The Red Oak Police Department reports an early morning arrest on Saturday. At 1:31 a.m. Officers arrested 52-year-old Brian Keith Yochum of Red Oak at the intersection of Highway 34 and Eastern Avenue. Yochum was charged with OWI 1st Offense. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – An attorney representing thousands of employees at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics says the health system has agreed to pay 15 million dollars to settle a wage dispute. Earlier this year a federal judge ruled the health system owed as many as 11-thousand current and former employees of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for delaying overtime payments by more than a month. Iowa law requires all wages earned to be paid within 12 days of the end of the pay period.

Documents being filed in federal court indicate the university admits no wrongdoing, but is offering the 15 million dollar settlement to avoid additional litigation costs. The lawsuit was filed in 2019, on behalf of health care workers and support staff. Under the agreement, employees who may have been underpaid are to be contacted and given 45 days to opt out of the settlement. Then, the full list of employees who’ll be getting payments will be developed.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa legal organizations are partnering to address the urgent need to secure a more permanent immigration status for Afghan arrivals. The Afghan Legal League of Iowa will use a federal grant to coordinate support for the around one-thousand Afghans in the state. The University of Iowa’s Center for Human Rights, the Iowa Migrant Movement for Justice and Drake University College of Law’s legal clinic will expand their capacity to take on more cases.

Drake University’s Suzie Pritchett says it’s a resource the state badly needs. “I think the community and networks that it’s going to create are going to benefit non citizens throughout Iowa beyond the length of this two year project,” she says. Many Afghans came to the U-S as parolees, which only guarantees a legal status for two years. Now, these evacuees need to apply for permanent residency.

The project will also help to establish a virtual help desk. Pritchett says it’s a way for unrepresented Afghans from across the state to call in for general legal advice.

(By Kendal Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne of West Des Moines says former President Trump needs to speak with the House panel investigating what happened on January 6th of 2021.  “I think we’ve seen from the January 6th commission and the hearings that they’ve been having that the president absolutely had a hand in this,” Axne says, “and we know from the tapes that he did not step in to keep people safe as the violent mob breached the capitol.”

Trump has called the commission a show trial and he’s unlikely to comply with the subpoena the commission issued yesterday (Thursday). Trump released a letter today (Friday), saying there were no real Republicans on the commission. Republicans Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and Liz Cheney of Wyoming are on the panel. Axne says the pair are patriots who are defending democracy.  “Our democracy and undermining it should not be something that’s political,” Axne says. But Axne acknowledges the subpoena could inflame partisan tensions in the country.

“Unfortunately it may,” Axne says, “but we have to get to the truth.” The January 6th Commission will be dissolved at the end of the year, just before the new congress that’s elected this November convenes in January. Axne is the only Democrat in Iowa’s congressional delegation. The five Republicans representing Iowa in the U.S. House and Senate have not commented on the January 6th Commission’s subpoena for Trump.

Tomorrow (Saturday), Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion will campaign in Iowa Falls with 2016 Iowa Caucus winner Ted Cruz. Cruz is on a bus tour through 17 states in support of Hinson and two dozen other G-O-P candidates.

(By FFA Reporter Charli Goff) – Each year, the Southwest District and Iowa FFA officers plan and facilitate Greenhand Fire Up Conferences for FFA members in the Southwest District. The workshops were leadership focused with an emphasis on the experiences that occur in the lives of beginning high school students These workshops are geared toward engaging members into FFA as the year kicks up. Atlantic welcomed 29 FFA chapters and 362 from all over the Southwest District on Wednesday, October 12th.

Atlantic FFA member Dylan Comes, the Southwest State Treasurer for the Iowa FFA Association, helped with other officers prepare and facilitated workshops of: authenticity, balancing priorities, communication, and FFA opportunities – in order to provide the first-year FFA members with skills they would use both within and outside of FFA. Comes said “It was great to see all of the younger members interacting with each other from a facilitators point of view.” “It was fun to meet new people and I made a lot of new friends. I also learned about FFA.” Miraylie Stuart.

