United Group Insurance

Atlantic officially has a new Police Officer

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett, tonight (Wednesday night), issued the Oath of Office to the City’s newest Police Office. Nicholas Whipple, a Bedford High School graduate and a certified police officer in the State of Iowa was sworn-in during the City Council’s regular meeting. He’s served with the A-PD since this past November.

Mayor Grace Garrett administers the Oath of Office to Officer Whipple.

Officer Whipple graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and joined the Iowa National Guard in 2022. He completed his Basic & AIT (Advanced Individual) Guard Training in Oct. 2023.

With the addition of Nicholas Whipple, Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue updated the Council on the P-D’s staffing situation.

The Chief, and Assistant Police Chief Paul Wood had to delay taking their paid time-off while working numerous overtime hours filling-in for other officers, sometimes on day-night swing shifts, due to what had been ongoing staffing issues with the Police Department.

Cass County (IA) Iowa United 1st Aid program goes live

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A pilot program announced by Governor Kim Reynolds for three Iowa counties has now gone “Live,” in one of those counties. During a Wednesday evening meeting (Dec. 6, 2023) of the Atlantic City Council, Erik Johnson, an AmeriCorps volunteer and local paramedic who leads the county initiative, announced the Iowa United First Aid program is up and running as of today (Dec. 6th).

Erik Johnson shows a “Go bag” volunteer emergency responders will have.

Cass County is the first County to put the program into action. Calhoun and Van Buren Counties are not too far behind, according to Johnson. “Including myself,” he said, “We have 13 volunteers. I have 25 AED’s to equip, I’m hoping, 20 volunteers that will be a bridge between the initial 9-1-1 call and when the EMS arrives.”

Those volunteers will cover some sections of Cass County’s 565-square miles. Johnson said volunteers currently reside in the Atlantic, Anita, Wiota, Massena, Griswold, Lewis and Marne areas. There are still some areas of the county that could use additional volunteers, especially in south central Cass County. The goal is to get as many as 20, preferably 30 people to train under the program and serve their areas as initial first responders to emergencies, prior to the arrival of an ambulance.

Cass County received a $50,000 grant in May, 2023, to test the innovative program aimed at decreasing emergency response times in rural Iowa. Total grant funding of $150,000 was made available through the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative for the Calhoun County Public Health Department, Cass County Board of Health, and Van Buren County Hospital. The volunteer emergency responders receive their own “Go Bag” kits, complete with an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator), Narcan (a drug overdose reversal medication), a “stop the bleed” kit, First Aid kit, a pocket mask for ventilation of patients, and a box of gloves. Johnson says each volunteer will also receive a vest that identifies them as a trained responder.

Areas of Cass County with volunteer emergency personnel.

The volunteers are notified, Johnson said by a “Now Force” app on their cell phones. It utilizes GPS, so no matter where the individual is in Cass County, if they are within 15-minutes of a cardiac arrest, they will be notified. The company’s app says “NowForce is a Sophisticated incident management and response technology, fusing critical data and providing real-time comprehensive situational awareness that ignites action. Dispatchers, responders and reporters can share insights in real-time and coordinate efficient, appropriate and rapid response with enhanced field communications.”

For instance, in the case of someone having a heart attack, time is life, and having someone be able to cut-down the response time can potentially save a life. Johnson said “This is a very humbling opportunity. I’m grateful I was approached about it.” Now Force, he said, wants to use Cass County as a Public Relations tool for the project.

Rare Native American art on display in Sioux City

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Native American art from the late 19th and early 20th century is now on display again at the Sioux City Public Museum. Museum Curator Matt Anderson says the works were last shown locally in 2004. “They’re lithographic prints that were put together back in the 1930s,” Anderson says. “And the first 25 of them are kind of a mix of various Native American artists representing the Lakota, the Yankton Dakota, the Kiowa, and the Shoshone.” Anderson says the 50 prints by nine Native American artists were publish in two parts as a limited edition in 1938. One group gives a unique look into the life of the people.

