w/ Marissa Hovde

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Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 T. instant minced onion
• 8 oz pkg. cream cheese (soft)
• 1/4 c. chopped green pepper
• 2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 8 oz noodles or spaghetti
• 1 c. cottage cheese
• 1/4 c. dairy sour cream
• 1/3 c. diced onion
• parsley flakes (optional)

Directions:

Pan-fry beef in large skillet and cook until pink color disappears. Pour off drippings. Add salt, onion and tomato sauce. Cook about 1 minute and remove from heat. Cook noodles according to directions and drain. Mix together cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, green pepper and green onion. Add cooked noodles and stir to blend. Pour into greased 3 quart casserole and top with meat mixture. Sprinkle parsley flakes over top if desired. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 – 40 minutes or until bubbly. Makes about 8 servings.

Providing day-care for the children of job-seeking veterans is the focus of the new “Warrior Care” program sponsored by the Atlantic chapter of Operation Barnabas.

In partnership with Zion Lutheran “Kids Come First” and the Ann Wickman Child Development Center, Warrior Care provides licensed day-care assistance for the children of reservists, National Guardsmen and recently discharged active-duty troops to support them in their job-search activities.

The program provides funding for military members’ children to attend a licensed day-care facility while they are seeking employment, said Rich Kanning, commander of the local Operation Barnabas chapter.

More information about the program can be obtained by contacting Rich Kanning, commander of the local Operation Barnabas chapter, at 243-6825, and the Cass County Veterans Office at 243-6662.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

(Information in the following story is from: Globe Gazette, http://www.globegazette.com/)

NORTHWOOD, Iowa (AP) – An arraignment date is set for next month for a Northwood man charged in the death of a 30-year-old woman. The Globe Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1eY6AvE ) the arraignment will be Sept. 3 in Worth County District Court for 39-year-old Tyrone Washington. He’s charged with first-degree murder in the death of Justina Marie Smith.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s unemployment rate rose to 4.8 percent in July as total employment in the state dropped for the first time this year. Iowa Workforce Development reports that unemployment was up from 4.6 percent in June. Despite the increase, Iowa’s rate is far less than national rate for July of 7.4 percent.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – More than 1 million visitors attended the Iowa State Fair during its 11-day run that ended Sunday, but the number was a little smaller than last year. The fair reports that 1,047,246 people attended the event this year. That’s nearly 50,000 under last year’s attendance.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The troubled Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant continues to inch closer to restarting, but federal regulators say significant work remains to be done at the Nebraska plant. Later this month, the Omaha Public Power District will meet with Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials to explain the plan for continuing to improve Fort Calhoun – if the nuclear plant about 20 miles north of Omaha is allowed to restart.

Atlantic police report that Friday, August 16th, 28 year old Sean Bloomfield of Atlantic was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia after he turned him in to local authorities.  He was booked at the Cass County jail.

Atlantic police also arrested 30 year old Jesse Swanson of Atlantic on Saturday, August 17th.  He was charged with first degree burglary and assault with injury.  He was booked at the Cass County jail.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office arrested 20 year old Reece Joseph Blohm of Audubon at about 3:30 Saturday morning after a traffic stop on Highway 71 near 150th Street.  Blohm was charged with operating while intoxicated and possession of alcohol.  He was released after appearing before a magistrate.

Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies are looking for a trailer and a mower after an early Monday morning theft.  Authorities say the theft occurred between 4:00 am and 5:00 am Monday when two white males wearing baseball caps and knee length shorts drove a dark-colored minivan with a bumper style trailer hitch to Dickel Duit at 2227 Highway 48.  They stole a black 2001 Midi Shoreliner trailer with a drop down gate and no license plates.  Then they loaded a 2009 yellow and white Cub Cadet LTX 1042 rider mower onto the trailer.  They drove south on Highway 48.  Anyone with information should contact Montgomery County Crime Stoppers at 800-432-1001.

Police in Council Bluffs report that a 16 year old boy is in stable condition in an Omaha hospital after a traffic stop.  Captain Scott Milner reported in a news release that a motorcycle officer stopped the car Sunday night at about 6:45 in the area of North 31st and Avenue K.  The officer spoke to the driver and walked back to his bike when the driver got out of the car and began to walk away.  The officer approached the boy and told him to return to his vehicle and to put his hands behind his back.  When he refused both commands, the officer his taser, striking the teen in the upper torso.  He was handcuffed and taken into custody.  The driver was taken to the hospital a short time later after suffering an undetermined medical condition.    Due to the boys age, police say no other information will be released to the public.

*Updated with injured deputy’s name

Law enforcement officials are looking for an escapee from the Clarinda Correctional Facility, Rodney Eugene Long. Officers believe Long is the individual who shot a Taylor County deputy late Sunday, August 18, 2013 and subsequently led law enforcement on a 40 minute pursuit.

