***(UPDATE 3/6/19) – The event was postponed to March 26th, same time and place, due to impending weather March 7th***

Cass County Youth Coordinator Shelby Van Horn says “Cass County 4-H Clubs would like to invite the public to attend their annual 4-H Mardi Gras carnival on Sunday, March 10th. Mardi Gras includes fun, food, & carnival-type games for kids of all ages. The event is scheduled from 2:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic.” She says they are excited to offer many activities for families. Those activities this year include: Family Mardi Gras Photo Booth, Ring Toss, Dessert Walk, the ever popular Youth Council Mardi Gras Jail, boot toss and much more! Several clubs will also be selling snacks for attendees to enjoy, including a Walking Taco Stand and pop floats to go.

The Youth Action Committee and Youth Council are sponsoring this county-wide event and would like to invite all Cass County families to come out and join the fun. It is intended to be a low cost, family-friendly event for everyone in the county. Van Horn said “You don’t have to be in 4-H to attend. All are welcome!” Admission is free and tickets cost $.10 each. Each 4-H club determines how many tickets to charge to play their game. All proceeds from this event go to the 4-H clubs, Youth Council, and the Cass County 4-H Program.

The Cass County 4-H Endowment committee is hosting the annual 4-H Endowment Pancake Supper on Thursday, March 7 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. The Pancake Man will be dishing up fresh pancakes; 4-H members serve juice, coffee and more. Supporters can enjoy all you can eat pancakes for $6. Proceeds from the 4-H Pancake Supper directly benefit Cass County. The money raised goes to the Cass County 4-H Endowment, a fund to defray the 4-H Program Development Fee, support scholarships, and start up dollars for youth programs including Clover Kids and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

The 4-H Program Development Fee is $30, instead of having individual 4-H’ers and families take on that expense, the Cass County Extension Council, and the 4-H Endowment Committee pick up this expense. The Cass County 4-H Endowment also offers opportunities for youth to get involved in the 4-H program by attending camps and conferences and offering scholarships to graduating seniors. Shelby Van Horn, Cass County Youth Coordinator says “These opportunities are very important to the success of the 4-H program in Cass County. It certainly would not be possible without a great deal of support from the community.”

There is also a silent auction during the supper. The 12 4-H clubs in Cass County, as well as additional friends of 4-H and local business supporters donate items. “This is a great part of the pancake supper,” says Van Horn, “it will be exciting to see what items are up for auction this year!” If a community business is interested in supporting the Pancake Supper through the Silent Auction, please contact the Extension Office. For more information on the Pancake Supper, Endowment or 4-H contact Shelby Van Horn, Cass County Youth Coordinator, at 243-1132 or xcass@iastate.edu.

ATLANTIC – Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) report a new lung cancer screening test is now available at CCHS. To detect potential lung cancers, patients can undergo a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan in the Diagnostic Imaging department. Carrie Schmitt, Director of Diagnostic Imaging at Cass County Health System, says “Much like a mammogram screens patients for breast cancer, we use a low-dose CT scan to check patients for lung cancer. The lower dose of radiation received during this annual screening makes it safer for the patient.”

Schmitt said also, “Everyone is exposed to natural radiation from the environment, and patients are exposed to small doses of radiation during some imaging tests like x-rays. By using a lower dose of radiation during the test, we’re exposing the patient to a smaller amount of radiation than during a typical CT procedure. This is good because we want to keep your lifetime exposure to radiation at the lowest level possible.”

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths for both men and women. Every year, more people die of lung cancer than of colon, breast, and prostate cancers combined. For 2019, the American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates there will be about 228,150 new cases of lung cancer in men and women in the United States. Additionally, lung cancer was predicted to cause about 142,670 deaths nationwide. Schmitt says “This screening is particularly important for patients who smoke or smoked heavily.”

The lifetime risk of developing lung cancer is about 1 in 15 for men and about 1 in 17 for women; but for smokers, the risk is much higher. Patients should be between the ages of 55 and 77, have no symptoms of lung cancer, have no history of lung cancer, currently smoke or quit less than 15 years ago, and have a pack-year score of greater than 30. (Pack-years are calculated by multiplying the number of years smoked by the average number of packs smoked per day.) If patients think they may qualify for low-dose CT lung cancer screenings, they should talk to their primary care provider.

Officials with Dollar General Stores in Tennessee report the company’s newest store at 103 S. Fifth St. in Adair is now open. Dollar General will celebrate the store’s official grand opening on Saturday, March 9 at 8 a.m. with free prizes and special deals.  Additionally, the first 50 adult shoppers at the store will receive a $10 Dollar General gift card and the first 200 shoppers will receive a Dollar General tote bag with complimentary product samples, among other giveaways.

