ATLANTIC- Officials at Cass County Health System announced today (Monday), that Dr. Blanca Marky is now seeing patients at Atlantic Medical Center. Dr. Marky is a board-certified neurologist, and she will be providing care for patients in Atlantic every month on the first and third Tuesday.

Dr. Markey

She cares for patients with general neurology needs, headaches, numbness, multiple sclerosis, dementia, epilepsy, treatment following stroke, and more. She performs neurological treatments including electromyograms (EMG), electroencephalograms (EEG), and Botox injections.

In addition to her work in Atlantic, Dr. Marky works at St. Anthony Clinic in Carroll, Iowa. She has more than twenty years of experience and is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, American Academy of Neurology, American Association of Electrodiagnostic Medicine, and American Academy of Nursing (FAAN). She is a native of Mexico City, Mexico, and she is fluent in English, Spanish, and French.

“We are thrilled to have Dr. Marky join the medical team at Cass County Health System,” said Brett Altman, CEO.  “She comes with extremely positive recommendations from patients and her fellow physicians. As part of our commitment to provide more services locally, Dr. Marky helps meet the needs of our family, friends, and neighbors who need neurological care and we are one of few western Iowa hospitals that offer neurology services.”

To make an appointment with Dr. Marky, please call the Atlantic Medical Center at 712-243-2850.

A 22-year old man from Clarinda was injured during a single-vehicle accident Saturday night. The Page County Sheriff’s Office says Christian Lyle Lauritsen was driving a 2002 Jeep Cherokee eastbound on 190th Street, about one-quarter of a mile north of Clarinda, when he failed to maintain control as his SUV entered a curve going onto Q Avenue.

The vehicle then crossed the median before striking a stop sign and hitting the embankment. The SUV went airborne and rolled, coming to rest on its wheels after striking an E911 sign. The accident happened at around 11-p.m.

Lauritsen was transported to the Clarinda Regional Hospital by Clarinda Ambulance for undisclosed injuries.  He was cited for Failure to maintain control and Failure to maintain or use safety belt. A passenger in the vehicle, 22-year old Luke Gage Strong, was cited for Failure to maintain or use safety belt. Damage to the vehicle is estimated at $5000.00. Damage to the signs owned by Page County is estimated at $400.00.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Supreme Court has declined to expand the exception for suspending someone’s license for refusing to be tested for alcohol. The ruling involves the case of Alex Westra — who was pulled over by a D-O-T motor vehicle enforcement officer on I-80 in Jasper County in 2017 after he looked as though he was going to illegally used a median crossover.

The officer saw an open container of alcohol in the pickup — but Westra refused to take any kind of chemical test. He was not charged with O-W-I — but his driver’s license was suspended for one year for refusing testing. Westra appealed the suspension, as D-O-T officers at the time did not have the authority to issue traffic citations.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled the only exception to the license suspension rule is if the officer was not justified in making the traffic stop. Westra did not appeal the officer’s justification and the Supreme Court ruled the license suspension should stand.

(Note the ruling was issued Friday)

(Radio Iowa) — The leaders of Iowa’s flood-ravaged cities and counties may decide down the road whether they want to apply for funding to buy peoples’ damaged homes. If they apply for a voluntary buyout through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, they could buy the homes, demolish them and turn the land into green space, but once that happens, the land can’t be turned back. It’s for that reason Pacific Junction Mayor Andy Young says it’s a huge decision for smaller cities like his.

“I don’t want 30 or 40 parks in my town,” Young says. “I want it so we can rebuild and be able to rebuild in the future. We need it as deed, as property.” Young says his city has not committed yet. They’re waiting to see what will come out of federal disaster aid. Dennis Harper, with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, says these programs are offered to all local governments, but they’re most often tied to disaster recovery, so communities affected by flooding are talking about them.

Harper says, “After those properties have been impacted, these kind of programs are the only way they’re probably going to recapture the pre-flood market value of that home.” Harper says it could take two years to complete a buyout project. In eastern Iowa, officials in the City of Burlington, which dealt with flooding in May, say they are -not- looking into residential buyouts.

In September, the City of Clive in central Iowa created its own buyout program, using leftover money from the city’s prior budget year to acquire properties affected by June 2018 flooding.

(Thanks to Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

AMES, Iowa – June 17, 2019 – It’s going to be a lot easier to get from Council Bluffs to Sioux City, now that Interstate 29 between I-680 near Crescent and I-680 at Loveland has re-opened to traffic. The road was officially re-opened at 1-p.m. today (Monday).

Those areas had been closed since late May due to flooding in the area for a second time this spring. Due to continued flooding south of Council Bluffs, I-29 from U.S. 34 to the Missouri border remains closed.

Other flood-related closures continue on U.S. 34, Iowa 2, Iowa 275 and Iowa 333.

Travelers should check 511ia.org, the Iowa 511 mobile apps or call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide) for up-to-date closure information on state-owned roadways across Iowa. Closures due to flooding can be viewed by turning on the incident layer on the online map and mobile app.

DES MOINES, Iowa, June 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Iowa Total Care announced today that it has signed contracts with four of the state’s largest healthcare providers, including UnityPoint Health®, University of Iowa Health Care, MercyOne, and Genesis Health System.

