(Radio Iowa) – The Army Times is reporting the 19-year-old from Pella who died earlier this month at a military base in Georgia fell and hit his head during a nighttime drill. The Army Times cites an accident report indicating J.T. Atchison was on a five mile march carrying a backpack when he tripped and fell onto the pavement and sustained a severe head injury. It happened just after midnight on July 12th.

Atchison was two days away from completing basic training. His obituary shows he had earned top shot for his company, was made team leader in his platoon and his ultimate goal was to become an Army Ranger.

Atchison’s funeral was held Monday afternoon at the Federated Fellowship Church in Pella. Atchison is survived by his mother, father and sister.

(Radio Iowa) – A recent court ruling means thousands of people will need to restart payments on their student loans this fall after more than three years of delays, and Iowans are being warned that scammers are lurking. Lisa Schiller, spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau, says this is the type of situation that will bring out crafty crooks.

“People will either receive an email or a letter or a phone call from someone claiming that they are eligible for student loan consolidation, or a payment reduction program or something similar,” Schiller says, “and this new benefit is allegedly, according to them, part of the new 2023 guidelines.” Schiller says the confusion over what’s happening with student loans gives scammers a hook to try and get your money.

If anyone asks you for money or personal banking information over the phone, she says to hang up and report the scam. Schiller says criminals use events like this as leverage to try and get you to hand over money or personal information. “This information might include them asking for your Social Security number, or your name and address, and even your FSA.gov login information,” she says, “so be aware of that and be very careful.”

As always, no government agency or lender will ask you for information they should already have, nor will they ask for money over the phone. Last month, the U-S Supreme Court rejected President Biden’s plan to eliminate up to 20-thousand dollars in federal student loans for eligible borrowers. The pause in payments ends October 1st and student loans will start accruing interest on September 1st.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA), announced today (Tuesday), they will provide free rides for anyone who needs them to the Cass County cooling stations, effective immediately, and through Friday, July 28th.  There are no eligibility requirements to ride.

To reserve a ride, simply call 1-800-842-8065 between 6am and 5pm.  Free rides are only available to the designated cooling stations during their normal business hours.

In Anita, Cumberland, Griswold, Lewis, and Massena these are the public libraries.  In Atlantic the cooling stations are the public library and the Nishna Valley YMCA. 

Ride scheduling is subject to driver availability, so please plan ahead if possible to give SWITA staff time to arrange the transportation.  If you are experiencing a health emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.

SWITA is open to the public, and SWIPCO is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

(Clarinda, Iowa) – The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports five recent arrests and two accidents. Taken into custody on July 19th, was 38-year-old Brandon Keith Stogdill, of Shenandoah, for Violation of Probation.

On the 18th, 19-year-old Jacob Allen Dale, of Clarinda, was arrested for violation of probation.

July 15th, Page County Deputies arrested 35-year old John David Nelson, of Griswold, for domestic abuse first offense.

And, there were two arrests July 13th in Page County: 62-year-old Russell Dean Robinson, of Shenandoah, was arrested for failure to appear; 31-year-old Mark Andrew Devine, of Clarinda, was arrested for violation of city ordinances.

The Sheriff’s Office said also, that on July 10th, Larry Dale Mount was traveling east on Redwood Avenue in a 2018 Spar Motorhome that was pulling a 2007 GMC Envoy SUV. The Envoy came unhooked and went down into the ditch before crashing through two fences, one owned by Justin Walters and the other by Kenny Swanson. The Envoy sustained damage in this accident. No injuries were reported.

And, on July 16th, Tuesday Renee Rose was traveling north on Highway 71, when a deer entered the roadway. Rose was unable to avoid the collision. Her vehicle was damaged during the accident.

(Iowa DNR News) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forestry – Fire Program, working in coordination with the US Forest Service, has grant money available for Iowa’s rural fire departments to help battle wildfires. Applications are due on Oct. 16. The grant provides 50 percent reimbursement for wildland fire equipment with a maximum reimbursement grant of $4,500 per department.

The grants offer funding assistance for wildfire suppression equipment, slide-in units, hoses, nozzles, adapters, portable tanks and pumps, personal protective equipment and communications equipment.  Additionally, if a fire department has a special need that can be tied directly to wildfire suppression, this grant allows for such special requests.

Gail Kantak, state wildland fire supervisor for the Iowa DNR, said fire departments should send her a Wildland Fire Report whenever they respond to a wildland fire or provide assistance to a prescribed or controlled wildland fire. Departments actively returning these reports receive priority points in the Volunteer Fire Assistance grant application scoring process.

All Iowa volunteer fire departments were mailed information about the 2023 Volunteer Fire Assistance Grant. The grant application package and the Wildland Fire Report form are available online at www.iowadnr.gov/fire.

