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Traffic stop in Red Oak results in the arrest of two Nebraska man

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November 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop Wednesday afternoon in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of two men from Nebraska. Police report the vehicle was stopped at the intersection of Highway 34 and 4th Street, at around 4:06-p.m. Upon further investigation, officers arrested 35-year-old Jae Lawrence Torpy, and 20-year-old Ramon Edwin King, both of Omaha.  Each was taken into custody on a Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – charge. Their bonds were set at $1,000 each.

3 juveniles injured in a northwest Iowa crash, Wed. afternoon

News

November 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(rural Rock Rapids, Iowa) – Three juvenile females were injured Wednesday afternoon, during a crash in northwest Iowa’s Lyon County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2006 Chevy Impala driven by one of the juveniles, was traveling west on 160th Street, southwest of Rock Rapids, when the car went out of control where the road transitioned from pavement to gravel at Goldfinch Avenue.

The car entered the south ditch and rolled multiple times before coming to rest on its roof and catching fire. The accident happened at around 3:40-p.m., Wednesday. Two of the juveniles were transported by ambulance to Avera Hospital in Rock Rapids and Sioux Falls. No names were released.

Two of the three females were wearing their seat belts. The crash remains under investigation.

The State Patrol was assisted at the scene by Rock Rapids Fire and the Lyon County Ambulance.

Governors of 15 states, including Iowa, object to proposed nursing home staffing rules

News

November 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republican governors of 14 other states – including the neighboring states of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota – are objecting to proposed federal rules on nursing home staffing levels. The proposed rule comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It says nursing homes should have enough staff to provide each resident with at least half an hour of care from a registered nurse and at least two hours and 45 minutes of care from a nurses aide each day.

The 15 Republican governors have sent a letter to President Biden, asking him to reconsider the rule. The governors say the long-term care industry is facing a workforce crisis, especially in rural areas, and the group calls the agency’s proposal an unnecessary, one-size-fits-all requirement that will force many long-term care facilities to close. The governors say that means many vulnerable Americans will find it more difficult to get a spot in a nursing home.

Twenty-six Iowa nursing homes have closed since May of last year. During the 2023 legislative session, Iowa lawmakers increased Medicaid reimbursement rates by 15 million dollars.

One of world’s richest women donates $5 million to Iowa non-profit

News

November 2nd, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – An unusual phone message led to a five MILLION dollar grant for the Siouxland Community Health Center of Sioux City. Mari Kaptain-Dahlen, the C-E-O of the non-profit health center, says the initial call came in mid-September from a woman who would only talk to her. “I was pretty skeptical because I get messages like that every week, but the woman had a very intriguing name, which has to remain anonymous, so I decided to give her a call,” Kaptain-Dahlen said. “When I returned her call and introduced myself, she said to me: ‘Thank you for taking a leap of faith to call me back. Many people don’t.'”

The woman Kaptain-Dahlen was speaking with represents the Yield Giving Foundation — established by MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bazos. In the past three years, Scott has given away about half her fortune to non-profits around the world. Kaptain-Dahlen says this is how the foundation representative she spoke with in September announced the grant:

“This woman said to me: ‘Well, Mary, we have fully vetted you and we have fully vetted your organization and we have fully vetted your leadership team,'” Kaptain-Dahlen said yesterday, “and she said: ‘We have found you to be a thriving organization and I am notifying you that Yield Giving has identified you as one of the funding recipients for 2023.'”

Last year, the Siouxland Community Health Center served 35-thousand patients who spoke 52 different languages. The center’s C-E-O credits the more than 350 people on staff and board members for embracing the non-profit’s mission. “Your commitment to make sure that mission is achieved with every person who comes through these doors and the empowerment of that mission that you have cultivated with your team and all of our staff — that is what has brought us to this moment,” she said.

Andrea Buckley, chair of the center’s board of directors, also spoke at yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) news conference. “We’re going to create a task force, hopefully come up with a real catchy name for it,” she said with a laugh, “but it’s really an opportunity for us to listen to our stakeholders, listen to our partners, listen to our community and figure out how we can use this gift.”

