Rescue crews from Massena and Medivac ambulance from Atlantic were called to the scene of a two-vehicle personal injury accident this afternoon. The crash was reported just before 4:45-p.m. on Highway 92 right on the Cass/Adair County line. Two people have been injured. Additional details are currently not available.

Council Bluffs Fire Department officials, Wednesday, released more information about a residential fire Tuesday morning that resulted in one person being sent to the hospital. According to the Daily NonPareil, 31-year old Drema Lewis, a transient, suffered injuries from the fire and by a saw used by firefighters to gain access to the home. Council Bluffs Rescue transported Lewis to CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center, where she’s expected to fully recover.

Fire Marshal Larry Wohlers said when firefighters arrived on the scene, they cut through the front door to access the house. Crews didn’t know Lewis was inside – let alone against the door – and she was injured when they cut through the door with a saw.

A preliminary investigation into the incident that caused substantial damage to the house at 327 Ninth Avenue determined transient activity was consistent with the cause. The house had to be torn down by demolition after the fire, as the structure was deemed unsafe by the city building division.

Officials with UnityPoint at Home today (Wednesday), announced that seven of its locations – Atlantic, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Sioux City, Storm Lake and Waterloo – have been named to the 2014 HomeCare Elite(tm), a compilation of the top-performing home health care providers in the United States. Now in its ninth year, HomeCare Elite identifies the top 25 percent of agencies based on performance measures in quality outcomes, process of care measures, and financial performance.

Monique Reese, UnityPoint at Home vice president and chief clinical officer, credits compassionate, knowledgeable staff and the organization’s ongoing commitment to innovation and care coordination with its ability to rank amongst the top home health care providers in the country.

Reese says UnityPoint at Home is committed to implementing innovative clinical strategies that improve patient care, decrease unnecessary hospitalizations and reduce costs. Clinicians are trained in integrated care management, with the knowledge and tools necessary to deliver interventional care in the home to patients with conditions such as heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Clinicians work collaboratively with patients and families, providing education and encouraging self-management techniques, while coordinating care with their physicians.

About Unity Point at Home:

UnityPoint at Home is an integrated home health services provider serving patients and communities in Iowa and Illinois. Part of UnityPoint Health, the nation’s fourth largest nondenominational health system, UnityPoint at Home works together with its affiliated physicians and hospitals to coordinate the services, support and education necessary for patients to continue their care at home. Services include adult and pediatric nursing care, rehabilitation therapy, personal care and home support, infusion therapy, respiratory therapy, palliative care, hospice and home medical equipment services.

Iowa Republican congressional candidate David Young announced plans Wednesday to bring his Whistle-Stop Tour with Senator Chuck Grassley and Congressman Tom Latham, to Atlantic, Council Bluffs and Stuart. The rail tour of Iowa’s Third Congressional District will take place along the Iowa Interstate Railroad, Ltd. starting in Council Bluffs and ending in Des Moines on Saturday, October 25th.

All of the events are open to the public and will feature refreshments. The schedule is as follows:

Saturday, October 25, 2014

8:30 a.m.       David Young and Senator Grassley hold Whistle Stop Tour event

Railswest Museum

1512 S. Main St.

Council Bluffs, IA

11 a.m.          David Young, Senator Grassley and Congressman Latham hold Whistle Stop Tour event

Rock Island Depot

102 Chestnut St.

Atlantic, IA

12:30 p.m.     David Young, Senator Grassley and Congressman Latham hold Whistle Stop Tour event

Intersection of 350th St. & S. Division

Stuart, IA

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The state has launched a new emergency alert system to warn residents of tornadoes, chemical spills or other dangers. It’s called the Alert Iowa System, a program the Legislature approved earlier this year. According to Iowa officials, the annual cost of running the program is expected to be about $300,000.

On Tuesday, the system was used for the first time at the Iowa Homeland Security Conference with Gov. Terry Branstad sending out a practice message. A chorus of cellphones chiming was soon heard in the conference room.

