The Cass County Sheriff’s office is asks everyone to stay home and stay safe once the ice storm hits. Make sure you have essentials, and check on your family members/friends/neighbors who have limited mobility to see if they are in need of things before the storm begins.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce held it’s annual Dinner and Awards program Saturday evening at the Cass County Community Center, with the dinner provided by Hy-Vee. The evening focused on the spirit of volunteerism in the community, and how they make life better for the rest of us.

Among the awards handed out during the program, was one that is presented in partnership with Deter Motor Company, in Atlantic. The Athena Award is presented to one person for their efforts to create leadership opportunities for women, excellence in professional and community service and especially for assisting women in their attainment of excellence and leadership. The Athena Award went to Dr. Tressa Wilcox.

During the Community Awards portion of the program, Saturday, Outstanding Volunteers in 2017 were recognized. The highest honor…The Distinguished Service Award…was presented to LaVon Eblen.

LaVon Eblen with her Distinguished Service Award. (Ric Hanson/photo)

She was described by community members, business leaders and friends as enthusiastic, confident, passionate, caring and an entrepreneur. She supports the community using her hands and heart, according to past Chamber President Lori Reid, who said LaVon selflessly offers “Her time and often her resources to nurture local projects like Produce in the Park, Master Gardeners, Healthy Cass County, Cass County Food Policy Council, 4-H, the Armory and much more.”

Local businesses and groups were also recognized during the Chamber Banquet, Saturday. Among them was the Atlantic Area Ambassadors, who are made up of volunteers and business leaders who help celebrate business accomplishments, expansions and successes. Some of the businesses they helped to celebrate include: Salute Gymnastics; Olsen’s Fuel Supply; Farmer’s Insurance; Hanson’s Fine Jewelry; Griswold Rehab and Health Care Center, and others. It was also noted Cass, Incorporated and TS Banking Group were named Top Work Places in Iowa, by the Des Moines Register, and Cass County Health System was awarded a Top Work Place for the second consecutive year, by the Des Moines Register.

New Chamber President Rob Claussen spoke about adopting four new objectives for the Chamber’s Strategic Plan in 2017. They include: Community Development; Membership Engagement; Volunteer Engagement, and Business Development.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man Saturday night on a Trespassing charge. 57-year old Ronald Lee Hall, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 7:55-p.m. in the 100 block of W. Joy Street. Hall was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 cash bond.

Charges of OWI, Child Endangerment, multiple traffic citations and other charges, are pending completion of an investigation into a crash that injured a child from Indiana  Saturday night, in Adair County. Moments before the crash occurred at around 9:15-p.m., State Radio near Lewis put out a broadcast about a white SUV traveling at around 100-miles per hour eastbound on Interstate 80 near mile marker 83.

Pictures courtesy of Shellie Weed. Thank you, Shellie!!

The accident happened when the 2007 Honda CRV rear-ended a 2010 Dodge pickup, causing the pickup to leave the road and enter the south ditch. The driver of the SUV was identified as 30-year old Patrick Lester, of Ft. Wayne, IN.

Following the collision, the SUV swerved left and side-swiped a 2009 Saturn Outlook, causing both vehicles to enter the median, where they hit the cable barriers before coming to rest. A passenger in the SUV, 5-year old Logan Lester, of Ft. Wayne, IN., was not wearing a seat belt. He was injured and transported by Stuart Rescue to Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines.

None of the drivers were injured. The driver of the pickup was identified as 52-year old Corrie Ann Lambert, of Traverse City, MI, while the other driver of the Saturn was 59-year old Diane Rullestad, of Des Moines.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports one person died during a rollover accident Saturday night, in Hamburg. Hamburg Fire and Rescue along with Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the scene of the crash at Bluff Road and E Street in Hamburg, at around 6:37-p.m.

When they arrived, authorities found 24-year old Salvador Manuel Martinez unresponsive in a 2007 Dodge Charger that had gone out of control and entered the Hamburg City Pool, hitting the pool wall. The collision caused the car to rollover. Martinez was partially ejected from the vehicle, and died at the scene.

The accident remains under investigation, pending autopsy results. Authorities said the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when the crash occurred.

