme is Creating the Healthiest Nation: For science. For action. For health. As part of this goal, Public Health works to build safe, healthy communities; provide quality healthcare for all; encourage healthy behaviors and choices; create healthy environments; increase economic mobility; and give everyone access to safe, healthy food. Beth Olsen, Director of Cass County Public Health, says “As residents in Cass County, if we each take one small step towards a healthier life every day, together we can make a difference in our national goal.”

In Cass County, Public Health has resources to help residents of all ages and stages of life. To learn more about Cass County Public Health, or to ask questions about their programs, call 712-243-7546 or stop in their office located at 1408 East 10th Street, Atlantic, Iowa.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a chase from Nebraska into Iowa Sunday night resulted in the arrest of a Council Bluffs man. 27-year old Dylan Dijon Carter was taken into custody following a pursuit and foot chase. Carter faces charges that include Eluding while exceeding the speed limit by 25 mph or more, and Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $2,000. Authorities say a Pott. County Deputy ​assisted Omaha Police after a vehicle that OPD was chasing in Nebraska came over to Iowa and entered the trailer park on Richard Downing Dr. off of S. 24th. ​

The Deputy positioned his vehicle outside of the trailer park in case the vehicle took off again. ​The vehicle left the trailer park with no head lights on and headed out to S. 24th St. When the Pott. County Deputy activated his emergency lights and siren, the vehicle took off. ​​The vehicle was pursued until it crossed back over to Nebraska on the Veterans Memorial Bridge. ​The deputy then terminated his pursuit and​ turned around in Omaha at 13th St.,​ before returning to Pott. County. When ​Omaha Police Pursued the vehicle back across Veterans Memorial Bridge, the deputy intercepted it at S. 35th St., where the vehicle went north bound. When the vehicle stopped, the driver (Carter) bailed out, and was eventually apprehended. He was transported to the Pott. Co. Jail on the Eluding charge Probation Violation warrant.

Sheriff’s officials said also, 31-year old Brandyn Michael Muncey, of Omaha, was arrested Friday evening for being a Fugitive From Justice. Muncey was arrested after a Pott. County Deputy was called to check on a suspicious vehicle on the Morman Bridge Road. Due to recent flooding, the area is shut-off from traffic, with only emergency vehicles and local homeowners allowed in the area. In the vicinity of the I-680 ramp off 130th Street, the Deputy came across a Dodge Durango stuck in the ditch. Muncey was subsequently arrested on the warrant out of Douglas County, Nebraska. A female was cited for traffic offenses.

Friday afternoon, a deputy called to a residence in Carson for a warrant check, arrested 29-year old Jerid James Black. Black was taken into custody inside the residence on warrants for Failure to Appear on a citation, and on a hold for another agency. And, Sunday morning, 31-year old Jared Evan Rea was picked-up from Madison County, Nebraska, and brought to the Pott. County Jail, on a warrant for Operating a Motor Vehicle w/out the owner’s consent. He was turned over to corrections staff.

According to 2018 data from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), sexually transmitted disease (STD) diagnoses continue to increase, with one exception. Preliminary data show 14,695 cases of chlamydia (5.8 percent increase from 2017), 4,839 cases of gonorrhea (28.3 percent increase) and 283 cases of syphilis (1.7 percent decrease) were reported to IDPH in 2018. Increases in diagnoses of gonorrhea and chlamydia have been reported nationally, as well. It is unclear if the increases are due to increased access to testing, increased transmission or both.

In February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported increases in the use of injection drugs, methamphetamine and heroin among persons who have recently acquired syphilis. Data indicate a similar trend in Iowa. The number of individuals diagnosed with these early stages of syphilis who reported having used methamphetamine more than doubled from 2016-2018. These data suggest a connection between drug addiction and STDs.

April is Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Awareness Month. In addition to correct and consistent use of condoms, IDPH advises regular testing for the prevention and control of STDs. Many STDs cause no symptoms or symptoms that are easily confused with other conditions. Without testing, individuals may remain undiagnosed, untreated and unaware that they are transmitting the infection to others. Early treatment prevents serious, long-term health consequences that otherwise may result from these infections.

For more information about IDPH’s STD program, including resources and statistics, visit http://idph.iowa.gov/hivstdhep/std/resources and https://tracking.idph.iowa.gov/Health/Sexually-Transmitted-Diseases.Testing locations can be found at https://gettested.cdc.gov/.

The Atlantic City Council will meet in a regular session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in the Chambers at City Hall. First-up on their agenda, is recognition of Atlantic’s State Archery Team. The High School and Middle School teams both qualified for the State Archery Tournament, with the High School team qualifying both a bullseye and 3D team, and Middle School team qualified for Bullseye.

The H.S Team finished the 3D tournament in 15th place, and 11th out of 31 teams in the Bullseye Tournament. The Middle School team was 19th out of 30 teams, and out of 350 middle school girls competing, Halle Copeland was second. The Washington Middle School team took the title with a team score of 3,278.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones will also read a Proclamation, and the Council will recognize Brandon Baier, of Atlantic, for his achievements in the World Special Olympics Competition held in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. Brandon was one of two Iowans selected to be a part of the U-S delegation to the 2019 Special Olympics Games, where he won a bronze medal in the throws, finished fourth in the 4×400 Meter Relay, and had a fifth place finish in the 100 Meter Relay.

In other business, the Council will consider bids to purchase the Atlantic Senior Center. The bids were accepted until Monday and will remain sealed until the Council meeting. At that time, the Council may review the bid(s), discuss and move to sell the building, or retain ownership of it. They could also refer the matter to Committee, or accept a bid (if more than one), and direct the City Attorney and Administrator to draft language of the sale, noting conditions the Council may wish to impose.

The Council will also act on a Resolution “Adopting a Policy for the Disposition of City-owned Properties,” along with a Resolution “Authorizing bids for 2019 Palm Street Improvements,” and an Order to approve a change order for the 2018 Street Improvement Project with regard to the area of 6th and Laurel Streets. And, the Council is expected to approve a five-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with AFSCME Council 61, for the City’s seven full-time and one part-time employees. The Council will also act on an Order approving a CBA with the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 234.  The Union represents six City Employees with the Street Dept., and four at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The final order of business for the Atlantic City Council, aside from regular reports, is the appointment of Teresa Richard and Vicki Brown, to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) — An Altoona man is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday for vehicular homicide while driving drunk. Jasper County District Court records say 26-year-old Michael Roney was convicted March 19. He was charged after the Sept. 23, 2017 crash that killed 27-year-old Jeremy O’Connor, who lived in Colfax.

The Newton Daily News reports that surveillance video showed the two drinking at a Colfax bar before they left. The Iowa State Patrol says Roney’s vehicle ran off the pavement on Iowa Highway 117 south of Mingo and then rolled, ejecting O’Connor. He was pronounced dead at the scene.