Photo submitted

The goal was to engage FFA members in learning about the tools that would allow them to be successful in anything they are part of through high school and beyond. The goal was to engage FFA members in learning about the tools that would allow them to be successful in anything they are part of through high school and beyond. “It’s an easy way to learn the basics of FFA. I also had a lot of fun meeting new people” said Atlantic FFA freshman Mckenna Schroeder. Olivia Olson said, “It was fun meeting new people and talking to other FFA members to see what they do in their chapter.”

(Western Iowa) – The Community Foundation for Western Iowa, formerly Pottawattamie County Community Foundation, has announced that the Community Foundation is currently accepting applications for their “Make It Happen” nonprofit training program sponsored by D.A. Davidson.

The Community Foundation for Western Iowa created the “Make It Happen” program after witnessing an increase in requests for consultation in the areas of nonprofit agency endowments and fundraising. The Community Foundation was awarded an initial grant from the Iowa Council of Foundations in April 2019 to establish the 18-month training program designed to assist nonprofit partners in establishing solid fundraising tactics, building long-term relationships, and growing their sustainability.

The program is unique, in that it expounds on emerging research from Dr. Jenni Frumer, PhD, and focuses on what motivates donors and stakeholders toward philanthropy. Additionally, the program leverages strengths-based management principles to build and solidify internal organizational strengths toward fund development success.

The Community Foundation is delighted to announce that D.A. Davidson is generously sponsoring the 2023 “Make It Happen” training program that will support nonprofit partners by increasing their ability to put a comprehensive plan in place that focuses on the benefits of a strong, endowed funding stream and will not only ensure the organization’s long-term viability and strength, but will also effectively create a widespread culture of philanthropy throughout the Community Foundation’s western Iowa service area.

The partnership with D.A. Davidson will enable the Community Foundation to deliver this comprehensive, full-service fund development learning program to western Iowa nonprofit and community partners in a cohort format, spanning an 18-month period starting in January 2023 at no-cost to the selected participants. The “Make It Happen” training program consists of six-monthly meetings from January to June, and then moves to quarterly “Continuing to Make It Happen” sessions where participants are able to learn from subject matter experts based on their personal feedback and needs.

The inaugural 2020 “Make It Happen” cohort consisted of eight area nonprofit organizations: Council Bluffs Schools Foundation, FAMILY Inc., Golden Hills RC&D, Habitat for Humanity of Council Bluffs, Historic General Dodge House, Midlands Humane Society, and Trivium.

Organizations will be selected through an application process and the second cohort will begin in January 2023. Information on the program and how to apply can be found at: www.givewesterniowa.org/impact/makeithappen.
Community Foundation for Western Iowa The Community Foundation for Western Iowa, formerly Pottawattamie County Community Foundation, is your connection to creating a lasting legacy and ensuring western Iowa is strong, vibrant, and attractive for years to come. The Community Foundation provides a highly personalized plan tailored to each individual or family’s charitable goals, financial interests, and desired impact.

The Community Foundation for Western Iowa is nationally accredited by the Council on Foundations (www.cfstandards.org), is overseen by a volunteer board of leading citizens, and run by professionals with expertise in identifying the needs of western Iowa. As a tax-exempt public charity, 501(c)(3), that serves thousands of people who share a common interest in improving the quality of life in western Iowa, the Community Foundation also offers a 10% match (up to $250,000 per fund) for the creation of a charitable endowment fund or donation to an existing eligible endowment fund.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) on Thursday, October 13th, 2022, to welcome new staff. The Ambassadors were introduced to three new staff members who have joined SWIPCO in recent months. Ashley Hayes is serving as a Community Development Specialist, helping communities improve through economic development activities and planning. Mindy Jensen joined SWIPCO in September and has been increasing awareness of public transit services as the Communications Coordinator. Aaron Koontz recently came on board as a Grant Specialist helping agencies and communities navigate applications and procedures for various housing programs.

Southwest Iowa Planning Council serves all of Cass County, along with Fremont, Harrison, Montgomery, Mills, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby County. SWIPCO promotes regional cooperation in Southwest Iowa by improving community assets and infrastructure, promoting and enhancing economic and business development, and maintaining and improving the quality of life for all residents.

