A Council Bluffs care facility has been fined nearly $62,000 by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, after a resident allegedly contracted gangrene following a fall and broken leg, and died. The Des Moines Register says the Regency Rehab and Skilled Nursing Center was also cited for 23 other violations during the past 12 months, including failing to follow physicians’ orders, but no fines were imposed for those alleged violations.

According to the report, the resident who died at the care facilty, had suffered a broken leg in September. A doctor gave the Regency staff instructions to keep an immobilizing device on the resident’s leg, to allow the bone to heal. He told inspectors that he assumed Regency staff would know to remove the device temporarily, to assess the resident’s skin and bathe the leg, as required.

The staff however, apparently failed to remove the device, and also applied ice to an open wound on the resident’s heel, constricting the blood vessels, and slowing the flow of blood to that area.  In October, the resident was admitted to a hospital, with the foot apparently consumed by gangrene. State records said the foot was nearly black, due to “Negligence/no blood flow.”  The resident died on October 27th.

Other, recent sanctions against Iowa Nursing Homes, include the Friendship Home in Audubon being fined $8,000 by the State, after a resident fell to the floor in a lounge area, and was knocked unconscious. The resident allegedly suffered a fractured hip, facial injuries and bruises to the head. State records say the resident died shortly after undergoing surgery to repair the hip.

Many locations in Iowa and Nebraska broke record high temperatures Monday, including here in Atlantic. The temperature at the KJAN studios (The OFFICIAL National Weather Service reporting station for the community), reached 65-degrees, which shattered the old record of 58, set 24-years ago (1988). Other sites broke records dating back more than 80-years. Lincoln, NE., reached a high of 71, Monday. The old record was 60, in 1931.

In Omaha, the previous record of 60 in 1974, was beat by 9-degrees (69), Monday. Sioux City set a record high temperature for January 30th, when the thermometer reached 65-degrees, breaking the record of 57 set in 1964. And, Des Moines also reached 65, which surpassed the old record high of 57, set in 1988.

Brad Small, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Johnston, says Ottumwa reached 65, breaking the old record of 59. Lamoni saw 63 degrees, knocking off the old record by three degrees. Webster City reached a high of 59, breaking the old record of 53 set in 1931. State climatologist Harry Hillaker says “it’s been a January for the ages.” That’s because Iowa has a 60-degree day in January about once every 10 years. There have been three so far this month, with a chance to hit 60 or higher somewhere in the state today.

The forecast temperature in Atlantic today, is 58. That would tie a record high set on this date, in 1892.  There’s the possibility of snow, by Friday.

An independent review of last year’s prolonged Missouri River flooding says there was little more the U-S Army Corps of Engineers could have done to avoid the widespread, expensive damage. Among those on the review team, Cara McCarthy is senior forecast hydrologist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Portland, Oregon. McCarthy says they looked through a mountain of information.She says, “First of all, it’s just finding out about the flooding, looking at the numbers and finding out the extremes and then finding out, not just the water amount, but the damage amounts, talking to people and hearing what happened to them.” McCarthy says members of the Corps of Engineers started to react early in the spring as soon as they saw the massive inflows of snow melt and rain move into the reservoir system.

“By May 1, they recognized that they had a lot of water to get rid of, so they had actually started to get rid of water in the beginning of April,” McCarthy says. “Even if they had released more water in April than they did, they couldn’t have evacuated all that water. It was just a tremendous amount of water that came down.” While she admits it’s difficult to strike a perfect balance, she says the report recommends the Corps find a way to set aside more upstream flood control storage space to avoid a repeat. “That’s really what was needed this year,” McCarthy says. “If you do have that, you have less water in the reservoir so you have less water for recreation and less water for downstream water uses and for irrigation, so this is the problem the whole Missouri River system needs to look at.” Road repairs from the flooding in Iowa alone exceed 50-million dollars. The Corps estimates almost 600-million dollars in damage was done just to levees along the river.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

Police in Atlantic say a 15-year old female was cited last Friday for allegedly assaulting another juvenile. Jordan Nielsen, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of Serious Assault. The teen was later released to her parent, and cited into juvenile court.

The Atlantic Police Department reports also, the arrest Sunday, of 26-year old Tyler Gordan Bills, of Atlantic, on a charge of OWI/1st offense. Bills was brought to the Cass County Jail and held pending a court appearance.

Authorities in Madison County say two people who had been ice fishing drowned Monday, in a farm pond about four-miles north of Patterson. Dive teams recovered the bodies of 64-year old Linda Lou Jones, of Prole,  and her life-long friend, 80-year old George Washington Pierce, of Des Moines, Monday night.

Sheriff’s Official were notified about a possible drowning at the pond  by Jones’ husband, Larry, at around 6:45-p.m., Monday. The pair were last heard from by telephone,  about 4 1/2 hours earlier. Larry Jones told authorities he arrived home at around 5-pm Monday, and at 5:30 took his 4-wheel ATV to check on the pair at a pond near his home. That’s when he saw Pierce’ pickup, the ice fishing equipment on top of the ice, and a bucket partially submerged in the water. He also saw a hole in the ice that was several feet wide. Madison County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jason Barnes said the hole was about 10-feet from shore. The pond in that area was about 7- to 8-feet deep.

Cass County Sheriff’s officials report a pair of Adair residents were arrested last week, on drug charges. Officials say 42-year old Kristina Lois Sherman and 45-year old Charles Henry Elings III, were taken into custody Thursday on warrants for Controlled Substance Violations. Sherman and Elings were brought to the Cass County Jail, and then released on their own recognizance. 

And, last Wednesday, Cass County authorities arrested 25-year old Jacob Lee Gronewold,  of Griswold, on two District Court warrants for Probation Violation. Gronewold was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was being held on $20,000 bond.

Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker has issued a warning to residents of the County about a phone scam that is circulating once again. Danker says his office has received “multiple reports” of attempted phone fraud. The complaintants said they had received calls from persons claiming to be a grandchild or close relative, who says they’ve been arrested.

The caller typically tells the victim they need a large amount of money, wired to their location, so they can post bail and be released from custody. Danker encourages anyone who receives a similar call, to report the matter to your local law enforcement agency. If you have reason to believe the call is legitimate, contact a family member or the law enforcement agency, where the “family member” is allegedly being held, prior to sending any money.

You may recall, a few years ago, we told you a Cass County resident received a similar call, from a person claiming to have been a man’s grandson, who was allegedly arrested in Canada. The potential victim questioned the caller, who became defensive. The person who was calling was also unable to answer a “Challenge” question to confirm their identity…it was a question only the man’s real grandson, would have been able to answer. The victim refused to send any money to the caller.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said this (Monday) morning, that a pickup truck stolen from Villisca over the weekend, was recovered at around 5:20-p.m. Sunday, in a farm field about one-quarter of a mile south of Griswold. The vehicle was unoccupied. Officials say anyone with information about the pickup should contact Montgomery County Crimestoppers at 1-800-432-1001.

The white, 2009 Ford Ranger extended cab truck, was taken from in front of a home in the 500 block of East 8^th Street in Villisca, sometime between 11:30-p.m Saturday, and Noon on Sunday.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, will act on approving a Resolution setting the posted weight limits on county bridges. The move takes place during the Board’s meeting at the courthouse, which begins at 9-a.m.  In other business, the Supervisors will hear a report from Zoning Administrator Rich Hansen, with regard to zoning changes, and, act on appointing a trustee for the Pymosa Township (the person who held the position previously, has moved from the township). The Board will also review and discuss proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budgets.

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (10.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS