(please note this is a correction to an earlier version of this story which posted on KJAN.com, which indicated the maximum paid for the burial of a deceased indigent person was $2,500. It should have said $2,000)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Friday), approved the final version of an Indigent Disposition Policy (formerly called an Indigent Burial Policy). The policy states a maximum of $2,000 will be paid by the County for the burial of a deceased indigent person, or a maximum of $1,500 for a cremation. That includes the mandatory Medical Examiner certification fee. Burial or cremation is limited to: A casket, vault, or cremation container; Funeral Director fees and, other normal expenses required for burial or cremation. In addition, the County will pay the reasonable and customary cemetery expenses, not to exceed $550, or for burial of cremains, $200. Any unusual transportation or other expenses beyond those amounts may be submitted to the Board of Supervisors for approval. The Board has the complete and sole discretion to decide upon reimbursement of those costs.

The policy also states the family or interested persons associated with the deceased, shall sign an agreement to repay the County, from any resources or benefits that belong to, or are due to, the deceased person. That would include: life insurance; real estate; personal property; social security, railroad or other benefits; memorial and fundraiser monies; contracts; and, bank accounts, annuities, stocks, bonds, and Certificates of Deposits (C.D.’s). Applications for disposition benefits must be made in writing as soon as possible following the death of an indigent person, to the Cass County General Assistance Office or Veterans Affairs Office. Eligibility for benefits will be determined by the General Assistance Coordinator or Veterans Affairs Ordinances, as deemed appropriate.

An Audubon man was arrested Thursday night, on drug charges. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports 29-year old Joseph Mark Zaiger was taken into custody at around 9:30-p.m. on charges of Possession of Marijuana/3rd offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The arrest stems from a traffic stop on Highway 71, in Brayton. Zaiger was cited for the offenses and released, with orders to appear in court on January 5th.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Former Massachusetts Governor and Republican Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney will be in Atlantic and Council Bluffs this Sunday. His stop in Atlantic, during which he will discuss jobs and the economy, is scheduled to occur at 2:15-p.m., Sunday at the Family Table Restaurant (609 W. 7th St.).  Romney’s visit to Council Bluffs, Sunday, will include a rally at Bayliss Park Hall (530 1^st Avenue), at 5:05-p.m.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A Guthrie County Sheriff’s Department K-9 who was hurt when he was hit by a car in 2010, will be retired this weekend after six-years of service to the county. K-9 “Raven’s”  last day as a member of the sheriff’s department is January 1^st.  Guthrie County Sheriff Marty Arganbright announced the news during this week’s meeting of the County Board of Supervisors. Raven was struck by a car in October 2010, and never fully recovered from a compound leg fracture he suffered during the accident. He also suffers from arthritis in his injured leg. Arganbright says even though Raven underwent surgery to repair the damage to his leg, the dog was unable to continue with the force. He’s served the county for six years. 

Raven’s training was paid for entirely through donations, and cost about $10,000. His after-accident surgery exceeded $4,000, and was also fully funded by donations. The Sheriff said Raven will not be replaced any time soon. He hopes someone will step forward and adopt the dog, whom he says served the County well, and needs to be treated right, in his retirement years.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a Glenwood man was cited for Failure to Yield, following a two-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon, about 4-miles north of Villisca. Authorities say a 1995 Toyota Camry driven by 49-year old Bruce Fitzwater, of Villisca, was traveling north on Highway 71, when a 2000 Pontiac Grand Am driven by 24-year old Tyler Wolfe, of Glenwood, exited westbound Highway 34 and didn’t see Fitzwater’s car. Wolfe attempted to turn south onto Highway 71 from the stop sign, when his vehicle pulled into the Toyota’s path.

The accident happened at around 3:35-p.m.  Damage from the incident amounted to $3,200. No injuries were reported.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich will make a couple of final public stops in western Iowa Saturday, just three days before the Iowa caucuses.

Newt Gingrich

 Gingrich will start off the day with a “Newt’s Jobs and Growth Bus Tour” event at Tish’s Restaurant in Council Bluffs (at 1207 S. 35th St.), beginning at 9-a.m. Afterward, he’ll will hold a similar meeting in Atlantic at the Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company (at 4 East 2nd Street), beginning  at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Today (Friday), Gingrich will be in Creston at 5-p.m. for an event at the Adams Street Espresso & Soda Shoppe (213 W. Adams St.), and in Shenandoah at M’s Fine Dining, 504 W. Sheridan Ave. at 8 p.m. Both of those events are open to the public as well.

A very busy year is drawing to a close for the American Red Cross chapter that covers western Iowa and eastern Nebraska. Agency spokeswoman Danelle Schlegelmilch says they were on their toes all through 2011. “We responded to over 400 disasters in our area and we also sent 200 local volunteers out throughout the country to help out with the 137 big disasters that we had,” Schlegelmilch says. “Tornadoes, flooding, hurricanes, earthquakes and a little bit of everything under the sun this year.” She says by far, the largest and longest disaster they had to deal with was the four-month Missouri River flood which socked the region.

“That really did hit us hard,” Schlegelmilch says. “We had 11 shelters open. We served over 23,000 meals and snacks and gave out 13,000 clean-up kits and clean-up items so it definitely kept us busy this summer.” The Red Cross provided nearly 300 people with overnight lodging at the shelters during the flood. Also during the year, Schlegelmilch says they responded to several tornadoes that plowed through neighborhoods and towns.

“We had volunteers respond to Mapleton, Iowa, Alabama, Arkansas, pretty much all over the South wherever those tornados hit, we had local volunteers who stepped up and put on their Red Cross vests and went out and served,” she says. “We really want to thank everyone for all of their hard work and dedication this year.” Schlegelmilch says the region is very fortunate so many people volunteer their time to those needing assistance. The Omaha-based chapter has more than one-thousand active volunteers.

(Radio Iowa)