(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are remembering singer Tony Bennett who died this (Friday) morning in New York at the age of 96.  Bennett appeared in three concerts at the Des Moines Civic Center in October of 1984, March of 1993 and in June of 2014. He also appeared in concert at Prairie Meadows in Altoona in March of 2012.

Bennett’s last appearance in Iowa was at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center in Cedar Falls four years ago in June, 2019. He’s known for a string of tunes including “Rags to Riches,” “Just in Time,” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” Funeral services for Bennett are pending.

Tony Bennett

(Adair, Iowa) – The Adair-Casey/Guthrie Center School Board, Wednesday, accepted a bid for the replacement of the bleachers at the Junior High School. AC/GC Superintendent Josh Rasmussen said a Public Hearing was held on the bleacher project during the Board’s meeting.

The Board also approved the resignation of Denice Crawley, Food Service & Transportation, and contract recommendations for: Christina Wilson – High School Board Secretary; Ron Lower  and Bill Messinger – Part-time Industrial Tech Teachers; Sarah McKibben – Elementary Kitchen & Preschool 1:1 Associate, and, Kayla Froehle – Preschool Associate.

They also acted on approving their IASB Legislative Priorities, which include Teacher Recruitment and Licensure.

Sharing and Reorganization was another of the Board’s priorities.

In other business, the AC/GC School Board approved the existing 28-E (cost sharing) agreements between the districts.

And, the Board agreed to tweak their regular board meeting times and places.

Mr. Rasmussen said they’re getting ready for the next school year. That includes getting the buildings cleaned-up. All classroom teachers are hired, and the online registration portal is available now for parents to enroll their kids.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council is partnering with the Healthy Cass County Coalition and other community organizations, to host a Family Fun Day at the Cass County Fair. Next Saturday, July 29th, 2023, from 12- until 4-p.m., there will be activities set up around the fairgrounds for families to find and participate in, including water fights, a duck pond, a garden story walk, hands-on S.T.E.M. activities, a cake walk, yard games and more! Depending on the activity, some may have a different starting or ending time.

Participants can pick up a map at any of the stations. The map will list the activities that will be going on all over the fairgrounds. Once a location is visited, participants will receive a stamp to indicate their participation at that location. When the map is returned to the Healthy Cass booth in the commercial building, with at least 6 stamps, a voucher will be given to the participant to redeem for food at the Chuckwagon food stand.

Organizations participating in the Family Fun Day at the Fair include: Atlantic Fire Department, Atlantic Public Library, Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council, Cass County Master Gardeners, Cass County 4-H, Cass County Farm Bureau, Family Crisis Support Network, Healthy Cass County, Iowa Corn, Iowa Learning Forums, SHIFT ATL and more!

When visiting the Healthy Cass County booth, fairgoers are also invited to learn and share ideas for healthy ways to take care of themselves, friends and families. There are many aspects to wellness, and taking care of ourselves allows us to better care for others.

The Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council and Healthy Cass County encourage families to enjoy some time together at the Cass County Fair while gathering ideas for activities that can be done at home, at school and out in the community as a family. The council also reminds people that child abuse is preventable, and everyone can play a part in creating safe, healthy and nurturing environments for kids in our local communities.

For more information and updates on the Family Fun Day visit @CassCountyChildAbusePreventionCouncil on Facebook.

For a full schedule of fair activities, visit www.casscountyfairia.com!   The Cass County Fair takes place July 27th through August 1st, in Atlantic.

(Radio Iowa)  – A report finds states that ban or severely restrict abortion are less likely to attract medical school graduates for hospital residency slots. The study from the Association of American Medical Colleges Research and Action Institute found a drop in applications across all residency slots in states that restrict abortion. Atul Grover, the institute’s executive director, says the drop was much more drastic for med school graduates looking to be O-B/G-Y-Ns. Grover says, “But in OB/GYN, what we found was that you were about twice as likely to have US MD graduates trying to avoid those states where abortion was banned, or drastically limited.”

Iowa has one of the lowest rates of O-B/G-Y-Ns per capita in the country. A new Iowa law that bans abortions at about six weeks of pregnancy was temporarily blocked this week by a district judge while it faces legal challenges. Grover says he’s concerned abortion restrictions could increasingly deter other kinds of residents, not just O-B/G-Y-Ns. “Also, if you think about a specialty, like family medicine, that does a lot of obstetrical care, particularly in rural areas,” he says, “we believe that they will also be disincentivized to go practice in states like Iowa.”

