(Des Moines, Iowa) – The latest drought monitor released Thursday morning, shows just how badly Iowa could use rain. Right now, the entire state remains in some type of drought. Nearly 89% of Iowa is moderately dry with nearly 11% in extreme drought, that latter of which is showing up in northwest and western areas, and is up from seven-percent just last week. Cass and most contiguous Counties are shown to be in a Moderate drought, with parts of Shelby and Montgomery in a severe drought, along with Harrison, Mills, Fremont and Page Counties.

(Radio Iowa) – At the height of the pandemic, many Iowa drugs stores cut hours or closed a few days a week due to staff shortages, and pharmacists and pharm techs remain in very high demand. Liz Davis, director of admissions at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy, says pharmacists play an exceptionally crucial role, as they’re arguably the state’s most accessible healthcare providers. “You can just walk into your community pharmacy and chat with a healthcare provider about ailments that you might be having versus calling your doctor, making an appointment, trying to travel to that appointment, and getting in to see a physician,” Davis says. “Our community pharmacists are so important in building those relationships and keeping our community safe and expanding that access to health care, especially in rural parts of the state of Iowa.”

Given the added stresses of the job during COVID, the state lost several dozen pharmacists due to burnout. While the U-I program graduates about one-hundred new pharmacists every year, that’s still not enough to meet demand from drug stores and hospitals statewide. “We are needing pharmacists in the pediatrics unit, in the emergency department, in the psychiatric units,” Davis says. “Over at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, there are probably 220 different pharmacists working there. They are all doing about 220 different jobs because they’re so unique in what they’re specializing in.” Davis says the U-I’s Assured Admission Program is designed to create a direct path for high school seniors to start a pharmacy education, headed for the Pharm-D, or Doctorate of Pharmacy degree. 

“If students are a part of the program, their spot in our PharmD program two years down the road from when they start at Iowa is theirs, as long as they pass all of their prereqs and dot all their Is and cross their Ts, that spot is theirs,” Davis says. “So it gives students that comfort, knowing, ‘Hey, as long as I do the things that they’re asking me to do, I can start the PharmD program.'” The U-I and Drake University in Des Moines offer the state’s only pharmacy programs. Davis says pharmacy technicians are also vital to keeping operations running smoothly, and they’re in high demand as well. “Anyone who wants to be a pharm tech, you just have to be 18 and have a high school diploma in the state of Iowa,” Davis says. “That’s a really great job for anyone in college or who’s wanting even just a part-time position to be a pharm tech. Also, most companies will help you pay to become a certified pharm tech, which is also really nice.”

Davis says U-I College of Pharmacy graduates are now practicing in 94 of Iowa’s 99 counties, while five in every ten pharmacists in Iowa were trained at the U-I.

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Department of Agriculture announced that Carroll-based Region 12 Council of Governments had been selected to receive a 15 million-dollar grant from the new Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program. Region Executive Director Rick Hunsaker says the goal is to increase capacity. “As we saw during the pandemic, you’d have these big plants that would close down or that would make decisions that would impact everybody in the supply chain. The goal I think is not only to increase capacity so that there are more people making products and more places making them so that it can be a little more resilient,” Hunsaker says. He says more producers also means is increased competition and more markets for producers.

He adds the top four processing companies are excluded from the program to achieve those goals. Iowa joins Minnesota and North Carolina as the only states selected for this first round of funding. Hunsaker says the grant will be used as capital to start a revolving loan program for Iowa businesses involved in the meat packing supply chain. “We’ve heard rumors here and there of start-up lockers, interest in lockers expanding, and certainly we have a lot of producers in this region that could benefit from the increased competition where they might have more markets for their animals or ones that are closer so it’s cheaper to get their product to a producer,” He says.