Rodney Eugene Long

Officials are urging the public to be cautious and observant. Long is considered armed and dangerous. If you see Long, do not approach him yourself but rather, contact authorities immediately. Long is described as a white male, 38 years old with brown hair and brown eyes. He is 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighs 144 pounds. He has tattoos on his wrists.

Long escaped from the minimum custody lodge in the early morning hours of Friday, August 16, 2013. Personal items left in the stolen patrol vehicle indicate that Long is the individual that officials are searching for.

Sunday evening, at approximately11:25 PM, Taylor County deputies were dispatched to a “suspicious person” walking along Highway 2 just east of New Market. As the first deputy was exiting his vehicle to speak with the individual, he was met with gunfire and struck twice. As the deputy was taking cover, the suspect took the patrol vehicle and left the scene. A second Taylor County deputy arrived on scene, picked up the wounded deputy and began to pursue the suspect in the stolen patrol car.

A pursuit ensued for approximately 40 minutes through rural Taylor County. Officers from several different jurisdictions, including Missouri, responded to the area. Gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and officers during the course of the pursuit. The pursuit ended when the suspect rolled the stolen patrol vehicle several times on a rural Taylor County road. He was able to exit the vehicle and escape on foot. A manhunt, involving at least a dozen different law enforcement agencies from Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska, has been underway since moments after the crash.

As the search for the suspect in Taylor County continues, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) confirms the Sheriff’s Deputy who was shot late Sunday night is 33 year old Dan Wyckoff. Wyckoff, a two year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, remains hospitalized, but is in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.

After four months of either dropping or holding steady, the state unemployment rate inched up slightly in July to 4.8-percent. Iowa Workforce Development spokesperson, Kerry Koonce, says the increase from the 4.6-percent rate of June doesn’t tell the whole story.

“We still saw job growth though, we still added 5,000 jobs across the state in non-farm. So, our uptick in unemployment comes form some increased in layoffs — predominantly in the manufacturing industry — and then a slight decrease in the overall size of the labor force,” Koonce explains. “When you couple those two together, that’s how come you’ve got the increase in the unemployment rate.”

Koonce says the construction sector led all areas, with an increase of 1,600 jobs in July. “Which is very good, because at the start of the year we didn’t see construction rise as much as we normally do,” Koonce says. “But now we are seeing it being very strong going through summer here.”

She says the one month increase in the unemployment rate doesn’t signal a change in the economy that has been steadily improving. “Because the key is to be adding jobs into the economy so that people have options to be applying for and those that are looking for work. So, overall we would say that it’s still positive. We would need a quarter of continuing increase in the unemployment rate to really be concerned there,” Koonce says.

Kids are going back to high school and college this month, but Koonce says those part-time summer jobs they may’ve held are not figured into the ongoing unemployment rate. Koonce says those jobs are adjusted out as seasonal jobs, but she says those who have been working in their hometown often pick up jobs in the town where they go to college too, so there is some transferring of jobs.

The July rate was well below the 5.5-percent rate of one year ago. For the first time in awhile, the national unemployment rate dropped, while the Iowa rate went up. But the national unemployment rate of 7.4-percent in July was still well above the Iowa rate.

(Radio Iowa)

Live Healthy Iowa is excited to announce an addition to their 2013 challenge lineup. The Healthy Families Challenge brings together youth and adults in a fun challenge as they learn about making healthy choices and being active. The new six-week challenge begins September 23rd. Register your family now at www.livehealthyiowa.org.

The Healthy Families Challenge encourages up to 10 household residents, including at least one adult and one child, to compete in weekly challenges focused on nutrition and physical activity habits. Registration for the challenge is $25 per family and participants will receive a resource kit which includes a team packet, activity ball and a 2014 ‘Healthy & Homemade meals’ calendar; fun weekly educational lessons; a team tracking page and access to healthy recipes and wellness information on Live Healthy Iowa’s website. All families who complete the challenge will receive a Subway gift card and have the chance to win additional prizes such as passes to an Iowa ski spot, a Des Moines family getaway and gift cards!

“We are excited to bring our youth and adult participants together for this new challenge,” says Live Healthy Iowa Director Nicole Bruce, “It’s a great opportunity for all ages to learn about healthy lifestyles and support their loved ones in making positive changes.”

For more information about Live Healthy Iowa and to register for the new Healthy Families Challenge, please visit www.livehealthyiowa.org.

Live Healthy Iowa, formerly Lighten Up Iowa, was created in 2001 by the Iowa Sports Foundation as a strategic health initiative to address the state’s growing obesity problem. Live Healthy Iowa brings together friends, families, businesses and communities in team-based wellness challenges designed to promote positive lifestyle change. In 2012, more than 208,000 adult and youth Iowans took part in a Live Healthy Iowa program. To learn more, visit www.livehealthyiowa.org.