DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa official says he’s less optimistic a proposal will be approved that would allow the state to shift money used for the Affordable Care Act.

Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen told lawmakers Tuesday he’s still awaiting a decision from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding a so-called stopgap measure for the state’s individual insurance market. He says he’s “less optimistic” because he expected an answer by now.

Ommen says he’s still hopeful and his office has been preparing as if the federal government will give its approval. Open enrollment for health insurance coverage begins Nov. 1. Some other states have sought a waiver to change some funding rules for their individual ACA markets, but data shows Iowa’s plan is among the most expansive.

The proposal would allow government subsidies designed to lower costs for low-income and older participants to be used to entice younger people to buy insurance. Ommen says the plan is needed because Iowa’s current market is facing huge rate increases.

A business in Elk Horn was broken into overnight Monday or early this (Tuesday) morning. According to reports, The Village Station in Elk Horn was hit and several items taken, including cartons of cigarettes, chewing tobacco and snuf. Station owner Gerry Greve asks for people be on the look-out for anyone with a suspicious amount of those products that they may be trying to sell.

The break-in was under investigation. If anyone has any information regarding the crime, please contact the Shelby County Sheriff’s department.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports two men were arrested on drug charges last week. 24-year old Zachary Clayton Utterback, of Greenfield, was arrested Sept. 5th, for Possession of a Controlled Substance (marijuana) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (a glass pipe). He was released from custody later that same day on $1,000 bond. And, 38-year old Michael Ross Waddingham, of Orient, was arrested Sept. 6th on a warrant for Probation Violation, and two felony charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or subsequent offense (marijuana and methamphetamine). He remains in the Adair County Jail on a $12,000 cash bond or surety.

Vandewater says also, that Stuart Police arrested 34-year old Jeffrey Dean McGee, of Stuart, Sept. 4th. McGee was charged with False Imprisonment, for allegedly paddle locking the outside of a door to keep a person against their will, and, for Domestic Abuse Assault/3rd or subsequent offense. The latter is a Class-D felony charge, and was with regard to McGee’s live-in girlfriend. McGee was being held at the Adair County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond or surety.

And, 31-year old Michael Wayne Edwards, of Casey, was arrested last Friday evening, on an Adair County warrant for Probation Violation. Edwards remained in the Adair County Jail after posting a $2,000 cash or surety bond, to serve the remainder of a prior sentence or court order. He was released Sunday evening.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation in Sioux City report railroad crossing replacement work by the Union Pacific Railroad in the Sioux City area, will require the closing Singing Hills Boulevard/Business U.S. 75 at South Lewis Boulevard to traffic, beginning at 8-a.m. Monday, Sept. 18t, through 5-p.m. Friday, Sept. 22nd, weather permitting.

Traffic will be detoured around the work zone using South Lewis Boulevard, Donner Avenue, and York Street.

Officials with the Audubon County Memorial Hospital say the City of Audubon has approved the cutting of a T1 copper line that services the Audubon County Hospital. The project begins at 3-p.m today (Tuesday), and is needed to complete a portion of the water and sewer project. Since the copper line serves as the only phone line to the hospital, the facility will be operating under their “disaster protocol” while the phone line is disconnected, until splicing of the copper line has been completed.

Officials say they chose this particular time, so as to limit the disruption to the critical functions of the hospital.  If you have an urgent need to contact the hospital during the time the phone line is down, please call the Audubon County Sheriff’s Dispatch at 712-563-2631 and they will relay the message to the hospital.  The Hospital will send out notification when the telephone service is operational again.

WALL LAKE, Iowa (AP) – A nurse has been accused of stealing painkillers from a nursing home in northwest Iowa. Court records say 50-year-old Michelle Green is charged with fraudulent practice, dependent adult abuse, tampering with records and four counts of prohibited acts. A Wall Lake phone listed for Green has been disconnected. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26.

Court records say Green kept for herself narcotic medications that she’d ordered for residents when she was working at Twilight Acres nursing home in Wall Lake between Jan. 1 and May 2.

A 10-year old male who allegedly tried to sell marijuana to another student at the Washington School in Red Oak, Monday, lead authorities to a residence and the arrest of a woman. Red Oak Police say authorities were called to the school at around 12:45-p.m. for a report of a juvenile in possession of marijuana. The student allegedly tried to sell the drug to another student, who told school administrators. The administrators notified police.

After speaking with the student, officers obtained a search warrant, which was executed at a home in the 100 block of W. Valley Street. As a result, 34-year old Erin Elizabeth Bartles, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 3-p.m., for possession of the controlled substance (marijuana).

Authorities say Bartles was cooperative during the investigation. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 cash bond. Police also arrested the 10-year old male for Possession of a Controlled Substance. He was referred to juvenile authorities. Red Oak Police were assisted in their investigation, by Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.