Region 12 primarily includes west central Iowa, but this program is different, as it will be available to eligible applicants throughout the state. Hunsaker says initial funding targets kill facilities or secondary processors, but the program will open further within a few years. “That would include anybody that is U-S-D-A-inspected — so it’s going to be big meat packing plants — but not one of the big four. It could also be anybody that is custom-exempt, which as I understand it a lot of county lockers would be that way,” Hunsaker says. “They would be eligible for the funds. Once the moneys are revolved and come back in, it could be anybody in the middle part of that supply chain like wholesaling and aggregators and transportation companies.”

Hunsaker says they are already working with U-S-D-A to get Region 12’s staff trained on program administration, but it could be after the start of the new year before they are ready to begin accepting applications. Applicants interested in the program are encouraged to contact Region 12 directly for information.

(Radio Iowa) – Former President Donald Trump has used an appearance in Sioux City to tout two Iowa Republicans who are seeking reelection this year — and to hint that HE will run again for president in 2024.

During remarks outdoors to a crowd gathered at the Sioux City Airport, Trump called Senator Chuck Grassley courageous and Kim Reynolds a great governor.

Reynolds joined Trump on stage and spoke for a minute.

Trump invited Grassley on stage, too.

As Trump’s plane landed in Sioux City, Mike Franken — Grassley’s Democratic opponent — was rallying with a crowd in Des Moines.

Franken described his campaign’s gathering as “second fiddle” to Trump’s, but Franken told his crowd Trump and Grassley no longer appeal to a winning majority of Iowa voters.

Democratic candidate for governor Deidre DeJear says Reynolds and Trump are focused on dangerous rhetoric rather than solutions to problems.

DeJear made her comments while campaigning last (Thursday) night in Indianola.

(Cass County, Iowa) – Firefighters from Marne and Atlantic were dispatched to a report of a semi tractor-trailer fire this morning, on Interstate 80 near mile marker 54. The incident occurred at around 3:25-a.m. on I-80 westbound. The tractor and trailers were said to be separated and in the north ditch.

No other details were immediately available.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests. On Tuesday (11/1), 38-year-old Alicia Marie Biekna, of Lincoln, NE., was arrested at around 1:13-a.m. on I-29, for Theft in the 2nd Degree and Possession of a Controlled Substance ($6,000 bond). And there were two separate arrests Monday, in Mills County:

54-year-old Richard James Linfor, of Shenandoah, was arrested on a Montgomery County warrant for OWI (Bond $1,000). And, 49-year-old Brian Jay Anderson, of Omaha, was arrested at the Douglas County, NE., Jail, on a warrant for Violation of Probation (Bond $20,000).

And, one person was transported to the hospital following a collision Tuesday afternoon at Highway 34 and 188th Street, in Mills County. Authorities say a 2005 Peterbilt semi driven by 34-year-old Joshua Adams, of Paris, KY, was westbound on Highway 34 at around 1:08-p.m., at the same time a 2011 Acura driven by 41-year-old Elena Detricxhe, of Kansas City, KS, was traveling north on 188th Street.

The woman said she pulled into the intersection, when the semi ran a red light and struck her vehicle. Adams told authorities he was watching the intersection as he was approaching, and the light was still green. He checked his mirror and when he looked back forward, the light changed as he entered the intersection and collided with the car.

Two witness confirmed the semi ran a red light, while another said the car ran the light as the westbound light had turned yellow, just as the semi was entering the intersection. Two passengers in the semi left the scene in order to avoid Adams getting into trouble for being in the vehicle with him. They were later located at returned to the scene. All the passengers in the semi were checked out by rescue but did not want treatment and were cleared.

The driver of the Acura was transported by Glenwood Rescue to the UNMC in Omaha.

(Radio Iowa) – The state’s top election official says there’s “zero evidence” Iowa’s vote counting systems could be hacked or infiltrated. Secretary of State Paul Pate says every ballot is a paper ballot and none of the ballot tabulators poll workers will use next Tuesday are connected to the internet.

“And we have our unsung heroes, the bipartisan teams of poll workers — your friends and neighbors — that give us that transparency and consistency across all 99 counties, so that we can feel confident in our election process,” Pate said today as he hosted a news conference with federal and state officials who are monitoring election-related threats.

