(Iowa News Service) – Advocates for Iowa’s older population are calling on seniors to vote in Tuesday’s primary election and have identified their priorities for candidates seeking their support. There are three ways to vote in Tuesday’s primary. Voters can choose to cast a ballot by mail, vote early in person at their county auditor’s office, or the old-fashioned way, by going to polling places and filling out a paper ballot on Election Day. Brad Anderson, state director of AARP Iowa, said whatever method they choose, there is power in numbers for the state’s older voters.

“One thing we know for sure is that older voters will dominate the overall turnout,” Anderson pointed out. “During the last primary election in 2022, 77% were 50 or older.” Anderson said because Iowa’s older voters turn out in high numbers at the polls, AARP is telling candidates exactly what is important to the state’s seniors and what it takes to win their support. He pointed out retirement and health care-related issues top the list. Anderson added the group has laid out a list of priorities for the candidates, reminding them three of four voters in Tuesday’s primary will be 50 or older and their votes could decide the election.

“Older voters care deeply about the future of Social Security,” Anderson observed. “They also care about Medicare and making sure Medicare is intact. And then finally, they care deeply about lowering the cost of prescription drugs.” Anderson stressed despite recent steps taken as part of the Inflation Reduction Act to reduce the prices of some prescription medications, cost remains a hurdle for many older Iowans.

The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4th.

ATLANTIC, IA – Cass County Public Health will host a new session of A Matter of Balance beginning Monday, June 10. This free class is designed to help decrease falls and help older adults manage their fears about falling.

A Matter of Balance is an award-winning program to help older adults learn to manage their concerns about falling, make changes to reduce the risk of falling, and increase their physical activity. It includes 8 weekly two-hour sessions for a small group of 8-12 participants led by trained facilitators.

Cass County Public Health has been offering this program since 2018 because falls among adults aged 65 and older are common, costly, and preventable. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury for adults ages 65 years and older, with 1 in 4 older adults reporting falling every year. Falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults ages 65 and older. The age-adjusted fall death rate increased by 41% from 2012 to 2021. Over 30% of older adult Iowans reported a fall in the past year, totaling over 157,000 individual older adult falls.

For more information, or to sign up, call Cass County Public Health at 712-243-7443.

(Radio Iowa) – Tornadoes and other types of severe weather can make life hard on property owners, but also on the companies that insure them. The Insurance Journal says most home insurance companies paid out more in claims in Iowa last year than they collected in premiums. In some cases, the so-called “loss ratio” was well over two-to-one. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen says the last few years have been especially difficult for mutual insurance companies, which are owned by policy holders and write most of the policies in Iowa.

“They’re able to write business in our state based upon obtaining reinsurance,” Ommen says, “and the reinsurance rates have just really gone up dramatically, since really the 2020 derecho, and the hail storms that we’ve had in very recent years.” Ommen says national carriers have more access to capital, and are able to spread risk across a larger geographic area. Just a few years ago, he says Iowa led the nation in affordability for homeowner’s insurance, but that changed with the derecho. Ommen encourages property owners to contact their insurance agent and review policies every year, so they aren’t caught by surprise when a storm causes damage and the insurance payout isn’t what’s expected.

“So many times, the complaints that come to our office are driven by that idea that ‘I didn’t understand,’ and that’s why it’s critically important to understand what is the coverage,” Ommen says, “to do an annual review of your coverage, to know and understand what that means.”

The trade publication Insurance Journal says nationally, the number of insurers entering liquidation or receivership in 2023 was close to twice the 2022 level. Many of those companies provided reinsurance, essentially coverage for insurance companies.

(Updated) – The former fire chief in Pacific Junction is accused of stealing at least 40-thousand dollars from the charity fund for the town’s fire department. Sixty-seven-year-old Ernie Gencarelli, Junior, is charged with first degree theft, money laundering and ongoing criminal mischief. Gencarelli served as fire chief for about five years, from 2018 until he resigned in May of 2023. Mills County Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Ripperger says in late 2023 the city’s new fire chief came forward with concerns.

“He had noticed some unusual charges on their Pacific Junction Fire Responders Association charity account. This wasn’t an account that was tied to the city. This was a straight charity account for the fire department,” Ripperger says. “He had noticed some charges at local restaurants and and things that didn’t seem appropriate.” The funds in the account came mostly from department fundraisers – like pancake feeds or cookouts – as well as donations from local residents. Over the course of his five-month investigation, Ripperger says he uncovered about 40-thousand dollars worth of inappropriate charges.