Grover made his comments on the Iowa Public Radio program, River to River.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – No injuries were reported following an accident Thursday afternoon, in Red Oak. Authorities say 79-year-old Carolyn Dee Marsden, of Red Oak, was traveling south on Highland Avenue at around 1:10-p.m., and turned east onto Forest Avenue, directly into the path of a 2023 Chevy Equinox (SUV) traveling westbound on Forest. The 2016 Buick Encalve Marsden was driving collided head-on with the Chevy, driven by 51-year-old Angela Marie Sheely-Gurwell, of Ames.

Red Oak Police say Marsden failed to yield half the roadway. Both vehicles sustained an estimated $1,500 damage. No citations or warnings were issued.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Booster Club President Brian Wagner has announced brand new packages for member to the organization.

The 2023-2024 school year begins August 23rd for the Atlantic Community School District, and the Booster Club’s campaign kicked-off with six-levels of support available for you to choose from. Starting contributions are $140 for an annual pass to all activities, and finish with $2,000 Diamond Supporter packages that offer recognition on a multitude of programs, signs and digital ads at school events.

To support the program, community members, businesses and organizations can find a flyer in the New Telegraph’s weekly mailer that goes out to every household in the county. You can also call a Booster Club Member, message them on Facebook (Atlantic Iowa Booster Club), or e-mail boosterclubhelp@gmail.com.

The Club meets every third Monday at the Atlantic High School. Their meetings are open to the public, where involvement is welcomed with enthusiasm. Wagner says “We believe that giving these kids the support and encouragement to be involved, will come back full-circle and ten-fold, as they grow-up and become community leaders themselves.”

DAVENPORT, IA – A Davenport woman was sentenced Thursday to six months in federal prison for providing false statements during federal grand jury testimony. According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, 30-year LaRhonda Dawnielle Jenkins, was present at a shooting at the Dam View Inn in Davenport on March 9, 2021, where an individual was shot multiple times. When Jenkins was called to testify at federal grand jury proceedings, Jenkins lied about her knowledge of the identified shooter.

After completing her term of imprisonment, Jenkins will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak say no injuries were reported following a collision between a 2006 Freightliner semi pulling a hopper-style trailer, and a 1992 Ford Tempo. Authorities report the car, driven by 92-year-old Wallace Keith Jones, of Red Oak, was traveling west on W. Market Street at around 5:45-p.m. He stopped at the intersection with S. Broadway Street, and then pulled away from the stop sign, before his car was hit on the front by the right front passenger side of the semi. Jones told police he didn’t see the semi before pulling out into the intersection.

Jones, and the driver of the semi, 48-year-old David Lee Rydberg, of Essex, were checked-out by medics, but refused transport to the hospital. The car was a total loss. Damage to the semi was estimated at $2,000. Red Oak Police issued Wallace Jones a written warning for Failure to Yield to a Passing Vehicle.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say there were two arrests Thursday night. At around 9:50-p.m., 34-year-old Kayla Sue Hoffman, of Creston, was arrested for Theft in the 3rd Degree. Hoffman was taken to Union County Jail and later posted a $2,000 cash or approved surety bond.

And, at around 10-p.m., Thursday, 22-year-old Jerimiah Lee Whitney, of Creston, was arrested for assault, at a residence on W. Summit Ave. He was taken to Union County Jail and later posted a $300 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – A significant, new advance in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is being unveiled at a medical conference in Amsterdam, and a central Iowa physician who’s there calls it a very exciting development.

Dr. Yogesh Shah, a geriatrician at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines, says a simple, finger prick blood test, much like what diabetics do daily, shows promise in the ability to detect Alzheimer’s. “It will have to go through the regular checks, regular confirmations and approvals,” Dr. Shah says, “but the way I feel, the field is moving very fast, that this will happen soon and will be available for patients all over, including in Iowa.”

In a Radio Iowa interview from the Netherlands, Shah says this streamlined finger-prick test may help detect Alzheimer’s at home or in the doctor’s office, and indications are the blood test is more than 80% accurate. How soon will it be available?   “I would say and hope that it’s not years,” Shah says. “What I would also can say it’s not going to be available next week. I feel in months, so hopefully, in early to middle next year.”

Once it’s available, Shah says only people with a family history of dementia, or those who are showing symptoms, should need to take the test. If the test is positive, preventative measures could start much more quickly. Still, the drugs that are approved for helping to slow the progress of Alzheimer’s are expensive.
“It can cost up to $26,000 per year, so it’s a significant cost, and side effects, so we have to be careful,” Shah says. “It’s not for everybody. It’s only for patients with very early stage of Alzheimer’s.” A statement released by the Iowa chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association says this new blood test, once verified and approved, “would offer a quick, noninvasive and cost-effective option.”

It’s estimated there are 66,000 Iowans living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, and another 98,000 Iowans are their caregivers. A report out this week says the average Alzheimer’s prevalence rate in Iowans age 65 and older is 11%, while the rate is even higher in northwest Iowa.