The future of the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) at the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, will be determined during a meeting early this (Wednesday morning). The CCMH Board of Trustees are slated to meet at 7:30-a.m. in Conference Room 1, to vote on whether the facility should remain open or other options. 

Options to be considered when the Trustees meet this morning, may include eliminating the mental health unit entirely, or downsizing it from 8- to 4-beds. The smaller facility would be relocated to the Special Care Unit after remodeling is complete. Hospital officials have said even if the BHU is relocated, it would still cost $250,000 per year to operate. 

An audit report showed the facility lost more than $344,000 in Fiscal Year 2011, and used-up more than $500,000 in funding.

The Red Oak Volunteer Fire and Rescue Association, Incorporated, has received a donation of more than $75,500 from the estate of a local woman. According to reports, the bequeath comes from the estate of Doris Allquist, which also contributed to other local nonprofit groups and organizations. Funds from the donation will be used for the Association’s free smoke detector program, the goal of which is to place a working smoke detector in every home in the Red Oak area. The detectors are available at the Red Oak Fire Department.

Three people from Carroll, two men and a teenager, were injured Saturday evening in Sac County, during a collision between two pickup trucks. The Iowa State Patrol says the drivers of both trucks, 27-year old David Bloyer, and 46-year old Richard Wallace, along with a passenger in his vehicle, 13-year old Jacob Wallace, were injured in the crash, which happened at around 5-p.m. Saturday, south of Auburn.

Officials say a 2004 Chevy pickup driven by Bloyer was traveling south on Highway 71, when the vehicle went out of control due to the icy road and blowing snow. The vehicle crossed the center line of the road and hit a 2011 Chevy pickup driven by Wallace. Richard Wallace was flown from the scene by air ambulance to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. David Bloyer and Jacob Wallace were transported by ambulance to the Carroll Hospital, where they were treated for minor injuries. All three of the crash victims were wearing their seatbelts.

Two western Iowa power companies are among eight utilities from around the state that have been awarded a portion of more than $40.6-million in FEMA grant money, in reaction to recent severe storms, and are part of a Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. Senator Tom Harkin announced late last week, that more than $3.3-million was awarded to the Western Iowa Power Cooperative, which serves portions of Audubon County and Harrison County. The grant will be used to retrofit nearly 57 miles of electrical distribution lines. And, more than $2.3-million was awarded to Guthrie County Rural Electric Cooperative, to strengthen over 49 miles of overhead electrical distribution lines.

The City Council in Massena will meet in a regular session Monday night. On their agenda at 7-p.m., is discussion and possible action with regard to: funding for a replacement Fire Department tanker truck; Approval of new street lights to be installed by Alliant Energy near Massena Livestock; Formal approval of bids for snow removal on downtown city properties and the city park; discussion and potential action on a new sewer improvement design contract, and an agreement between Railroad Management, L.L.C, and the City of Massena.

The City Council in Audubon is set to hold their regular meeting Monday night. On their agenda, is: Katie Jo Walters, who will discuss New Opportunities; Diane McGrain, with an audit report; Barb Jacobsen will provide an update on the Blue Zone Project, and, there’ll be  discussion with regard to compensation practices. The meeting begins at 7-p.m., in the Audubon City Hall.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Hundreds of wreaths are marking the graves of Nebraska and Iowa veterans as part of a nationwide memorial effort. More than 500 wreath-laying ceremonies were held Saturday – Wreaths Across America Day – to honor both living and dead veterans. Seventeen ceremonies were held at Nebraska cemeteries or veterans’ memorials. In Lincoln, more than 100 volunteers helped lay 645 wreaths at Wyuka Cemetery. Some 170 others were laid at Fort McPherson National Cemetery in Maxwell.

A ceremony at the Iowa Veterans Ceremony near Van Meter was among six held in that state. Seven ceremonial wreaths were laid on memorials for the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines and POW/MIA. In Johnson County, some 75 volunteers laid 1,155 wreaths on veterans’ graves.

MOORHEAD, Iowa (AP) — An Illinois man has suffered injuries to his lips and teeth in a hunting accident in Monona County. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 30-year-old Seth Johnson, of Plainfield, Ill., was hunting Sunday afternoon near Moorhead with a group of about 10 others when he was hit by a slug fired by another in his party. The slug travelled 167 yards and passed between his lips, injuring them and some of his teeth.

Conservation Officer Gary Sisco says the hunters were firing at a running deer when the accident happened. He says Johnson was lucky because the slug could have easily hit him in the face or neck. Johnson is being treated at an Onawa hospital for injuries not believed to be life threatening.

w/ Chris Parks

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A documentary about Iowa veterans of World War II and the recent visits of many to Washington to visit the National World War II Memorial is on sale to raise money to pay for more such trips. The 43-minute documentary, called “None Less Than Heroes – The Honor Flight Story,” was commissioned by the Central and Western Iowa Honor Flight Fund and sponsored by several Iowa-based businesses and individuals. The cost is $9.95, and all money raised will pay for veterans to travel to Washington. The film includes interviews with Iowa veterans, video of their trips to the memorial and Arlington National Cemetery and war footage from the National Archive.

A DVD of the documentary is available at Casey’s General Stores, Hy-Vee markets and online at http://www.honorflightfilm.org .