Native American prints are on display in Sioux City. (KSCJ photo)

“So the first 25 represent all aspects of native society, particularly dwell on ceremonies like the Sun Dance different horse related ceremonies things like that. There’s kind of a depiction of traditional native culture in those,” he says. The second set of prints were done from the 1890’s through 1910 and feature an infamous battle.

“The second 25 are by an artist named Amos Bad Heart Bull, and sometimes called Bad Heart Buffalo as well. And he did a series of drawings covering the Battle of Little Bighorn in which his father, Bad Heart Bull participated,” he says. “And it’s a very detailed accounting of king of the native perspective on how the Battle of Little Bighorn went.” The battle is also referred to as “Custer’s Last Stand,” as General George Armstrong Custer and all his men were killed.

The prints will be on display at the Sioux City Public Museum through March 3rd.

Work release escape of Kirk Matlock

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports 64-year-old Kirk Priest Matlock, who was convicted of Robbery in the 2nd Degree in Story County, failed to report back to the Marshalltown Residential Center as required yesterday (Tuesday).

Kirk Matlock (IA DOC photo)

Matlock is a white male, six-feet tall, weighing 213 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on November 13, 2023.

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

ISU Leads Big 12 Conference in Graduation Success Rate

Sports

December 6th, 2023 by Asa Lucas

Ames, Iowa – For the second-consecutive year, Iowa State has registered the Big 12 Conference’s top Graduation Success Rate (GSR) score, according to the 2023 Division I academic performance metrics released today by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). ISU’s league-best 95 percent GSR matched the school-record set a year ago and marked the eighth-straight year it either tied or established a new academic excellence standard.

“Iowa State’s school-record tying and Big 12-leading GSR scores reflect the hard work, effort and dedication of our student-athletes in the classroom and their resolve to earn a degree from Iowa State University,” said Iowa State Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard. “Our coaches and academic services team have established a culture that allows our student-athletes to reach their full potential both academically and athletically over the course of their Cyclone journey.

“We appreciate the important role that Iowa State’s faculty and staff play in creating an academic environment that allows our student-athletes to grow and succeed,” he added. “Graduation remains the expectation for all Cyclone student-athletes, and this report demonstrates our ongoing commitment to helping them achieve that goal.”

ISU’s institutional GSR score has improved in each of the last nine years, from a 77 percent score in 2014 to its most-recent 95 percent mark the past two years, while equaling or establishing a school-record in each of the last eight years. Iowa State’s 2023 mark also came in four points higher than both the NCAA FBS and Big 12 averages.

The Cyclones’ institutional 2023 GSR score of 95 percent led the Big 12, followed closely by Baylor (94), West Virginia (94), Kansas State (93), Oklahoma State (92), Kansas (90), Oklahoma (89), Texas (89), TCU (87) and Texas Tech (85). For the purposes of the 2023 GSR report, the NCAA based conference affiliation upon the league that institutions were members of during the 2022-23 academic year. Of the four institutions that joined the Big 12 on July 1, Cincinnati had a GSR score of 97 percent, followed by UCF (92), BYU (80) and Houston (80).

ISU football produced a program-record GSR of 93 percent to rank second in the Big 12, while men’s basketball (89 percent) ranked fourth, followed by wrestling (89 percent, fifth), women’s soccer (96 percent, fifth), men’s track & field/cross country (85 percent, seventh) and volleyball (86 percent, ninth).

The GSR was developed by the NCAA with the entering freshmen class of 1995 to more accurately assess student-athlete’s academic performance. The rate holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the fed survey. The GSR also accounts for mid-year enrollees and is calculated for every sport.

Under the calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing students who leave in good academic standing. The outgoing transfers are included in the receiving institution’s GSR cohort. The most-recent Division I Graduation Success Rates are based on the four entering classes from 2013-16.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Case Confirmed in Mills County

Ag/Outdoor, News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (Dec. 6, 2023) – The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed a case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Mills County, Iowa.

The affected site is a backyard mixed species flock.

Commercial and backyard flock owners should prevent contact between their birds and wild birds. Sick birds or unusual deaths among birds should be immediately reported to state or federal officials. Biosecurity resources and best practices are available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship website. If producers suspect signs of HPAI in their flocks, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Possible cases must also be reported to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship at (515) 281-5305.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections in birds do not present a public health concern. It remains safe to eat poultry products. As a reminder, consumers should always utilize the proper handling and cooking of eggs and poultry products, including cooking to an internal temperature of 165˚F.

