(*Clarification)

Cass County Landfill Director Brandi Mericle today (Wednesday) spoke about the issues concerning long-term financing the facility is working to resolve. In speaking with KJAN’s Jim Field during our “Heartbeat Today” program, Mericle said the tipping fees are insufficient to meet their needs if they are to remain a viable. She said they’re about to construct a slightly less than one-acre cell with a liner to protect the groundwater, for about $400,000. That doesn’t take into account the regulations and rules coming down the road from the DNR and EPA.

All of the communities in Cass County and the unincorporated areas are part of a 28-E cost sharing agreement to support the landfill as necessary. *The Landfill’s Board set the fee at $12 per person per year. The City of Atlantic will assess 38-cents per thousand dollars of valuation to pay its share. Not all cities in the County are using property taxes.

The tipping fees themselves will remain unchanged at $10 minimum depending on the size of the pickup load, or $100 per ton. She said that they “Are always evaluating our operations to make the landfill as efficient as possible and keep it viable for the future.”

Atlantic City Administrator John Lund said last week, people should notice the change on the property tax bill in January, 2019. Mayor Jones said the City of Atlantic will contribute about $85,000, rural county $42,000. Atlantic will receive its first bill and the end of the 1st Quarter, which is in Sept., 2018.

(Listen to the full interview with Brandi Mericle on our podcasts page found under Heartbeat Today, at kjan.com)

DES MOINES, Iowa – An Iowa Senate committee hears a bill today (Wednesday) that would ensure family caregivers have training to perform some types of medical needs when their loved ones are discharged from a hospital or rehabilitation center. The Caregiver Advise, Record, Enable (CARE) Act would allow a patient to designate a person to carry out medical and physical tasks, such as giving medication or injections and safely moving the patient when needed.

Anthony Carroll, associate state director of advocacy for AARP Iowa, says on any given day, 317,000 Iowans are providing care for older parents, spouses and others who need help. “Medical care, helping with groceries – a variety of tasks that family caregivers do to provide care for the loved one so they can continue to stay at home, rather than having to receive care in a nursing home, or assisted living, some other kind of institution,” he explains. Similar legislation has passed in more than three-dozen states.

AARP research shows that hospital readmission is reduced when caregivers receive more thorough instructions. However, some hospitals object to CARE laws because of staff time constraints, and their concerns that a family caregiver could mishandle medical treatment. Carroll says even when readmission occurs requiring another overnight stay, many caregivers still report receiving little – if any – training from health professionals when they leave. “About 50 percent of the time, it’s not happening as a practice,” he points out. “So, it’s no cost to the Iowa taxpayers, but we believe it’s the right thing to do. We’re only one of 14 states who has not passed a similar type of legislation.”

And as the number of older Americans with chronic conditions grows, Carroll says family caregivers have taken on medical tasks once provided only in hospitals, nursing homes or by homecare professionals.
“And this is really that next step to make sure, again, all Iowans have the option to designate a caregiver – and then if they designate a caregiver, that caregiver gets instructions at the hospital before they’re sent home,” he states. An AARP study also confirms that caregiving can take its toll. When asked to rate their own health, almost 20 percent of caregivers described it as “fair to poor,” which is double the rate of non-caregivers.

(Iowa News Service)

The Decorah and North Winneshiek school districts in northeast Iowa will merge. Voters in both districts overwhelmingly approved the merger in a special election Tuesday. The two districts have been in a whole grade sharing agreement for grades nine through 12 since the 2001-2002 school year. Beginning this year, the sharing agreement was extended to include seventh and eighth grades as well. After the approval, plans are in place for the merger of the two districts to become official starting July 1st of 2019.

(Radio Iowa)

Voters across nine counties in northwest and north-central Iowa approved a 25-and-a-half million dollar bond issue Tuesday for improvements at Iowa Central Community College. It has campuses in Fort Dodge, Webster City and Storm Lake, with a career academy in Eagle Grove. Iowa Central president Dan Kinney says he’s thrilled. “I really have to thank the voters out there for their confidence in Iowa Central Community College and getting out the vote,” Kinney says. “It was a lot of hard work and I think we did a better job of getting out and selling it.”

Voters in December of 2016 narrowly defeated a $29.5 million bond issue for Iowa Central. This latest bond issue needed at least 60-percent approval to pass and got 67-point-5 percent. “A special shout-out has to go to our faculty and staff,” Kinney says. “They did a wonderful job of getting out there and helping us sell it and talk about it.” Projects that will be funded include a student center on the Fort Dodge campus, an industrial training facility in Storm Lake, upgrades to science facilities, a biofuels testing lab and safety improvements.

Kinney says, “We’re excited for a bright future for Iowa Central Community College and more importantly, a bright future for the service area that we serve as we move forward into the next 50 years.”  Enrollment for the three campuses is over 5,000 students.