Front Row: Pictured left to right: Leslie Wright, Ashley Hayes, John McCurdy, Mindy Jensen, Aaron Kootz, Tori Gibson, Dee Holtz, Kelsey Beschorner,
Back Row: Pictured left to right: Elaine Otte, Jennifer McEntaffer, Dolly Bergmann, Kathie Hockenberry, Jim Kickland, Julie Waters, Lana Westphalen, Alex McAfee, Abby Becker, Adriana Mendez, Steve Tjepkes, Graydon Schmidt, Dr. Keith Leonard, Krysta Hanson, Tim Marcsisak, Leah Muhlbaur, Bill Saluk, and Darrell Hockenberry (Photo/story submitted by Kelsey Beschorner)

For more information about Southwest Iowa Planning Council, contact 712-243-4196 or visit https://www.swipco.org/. SWIPCO is located at 1501 SW 7th Street, Atlantic.

Atlantic, IA — Officials at Cass Health, today (Friday), announced that the emergency driveway is now open to all traffic. The drive had been closed for several months as crews worked to completely replace the drive.

The Emergency Department entrance remains closed due to ongoing construction; all emergency patients should continue to use the Rehabilitation Services entrance. The entrance is expected to reopen later this year.

AMC Rapid Care is still temporarily located in Atlantic Medical Center also due to construction. All AMC Rapid Care patients should park in Lot A and use the Main Entrance. The completed AMC Rapid Care clinic is expected to open in early 2023.

(Radio Iowa) – D-N-R Conservation and Recreation Division Administrator, Pete Hildreth, gave the Natural Resources Commission an update on recent mountain lion sightings during their meeting Thursday. He told the N-R-C members the advent of trail and other cameras has led to more videos showing the animals. “The department continues to receive reports of large canines, such as mountain lions, and therefore you may have heard about, heard in the news, about a recent video and report down by Warren Madison County border,” Hildreth says. He says the number of mountain lions in the state is still very small.

“Based on reports, we estimate that there are five to seven mountain lions in Iowa at this time. Between 1995 and 2021, there have been 34 mountain lion sightings in Iowa,” he says. Hildreth says the animals are capable of moving long distances across the state. “No documented self-sustaining populations of mountain lions live in Iowa. Most mountain lions who wander into Iowa can be traced back to South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska,” according to Hildreth. He says the D-N-R’s goals are to notify the public in a timely manner of sightings, and provide technical assistance to individuals and communities regarding the best available scientific information. Hildreth says are some key things they always point out.

“Mountain lions generally avoid humans, and sightings of them are rare. There have been no fatal mountain lion attacks in Iowa in the last 110 years,” Hildreth says. He says one thing he hears is that people are more apt to be killed by a dog or struck by lightning than being attacked by a mountain lion. Hildreth said he wanted to update the commission after all the news and social media reports of the recent camera footage of the mountain lions in Madison County.

(Stuart, Iowa) – The Stuart Police Department’s Community Programs (SPDCP) division will host its 1st Annual “Shop with a Cop” program, on Saturday, December 10th. “Shop with a Cop” is an event that allows children to have a positive interaction with law enforcement while also allowing officers to assist children and their families in having a fun holiday season.

As part of the Shop with the Cop program, the Stuart Police Department Community Programs will sponsor local children in the WCV district and take them holiday shopping in the metro for themselves and their immediate household members. We will also be taking the children out to lunch afterwards and then returning to Stuart to wrap their presents and enjoy some sweet treats.

The Stuart Police Department Community Programs is a nonprofit 501(c)3 and relies on donations, fundraisers and grants to provide programs like this to the community.
Any business, organization or individual can donate by dropping off or mailing a donation (to the following address).

Checks can be made out to Stuart Police Department Community Programs or SPDCP.
Stuart Police Department
121 E Front Street
PO Box 370
Stuart, IA 50250

Please contact Sergeant Katie Guisinger with any questions.
kguisinger@stuart911.com