“Cash withdrawals, personal purchases, loan payments, even things such as a chest freezer and diapers,” Ripperger says. The Pacific Junction Fire Department was officially disbanded last December, when all of its members resigned. Fire calls in the community are now handled by Glenwood’s fire department. Mills County Attorney DeShawne Bird-Sell says the alleged misconduct is disheartening because the money all came from donations.

“These were all volunteer firemen and women. These were the individuals that were here on their own time. These were all the individuals that made all the fundraising that put all of these funds into these accounts,” she says, “and one of their own took them and utilized them for his own purposes.” Ripperger says the charity account lacked the kind of oversight that could have prevented the former fire chief’s alleged actions. “He was the president, secretary and treasurer of that charity fund,” the deputy said, “and when I’ve talked to other members of the department, (they said) he would just give a balance update, so there weren’t checks and balances in place at the time.”

Gencarelli faces up to 45 years in prison if convicted on the felony charges.

(Radio Iowa) – Three tornadoes hit rural areas of southwest Iowa’s Adams County nine days ago. Adams County Emergency Management director Bill Lyddon says his best guess at this time is over 70 farm buildings were damaged or destroyed.  “Several grain bins, probably more than a dozen of those that have had major damage or were destroyed. There’s a lot of damages other than residences out there,” Lyddon says. “We haven’t even looking at machinery and vehicles yet, but I know we’ve got a lot of them, too.”

The first tornado entered western Adams County at about 3 p.m. May 21st. A second tornado was spotted in Adams County a few minutes later and that tornado stayed on the ground for 44 miles, eventually destroying part of Greenfield in neighboring Adair County. A third tornado was spotted south of Highway 34 in Adams County, about 10 miles from Corning.

“We had quite a bit of damage from all three tornadoes. We’ve had lots of volunteers and they pretty much take care of themselves here in the county and they went to the places that had the most damage or any damage and they’ve been working since,” Lyddon says. “It’s going to be a long time, but they’re going to keep cleaning and fixing things up and hopefully we’ll get it done eventually.”

None of the three tornadoes passed through any of the cities or towns in Adams County, but Lyddon says it appears eight homes in rural areas of the county were either destroyed or have major damage from the May 21st tornadoes. “They’re going to have to decide what to do with those,” Lyddon says, “whether they’ll be taken down and replaced or ry and fix ’em.”

A Shenandoah woman was killed in one of the Adams County tornadoes when the vehicle she was driving was blown off Highway 148. A GoFundMe account has raised over 11-thousand dollars to help the family of 46 year old Monica Zamarron’s family cover funeral expenses.

(Radio Iowa) – For the past month students in a southeast Iowa school were not allowed to use their cell phones during school hours and their principal expects the policy to resume when the next school year starts August 23rd. Mike Davis, the principal of Evans Middle School in Ottumwa, says cell phone use was harming students’ mental health and diverting their attention from their classes.

“I felt like taking the cell phones away would take that focus away on the negativity of what’s going on and have them focus a little bit more on what’s going on in our building,” Davis says. Davis says the teachers noticed better behavior, longer attention spans, and more positive interactions during free time.

“You know the real reason why we’re here — it’s not about the cell phones,” Davis says. “It’s to get a quality education.” Davis acknowledges students didn’t appreciate the policy when it was announced, but Davis says cell phones were a distraction during the school day.

“When a kid feels like they can’t live without their phone or be without their phone,” Davis said. “I think that becomes more of an issue than a kid having their phone.” Davis hopes other schools consider a no-cell phone rule during school hours. “I would love to see other schools start to bring their students back to being students,” Davis said, “to being young adults, and learning to interact with others.”

Axios reported last week that Hoover High School in Des Moines will be a phone-free zone when school starts in the fall, to address anxiety and depression among students. Researchers say symptoms of depression and suicides among teens began to rise in 2012, just about the time polling began to show teens who had a phone admitted they used it for several hours a day. About 90 percent of American teenagers have a cell phone.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s change ahead for Iowans who’re U-S Cellular customers. T-Mobile is spending four-point-four BILLION dollars to acquire most of U-S Cellular’s assets. U-S Cellular is the fourth largest cell phone carrier in the country. Iowa is one of the 21 states U-S Cellular have operated in and T-Moblie’s acquisition of company will expand its reach in rural areas of the country.