Pate referred to a situation in Arizona, where armed people were observing voters putting their absentee ballots at drop boxes. “Because of what people are seeing on the news and reports from other states, there’s something I’d like to address — voters we’ve got your back,” Pate said. “You will be able to cast your vote safely and if anyone tries to impede that process in any way, our friends in law enforcement will deal with them. We have these guys on speed dial.”

Paul Pate. (RI photo)

Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens said voter intimidation hasn’t “traditionally” been a problem in Iowa. “In the past, I believe there was one report maybe out of western Iowa of a potential case of either a voter or poll worker intimidation and what we actually found out it was actually a false narrative being spread on social media to discourage people from going to that particular polling place,” Bayens said, “and so, in reality, there was no truth to it.”

About 10,000 Iowans will be working at precinct sites around the state next Tuesday and Pate is urging voters to treat them with respect. “It’s a very important job they’re doing because they care about elections,” Pate said. “These are your friends and neighbors, the people you go to church with, the people whose kids and grandkids go to the same schools as your kids and grandkids. Our election officials are made up of bipartisan teams in every polling place and they deserve a lot of credit for the job that they’re doing.”

The day after the election, Pate will order a hand count of ballots cast in a randomly selected precinct in each Iowa county. Two statewide races will be identified as the subject of the recounts. Pate said these post-election audits in the past have clearly shown Iowans that the vote tallies announced on Election Night are accurate. “Come election day when we put those tallies up, we need them to believe in it,” Pate said. “They can’t have a doubt because if they do, our republic has fallen and with that, whether it’s the Chinese or the Russians or the North Koreans, they just won the war without firing a single bullet.”

Pate hosted today’s news conference in the State of Iowa’s Emergency Operations Center. State officials will gather there next Tuesday to monitor and respond to any election-related threats.

(Radio Iowa) – The approaching holiday season can be the hardest time of the year for many of the 73-thousand Iowans who are caring for a loved one with dementia. Megan Benzing, program manager for the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, says they offer a wide array of resources, programs and support groups just for caregivers.

“Alz Connected is an online messaging board where they can speak to other caregivers or family and friends who are also going through a similar situation,” Benzing says. “They can ask questions, get guidance and support as they’re going through this difficult time.” The starting point is the website alz.org/iowa, and all of the resources are free. There’s also a 24-7 helpline available at 800-272-3900. The cost of putting a loved one in a “memory care” facility can be several thousand dollars a month, so financial constraints can quickly become an issue for someone with dementia — and their family — making caregiving the best option.

“The goal is to try to keep them in their home as long as possible but because of the progression of the disease, they eventually get to a point where it’s nearly impossible for the caregiver to care for them on their own,” Benzing says. “They have to consider things such as in-home care, or putting their loved one into a care community.” The life expectancy after diagnosis often ranges from four to eight years, but she says it can be up to 20 years, based on conditions. Being a caregiver can be particularly stressful and demanding.

“Caregivers are often having to manage multiple conditions at a time,” Benzing says, “so not just memory loss, but long-term physical conditions, including gradual loss of mobility, emotional issues and behavioral and personality changes.” A survey found about a third of responding caregivers found themselves in declining health, while more than a quarter said they’d delayed or did not do things they should for their own health. More than six-million people nationwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 66,000 in Iowa.

SWIPCO staff attended the NADO’s 2022 Annual Training Conference in Pittsburg, PA October 15-18 and received a 2022 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from NADO.

Atlantic, Iowa – Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO), which provides grant writing and administration services to its member communities in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby Counties, has received a 2022 Aliceann Wohlbruck Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for the Post-Disaster Transformational Housing Development.

SWIPCO was recognized based on its support for the southwest Iowa towns devastated by the 2019 floods. SWIPCO secured $90 million in federal flood recovery funds through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Recovery programs for southwest Iowa communities including Glenwood, Hamburg, Logan, Malvern, Missouri Valley, Modale, Tabor, and Woodbine. These funds are being used for property acquisition, new housing construction, and infrastructure development for new housing. As a part of the grants, more than 100 housing units damaged in the 2019 floods have already been demolished and more than 250 new housing units are being built in these impacted communities.