An accident Saturday evening in northeast Iowa’s Black Hawk County claimed the life of a Janesville man. The Iowa State Patrol says 56-year old Gene Turner, who was not wearing a seat belt, died from his injuries at the hospital in Cedar Falls. Authorities say Turner was traveling north on Waverly Avenue at around 5:55-p.m., when the 2003 Pontiac Vibe he was driving collided with a 2007 International tractor, that was backing out of a residential drive in the 8000 block of Waverly Road.

Janesville Fire & EMS, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Deputies and Cedar Falls Police assisted the Patrol at the scene.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state investigation has uncovered two Roosevelt High School bank accounts with $1.8 million in deposits that wrongly operated outside of the district’s oversight. The Des Moines Register reports that the audit released Friday found hundreds of thousands of dollars of improper and undocumented spending tied to the Des Moines school.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A new plan by the Roman Catholic Church’s Sioux City Diocese will see its number of parishes cut nearly in half starting this year. The Sioux City Journal reports that the plan, released Friday, will drop the number of parishes from 108 to 61 in the diocese that serves 24 counties in northwest Iowa. The diocese blames lagging church attendance and a shortage of priests.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Store shelves are running low on ice melt and pantry staples in parts of Nebraska and Iowa as residents prepared for a predicted ice storm later. The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning for parts of the southeastern corner of Nebraska into southern Iowa for late Saturday and extending to Monday morning. Areas north are under a winter storm watch. Authorities have urged residents to gather food, water and fuel and to stay indoors during the storm.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A 21-year-old West Des Moines man has been arrested after a gun he was handling fired, sending a bullet through a basement ceiling that hit his sleeping mother. Paramedics were called to the home around 5 a.m. Friday and found a 43-year-old woman shot in her upper body. She was taken to a hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Officials at Cass County Health System have reported higher than normal influenza activity so far this year, which is in keeping with state and nationwide trends.  Dr. Todd Bean, Chief Medical Officer, said “We have had more than 40 cases of influenza so far this year and have seen mostly influenza A, as has the rest of the state. We want the public to be aware and take appropriate precautions to help control the spread of influenza and other illnesses.”

Dr. Bean stressed the importance of hand-washing and self-isolation in controlling the spread of the flu.  “If people are ill, they should stay home from work, school and other activities. Hand-washing continues to be the most effective tool in preventing the spread of germs, and it is not too late to get a flu vaccine.”

Cass County Health System limits visitors to inpatients during flu season, asking anyone with flu-like symptoms to stay home.  Parents are asked to not bring young children and infants to visit hospital patients throughout the flu season, typically until the end of March. Children are a particularly vulnerable group—as are the elderly—and it increases the child’s risk of exposure, as well as the risk of exposure to patients.

Atlantic Medical Center offers influenza vaccines in the Patient Services Center located in the clinic.  The cost of Influenza vaccination is covered by most health insurances and financial assistance is available for those without insurance who cannot afford the $30 charge.  The Patient Services Center is open from 8:30 – 11:00 and 1:30 – 4:00 pm.  No appointment is necessary, and vaccine is still available.

The flu is a respiratory illness caused by viruses. It comes on suddenly and symptoms may include fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and body aches. Illness typically lasts two to seven days. Influenza may cause severe illness or even death in people such as the very young or very old, or those who have underlying health conditions.

The “stomach bug” which causes diarrhea and vomiting is not caused by the influenza virus but usually by norovirus—the flu vaccine will not protect you against this illness. Norovirus is also on the rise in Cass County, and frequent, thorough handwashing is the best defense against the virus.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Store shelves are running low on ice melt and pantry staples in parts of Nebraska and Iowa as residents prepared for a predicted ice storm. The National Weather Service has issued an ice storm warning for parts of the southeastern corner of Nebraska for late Saturday, extending to Monday morning. Areas from the Iowa-Missouri border on north are under a winter storm watch.

The weather service says light freezing rain is forecast to develop overnight Saturday into Sunday, with the majority of icing expected Sunday through Monday. Ice accumulations of one-quarter to three-quarters of an inch appear likely, making driving dangerous and threatening to bring down tree limbs and power lines.

Authorities have urged residents to gather enough food, water and fuel and to stay indoors during the storm.