DES MOINES, Iowa, July 25, 2023 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today (Tuesday), announced that USDA is investing $6,209,900 in ten grants to expand access to healthcare and food security in Iowa. Today’s investments are funded through the Emergency Rural Health Care Grants program.

“As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, USDA quickly delivered economic relief during one of the most critical times in our nation’s history,” said Director Greenfield. “The grants announced today will increase access to rural healthcare, help stabilize rural hospitals financially, and fight food insecurity in rural neighborhoods across Iowa by supporting the food pantry distribution system.”

Today’s news is part of a larger announcement. USDA is awarding $129 million in Emergency Rural Health Care Grants to improve health care facilities in rural towns across the nation. The Iowa investments are:

–Decatur County Hospital in Leon is receiving a $274,600 grant to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. This project will replace lost revenues caused by pandemic-related challenges. Once completed, the project will provide the hospital with financial resources to better serve the residents of this rural community and the surrounding rural areas.

–Floyd County Medical Center in Charles City is receiving a $1,000,000 grant to purchase and install heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. This project will provide energy-efficient air handling units to enhance air quality and infection control inside the hospital. Once in operation, the new HVAC systems will help eliminate airborne pathogens, including COVID-19 threats, increase the comfort of patients, staff, and visitors, and promote the health of residents in this rural community and the surrounding rural areas.

–Food Bank of Iowa is receiving a $1,000,000 grant to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. This project will reimburse the food bank for operating expenses associated with pandemic-related food distribution which took place on or after March 13, 2020, through September 30, 2022. The food bank, a non-profit organization based in Polk County, partners with other entities to distribute food to hungry Iowans. Once completed, the project will help fight food insecurity in rural areas across the state.

–Greene County Medical Center is receiving a $1,000,000 grant to recover from the economic impact of COVID-19. This project will replace lost revenues caused by pandemic-related challenges. Once completed, the project will provide the hospital in Jefferson with financial resources to better serve the residents of this rural community and the surrounding areas.

–Humboldt County Memorial Hospital in Humboldt is receiving a $249,900 grant to construct a new outpatient therapy and mental health clinic. This project will expand health care services, including services for mental health needs. Once completed, the project will implement preventive pandemic services and promote the health of residents of this rural county and surrounding rural areas.

–Knoxville Community Hospital is receiving a $699,900 grant to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This project will replace lost revenues caused by pandemic-related challenges and mitigate the expenses of staffing and testing. Once completed, the project will provide the hospital with financial resources to better serve the residents of this rural community in Marion County.

–Lee County is receiving a $974,000 grant to construct a public health building in Fort Madison. This project will provide a public health facility with a main office, workspace for staff, ambulance bays, as well as space for testing for COVID-19 and future pandemics. Once completed, the project will better serve the health care needs of residents of this Lee County community and the surrounding rural area.

–Sioux Center Health in Sioux County is receiving a $125,200 grant to construct an infusion center. This project will build a separate entrance to the hospital for infusion foot traffic and will provide dedicated treatment bays to accommodate all types of intravenous treatments including those for chemotherapy, inflammatory bowel diseases, and infections. Once completed, this hospital expansion in Sioux County will improve medical services and promote the health of Sioux Center residents and residents of the surrounding rural areas.

–Van Buren County Hospital in Keosauqua is receiving a $419,700 grant to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This project will replace lost revenues caused by pandemic-related challenges. Once completed, the project will provide the hospital with financial resources to better serve the residents of this rural community and the surrounding rural areas.

–Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton is receiving a $466,600 grant to recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This project will replace lost revenues caused by pandemic-related challenges. Once completed, the project will provide the hospital with financial resources to better serve the residents of this rural Benton County community and the surrounding rural areas.

(Radio Iowa) – A dozen Republican presidential candidates have agreed to have Governor Kim Reynolds interview them at the Iowa State Fair. Reynolds is calling the 12 interviews Fair Side Chats. Former President Donald Trump has not accepted the governor’s invitation to join her on the fairgrounds, but the news release announcing the schedule indicated it is subject to change. Last week, the governor told reporters at the statehouse that she plans keep the questions consistent rather than tailored to each candidate.  “We might put together some fun ones that we think would be interesting to ask them,” Reynolds says. Her staff has set up a website, so Iowans can submit questions, too.

Reynolds says she’s glad for the opportunity to introduce her party’s presidential candidates to Iowans at an event that’s near and dear to her heart. “I think it’s a great way to see a different side to the candidates,” Reynolds says. “Who wouldn’t want to come to the Iowa State Fair? They were all planning on being there.” Reynolds says the state fair is the perfect venue for the candidates.

On the first day of the fair — Thursday, August 10th — former radio talk show host Larry Elder will appear with Reynolds. On the first Friday of the state fair, Reynolds will interview North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former Vice President Mike Pence and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. On Saturday, August 12th, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are on the schedule. Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, Texas pastor Ryan Binkley and South Carolina Senator Tim Scott will speak with Reynolds on Tuesday, August 15th. On the last Friday of the fair — August 18th — Michigan businessman Perty Johnson and former Texas Congressman Will Hurd will join Reynolds on a stage at J-R’s Southpork Ranch, a food and beverage hall on the fairgrounds, near the Dairy Barn.