NADO is a Washington, DC-based membership association of regional development organizations that promotes programs and policies that strengthen local governments, communities, and economies through regional cooperation, program delivery, and comprehensive strategies. The Impact Awards program recognizes regional development organizations and their partners for improving the economic and community competitiveness of our nation’s regions and local communities.

Award-winning projects were recognized during NADO’s 2022 Annual Training Conference, held in Pittsburgh, PA on October 15-18. The 2022 class of award recipients consists of 107 projects from 71 organizations spanning 28 states. These projects are presented in an interactive “Story Map” developed by NADO that includes project summaries, partners, and images. The Story Map is available online at: https://tinyurl.com/38vbcczu

“Regional development organizations and their partners have played an integral role in supporting local communities during this important time of economic recovery,” said 2021-2022 NADO President Misty Crosby, former executive director of the Buckeye Hills Regional Council, located in Marietta, OH. “This year’s Impact Awards recipients demonstrate the many ways our member organizations serve their communities by promoting economic development, fostering resilience, and improving quality of life for residents.”

The NADO Impact Awards are presented in honor of the late Aliceann Wohlbruck who was NADO’s first executive director and served 24 years as a tireless champion for regional approaches to economic development in rural communities.

ATLANTIC, IOWA – Officials with Cass Health say the organization welcomed a record number of providers during the past year and continues to recruit more primary care physicians, specialists, and advanced practice providers to meet local demand. CEO Brett Altman says “We’ve seen an enormous amount of growth over the past five or six years, and we expect the local and regional demand for health care services to continue to increase. We’re committed to always being here for the communities we serve, and that means we must constantly be thinking about having the right number of staff to meet patients’ needs.”

Officials say during the last year, Cass Health welcomed several six providers, including: Dr. Adam Verhoef; Kellie Enderson, ARNP; Stacey Kasperbauer, ARNP; Emily James, ARNP; Emily Wittrock, ARNP, and Kevin Bohac, CRNA. Additionally, Cass Health added 13 specialists including Dr. Anjan Talukdar, Dr. John Park, Dr. Sumit Mukherjee, Dr. Paul Ganesan, Dr. Blake Bodendorfer, Dr. Rick Rinehart, Dr. Caliste Hsu, Dr. Brian Boes, Dr. Jeffrey Sartin, Dr. Anthony DeCicco, Dr. Thomas Schmidt, Dr. Stephen Slade, and Dr. Gino Chesini.

“During all of this, Dr. Elaine Berry also transitioned from a full-time physician to a full-time Chief Medical Officer, which also amplified our need to hire more new doctors,” said Altman. Chief Human Resources Officer Kolton Hewlett stressed that recruitment of family medicine providers is a continuous process, especially for rural facilities. He commented that, “We are thankful to be in a position where we are able to add new providers to our team. It’s good for our patients, and it’s a win for the community. With that being said, it saddens us to announce that one of our physicians will be leaving Cass Health next year.”

Dr. Edna Becht just announced that she will leave her practice at Cass Health in the summer of 2023. Dr. Becht will be moving to the Des Moines area to be closer to family. She spoke of her time at Cass Health as “living the dream.” “Cass Health has been a dream come true for a fresh residency graduate who wanted to do it all. I am humbled and grateful to have been welcomed into the hospital and the community with eager and open arms, and I am proud of the work I’ve done here,” said Dr. Becht.

Hewlett commented that, “We expect changes like this because as their families grow, or their needs and careers evolve, providers may change jobs. Coupling that knowledge with our forecasted growth, we are actively recruiting new family medicine providers all the time. We are excited to share that Massena native Whitney Schafer will be joining the Cass Health team as an advanced practice provider in December 2022. Additionally, just this week we signed another physician, Dr. Jeals Brines, a Leon, Iowa native who is completing family medicine residency in Des Moines and will begin at Cass Health in September 2024.”

For more information about the providers at Cass Health, visit casshealth.org.