The Des Moines Register reports about one-third of Iowa’s counties will initially be served by the notification system. All counties will be later able to access the program that provides local officials control of how and when to issue emergency and public safety notifications to residents.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Tuesday, arrested a Clarinda man on a warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree, a serious misdemeanor. 18-year old Joseph Daniel Kirsch was taken into custody when he turned himself into the Sheriff’s Office. Kirsch is alleged to have broken out a window of a 1999 Chevy Tahoe on October 20th, at approximately 12:24-AM, in the 1300 block of Highway 48. Kirsch was a passenger in this vehicle when the incident occurred. The vehicle he was in was driven by Sam Ripley, of Clarinda, and registered to Lindsey Langley, also of Clarinda.
Kirsch posted a $100 cash bond, or 10-percent of the total $1000 bond, as ordered by a Page County Magistrate. He was released from custody pending further hearings after posting the bond.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says it has been receiving several phone calls about a RECENT scam. The scamming caller is stating that you have won a large sum of money. They state that they will pay the taxes on the large sum if you send them money, via several different ways which might involve getting money orders or pre-paid cards and then giving them the numbers. The scammers have even claimed that the money will be delivered to your door via a courier.

The Sheriff’s Office has investigated these and “played along”, only to ensure that this is a scam.
If you receive a call in reference to winning a large amount of money it is more than likely a scam. We all want to win, but in every case that we have investigated, person’s will lose money and sometimes tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. We have found that there is no way to re-coup the money lost as it seems to be overseas calls. The calls may appear to come from a number in the United States, but with today’s technology, the scammers have found ways to make this happen from outside of the United States.

The best advice authorities have is: Don’t answer any questions or give out any information no matter what questions are asked or what personal information the scammer may have. Almost anyone’s information can be obtained via the internet in this day and age. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

(Updated)

Authorities in Atlantic have wrapped-up their investigation into an after school incident that took place near the Middle School, Tuesday, andnvolved a possible “threat.” Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein explained what transpired. He said a student exhibited what look to other students to be the handle of a weapon tucked into his pants, under his shirt. The students in-turn, notified Atlantic Middle School notified Principal Josh Rasmussen.

Amstein said the handle appeared to be that of a handgun. Rasmussen contacted Atlantic Police, and officers picked up the student for questioning and checked him for weapons. None were found. Amstein says Cass County Sheriff’s Deputy Corey Larsen, who serves as the School Resource Officer, conducted a search of the area where the student travelled, along with his k-9 partner Mufasa, and no weapon was found.

Amstein reported later in the day Wednesday, that the student admitted to Rasmussen he had carved a “look-a-like” pistol from wood and later tossed it into a creek near the school. The fake gun has since been retrieved.

The student in question attends the Atlantic Middle School, but Amstein wasn’t sure what grade he was in. He would not comment on whether the student has had behavioral or disciplinary problems prior to the alleged incident.  Amstein said school officials are handling an incident through the schools disciplinary policy as a “threat,” and the student will be dealt with according to policy.

No charges have been filed in connection with the incident.

Winter is getting closer as the month of October winds down and a spokesman for the Iowa Utilities Board says low-income Iowans want to be sure they are signed up for heating assistance programs. Board spokesman, Rob Hillesland says the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program can provide some help. “It’s also known as LIHEAP, and they also have an associated weatherization assistance program, which can help people weatherize their homes — for basically winter — but also for year-round and help them to be more energy efficient,” HIllesland says.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program and you can qualify based on your income. “It’s not intended to pay for all of their winter heating costs, but it will provide them some assistance,” Hillesland explains. “And then related to that, between November 1st through April 1st, Iowa has a winter disconnection moratorium.” You must be qualified for LIHEAP to be covered under the disconnection moratorium.

“Qualified customers cannot be disconnected for nonpayment of their bills,” Hillesland says. “Of course, we still encourage people to pay what they can throughout the winter, otherwise they are going to be stuck with a large bill in the spring, and that can easily result in disconnection at that time.”

You can sign up for LIHEAP through you local Community Action Agency or on-line at www.dcaa.iowa.gov. Hillesland says the weatherization program is a way to ensure you are getting the most out of the money you are spending on heating and cooling. “They can actually go in through the weatherization program, and if they find that a furnace is in really bad shape, they can actually replace that. And they can help with various other things like better insulating the home,” Hillesland says.

You can also find information on the LIHEAP and weatherization programs on the Iowa Utilities Board website (at http://www.state.ia.us/iub/).

(Radio Iowa)

APottawattamie County man was sentenced Tuesday to more than five-years in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. 35-year old Craig Duane Ellis, of Council Bluffs will also be required to serve two-years of supervised release following his 70-month sentence handed-down by United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner. On July 18th, Ellis pled guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He  was pulled over for a traffic stop on February 14, 2014, in Fremont County, and two 12-gauge shotguns were found in the vehicle. Ellis was prohibited from possessing a firearm after he pled guilty in 2001 to third degree kidnapping.
The investigation was conducted by the Fremont County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.