The dental director of one of the state’s community health centers says Iowa is seeing a critical gap in dentists who will take patients with Medicaid coverage. Dr. Ashley Huber (HYOO-ber), of the Siouxland Community Health Center in Sioux City, says for the past 18 months, her clinic has been restricting new patients to only children, and it’s hard when they have to turn people away, especially those who are in pain.

(As above) Huber says, “We have patients that come up to our front desk in tears, and they’re like, ‘I just can’t do it, I can’t take it anymore.’” The Iowa Dental Association says dental Medicaid rates have been stagnant for more than 20 years, making it difficult for patients and for dentists. The shortage of dentists who treat Medicaid patients is a widespread issue, but Huber says it’s even more noticeable in western Iowa.

(As above) “It becomes an issue where a patient gets so infected that they end up in the ER,” Huber says, “and they end up with this giant hospital bill, or the state ends up with a giant hospital bill.” Huber says Medicaid doesn’t pay enough to cover overhead costs.

(Siouxland Community Healthcare photo)

She believes a strategically structured increase in reimbursement rates for Iowa Medicaid would be one solution to draw dentists back into the provider pool. She also sees a need for more dental assistants.
(Sheila Brummer, Iowa Public Radio)

An eastern Iowa school district is closed today (Monday) after an online threat. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports.

The Cedar Rapids Community School District sent a message to parents and students it was closing all schools after becoming aware of a social media threat made by an unidentified person. The district says the closure is for the safety of all students and staff and they have been working with the Cedar Rapids Police, state public safety and the F-B-I to investigate the situation. No other details about the threat were released.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent vehicle-vs. deer accidents. Both incidents happened Sept. 27th. The first occurred at around 7:55-a.m., when a 2019 Toyota Camry driven by 34-year-old Brooke Sparks, of Waukee, struck a deer on Highway 141 at Hickory Avenue. Sparks told authorities when the deer came out of the south ditch and onto the road, she was couldn’t see it until it was too late. Fog played a role in the collision. Sparks was not hurt. Damage to her car was estimated at $5,000.

The second accident happened at around 8:08-p.m. on Sept. 27th. A 2010 Jeep Liberty driven by 57-year-old Loni Sue Anderson, of Shelby, was northbound on Highway 25 when it hit a deer in the road. Anderson wasn’t hurt, but her SUV sustained $4,000 damage.

RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: Lisle Corporation of Page County. Throughout this Congress, Ranking Member Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties. 

“The team at Lisle Corporation has a reputation for manufacturing excellence. The fact that many of their products are still made at the expanded site of their original Clarinda factory, built in 1903, is a testament to their ability to innovate while staying true to their roots,” said Ranking Member Ernst. “I’m proud to commend Mary Landhuis for her strong leadership as president of Lisle Corporation. I can’t think of a better way to kick off National Women’s Small Business Month than recognizing a woman-led company in southwestern Iowa.”

Lisle Corporation was founded by C.A. Lisle in Clarinda, Iowa. The company got its start in 1903 as a manufacturer of horse-powered water well drilling machines, and in the 120 years since, has expanded to become a manufacturer and marketer of specialty automotive products. Now, Lisle Corporation is known for its mechanic’s creepers, lubrication, and tire products, among their 700 specialty automotive tools. The company is led by third, fourth, fifth, and sixth generation family members, many of whom have received awards for their contributions to the manufacturing industry and the Page County community.

Updated: Massena location moved to City Park due to road construction!

Atlantic, Massena, and Anita are all hosting mobile food pantries in October. These will be the last mobile food pantry distributions for 2023. A mobile pantry is a traveling food pantry that delivers food directly to families in need for a one-day distribution. People from surrounding towns and communities are welcome. Mobile food pantries are available free of charge. Anyone in need is welcome, and no documentation is required. Each car can take food for up to two households at a time. Both Atlantic and Massena will be distributing the same food products. If supplies run low in Massena, families will be directed to Atlantic. Please note- the location for the Massena distribution has been moved to the Massena City Park due to road construction!  Full details about the October Mobile Pantries are listed below:

Atlantic Mobile Food Pantry- Wednesday, October 11

Time: 4-6 p.m.

Location: Cass County Community Center (805 W. 10^th St., Atlantic, IA 50022)- enter from 10^th street near the tennis courts and follow signs

 Massena Mobile Food Pantry- Wednesday, October 11

Where: Updated Location!! Due to construction on Clarke Avenue the Mobile Food Pantry will be distributing boxes in the Massena City Park!

Time: 4:30-5:00 p.m.

 Anita Mobile Food Pantry- Wednesday, October 18

Where: Anita Food Pantry (208 Chestnut Street, Anita IA 50020)

Time: 4:00-6:00 PM

Mobile pantry dates, times, and locations are subject to change. For the latest information on mobile pantries in Anita and Atlantic, visit https://foodbankheartland.org/food-resources/find-food/. For the latest information on Massena pantries, call (712) 779-3447. For information on upcoming events and local food, farmers markets, and food access activities, follow the Cass County Local Food Policy Council’s Facebook page @CassCountyLocalFood.