(Radio Iowa)

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports the arrest on Tuesday, of 39-year old Joshua Robert Saunders, of Audubon.  Saunders was arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana – 3rd or more offenses, Possession of Marijuana within 1000 feet of a school, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.  He was transported to the Audubon County Jail and held on a $2000 bond.  The incident remains under investigation,  and further charges are pending.

And, on Monday, 24-year old Jordan Thomas Best, of Audubon, was arrested on an outstanding warrant for Failure to Appear.  Best appeared before a magistrate, pled guilty, and was released with a fine.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday), approved an Ordinance with regard to the operation of All-Terrain Vehicles and Utility-Terrain Vehicles (ATV’s & UTV’s), on designated County roads. The Ordinance goes into effect as soon as it’s published in the local paper, which is expected to take place Thursday. During the meeting, the issue of turn signals resurfaced, with Supervisor Steve Green mentioning the constituents in his District still expressed concerns over safety. Green said they were worried hand signals wouldn’t be as effective than turn signals in determining the ATV/UTV operator’s intentions, and wouldn’t be seen until it was took late.

Dennis Murphy, with Nishna Valley Cycle, said turn signals could be added to the machines, but it was also pointed out the cost of the signals and installation could run anywhere from $200-to $300 or higher. After the hearing was closed, the Supervisors approved the Ordinance as drafted, and then discussed a little more the issue of turn signals. In the end though, they declined to include the devices in the Ordinance. Supervisor Steve Green then had only final comment for those in attendance, and anyone riding an ATV or UTV…He implored them to “Please be careful out there, guys.”

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors approved a partial project payment of $153,424 to Crow River Construction, for work completed on the gray water transmission line to the ethanol plant under construction. Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm said the line is nearly complete, with just a 100-foot section to be installed. That will be done when there’s warmer weather.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Mason City man has been sentenced to up to 50 years in prison after his conviction of killing a woman who was hit by a bullet he fired through his apartment door. A judge Tuesday sentenced 61-year-old Larry Whaley, who was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of 19-year-old Samantha Teeter.

Whaley has said he fired into the door Dec. 2, 2016, because he believed two people he knew were breaking into his apartment, including one who Whaley said he felt threatened by the week before the shooting. Whaley said Teeter was not one of those two people and that her death was an accident.

State law requires Whaley to serve at least 35 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State lawyers representing Gov. Kim Reynolds say lawmakers lack the legal standing to bring a lawsuit challenging her use of a reserve fund to plug a budget hole. Assistant attorneys general defending Reynolds and Department of Management Director David Roederer asked a judge Monday to dismiss the lawsuit, which alleges the two illegally transferred $13 million from the State Economic Emergency Fund in September. A hearing is set for next month.

Democratic representatives contend in the lawsuit that the fund is intended to cover unexpected drops in revenue and that the legal conditions weren’t met for the Republican governor to use it. Reynolds’ lawyers argued that lawmakers lack standing because they haven’t demonstrated “a personal interest at stake or an injury that is more than abstract.”

Lawmakers’ attorney Gary Dickey says it’s disappointing that Reynolds would “attempt to hide behind procedural technicalities” after her office called the lawsuit politically motivated.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two accidents occurred during Monday’s snow storm (Other than the fatal accident covered by the Iowa State Patrol). At around 11:30-a.m., a single-vehicle accident occurred on westbound Interstate 80. Officials say a 2008 Toyota Highlander owned and driven by 49-year old Long Ngoc Nguyen, of Des Moines, was westbound on I-80 when the driver lost control of the vehicle on the snow, entering the north ditch and striking a tree. Nguyen was transported to CCMH via Medivac. Damage to the vehicle is estimated at $8,000.

And, just before Noon, Monday, a two-vehicle accident happened on eastbound I-80. A 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by 22-year old Johnnie M. Wilson, of Omaha, was eastbound on I-80 when the driver braked for slowing traffic in front of him. A 2011 Chevy Impala owned and driven by 23-year old Charles Scott Rettey, of Des Moines, attempted to pass Wilson’s vehicle and came into contact with the rear driver’s side of Wilson’s vehicle. Both vehicles began to spin on the slick road and ended up in the median. No injuries were reported. Damage to Wilson’s vehicle is estimated at $4,500; damage to Rettey’s vehicle is estimated at $5,000.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on February 1st, of 34-year old Christopher Leon Bomer, of Atlantic, on a Felony charge of Possession of Marjiuana 3^rd or Subsequent Offense, and a serious misdemeanor OWI 1^st Offense charge. Bomer was taken to the Cass County Jail and was released later that day on $5,000 bond. On February 2nd, Deputies arrested 31-year old Ashley Chantelle Nicole Hetterich, of Denison, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Hetterich was taken to the Cass County Jail where she remains held on $15,000 bond.

On February 6th, Cass County Deputies arrested 18-year old Colin Edward Peterson, of Atlantic, on an Atlantic Police Department Felony warrant for Theft 2^nd Degree. Peterson was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,000 bond. That same day, 53-year old Randall Joe Conry, of Atlantic, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Conry was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $50,000 bond.