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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Des Moines, Iowa) – A Cass County nursing home with a history of abuse-related violations is again facing possible federal fines for failing to protect residents from abuse. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports the state has proposed fines of $30,250 against Caring Acres Nursing and Rehabilitation in Anita. The proposed fines are tied to verbal abuse allegedly committed by a teenage caregiver. The fines are being held in suspension while the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services determines whether it will impose a federal penalty in place of any state fines.
The proposed penalty would have totaled $14,250 but a portion of the fines was tripled due to abuse being a recurring violation at Caring Acres. In 2023, Caring Acres was cited for resident abuse after a male a resident of the home, whose history of groping workers and residents had earned him the nickname “Captain McFeelypants,” was determined to have sexually abused residents. The more recent incident is detailed in state inspection reports about a female resident’s recent complaint that she waited two hours for the staff to put her to bed.
According to state inspection reports, the woman alleged that when she complained to the staff, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) – whom the resident and staff described as the 16-year-old daughter of the assistant director of nursing – refused to but the woman to bed and swore at her. She also allegedly berated the patient in the past, and had been physically rough with her. The teen also allegedly told another resident to shut up, and that she didn’t care about her issues. The same teen CNA also allegedly spent a lot of her time at work on her phone.
A charge nurse at the home allegedly told inspectors the teenage CNA could “be really nasty to residents, really mean,” and would respond to residents’ requests for assistance by saying, “I don’t care, it’s not my problem.” The charge nurse allegedly added that she and others at the home were fearful of retaliation for complaining “because all of (the CNA’s) family works at the facility.” A third employee of the home told inspectors that when she worked with the CNA, the teen was “awful,” was defiant when anything was asked of her, and was loud and sarcastic. The employee said the CNA would curse at her mother, the assistant director of nursing, while residents were present.
The staff at the home told inspectors a CNA was temporarily suspended and then, after returning to work, was barred from providing care for the woman who had complained. As a result of the 2023 incidents, CMS fined the home $21,356. The home currently has a one-star rating from CMS for both staffing levels and overall quality.
Caring Acres is owned by Anew Healthcare Operations of Blue Springs, Mo. The for-profit company operates 12 nursing homes in Iowa, Kansas and Missouri.
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa hunters took more pheasants last fall than they have in the last 16 seasons D-N-R wildlife biologist, Todd Bogenschutz says there was a 62 percent increase in birds taken.
Bogenschutz estimates more than 83-thousand hunters took to the fields — which is up 32 percent — and is probably due to surveys that showed bird numbers up.
He says hunting seems to follow cycles.
The drought that had spread across Iowa the last couple of years actually benefited pheasant numbers.
Bogenschutz says the 2024 roadside survey concluded on August 15th and the results are expected to show a pheasant population slightly lower in some areas due to spring flooding.
(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman was arrested last Thursday for Willful Injury-Bodily Injury, and Child Endangerment. 41-year-old Rachel Christine Cruz-Davila, of Glenwood, was being held in the Mills County Jail on $7,000 bond.
Early Friday afternoon, Mills County Deputies arrested 35-year-old Krista Jo Lynn McKee, of Malvern, on a warrant for Failure To Appear. Her bond was set at $1,000.
Sunday afternoon, 40-year-old Colby Wayne Racine, of Essex, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, with bond set at $1,000.
And, Monday night, 74-year-old Terry Lee Stanley, of Glenwood, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. His bond was also set at $1,000.
(Radio Iowa) – The state is accusing a southeast Iowa man of failing to check for underground utilities before hitting a natural gas line as he was digging a trench. Iowa’s so-called “One Call” law requires anyone planning an excavation to provide 48 hours advance notice, so underground utility lines can be marked.
The state’s lawsuit accuses Eric Fortune, Junior, of failing to make the call and using equipment that hit and damaged a one-inch natural gas line in Fort Madison that’s owned by MidAmerican Energy.According to the lawsuit, Fortune tried to repair the gas line himself rather than report the breach.
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has recently settled two other lawsuits with contractors who failed to follow Iowa’s “One Call” law.
(Radio Iowa) – The state auditor’s office has examined operations in the town of Zearing after the city’s former clerk missed two deadlines and the city was unable to collect property taxes for a year. Zearing City Clerk Karen Davis was fired in July of 2022 after she failed to file the city’s budget with the State. It was a 191-thousand dollar hit to the budget for the town of about 500 residents, because no property taxes could be collected. Residents of Zearing asked the State Auditor’s Office to review how their town’s finances are handled.
The general conclusion from the State Auditor’s report is that the Zearing City Council needs to exercise additional oversight of the city’s finances. The review found the city’s balance sheet was not kept up to date and one city employee was responsible for the city’s payroll, for handling cash and checks paid to the city and for paying all the city’s bills.