Des Moines, IA – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports that on September 29, 2023, Thein Maung, 47, of Ottumwa, was sentenced to twelve years in prison after pleading guilty to forty-nine fraud- and tax-related charges. Phyo Mi, 21, of Ottumwa, was sentenced to nine years in prison after a jury convicted her of sixteen fraud-related charges. In all, Maung and Mi’s fraud resulted in nearly $4 million in losses to the Internal Revenue Service, Iowa Workforce Development, and numerous Iowa citizens.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial, for several years, Maung and Mi ran a fraudulent tax-preparation business out of their family’s Ottumwa home. In exchange for a cash fee, Maung and Mi would prepare and file their customers’ tax returns. Maung and Mi primarily catered to immigrants and refugees who worked at meat-packing facilities in Iowa and who had little or no ability to read, write, or speak English.

Without their customers’ knowledge or approval, Maung and Mi included fraudulent items on their customers’ federal tax returns, like false claims for residential energy credits, business-expense deductions, or moving-expense deductions for members of the United States Armed Forces. The effect of Maung and Mi including fraudulent items on the tax documents was to increase the refunds their clients received and increase Maung and Mi’s customer base. In all, from 2018 to 2022, Maung and Mi caused over 1600 tax returns to be filed from their residence. Those returns claimed over $3.5 million in fraudulent residential energy credits.

It is estimated that from 2018 to 2022, Maung and Mi received over $200,000 in cash fees from their customers. In addition, on their customers’ returns, Maung and Mi sometimes directed that portions of the fraudulent refunds be sent to financial institution accounts accessible to Maung and Mi. As a result, Maung and Mi obtained nearly $50,000 in fraudulent tax refunds. Maung and Mi also offered to help customers with applying for unemployment benefits from Iowa Workforce Development. Without their customers’ knowledge or approval, Maung and Mi submitted materials to Iowa Workforce Development directing that their customers’ benefits payments be sent to financial institution accounts that Maung and Mi had access to. Maung and Mi obtained nearly $70,000 in fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits payments be sent from Iowa Workforce Development to their accounts, instead of to eligible claimants.

At sentencing, Chief United States District Court Judge Stephanie M. Rose described Maung and Mi’s fraud as being elaborate and extensive, involving layers of subterfuge, and victimizing hundreds of vulnerable immigrants and refugees with little education and limited English fluency. Following their prison terms, Maung and Mi will be on supervised release for three years. There is no parole in the federal system.

“This sentence should send a strong message to any return preparers who are looking to cheat innocent taxpayers and the U.S. government that a prison cell awaits them,” said Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), St. Louis Field Office. “Maung and Mi preyed on people who were vulnerable. CI special agents do not take this kind of fraud lightly. Our law enforcement partners worked diligently to help us bring these two to justice.”

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation was conducted by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Ottumwa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Essley and Laura Roan prosecuted the case.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Officials with the Glenwood Police Department report two recent arrests. On Sunday (Oct. 1), 56-year-old Joseph Sawyer, of Glenwood, was arrested for Assault on a Peace Officer, Interference with Official Acts, False Report (911 call), and Public Intoxication. Sawyer posted a $2,900 surety bond, and was released from custody. And, on Sept. 29th, 34-year-old Ashley Flint, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Mills County warrant. She posted a $300 cash-0nly bond before being released.

(Radio Iowa) – All of Iowa’s U-S Representatives and both U-S Senators voted for the funding deal to keep the federal government running. The government would have shut down at midnight Saturday without the deal. The funding bill keeps the government funded at current levels for roughly 45 days.

(Radio Iowa) – Forecasters say it may be one of “those” weeks in Iowa where we have to run the air conditioner one day and the furnace on the next to stay comfy. Meteorologist Marvin Percha, at the National Weather Service, says it’s been unseasonably hot and very un-October-like, with record highs that have stood for decades broken over the weekend. “Temperature records, many of them in the low 90s, were either tied or broken, 92 at Des Moines, 91 at Waterloo,” Percha says. “It’s been impressive, especially the number of days in a row since we’re at day three or four in all of this now.” Percha says he expects more near-records today (Monday) with the forecast calling for highs in the upper 80s and low 90s across much of Iowa.

“And then tomorrow will be slightly cooler with temperatures falling in the mid to upper 80s, but relief is on the way,” Percha says. “We’re going to have a front that’s going to be moving in Tuesday into Wednesday, certainly it will drop temperatures much closer to normal and give us at least a chance for some rainfall.” Within a few days, Iowans may be wishing for the warmer weather we now have as the chill of fall will settle in soon enough.

National Weather Service graphic

“We’re going to have a series of cold fronts moving in, in the latter part of the week and into the weekend,” Percha says. “As a matter of fact, we looking at our first chance for frost and freezing temperatures by the end of the week, especially into Saturday morning. Many areas, certainly looking at lows likely falling into the 30s and there’s a chance that they might be approaching freezing levels as well.” Keep up with the changing forecast at weather-dot-gov.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – Guthrie County Deputy Sheriff/Jail Administrator Jesse Swensen, today (Monday), released data on inmates housed at the Guthrie County Jail during the month of September. Swensen says they “processed 88 inmates through the facility with an average population of 29.”Billing invoices to other entities, including the Department of Corrections, and three counties (Greene, Polk and Webster) for holding of their inmates amounted to $45,660. Polk County had the greatest number of inmates (29) held in the Guthrie County Jail last month, at a cost of $23,460.

Guthrie County Jail