Police in Harlan report an Irwin man was cited for Following Too Close last Friday, after his 1998 Chrysler struck the rear of a 2017 Hyundai. The accident happened in the 2300 block of 7th Street on Oct. 7th. Officials say Vince Reinig, of Mt. Shasta, CA, and Donald Robinson, of Irwin, were both traveling southbound on 7th Street and were slowing for stopped traffic in front of them.  Robinson told police he looked down for a second and when he did so, his car hit the rear of Reinig’s vehicle, causing minor damage to both vehicles. The damaged was estimated at $3,500 altogether.

Officials with the Cass County Health System say a new CT scanner will be installed sometime over the next few weeks.  The addition of the Toshiba Aquilion Prime 80 to our facility will offer CCHS patients a multitude of benefits.  During the installation the hospital will have a mobile unit on site to meet patient needs.

Carrie Schmitt, Director of Diagnostic Imaging, says “We are very excited to bring this state-of-the-art CT technology to our patients. We apologize for the short-term inconvenience, but are pleased to be able to provide care without interruption during this important upgrade to our diagnostic imaging services.”

Schmitt says The new Toshiba Prime scanner will offer several key benefits to patients:

·         The speed of the Aquilion Prime 80 enables our clinicians to obtain critical patient information for enhanced diagnoses faster than before.

·         The Aquilion Prime 80 comes standard with industry-leading radiation dose reduction software.

·         The large bore opening offers a more spacious feeling for patients while the higher table weight limit expands the range of patients who can be imaged.

·         Increase in scan coverage results in greatly reduced scan times and much shorter breath holds while producing the high quality images required for accurate diagnoses.

·         Increased ability for staff and patients to communicate throughout the exam.

Diagnostic Imaging staff will escort patients to the temporary CT unit for their exams while the new in-house unit is being installed.  The new unit is expected to be ready for service in early November.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Polk County supervisors have given final approval to raising the minimum wage to $10.75 an hour within the next 30 months. The Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 for the proposal Tuesday in the third of three required readings and approvals. The current $7.25 rate will rise to $8.75 an hour in April, to $9.75 in January 2018 and finally to $10.75 in January 2019.

Polk County becomes the fourth in Iowa to raise the minimum wage, following actions by Johnson, Linn and Wapello counties.  The Polk County measure includes freezing the tipped-worker minimum wage at $5 per hour, rather than keeping the rate at 60 percent of the overall minimum wage. And it includes a lower figure for workers 17 and under: 85 percent of the new minimum wage.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says two men were arrested on drug charges, Monday afternoon following a traffic stop on Highway 34. 25-year old Joshua Daniel Brumfield, of Glenwood, and 22-year old Christian James Brumfield, of Omaha, were both charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both men were being held in the Mills County Jail, with their bonds set at $1,300 and $5,300, respectively.

And, 29-year old Amber Rose Truhlicka, of Sidney, was arrested Oct. 7th at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on a warrant for Probation Violation. Her bond was set at $4,000.

The Sheriff’s Office said also, an accident Oct. 7th resulted in two people being transported to Creighton University Medical Center. Officials say 50-year old David Smith, of Glenwood, was driving the vehicle southbound on 221st Street at around 10:50-p.m., when a deer ran out in front of him on a curve in the road. When Smith swerved to miss the deer, his vehicle went out of control and rolled multiple times before coming to rest on its top.  Smith was transported to CUMC by Silver City Rescue, while his passenger, 47-year old Brenda Foster, of Randolph, was transported to the same facility by Glenwood Rescue.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests. This (Tuesday) morning, 20-year old Abel Vasquez, of Lenox, was arrested on an Adams County warrant for felony Attempting to Elude Pursing Law Enforcement. The charge stems from an incident that took place Sept. 9th. Vasquez was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $5,000 cash-only bond.

And, on or about Oct. 6th, Adams County Deputies arrested 31-year old Jose Huerta, of Prescott, on Adams County felony warrants for a controlled substance violation and possession or use of a false drug tax stamp, with regard to a marijuana grow operation that was discovered June 6th, at Huerta’s residence. His bond was set at $5,000.

Vasquez was subsequently charged with Conspiracy to Manufacture on certain real property and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp. Bond on those offenses was set at $5,000, also.