Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green released details Monday about the department’s response to a possible threat on Sunday.  Atlantic Police were made aware of a veiled threat on social media in the Atlantic area on Sunday afternoon.  The threat was not specific in nature but police still treated the situation with caution and located the individual posting the message within two hours after receiving the initial report.  A local 16-year-old male was questioned in reference to the post and precautions were taken to ensure the teenager had no access to weapons with a consensual search of the home.  Officers determined there was no credible threat and the teenager was released pending further investigation.  Atlantic Police will be conferring with the County Attorney and juvenile authorities on further action.  Local school officials were kept informed throughout the investigation.

A woman from central Iowa was arrested on drug charges Sunday, in Cass County. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says 50-year old Erin Sue Walker, of Urbandale, was arrested on felony charges that include: Possession of Methamphetamine 3rd/Subsequent offense; and Possession of Amphetamine/Dextroamphetamine 3rd/Subsequent offense(D Felony). She was also arrested for OWI 1st Offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Walker was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was released later that day on $5,000 bond.

The Sheriff’s Office says 25-year old Benjamin Jesse Galles, of Atlantic, was arrested Sunday on a Pottawattamie County warrant. Galles was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remained held pending transfer to Pottawattamie County authorities.

A passenger in a vehicle that crashed into a tree Sunday morning in Emerson was transported to the hospital for treatment of undisclosed injuries. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says Levi Allen, of Red Oak, was riding in a 2016 Chevy driven by Adam Lundgren, of Essex, when the accident happened at around 6-a.m., Sunday.

Authorities say the vehicle was northbound on Highway 59 approaching Crawford Street in Emerson, when Lundgren fell asleep at the wheel. When the vehicle went off the right side of the road, Lundgren over-corrected, causing the vehicle to cross the center line into the southbound lane of Highway 59. When the vehicle went off onto the left side of the road, Lundgren panic-braked before the vehicle struck a tree.

Levi Allen was transported by Red Oak EMS to the Red Oak Hospital. Lundgren was cited for Failure to Maintain Control.

In other business, the Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 39-year old Joseph Lee Hastie, of Glenwood, was arrested Sunday night for Driving Under Suspension. Bond was set at $300.

Governor Terry Branstad isn’t closing the door on a bill that would adjust Iowa’s medical marijuana law.  “I’ve indicated a willingness to work with the legislature on this as well as other issues,” Branstad says. “I reserve judgment until we see it in its final form, but certainly this is an issue there is some strong interest in.”

Iowa decriminalized possession of cannabis oil for treatment of chronic epilepsy in 2014, but cannabis oil isn’t sold in the state. Advocates have been pressing state officials to set up a system for growing and dispensing cannabis oil in Iowa. Plus, they want Iowa doctors to be able to prescribe it as treatment for a wide range of chronic conditions.

“We have been open to and met with people about resolving this issue throughout the session,” Branstad says. Branstad isn’t specifying what he might accept, but he says it’s important to keep marijuana out of the hands of people who would use the drug “for illicit purposes.”

“What we have is cannabis oil which is basically designed to treat a particular medical condition and the question is whether that should be expanded to some others and whether you could have it produced in the state of Iowa,” Branstad says.

Twenty-three states have legalized marijuana for medical use. Illinois residents suffering from any of 40 different conditions can get a state permit to buy marijuana from state licensed dispensaries. Minnesota residents can buy the drug in liquid or pill form as treatment for a handful of specific illnesses, as well as terminal conditions.

(Radio Iowa)

Last Friday, about three-thousand calls were made to the state “call center” created to help figure out benefits for Iowa Medicaid patients and the health care professionals who treat them. Friday was the day Iowa’s 560-thousand Medicaid patients were switched to a private managed care system. Governor Terry Branstad describes the transition as “smooth.”

“Nothing of this magnitude is going to be totally glitch-free,” Branstad says. “But the reports I’ve been getting is that it’s relative smooth and, you know, there are all kinds of opportunities for people to call if they have a glitch or a problem, to get that corrected as quickly as possible.”

State officials say the average wait time for people who’ve been calling the hotline for help was about two minutes on Friday. Administrators also say call volume was just about the same as it has in the weeks leading up to the switch. Branstad invited representatives of each of the three private companies now managing Iowa’s Medicaid system to his weekly news conference — to tout new “add-on” services each now offers to Medicaid patients, like smoking cessation and well-baby programs.

(Radio Iowa)