(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken, Tuesday (June 11th), reported to the County Board of Supervisors, the Secondary Roads Department has been busy the past couple of weeks.

A contractor was working on the bridge seven-miles north of Cumberland on N-28.

On Wednesday, work will begin on lining two 42-inch culverts under the pavement on G-43, with a fiberglass liner. The work may continue into the day on Thursday.

(Radio Iowa) – Chinese officials say they’ve arrested a 55-year-old man suspected of stabbing four Cornell College instructors. Cornell College, based in Mount Vernon, has had a longstanding relationship with a university in northeast China and the four educators were attacked in a public park. One of the survivors, David Zabner, spoke with Iowa Public Radio from his hospital room in China. He said the group was leaving the park when he heard a sound. “I turned around to find a man brandishing a knife at me. I didn’t immediately realize that was what was happening. I thought my coworkers had been pushed and he, for some reason, was trying to push me,” Zabner said. “And then I looked down at my shoulder and realized: ‘No, I’m bleeding. I’ve been stabbed.'”

Pictures and video of the aftermath quickly began circulating on Chinese social media sites, but most have been taken down by the Chinese government. In one picture, Zabner can be seen wincing in pain as paramedics attend to another instructor bleeding from his back.  “I can see why kind of the visceral proof of what happened is important,” Zabner said, “but it’s also really upsetting.”

Zabner was stabbed in the arm, six inches below his shoulder. He and his three colleagues are still receiving treatment. Zabner says he appreciates the thoughts and prayers from people back home and the help from the U.S. Consulate and Iowa’s congressional delegation. He says he’s looking forward to returning to Iowa as soon as he can.

(Radio Iowa) – A central Iowa real estate developer and property manager is launching what’s being called Hometown Tours of a half-dozen Iowa communities where businesses are hungry for help and housing is scarce. Karie Kading Ramsey, C-E-O of Kading Properties of Urbandale, says they’ll start by visiting the Wayne County town of Corydon on Thursday. “In Corydon, for example, we have lots and lots of Missouri license plates coming over the border to work,” Ramsey says, “and our goal is to get some of those Missouri license plates to convert to Iowa license plates, so we can keep them right there working in the community, sending their kids to school in the community.”

Kading has already built houses in more than two-dozen Iowa towns over the past five decades. By eliminating the need for long commutes, Ramsey says Kading helps employers retain skilled labor and boosts local economies, while saving families time and money on travel and fuel. “We’re also providing a lot of housing, slab on grade, zero entry, so we get a lot of elderly people moving in,” Ramsey says. “They’re not quite ready for the nursing home or assisted living, and want a little ease with the snow and mowing, so they’ll move in and that will also recycle the housing.”

The so-called workforce housing may be individual houses, town homes, bi-attached houses or whatever works best in the community, she says. Who lives in them? “It’s your average person in your community that’s working around 50 hours a week, generally,” Ramsey says. “A lot of service folks do it, plumbing, electrical, teachers, people that are earning a really good solid wage and contributing a lot to the community, but we’re also trying to keep their rent affordable, knowing that they’ve got a lot of other expenses.”

While the south-central Iowa town of Corydon is the first town on the tour, the other five communities will be announced next week. Each stop will include tours and meetings with economic development teams, city council members, school district representatives, and local employers.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday) approved a canvass of the June 4, 2024 Primary Election results, and certification of those results. County Auditor Jill Ozuna read a summary of the results.

Montgomery County BOS mtg, 6/11/24

Board Member Donna Robinson read the following portion of the resolution certifying the results as presented.

Montgomery County Auditor Jill Ozuna said a standard, Post-Election audit of a precinct in the County will take place Wednesday, June 12^th.

(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM School Board, Monday evening, acted on approving personnel matters, including resignations and contracts. Superintendent Paul Croghan…

The School Board also discussed district facilities and a survey that’s available for district patrons to fill-out.

The survey is available for you to respond to until June 18th.

Paul Croghan says as of Monday, June 10th, the District had received 400 responses to the survey.

A link to the survey can be found on social media, asking what patrons think about of a one or two campus district viability, if there is any other information they need, and how they would like to receive that information. You can always call the district office for more information, as well. In other business, Mr. Croghan said it’s a busy time of year, Summer-wise.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – After considerable discussion, the Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), voted unanimously to pass a resolution appropriating $45,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA/Covid Relief) funds to the City of Lewis, for the purchase of a pre-owned ambulance. The ambulance is one the Griswold Fire & Rescue Department recently retired. Board Chair Steve Baier….