Swalley Earns 2nd B1G Honor

Sports

December 6th, 2023 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa swimmer Olivia Swalley was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time this season, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon.

During the Hawkeye Invitational (Nov. 30-Dec.2), Swalley competed in nine events tallying eight top-10 marks in the Iowa record books, winning three individual events and three relays, and posting three NCAA “B” cut times.

The Johnston, Iowa, native won the 200 breast (2:12.92), 200 IM (1:59.15), and 400 IM (4:14.72), registering NCAA “B” cut times in each. Her 200-breast mark ranks fourth all-time at Iowa, while her 200 IM ranks third and 400 IM ranks second.

In the relays, Swalley helped the Hawkeyes win the 400 free relay (3:20.47), 200 medley relay (1:39.59), and 400 medley relay (3:38.28). The 200 medley ranks fifth in the Iowa record books, the 400 free ranks ninth, and the 400 medley ranks seventh.

Swalley also etched her name in the Hawkeye record books in the 100 breast (1:01.76) and in the 200 free relay (1:31.46), ranking sixth all-time in both.

Swalley and the Hawkeyes head to Ames, Iowa, on Friday to compete in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawkeye Series hosted by Iowa State. The meet begins at 6 p.m. (CT) inside Beyer Hall Pool.

Western Iowa care facility is cited in the death of a resident

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Dunlap, Iowa; Iowa Capital Dispatch) – An Iowa care facility considered among the worst in the nation has been cited for failing to adequately respond to fatal injuries sustained by a resident of the home. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports State inspectors allege the staff at Dunlap Specialty Care, run by one of Iowa’s largest nursing home chains, failed to inform a female resident’s hospice provider of a serious head injury sustained by a resident. The injury was allegedly caused by a fall about 8:30 a.m., Oct. 8, 2023, when the woman attempted to walk to the bathroom without the staff’s assistance.

According to inspectors, a worker found the woman found lying on the floor in a large amount of blood that appeared to be the result of a head wound. It wasn’t until 10:07 a.m. that the woman’s hospice nurse was notified. The nurse and the woman’s son arrived at the facility at 11:38 a.m., a full three hours after the fall, and saw lacerations on the woman’s arm and bruising on her head, with a softball-sized hematoma surrounding her left eye, which was swollen shut. The woman’s son allegedly complained to the staff that his mother should have been taken to the hospital immediately after the fall.

At about 5 p.m. that day, a physician provided an order for the woman to be evaluated at the hospital. It was there that the woman was diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhaging throughout the brain. The woman died about 24 hours later, with the hemorrhaging listed as the immediate cause of death. The woman’s son later told inspectors that when he first arrived at the home, his mother’s injuries were “bad,” and he showed the inspectors a photo of her eye swollen shut with a softball-sized lump on her head and dried blood on the left side of her face.

A worker at the home told inspectors she saw the woman shortly after the fall, sitting in her wheelchair and bleeding from her head wound. “It looked absolutely horrible,” the worker told inspectors. The staff had placed ice packs on the woman’s face to keep her comfortable, but her knee and head were bleeding and “she had a huge knot on her head,” the worker said. One of the home’s registered nurses, who was off duty at the time of the fall, allegedly told inspectors the woman should have gone to the emergency room sooner, and that she would have seen to it had she been working that day.

The state has proposed an $11,500 fine against Dunlap Specialty Care, which is being held in suspension while the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) determines whether a federal penalty should be imposed. In June of this year, CMS imposed a $45,075 against the home due to allegations of resident abuse and failure to keep residents safe.

In 2022, CMS fined Dunlap Specialty Care a total of $200,489. The home currently has a one-star rating from CMS – the agency’s lowest possible rating – for overall quality and staffing. At one point during the COVID-19 pandemic, 46 of the home’s 48 residents tested positive for the virus. According to CMS data, at one point the home had more resident deaths due to COVID-19 than any other nursing home in Iowa.

