(Radio Iowa) – A bill introduced in the Iowa House would set up a state licensing process for “rural emergency hospitals.” Federal rules now let small rural hospitals discontinue in-patient care and just provide an emergency room and outpatient services. Representative Martin Graber of Fort Madison says this could be a financial lifeline for more than 30 small Iowa hospitals where very few patients are being admitted for an overnight stay. “This is the first step in the process,” Graber says. “We’ve got to get the state to say: ‘It’s o.k. to license one.'”

Keokuk’s hospital closed in October and Graber says a stand-alone E-R would be a viable alternative in the community. “Blessing Hospital has said they’d be interested in it,” Graber says, “and they’re the logical ones.” Blessing Health, based in Quincy, Illinois, closed its 49-bed Keokuk hospital September 30th due to operating losses and low demand for in-patient care. The Rural Emergency Hospital license Graber and others are working on would increase the government’s reimbursement rates for Medicare and Medicaid patients treated in an emergency room.  “To make sure we have a place so that if one my constituents down in Keokuk shows up and they’ve had a stroke or they’re having a heart attack or some major problem, we can get them treated,” Graber says.

Once a critical patient is stabilized in a Rural Emergency Hospital’s E-R, Graber says they’d be transferred to in-patient care elsewhere, while patients with less acute emergencies could be quickly treated and discharged.

(Durant, Iowa) – A car traveling in the wrong direction crashed head-on into a semi tractor trailer, Saturday morning, resulting in the death of the car’s driver. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2020 Honda driven by 46-year-old Rebecca McClaine, of Bettendorf, was traveling east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 north of Durant, in Cedar County, when her vehicle struck a 2014 Kenworth semi head-on near mile marker 277.  The accident happened at around 3:08-a.m., Saturday.

McClaine died at the scene. She was not wearing a seat belt.

The driver of the semi was not injured. He was identified as 65-year-old Stuart Anderson, of Northwood, Iowa. Following the collision, both vehicles came to rest in the median. The crash remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – The Chickasaw County Sheriff says a man is facing multiple charges for a fatal accident in September. Thirty-eight-year-old Curtis Williams was charged with vehicular homicide, eluding, operating while under the influence, driving with a revoked license, reckless driving, operating a non-registered vehicle, failure to maintain control and speeding. Authorities say Williams led authorities on a chase in the early morning hours of September 26th, lost control of his vehicle, the vehicle rolled and the impact killed an 18-year-old passenger.

Williams is being held on a 32-thousand dollars bond.

(Radio Iowa) – A former Iowan is being released from a Minnesota prison after spending nearly 25 years behind bars. Sixty-three-year-old Thomas Rhodes was accused of the 1998 murder of his wife. The Minnesota Attorney General on Friday vacated Rhodes’ conviction of first- and second-degree murder for a lesser conviction of second-degree manslaughter. Rhodes was found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder after Jane Rhodes fell overboard and drowned during a nighttime boat ride on a lake at Spicer, Minnesota in July of 1998.

The new examination found that Jane Rhodes’ death was not inconsistent with an accidental fall. The Minnesota Conviction Review Unit decided the medical evidence used in the Rhodes conviction was flawed. The state says there is sufficient evidence to support Thomas Rhodes’ conviction of second-degree manslaughter. Rhodes is a native of Duncombe and graduated from Webster City high school in 1977.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors will meet at 9-a.m. Tuesday, in their Boardroom at the Adair County Courthouse. On their agenda is approval of the Lee Township Trustee’s resignation and appointment(s) for the position. The Board will discuss the FY 2022 5th Judicial District Annual Report, and a Safety Meeting Lunch.

County Treasurer Brenda Wallace will present to the Board a 28-E Agreement, and her Semi-Annual Report. County Auditor Mandy Berg will present FY 24 Budget requests for the Supervisors, Data Processing, Medical Examiner, Clerk of Court, Social Services and DHS.

Alan Carr will discuss with the Adair County Supervisors the upgrading of Kent Avenue to a Level A road from 300th to 310th Street. Area Service Level A Roads are those with the highest level of service constructed, and maintained in conformance with applicable State Statutes. The type of surfacing varies, based on Federal Functional, State, and Local Classifications; terrain and traffic count.

And, County Engineer Nick Kauffman will request approval for a material bid with regard to the N-33 Orient bridge project, before providing his weekly report on maintenance and activities.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports four recent arrests. There were two separate arrests on Friday: 49-year-old David Joy Anderson, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested at Sarpy County (NE) Corrections, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $20,000; And, 19-year-old Seven Latayia Barrett, of Glenwood, was arrested Friday evening for OWI/1st offense, with bond set at $1,000.