The Board approved also, the hiring of a person for the Treasurer’s Office Driver Examiner/Office Assistant, at a rate of $20 per hour. Afterward, Steve Baier put County Department heads on notice that due to recently passed legislation, things will look a lot different for FY 2025, with regard to hiring and salaries.

Cass County Board of Supervisors mtg.,6/11/24

The Supervisors approved the issuance of a County credit card to new Sheriff’s Department Deputy Cameron Ward. And, they approved a canvass of the June 4, 2024 Primary Election, certifying the results as published, and sending those onto the State Election Commissioner.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors heard a regular report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken, and they appointed Supervisor Mark O’Brien as a liaison to the County Conservation Board.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report a man from Polk County was arrested Monday afternoon on a Theft charges. Authorities say 35-year-old Preston Leshawn Butts, of Des Moines, was arrested at around 2:19-p.m. in the parking lot at 808 Laurel Street. Butts was charged with Theft in the 4th Degree (for Possession of property valued at more than $300 but less than $750). Butts was cited and released from the scene.

(Creston, Iowa) – No injuries were reported following a collision Sunday afternoon, in Creston. According to the Creston Police Department, a 2019 Nissan Maxima driven by 22-year-old Luke Allen Latham, of Creston, was traveling north on Clark Street at around 1:10-p.m., and a 2019 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 65-year-old Charles Scott Howarth, of Creston, was traveling west on Walnut Street. When Howarth failed to yield the right-of-way, his pickup struck the car on the rear passenger side, causing a total of $8,000 damage.

Howarth told Police he didn’t see the Nissan, and that Latham must have been speeding. A witness also told Creston Police they saw the car speeding. Latham said he was traveling at 25 miles per hour, and he observed the pickup stop at the stop sign, but that Howarth did not yield.

No citations were issued.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – A fire last week in Clarinda claimed the life of a 65-year-old man. Authorities on Monday identified the victim of Thursday evening’s fire as Steven Gail McCurdy. The blaze occurred late Thursday evening at 709 E. Lincoln Street, in Clarinda.

According to Clarinda Fire Chief Roger Williams, the cause of the fire was accidental, or at least undetermined, due to considerable damage to the residence. The residence was a total loss.

Clarinda police officers arriving at the scene before firefighters, tried to gain entry into the home to rescue McCurdy, but were forced to retreat due to heavy smoke and heat. Firefighters made entry into the house and extricated McCurdy from his home, but were unsuccessful in their efforts to revive him.

Clarinda Fire was assisted during the incident by firefighters from New Market, Clarinda Police, Clarinda EMS and MidAmerican Energy.

(Radio Iowa) – A nationwide study finds the number of drownings rose significantly in recent years, and with temperatures in Iowa expected to hit the 90s this week for the first time this year, anyone in — or on — the water needs to take precautions to stay safe. Kelly Hilsabeck, the trauma injury prevention coordinator at Gundersen Health System, says Iowa parents should make it a priority to get their kids in for swimming lessons. Hilsabeck says, “Enroll your kids as soon as they seem physically, emotionally, developmentally ready to start learning those basic swimming skills and water survival skills.”

The C-D-C study found about four-thousand deaths nationwide in 2019 from drowning, but the numbers rose by about 500 each year in 2020 and 2021. Due to the pandemic, Hilsabeck says many people may have simply not taken swimming lessons during those years, and she notes, those lessons aren’t just for kids. “You’re never too old to learn,” Hilsabeck says. “The new study that came out actually found that about 54% of U.S. adults have never had a swimming lesson, so it’s really important to know there’s not an age limit on swimming lessons.”

Whether swimming in a backyard pool or a municipal pool, drowning is always a risk, but the risk may be even greater on lakes and rivers due to hidden drop-offs, currents and murky water. Hilsabeck says drowning is typically a silent tragedy. “It’s been portrayed as a very loud and noticeable event in movies and TV shows,” Hilsabeck says, “and often it’s just really not that way. The swimmer possibly could have already been distressed and just isn’t going to be making a lot of noise and it can just happen so quickly in 20 to 60 seconds.” Anyone on a pleasure boat, kayak, canoe or innertube should also strive to be safe by wearing a life jacket — and she says to make sure it’s one that fits.

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.