Open enrollment is underway for Medicare — which is the federal insurance program for people who are 65 and older. Elissa Balch is a spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “It’s an opportunity for Medicare beneficiaries to compare the Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans that are offered in their area to see if there is one that meets their needs in both cost and coverage compared to what they may have currently in 2016,” Balch explains. She says it’s a good idea to check over your plans every year.

Balch says if you are happy with the plan you have, you don’t have to make a change and the plan will roll over to the next year. “But it’s still an opportunity for them to compare pricing,” Balch says. “A lot of people can find a plan for the following calendar year that’s at a lower cost to them.” Balch says there are a lot of resources to help people. “First we have our website, which is www.medicare.gov. There is a tool online for people who are comfortable using the computer where they can go in and input their Medicare information so it looks at what their specific Medicare situation is,” Balch says. She says you can use the site to compare the cost of drug plans.

“It allows them to enter the prescription drugs that they currently take or that they think that they’ll be taking for the following calendar year,” according to Balch. “And then they can do side-by-side comparisons all of the plans that are available to them where they live in Iowa.” Balch says you can also go the state health insurance website.

She says it lists volunteers throughout the entire state which provide one-on-one counseling to help you compare plans for the next year, and they can assist you in enrolling in a plan. Balch says “There are a few plans that are currently offered in Iowa that are not going to be offered in 2017. Those individuals would have received a notice by October 2nd that provided them that information and then gave them the information about needing to find a new plan for 2017. And those individuals do have a little bit more time to make an enrollment with Medicare because they are in a plant that’s not being offered in 2017,” Balch says.

She says all people enrolled in Medicare should have received an update on their plan that indicated if there would be any changes in premiums.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Sheriff’s office today (Tuesday), reports numerous drug-related arrests occurred over the past week.  On Monday (October 31st) at approximately 12:25-a.m., Cass County deputies conducted a traffic stop at Olive and 9^th Streets in Atlantic. A passenger in the vehicle, 30-year old Melaney Lynn White, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on Cass and Pottawattamie County warrants for Probation Violation. During the stop, a Sheriff’s Office K9 alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle, and a search was conducted.

Evidence was found during the stop, as well as information from the Council Bluffs Police Department, that led officers to a residence in Atlantic, where the Atlantic Police Department located a vehicle stolen from Pottawattamie County. Sheriff’s Office deputies obtained a search warrant for the residence. Cass County deputies and Atlantic Police officers conducted the search warrant which resulted in the discovery of more narcotics.

Melaney White and 26-year old Lea Jean Wiersema, of Atlantic, were charged with Felony Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth, Felony Possession with Intent to Deliver Controlled Substances, three counts of Possession of Controlled Substances, Possession of Marijuana, Drug Tax Stamp Violation, Prohibited Acts, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both were taken to the Cass County Jail, where White was being held on $65,000 bond, and Wiersema’s bond was set at $36,000.

Last Saturday, Deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 53-year old Milton Milligan, Jr., of Atlantic, on two Sheriff’s Office felony warrants for Delivery of Meth and Possession of Meth, 3^rd/Subsequent Offense. Milligan was taken to the Cass County Jail, where he remains held on $55,000 bond.

Last Thursday (Oct. 27th), Cass County Deputies arrested 61-year old Ricky Lee Roby, of Atlantic, on a Sheriff’s Office felony warrant for Possession with Intent to Deliver Meth, and additional new charges of Possession of Meth 2^nd Offense, Prohibited Acts, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Roby was being held in the Cass County Jail on $55,300 bond.Also arrested last Thursday, was 69-year old  Arma Re Fouts, of Atlantic, who was taken into custody on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Prohibited Acts, and Possession of Meth 1^st Offense. Fouts was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $3,000 bond.

And, on October 26th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 32-year old Nathan Patrick Kinzie, of Atlantic, on two Sheriff’s Office felony warrants for Possession with Intent to Deliver Oxycodone and Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine. Kinzie was being held at the Cass County Jail on $50,000 bond.

The Atlantic Police Department says a pedestrian in an electric wheel chair suffered minor scrapes and injuries after being struck by a vehicle. The accident happened at around 12:15-p.m. Friday, in the 1200 block of Roosevelt Drive. Officials say Lisa Riggs, of Elk Horn, pulled into a private driveway to drop off a passenger. Afterward, she began to back up when her vehicle hit the unidentified pedestrian in the wheelchair that was directly behind Riggs’ vehicle. The wheelchair occupant was transported by Medivac ambulance to the Cass County Memorial Hospital. Damage to the wheel chair amounted to about $200.

And, an accident Monday evening at 7th and Chestnut Streets in Atlantic, caused $2,000 damage, but no one was hurt. Atlantic Police says a vehicle driven by Jane Becker, of Atlantic, was traveling east on 7th Street and had stopped at the stop light at the intersection with Chestnut. Myles Hetrick, of Atlantic, was also traveling east on 7th and failed to stop in time. His vehicle struck the rear of Becker’s vehicle. The accident happened just after 5-p.m. Hetrick was given a warning for Failure to Stop in an assured safe distance.

A head-on collision Monday evening in Shelby County resulted in both drivers being sent to Myrtue Memorial Hospital. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports the crash happened at around 7-p.m. in the 400 block of Highway 59. 64-year old Clella Hagedorn, of Defiance, was attempting to pass a vehicle in front of her as she was headed northbound on Highway 59 in a Subaru Forester, at the same time 25-year old Sarah Conry, of Harlan, was traveling south in a Ford Taurus. Both drivers swerved to avoid a collision, but their vehicles still hit head-on.

Medivac Ambulance and Avoca Fire and Rescue transported the women to the hospital. Crews with the Harlan Fire Department assisted at the scene.

Sheriff’s Officials in Union County report a horse died early this (Tuesday) morning, following an accident on U-S Highway 34. Authorities say 66-year old Charles Woodhall, of Des Moines, was traveling on Highway 34 at around 4:30-a.m., when he struck a horse owned by Kelly McFee, of Creston, as the animal was standing in the middle of the road. The horse was valued at $10,000. The 2017 Volvo truck Woodhall was driving sustained $10,000 damage in the collision. The vehicle was registered to Cheyenne Trucking, of Des Moines.

The Sheriff’s Office says also, James Michael Norris of rural Kent, reported Monday,  that sometime during the day on Sunday, someone entered his vehicle while it was parked at this residence and took his Kahr .45 pistol valued at $425. The incident remains under investigation.