Early Saturday morning, 45-year-old Shannon Don Spangler, of Lincoln, NE., was arrested for Eluding and having no valid driver’s license. His bond at the Mills County Jail was set at $2,300. Early Sunday morning, 60-year-old Clifford John Bonacci, of Omaha, was arrested at I-29 and Highway 34, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Contraband/Weapon in a Correctional Facility. Bond was set at $5,300.

(Radio Iowa) – A Des Moines man is now jailed in the murder of his motel roommate. Police were called to the southside motel Friday on a report of a man bleeding and in apparent cardiac arrest. They found the body of 45-year-old Russell McKeehan Junior in his room, dead of a gunshot. A man police say was the victim’s roommate at the motel for at least a month was later charged in the killing. Reports say overwhelming evidence points to 50-year-old Surfun Boens as having pulled the trigger, including a message on his cell phone saying he “did something super super bad” and needed to “get out of town.” Police say Boens was carrying a recently-fired gun when arrested.

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A Sioux City man is jailed in the weekend shooting death of a woman on the city’s north side. Police say 23-year-old Austyn Self is charged with first-degree murder and three counts of child endangerment. Police Sergeant Tom Gill says officers were dispatched to a house around 9:40 P-M Saturday during a 9-1-1 call where a woman was pleading for help. “Approximately two minutes into the phone call as police were heading to the scene, our dispatchers heard a gunshot, there was one gunshot,” Gill says. “They heard the female screaming on the line. When officers arrived on scene, they didn’t make entry right away. They called the male party out and he came out. He was cooperative. He came out with his hands up.”

Gill says officers found the 31-year-old woman in the home with a gunshot injury to her abdomen. “She was slowly breathing at this time,” Gill says. “They did have medical on scene. Medical began working on the female in the house. They then transported her to the hospital where she was later pronounced dead.” The woman’s name hasn’t been released. Gill says the suspect and victim were in a relationship. “They do live together. They do have at least one child together,” Gill says. “There was three children in the house, all under five years of age. That’s why the three counts of child endangerment.”

Self is being held in the Woodbury County Jail.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors will discuss and act on several matters to come before them during their meeting 9-a.m. Tuesday, in their Courthouse Boardroom. According to the agenda, the Board will:

• Discuss a Township allocation to the Wiota Fire Department
• Act on approving a five-year lease extension with the Cambridge Law Firm for part of a county-owned building near 8th and Poplar Streets.
• Approve a Resolution with regard to Livestock Facility Construction Evaluation and the use of the Master Matrix.
• Approve changes to the employee manual.
• The Board will also act on the following appointments:
  • Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett to the Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), for 2023 (w/City Admin. John Lund as Alternate)
  • Chelsea McCunn to the County Zoning Board of Adjustment
  • Brighton Township Clerk (If a candidate is available), and,
  • Victoria Township Trustee (if a candidate is available).

The Cass County Supervisors will also hear a monthly report from Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health Director Jotham Arber, a Quarterly report from County Conservation Director Micah Lee, and a weekly report from Engineer Trent Wolken.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports four recent arrests. At around 3:12-a.m. Sunday, 20-year-old Emily Marie Dohrn, of Creston, was arrested at Birch and Fremont Streets She was taken into custody on multiple warrants, including two out Union County for Forgery, Possession of a Controlled Substance/marijuana -1st offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Interference with Official Acts, and Providing False Identification Information. She was being held without bond in the Clarke County Jail.

Saturday night, 28-year-old Brandon Walls, of Creston, was arrested at Sumner and Spencer on a charge of OWI 1^{st offense.}  Walls was transported to the Union County Jail and later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

There were two arrests on Friday, in Creston: 21-year-old Malachi Shon Elms, of Orient, was arrested at around 8:47-p.m. Elms was charged with Disorderly Conduct, Interference with Official Acts, and Public Intox. Elms was taken to the Union County Jail where he was released on $900 cash or surety bond. And, at around 9:32-p.m., Friday, 37-year-old Ashley Ann Davis, of Creston, was arrested at 119 N Walnut. Davis was charged with Assault. Davis was taken to the Union County Jail where she later bonded.

On Thursday, Creston Police arrested 40-year-old Milea Mickey, of Creston. Mickey was charged with Assault and transported to the Union County Jail. She was released on promise to appear. in court.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak say no injuries were reported following a collision that occurred at around 1:40-p.m. Saturday, on Highway 48 (Broadway St.). Authorities say a2006 Dodge pickup driven by 60-year-old Steven Johnson, of Red Oak, was southbound on Broadway. A 2006 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by 16-year-old Maddex McCunn, of Red Oak, was at a stop sign and began to pull out from the stop sign. He failed to see the pickup passing by and struck the pickup broadside. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts.

The collision caused the truck to spin into the grass on the west side of the road. McCunn was cited for Failure to Yield from a Stop Sign. Damage from the collision amounted to $10, 500.