Donald Trump has campaigned at the Iowa State Fair before. In 2015, he flew a helicopter over the fairgrounds and later walked through the crowds on the same Saturday Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders were making appearances at the state fair.

(UPDATED; Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors held a closed session during their meeting this (Tuesday) morning, to discuss with legal counsel, matters in litigation or where litigation is imminent, and its disclosure would likely prejudice or disadvantage their position. Jan Norris, a resident and property owner in Montgomery County, who’s a proponent of establishing an Ordinance pertaining to the proposed Summit Carbon Solutions carbon capture pipeline project, which would run through the western third of the County.

Jan Norris speaks with the Montgomery County BOS

Following the closed session, and by unanimous vote, the county’s board of supervisors passed a resolution NOT to take action on a proposed ordinance regulating carbon capture projects. County Attorney Drew Swanson said the supervisors opted to table the ordinance following a federal judge’s recent ruling granting Summit an injunction preventing Shelby County from enforcing its own ordinances regulating the pipeline.

Although the supervisors have postponed a decision to act on an ordinance, it is still possible either the Iowa Legislature or the federal government could take action. The Iowa Utilities Board plans an evidentiary hearing on Summit’s application for the project in August.

In other business, the Board received a weekly update/report from Montgomery County Engineer Karen Albert.

The Board approved claims payable on Wednesday, in the amount of $203,143.20, and, authorization for name changes to Jill Ozuna and Tammy Hall for the Montgomery County Safe Deposit box at Houghton State Bank.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, this (Tuesday) morning, held a Public Hearing on the previously explained, and proposed, amendment to the County Zoning Ordinance, changing a small portion of land in Pymosa Township along Eagle Avenue, from General Agricultural, to Light Industrial. The change was requested by Ron West, who has a federal firearms license to repair, manufacture and sell firearms.

Cass County Zoning Administrator Mike Kennon said the Zoning Commission, as previously reported, approved the request and recommended the Supervisors follow suite.

Ron West appeared before the Board, to explain most of what he wants to do, deals with the repair of firearms from a home-based business.

Ron West addresses the Cass County BOS (7/25/23)

Much of his business, he said, comes from trap shooters, who tend to break firing pins and want their stocks modified. No forging (hot metal work) will take place. He plans to use the extra income from his business to supplement his income for retirement. Following the Public Hearing, the Board unanimously approved the change in zoning request.

The Supervisors also discussed and passed a resolution cancelling three outstanding warrants (Checks) issued by the County, that are over one-year old. And, a resolution to allocate ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act, re: covid relief) funds to the CAM School District, was passed, in order to improve election polling place accessibility. The funds will not exceed $10,000. Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns explains the issue boils down to ease of accessibility and security.

Karns said after exploring the options with the Massena Middle School faculty, officials learned there are issues with the outside doors being wide enough, and there’s a slight lift which needs to be leveled-out, so that it’s more of a ramp. She said they currently bids for the wider door, which are around $3,000, but they don’t have a bid on the concrete, yet. That’s why they established a $10,000 ceiling for costs and materials. Parking on election day, she said, won’t be an issue, because they faculty will park in a separate lot.

In other business, the Board received a quarterly report from Cass County Veteran’s Affairs Director Mitch Holmes, and a report from the Cass County Secondary Roads Department Senior Technician Dennis Vogel. Vogel spoke about the ongoing bridge projects.

He also spoke about a couple of current and upcoming Fall concrete box culvert projects, as well as other maintenance and improvement activities.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – On Friday, July 21, 2023, a former professor at the University of Iowa was sentenced to 25 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine which resulted in the death of a victim, and 20 years in prison for possessing child pornography. The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently, or at the same time.

According to court documents, since sometime in 2020, Dr. John Robert Muriello, 66, conspired with Eric Hojka of Iowa City, and others, to obtain and distribute methamphetamine in and around Iowa City. In May 2021, first responders went to Hojka’s apartment in Iowa City based on a report that a victim who had lost consciousness. Paramedics were unable to revive the victim and he was pronounced dead. An autopsy showed the victim ingested methamphetamine which caused his death. The investigation revealed the victim received that methamphetamine from Hojka. Hojka obtained the methamphetamine from Muriello, who had obtained the drugs from a supplier in California. When the police conducted a search at Muriello’s Iowa City residence in May 2021, they discovered methamphetamine and a large collection of child pornography.

In addition to the 25-year prison term, Muriello was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,000, a fine of $50,000, and assessments of $22,200. Muriello’s Iowa City residence was also forfeited. After his prison term, Muriello was also ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa City Police Department and the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office investigated the case.