There are currently 70 T-Mobile “stores” in Iowa and the company is acquiring all of U-S Cellular’s stores in the state. T-Mobile started as a regional carrier in the Pacific northwest.

In 2017, T-Mobile acquired i-Wireless operations in Iowa, western Illinois and eastern Nebraska. T-Mobile is currently the country’s third largest cell phone carrier, behind AT&T and Verizon.

The Montgomery County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation, has established the Montgomery County Disaster Relief Fund in collaboration with the Montgomery County Emergency Management and the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. The fund will help support nonprofit partners, communities, disaster relief
organizations, and public health organizations on the front line of tornado & flood relief efforts in Montgomery County.

Thank you for your investment and commitment to support the devastating impact of the recent storms and tornadoes that swept through Montgomery County. Below are ways that you can contribute to the Montgomery County Disaster Relief Fund with the Montgomery County Community Foundation:

GIFTS OF CASH
-Please make checks payable to the Montgomery County Disaster Relief Fund
Checks can be dropped off at the following locations in Montgomery County:

• Red Oak
  Houghton State Bank
  First Interstate Bank
  Bank Iowa
• Stanton
  First Interstate Bank
• Villisca
  Bank Iowa

Checks can also be mailed to:
Montgomery County Community Foundation
1120 S. 101st Street, Suite 320
Omaha, NE 68124

GIFTS VIA CREDIT CARD
– Contributions via credit card payment can be made online* here:
https://bit.ly/MontgomeryCountyDisasterRelief
Once the payment is submitted, you will receive an email receipt immediately.
*Please note that the standard credit card processing fee typically ranges from 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction’s total value when making your gift.

GIFTS OF APPRECIATED STOCK
-Please email Sunni Kamp (sunni@omahafoundation.org) for instructions on how to make a gift of appreciated stock.

Donations receive a gift receipt from the Omaha Community Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) allowing maximum tax benefits. 100% of the funds raised will be distributed to nonprofit organizations that are directly serving tornado victims and survivors in Montgomery County. For questions about the Montgomery County Disaster Relief Fund, please contact Montgomery County Community Foundation staff:

Sunni Kamp
sunni@omahafoundation.org
402.933.4188

Sarah Beth Ray
sarahbeth@omahafoundation.org
402.704.7245

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests that took place from May 10th through the 28th. In order of most recent to the earliest arrests:

On May 28th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Danny Devore, 57, of Cumberland, on the charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Devore was transported to the Cass County jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On May 27th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Benjamin Deal, 34, of Marne, on a warrant for Theft 5th Degree. Deal was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On May 24th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Ervin Suko Jr, 58, of Atlantic, for OWI 1st Offense. Suko was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On May 19th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Freedom Dole, 23, of Atlantic, on the charge of Simple Assault. Dole was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on bond.

On May 18th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Heath Nordby, 34, of Atlantic, on the charges of Harassment 3rd Degree and Trespass 1st Offense. Nordby was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On May 18th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Amber Hoyt, 27, of Carson, on the charge of OWI 1st Offense. Hoyt was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On May 17th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Spenser Denison, 25, of Atlantic, on the charge of Disorderly Conduct. Denison was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release after serving his time.

On May 16th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Lynn Frohlich, 53, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. Frohlich was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release per court order.

On May 14th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Amber Leighty, 28, of Omaha, on the charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana. Leighty was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on bond.

On May 14th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Drew Miller, 25, of Omaha, on the charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance. Miller was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On May 13th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Benjamin Barnes, 33, of Griswold, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Barnes was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On May 12th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Tiffany Wallace, 34, of Carter Lake, on the charge of Public Intoxication. Wallace was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On May 11th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Patti Knapp Spitler, 63, of Wiota, for OWI 1st Offense. Spitler was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On May 11th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Alexander Phillips-Johnson, 27, of Omaha, on the charges of Unlawfully Carrying Weapons and Possession of a Controlled Substance – Marijuana. Phillips-Johnson was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On May 10th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Thomas Curtis, 39, of Griswold, on the charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Curtis was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.