Yield Giving’s website indicates the foundation has donated more than 14 BILLION dollars to over 16-hundred non-profits around the world so far and at least seven are located in Iowa.

46 Horses Seized in Neglect Investigation

News

November 1st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Adel, IA) – The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Wednesday evening, said earlier in the day, Wednesday (11/1/23), a search warrant was executed at 33034 165th Street in rural Dallas County, Iowa. The search warrant was in reference to an ongoing live stock neglect investigation at that location.

Dallas County Sheriff’s Office Detectives located 46 horses on the property that were in need of Veterinarian care. These horses were seized as a part of this investigation. The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending at this time. This release will be updated when more information is available.

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office is greatly appreciative of the assistance of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. The Iowa Department of Agriculture also assisted in this investigation.

Atlantic City Council approves numerous resolutions; Receives Chamber update on programs, etc.

News

November 1st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council met this (Wednesday), and approved several agenda items. They included:

  • A resolution “Obligating funds from the Southeast Urban Renewal Area (URA) Revenue Fund for Appropriation to the payment of annual appropriation Tax Increment Financed (TIF) obligations,” which are due in the next succeeding fiscal year. City Administrator John Lund noted “This is bureaucratic red tape relating to [a TIF] for the Redwood Subdivision.” A similar resolution was passed with regard to the Hotel Whitney URA. Councilman Pat McCurdy abstained from the vote due to a conflict of interest.
  • The Council passed also, a resolution “Granting [an] extension on the maximum accrued vacation hours for Assistant Police Chief Paul Wood.” Wood has served the A-PD for 19-years. City Administrator John Lund reports that due to ongoing staffing issues with the Police Department, Assistant Chief Wood has had to delay the use of his Paid Time-Off (PTO) hours and fill shifts for other officers, sometimes swinging between day and night shifts. The Mayor noted Wood is “A valued employee, Assistant Chief of Police, [is] committed to [the] department and our City.”
  • The Council passed a resolution establishing a full-time Assistant Code Enforcement/Animal Control Officer. The City will post the job description, salary information and other application requirements for prospective candidates.
  • The Atlantic City Council passed the First Reading of an amended ordinance with an updated position description for the “City Administrator’s” position. And, they…
  • Approved the submission of the Annual Urban Renewal Report to the Iowa Department of Management. The report details everything relating to TIF Districts and projects.

Mayor Grace Garrett dovetailed a report from Chamber Executive Director Bailey Smith, in mentioning there were 500 Halloween Trick-or-Treaters in the downtown district, Tuesday afternoon and evening.

She mentioned also an appearance before the Atlantic Rotary Club, Tuesday afternoon at the Schmidt Family Funeral Home, of Iowa Lt. Governor Adam Gregg.

As part of a pilot program, Cass County received $50,000 from the State of Iowa, and $25,000 from Cass County for training and equipment. Program organizers are looking for volunteers (active or retired), who have been trained in the medical field, to carry kits equipped with tools for CPR (an AED), first aid, and drug overdoses (Narcan). Those volunteers will be notified through a phone app that they are needed to respond to an area close to them, in order to provide early emergency first response, prior to the arrival of professional emergency responders.

The program is being facilitated by AmeriCorps volunteer Erik Johnson, who is also a paramedic with Cass EMS. Persons interested in becoming an emergency response volunteer can contact Erik Johnson at 712-249-8816, or via e-mail at cassCountyFirstAid.Erik@gmail.com.

In other news, Atlantic City Clerk Barb Barrick noted for candidates who are elected (re-elected or appointed) to City Offices in Cass County on November 7th, that a special forum for those elected will be held November 13th at 5-p.m., at City Hall. The forum features Republican State Senator Tom Shipley from Nodaway, and Republican Representative Thomas Moore from Griswold. It will be geared toward answering questions from the elected officials, and moderated by Dan Stalder, with the Iowa League of Cities.