As a Medicaid managed care organization, Iowa Total Care will serve Iowa Medicaid recipients as part of the state’s IA Health Link program beginning July 1, 2019. Over the past year, Iowa Total Care has added thousands of high quality providers statewide to ensure members have access to medical care throughout the state.

“We are pleased to welcome these healthcare providers to our network, and we look forward to our partnership with the state of Iowa to deliver on our mission of providing better health outcomes,” said Mitch Wasden, president and CEO, Iowa Total Care.

For more information about Iowa Total Care and its providers, visit www.iowatotalcare.com.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says a new social media and advertising campaign is designed to draw attention to Iowa’s quality of life in hopes of attracting new workers. At the announcement Monday of a newly branded “This is Iowa” campaign, Reynolds unveiled a state-produced video that shows New York City residents being shown photos of properties they assumed were nearby, only to learn later they are in several Iowa cities. The video records their shock at hearing the prices for such large and luxurious apartments and houses.

Iowa has a chronic worker shortage and attracting more people to the state is one of Reynolds’ priorities. Reynolds held her announcement at a downtown Des Moines restaurant owned by Alexander Hall, who sold several New York restaurants four years ago and moved to his wife’s native Iowa. He’s now planning his fourth dining location.
Reynolds says Hall’s experience demonstrates that when people spend a year or two in Iowa, they stay.

The campaign is funded as part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s $5 million marketing budget.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The director of the Iowa Department of Human Services says he resigned at the request of Gov. Kim Reynolds. Jerry Foxhoven released a statement Monday afternoon saying he’d submitted his resignation at the request of the governor and that it was an honor to serve as director of the agency. His statement came about two hours after Reynolds issued a news release stating that she’d appointed Gerd Clabaugh as interim director for the Department of Human Services. Clabaugh has served as public health director since 2014.

The release included a quote from Reynolds complimenting the job Clabaugh has done as director of the state Public Health Department and outlining his work and education before noting he will replace Foxhoven, who resigned effectively immediately.

Neither Reynolds nor Foxhoven gave a reason for the change. Foxhoven led the department for two years. During the past two years, he has overseen a rocky transition to a privatized Medicaid program in which two major insurers have departed the state. He’s also faced criticism about oversight of state juvenile institutions. The Iowa Juvenile Home in Toledo, which housed troubled girls, closed after questions were raised about their treatment and a federal lawsuit underway now is delving into use of isolation rooms and restraints at the Iowa Training School for Boys. The Glenwood Resource Center, which cares for people with intellectual disabilities, has reported eight deaths in four months.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports five arrests over the past week. On Saturday (June 15), Cass County Deputies arrested 48-year old David Michael Boggs, of Council Bluffs, on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine (C Felony). Boggs was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $50,000 bond. On Friday, June 14, 2019, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 25-year old Jessica Lee Mack, of Springville, IA, on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Mack was additionally charged with Criminal Mischief 3rd Degree (Aggravated) and Interference with Official Acts (Simple). She was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on her own recognizance.

On June 13th, 42-year old Sandra Marie Namanny, of Wiota, turned herself in to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office. Namanny was wanted on two Sheriff’s Office warrants for two counts of Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine (C Felonies). She was booked at the Cass County Jail and remains held on $50,000 bond. 30-year old Katherine Lynn Coleman,  of Corning, was arrested June 13th on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Coleman was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $20,000 bond.

And, on June 11th, 59-year old Donald Allen Dollen, of Griswold, was arrested by Cass County Deputies on four Sheriff’s Office warrants for one count of Ongoing Criminal Conduct (B Felony); four counts of Possession with Intent to Deliver Hydrocodone (C Felonies); and four counts of Drug Tax Stamp Violation (D Felonies). Dollen was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on $30,000 bond.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three, non-injury accidents took place last week. On Sunday, June 9th, deputies responded at around 2:40-p.m. to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of Highway 71 and Keystone Road. A 2010 Ford Edge owned and driven by 67-year old James Peter Heller, of Manilla, was southbound on Highway 71, when the vehicle struck the left rear of a 2003 Subaru Legacy owned and driven by 42-year old Shannon Lee Julich, of Harlan, who attempted to make a u-turn and did not see Heller’s vehicle approaching. Julich was cited for Failure to Yield Upon Entering the Highway. Damage from the collision amounted to $7,000 altogether.

At around 11:44-p.m. on June 11th, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of an accident on Grain Street in Lewis. A 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 27-year old Morgan Barbara Dvorak, of Griswold, struck a parked 2016 Nissan Maxima owned by Donna Jean Roberts, of Lewis. Dvorak was cited for Striking an Unattended Vehicle, Failure to Maintain Control, and Open Container. Damage to  the vehicles amounted to $13,500.

And, at around 10:05-a.m. Friday (June 14), Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a car/tractor accident at the intersection of Main and Adair Streets in Griswold. A 2005 John Deere driven by 75-year old Sidney Rossell, of Atlantic, was backing up on Main Street when it struck a 2006 Buick Lucerne owned and driven by 79-year old Mary Ann Kirchhoff, of Griswold. Damage to the Kirchhoff vehicle was estimated at $2,500.