The State Auditor’s staff also reviewed when city funds were used to buy fuel and other items from a business owned by a member of the city council. The report concludes 72 charges were not properly supported with an invoice.
(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are being warned to be very careful when posting videos of themselves on social media. Jim Temmer, with the Better Business Bureau, says criminals are using audio from online videos to fake people’s voices in scam calls.
Scammers are banking on people’s trust of you to trick them into other scams, he says, like sending money transfers or giving up personal information.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to only share your videos with your friends and family, and Temmer warns, keep a close eye on friend requests to make sure they’re not from phony accounts. 
(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns today (Tuesday), released an updated list of candidates who have filed to run for county offices in Cass County. Sue Riggs has filed to run for one of four seats on the Cass County Ag Extension Council, in advance of the November 5th 2024 General Election. The last day to file is Wednesday, Aug,, 21st.
County Office candidates (I= Incumbent, R= Republican, D= Democrat)
Supervisor – District 1
Stephen S. Green (I); R – from Atlantic
Supervisor – District 4
Steve Baier (I); R – Griswold
Supervisor – District 5
Bernard Pettinger (I); R – Anita
Phyllis Stakey (D) – Massena
County Auditor
Kathy Somers (I); R – Atlantic
County Sheriff (vote for 1)
John Westering (R) – Atlantic
Non-Party Political Organization (NPPO)
Cass County Ag Extension Council (Vote for 4)
Marcy J. Dorsey (R) – Atlantic
Sue Riggs
Soil & Water Conservation District (Vote for 3)
Terry Langan (R) – Griswold
Hospital Board (Vote for 3)
Leanne Pellet (I) (R) – Atlantic
Linda L. Pelzer (I) (R) – Griswold
Ned Brown (I) (R) – Atlantic
Union Township Trustee
Delmar South (R) – Cumberland
PUBLIC MEASURE A: EMS FUNDING via Local Option Income Surtax & Assessed property valuation tax
Shall the Cass County Board of Supervisors, upon recommendation by the Cass County EMS Advisory Council, for the purpose of funding emergency medical services in Cass County, including, but not limited to, ambulance service, personnel, and equipment, be authorized, for a period of 15 years, to 1) levy and impose a local option income surtax of one percent upon the state individual income tax of each individual taxpaper who is a resident of Cass County on December 31 for each calendar year commencing with the calendar year 2025, and 2) levy and impose an ad valorem tax not exceeding seventy-five cents per one thousand dollars of assessed valuation on all taxable property within Cass County commencing with the levy of property taxes for collection in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026?
PUBLIC MEASURE B: CAM CSD General Obligation Bond issuance
Shall the Board of Directors of the CAM Community School District in the Counties of Adair, Adams, Audubon, and Cass, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness and issue General Obligation Bonds in an amount not to exceed $22,500,000 to provide funds to construct, furnish and equip a classroom addition to the High School building; to remodel, repair, improve, furnish and equip exterior and interior portions of the existing High School building, including mechanical, electrical, and fire systems improvements, secure entry improvements, and technology and security improvements; and improve the site?
Due to recent legislation and House File 718 public notice is required for any question of issuing bonds or other indebtedness. The Cass County Auditor’s office will be sending out these notices on Public Measure B to all registered voters in the CAM School District. The notice will have the full text of the public measure and will be sent out in October (10-20 days before the election).
Both Public Measures need 60% to pass.
(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department reports 45-year-old William Jensen, of Glenwood, was arrested Monday on a charge of Theft in the 5th Degree, and Trespassing. His bond was set at $600.
Atlantic, Iowa – Cass Health is hosting “Glow & Grow: A Women’s Health Retreat” during the first week of September at Bluebird Hill Event Venue in Atlantic. The goal of the retreat is to empower women to prioritize their well-being, embrace self-care, and create healthy futures by connecting them to local professionals from Cass Health. Held over three days, each evening’s focus will be geared to a different age group.
Cass Health Director of Marketing and Communications Ann McCurdy says this is a first-ever event.
McCurdy says each of the evenings programs will be different and focus on different stages of life.
Each evening is scheduled from 5 pm to approximately 9 pm, and the agenda includes keynote speakers, dinner and dessert, vendor booths, information on skincare, nutrition, pelvic floor health, and postural strength training. Vendors include Homebody, Meadow & Charm, Revel Salon & Boutique, Nishna Valley YMCA, and Cass Health Med Spa.
Free childcare is available for Tuesday and Wednesday evening thanks to a partnership with the YMCA and the Ann W. Wickman Childcare Center. Attendees needing childcare must register by August 28th.
Tickets for each evening are only $15 and available online at casshealth.org/glowandgrow. Tickets can also be purchased at the Cass Health Gift Shop. A limited number of discounted tickets are available through Cass County Public Health; call 712-243-7546 for details. Questions about the event can be directed to the Marketing & Communications Department at 712-243-7405.
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