Iowa Democrats release more details about their presidential preference cards

News

November 1st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Eligible Iowans may now go on the Iowa Democratic Party’s website and start requesting the presidential preference cards that are replacing the complicated in-person calculations that have been a long-running feature of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Caucuses. Both major parties in Iowa will hold Caucuses on January 15th. Republicans will again have a straw poll vote to determine which presidential candidate wins the Iowa G-O-P’s Caucuses, still the kick-off event in their party’s nominating process.

New NATIONAL party rules forbid Iowa Democrats from any form of voting that would yield results that night. The Iowa Democratic Party will begin distributing presidential preference cards on January 12th — and the results will be announced March 5th. Iowa Democrats have hired a vendor to count the presidential preference cards, which will be mailed in — and you must be a registered Democrat to get one.

Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips announced last week that he’s running against President Biden. The Iowa Democratic Party’s state central committee will meet in December to decide which candidates’ names will appear on their presidential preference cards.

Survey: Economy in Iowa, Midwest ‘limping along’ during October

News

November 1st, 2023 by admin

Iowa’s economy saw a slight gain during October, while the Midwestern economy dipped, according to the monthly survey of business leaders and supply managers across the nine-state region. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the Business Conditions Index, a leading economic indicator for the Midwest, is measured on a zero-to-100 scale with 50 being growth neutral. The region’s economy slipped a full point, from 52-point-5 in September to 51-point-5 in October.

Iowa’s economy is just below growth neutral, meaning it’s shrinking, but did show a glimmer of growth, rising from 48-point-5 in September to 49-even in October. Goss says the survey quizzed supply managers on what they saw as the largest challenge facing the Midwestern economy in the months ahead.

The regional hiring gauge sank below growth neutral during October, as job losses outpaced new hires.

According to U.S. Bureau of Statistics data, Goss says Iowa’s manufacturing sector boosted employment by 0.9% over the past year, with the average hourly wage rate expanding by 2.3%, well below the 3.7% increase in consumer prices.

Work release escape of Michael Lott, Jr

News

November 1st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Corrections, today (Wednesday), reports Michael LaMarlo Lott, Jr, convicted of Burglary 2nd Degree and Domestic Abuse Assault 3rd or Subsequent Offense in Dubuque County, failed to report back to the Dubuque Residential Facility as required Monday evening.

Michael Lott, Jr.

Lott is a 40-year-old black male, height 6’0″, and weighs 218 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on August 17, 2023.

Persons with information on Lott’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Water conservation plan activated in Dexter

News

November 1st, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Dexter, Iowa) – The City of Dexter is enacting a water conservation plan stage 3. This enactment will go into effect November 2nd, 2023 at 8:00am. It is expected to last through November 2nd, 2023. It could last longer pending the water line repair. The repair is on a leaking valve on the main line coming from the water plant to town. Please use only necessary water during this time.
Stage 3 – Mandatory ComplianceWater Warning. Upon implementation of Stage 3 and posting notice in the City Hall, the local bank and Post Office, with publication of said notice in a weekly publication to be done as soon as possible, the following restrictions shall apply to all persons. Elements of Stage 3 include:A.All outdoor irrigation of vegetation shall occur only between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on designated days and must utilize hand-held hoses, drip irrigation or hand-held buckets.
EXCEPTION: Permanently installed sprinkler systems may be used during the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on designated days. B.The washing of automobiles, trucks, trailers, boats and other types of mobile equipment not occurring upon the immediate premises of commercial car washes and commercial service stations and not in the immediate interests of the public health, safety, and welfare shall be prohibited. C.The filling, refilling or adding of water to uncovered outdoor swimming pools, wading pools, or spas is prohibited.D.Use of water from fire hydrants shall be limited to firefighting and/or other activities immediately necessary to maintain the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the City.E.Water shall not be used to wash down sidewalks, driveways, or other paved areas except to alleviate immediate fire or sanitation hazards.