Officials say “Dollar General stores offer convenience and value to customers by providing a focused selection of national name brands and private brands of food, housewares, seasonal items, cleaning supplies, basic apparel and health/beauty products.  Additionally, the new store will provide customers with stylish, on-trend home décor and a party preparation selection, in addition to the same categories, brands and products customers trust Dollar General to carry. ”

Traditional Dollar General stores employ approximately six to 10 people, depending on the need.  Anyone interested in joining the Dollar General team may visit the Career section at www.dollargeneral.com. Dollar General says they are deeply involved in the communities it serves and is an ardent supporter of literacy and education. At the cash register of every Dollar General store, customers interested in learning how to read, speak English or prepare for their high school equivalency test can pick up a brochure with a postage-paid reply card that can be mailed in for a referral to a local organization that offers free literacy services. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $160 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 10 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy or continued education.

For more information about the Dollar General Literacy Foundation and its grant programs, visit www.dgliteracy.com.

The Glenwood Police Department reports two arrests over the weekend. 21-year old Marcus Baumstarck, of Little Rock, AR., was arrested for Public Intoxication, and Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Institution. His bond was set at $5,300. And, 18-year old Hunter Bickle, of Glenwood, was arrested Sunday on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,500.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports five recent arrests. At around 4:20-a.m. on Sunday, 40-year old Jason Alexander Houston, of Silver City, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault and Obstruction of Emergency Communications. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. Early Saturday morning, 22-year old Blake Michael Cole, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Mills County for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and a Drug Tax Stamp violation. Bond was set at $5,300.

Friday night, 35-year old Christopher Patrick Schoening, of Glenwood, was arrested on a warrant for Harassment in the 1st Degree. Bond was set at $2,000. On Thursday, 51-year old Orrie Lee Gordon, of Malvern, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense, Child Endangement, Driving While Barred, and Failure to provide proof of insurance. Bond was set at $6,000. And, 42-year old Gabriel Aaron Dabney, of Omaha, was arrested Thursday at the Douglas County, NE., Jail, where he was wanted on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. Bond was set at $1,000.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office said also, 26-year old Adam Beattie, of Casey, was transported by Silver City Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, following a single-vehicle accident Friday afternoon on Brothers Avenue, near 330th Street. Authorities say Beattie was traveling westbound on Brothers Avenue at around 1:40-p.m., when his 2003 Ford went out of control on the slush covered road, crossed the eastbound lane and entered the south ditch, where the vehicle came to rest on its passenger side in a ditch full of snow.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a 16-year old male being held in the Pott. County Jail was served with a warrant Friday afternoon, for Murder in the 1st Degree. The teens’ name was not released. After being read the warrant, the youth was returned to the custody of Corrections staff. A Sheriff’s Deputy on routine patrol early Saturday morning, heard a Communications Center broadcast about a possibly intoxicated driver. The Deputy located the suspect vehicle – a 2002 Chevy 1500 pickup — and placed the driver, 48-year old Peter Eugene Jeffrey, under arrest for OWI/2nd offense.

A fight between two inmates at the Pottawattamie County Jail Saturday afternoon, resulted a charge of Assault causing bodily injury being filed against 22-year old Nathanael Osborn. He allegedly assaulted fellow inmate, 50-year old Bryan Ashley Santee. And, Saturday night, 45-year old Michael R. Marsh was arrested for Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault, after a Deputy was dispatched to a residence in Carson, with regard to a stolen vehicle. Prior to the Deputy arriving, Dispatch advised there was a disturbance at the residence, which resulted in Marsh’ arrest. The victim was a 39-year old female.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — An Iowa shopping mall’s roof caved in over the weekend.  Fort Dodge authorities say heavy snow was to blame for the partial collapse to a roof at the Crossroads Mall on Saturday morning. There were no injuries reported when the incident happened shortly before 10 a.m. The roof collapse on a part of the mall not being used by retailers. The mall was closed for the day and reopened on Sunday.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An 18-year-old from Illinois is suspected of killing a woman near a Davenport shopping center. Authorities say Craig Coleman Jr. is charged with robbery, intimidation with a dangerous weapon and first-degree murder in the slaying of 19-year-old Destiny Orr-Clark on May 4. Orr-Clark was fatally shot south of Davenport Memorial Park, near Old Town Shopping Center.

Coleman, who lives in Rock Island, Illinois, was arrested Saturday by Rock Island officers.

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — The former farmhand charged with first-degree murder in the abduction and stabbing death of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts in Iowa wants to have his trial moved to a more diverse county. The Des Moines Register reports that 24-year-old Cristhian Bahena Rivera’s lawyers filed the motion Friday. They argue the Mexican national should be tried outside Poweshiek County to allow for more minority representation in the jury pool.

Rivera is accused of killing Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student who disappeared while out for a run July 18 in Brooklyn, Iowa. Investigators recovered her body a month later in a cornfield. A medical examiner has said Tibbetts was stabbed to death. Rivera is accused of being in the country illegally. He worked at a dairy farm a few miles from where Tibbetts disappeared.