In late 2020, the home was cited for failing to adequately prevent the spread of infection by having COVID-positive employees working in the facility and for telling one resident’s family that if they wanted their loved one hospitalized, they’d have to pick him up and take him there themselves.

For the past six months, Dunlap Specialty Care has been on CMS’ national list of homes eligible for special-focus status due to the number and severity of violations. Homes that are designated special-focus facilities receive additional oversight and guidance from the state to help them improve care. However, homes such as the one in Dunlap, which are deemed eligible for that status without actually being named a special-focus facility, do not receive that additional level of scrutiny and assistance.

Dunlap Specialty Care is owned and managed by one of Iowa’s largest nursing home chains, the tax-exempt nonprofit Care Initiatives, based in West Des Moines. No one at Care Initiatives could be reached for comment Wednesday.

Dreaming of a white Christmas? New Iowa map shows your chances

News, Weather

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – To some Iowans, it just isn’t the holiday season if there isn’t snow on the ground. If a white Christmas is on your wish list, you’ll have the best shot of finding flakes across Iowa’s northern-most counties. National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Small says they’ve studied the data spanning back decades and have compiled a map showing the probabilities of having snow on the ground on December 25th.

“Iowa can probably be generally weighted into four different tiers actually, with about a 60-plus-percent chance toward the Minnesota border, and then it steps down, Highway 20 corridor 50-percent, then 40, and then it gets down into the 30s as you get closer to the Missouri border,” Small says. “So it kind of behaves as you’d expect, with better chances the farther north you go.”

National Weather Service graphic

Since Christmas is still 19 days away, Small says it’s difficult to predict whether we’ll have a significant snowfall in Iowa by then. “It’s a little too far out to put too much on the end of the month,” Small says. “Probably the historical probabilities work better than anything else, at this point. There are some snow chances this weekend. Confidence in where that occurs and how much is pretty low, and it doesn’t look like to be a major system, so it’s potential, even if we do get snow this weekend, it could melt before Christmas.”

Tonight is final GOP debate before 2024 Iowa Caucuses

News

December 6th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Four G-O-P presidential candidates will be on stage tonight (Wednesday) for the last scheduled debate before the January 15th Iowa Caucuses. Televised debates drew large viewing audiences before the 2012 and 2016 Iowa Caucuses, but University of Iowa political science professor Tim Hagle says former President Donald Trump’s absence is having an impact.

“At this point it does still seem that Trump is dominating the race and as result of that it means that some of these debate are just not as interesting to a lot of people,” Hagle says. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie WILL be on stage tonight (Wednesday).

University of Iowa political science professor Tim Hagle (UI photo)

“Really, I think at this point what a lot of folks would like to see is basically just Haley and DeSantis on the stage,” Hagle says, “because those seem to be the leading ones to be the alternative to Trump.” However, Hagle says Haley benefited from sparring with Ramaswamy in past debates. Tonight’s (Wednesday’s) debate is being held in Alabama and Hagle notes there’s been some grumbling that Iowa and New Hampshire, the states that will vote first in 2024, haven’t been a debate site.

“Sometimes having a debate in a particular location helps to generate interest, generate sort of excitement among the voters, which would make sense to have one right before the Caucuses here in Iowa. It’s not likely that will happen,” Hagle says. “I haven’t heard anything more specific except for people ruminating about it just in general terms.” Hagle says a wildcard for tonight (Wednesday) is that the debate is being hosted by NewsNation, a cable news network launched in early 2021.

“It’s going to make it, potentially, a little bit harder for some people to see,” Hagle says. “Now I will say that it’s apparently going to be over the internet and most people have the internet these days, so they can sit down in front of their computer.” The debate will be available on the NewsNation website and its subscription streaming service. The channel is available on many cable systems. NewsNation is also available on DIRECTV and DISH and streaming services like Hulu and YouTube T-V. Hagle plans to watch it on his T-V via Roku.

“I put it on mine. I haven’t actually tried it yet, so hopefully it works,” Hagle says. “If not, well, then back to the internet kind of a thing.” The Republican National Committee has arranged for the debate to be on Rumble, another online alternative.