An investigation initiated by the Department of Human Services (DHS) and conducted by the Red Oak Police Department, has resulted in the arrest of two people on felony Theft charges. Authorities say 49-year old Cuba Cerene Lane, and 44-year old Danny Jo Lane, both of Red Oak, were arrested at their residence in the 2400 block of North 8th Street Thursday morning.

Danny Jo Lane was charged with six felony counts of Theft in the 2nd Degree, 1 count of Theft in the 3rd Degree (an Aggravated Misdemeanor), and two counts of Theft in the 4th Degree (Serious Misdemeanor’s). Cuba Lane, who is accused of helping take the funds faces one count each, of Theft in the 2nd, Theft in the 3rd and Theft in the 4th Degrees.

The couple were brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $5,000 cash bond, each.

The Mercy Health Network and its related facilities in Iowa and Nebraska have won a grant of just over 10 million dollars to move to a system called “value based care.” Among the facilities included in the Mercy Health Network is: The Audubon County Memorial Hospital; Clarinda Regional Medical Center; Adair County Memorial Hospital; Manning Regional Healthcare Center; the Ringgold County Hospital; Madison County Health Care System, and the Dallas County Hospital.

Mercy Des Moines senior vice president, David Swieskowski says the new approach looks to cut costs and improve care by more closely following patients. “This grant will provide funding to put in the I-T systems to follow all patients with chronic diseases or healthy patients,” Swieskowski explains. “Patients with chronic diseases will make sure they’re getting the care that they need and make sure they we are getting the outcomes that we expect.” The network includes more than 160-thousand patients at 25 hospitals and 73 clinics located in 37 counties in Iowa and Nebraska.

“So if they are not getting the care, we are going to call them and tell them they are overdue for care and ask them to come in,” Swieskowski. Setting up the system to track patients is the first step, but Swieskowski says the most money will be spend on the staff to handle the care.”We’ll have health coaches who can work with patients to set goals and help them change their behaviors to get better outcomes,” Swieskowski. Another aspect of the program is working with those who already treat the patients.

“Part of it is you have to engage their health care providers — their physicians and advanced practitioners who are working within these sites — to support this and encourage patients to work with this process,” according to Swieskowski. What happens if the patients don’t follow up and get the care that they need? Swieskowski is a doctor who works in Des Moines, and says they have seen a positive response when working with their patients.

He says when they call patients who are overdue for care, they get 90-percent of the people to come in. “The most common reason people will give for not coming in is that they forgot or didn’t know,” he says. Swieskowski is not sure exactly when the program will get underway, but says it shouldn’t take long once they launch it. “We can get these data systems ramped up in three to six months, so I’m saying in six to 12 months patients in these locations will start noticing a difference in the way we are delivering their care,” Swieskowski says. The different delivery system is expected to save money for treatments and care that are not needed because the patient got better and not worse. The health system will benefit by making the program work.

“We have shared savings programs with Wellmark and with Medicare where if we reduce the costs we get a portion of the costs that we reduce, we share in the savings,” Swieskowski says. “So, initially we are going to fund this program through he grant, and when the grant runs out in three years we are hoping that the shared savings will be more than enough to continue the program.”

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Governor Terry Branstad has issued a disaster proclamation for four Iowa counties affected by flooding and damage from recent storms. The proclamation issued yesterday covers Benton, Butler, Mahaska and Tama counties. The proclamation means state resources can be used to respond to areas affected by June storms.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating the deaths of two people whose bodies were found inside a northwestern Iowa house. Plymouth County Sheriff Mike Van Otterloo says the causes of death were violent in nature. The bodies were found Wednesday night inside a home in Akron.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A northern Iowa woman has been given probation for leaving more than a dozen residents alone at an assisted living center. Fifty-four-year-old Debra Ihrig of Rudd was recently given deferred judgment and probation on multiple charges. Ihrig was arrested in April after being accused of leaving 15 residents alone at Country Meadow Place Assisted Living.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa woman has been sentenced to life in prison without parole in connection to the torture of her mentally disabled stepson. Forty-seven-year-old Rebecca Beyer was sentenced yesterday in Pottawattamie County. Authorities say Beyer abused the now-21-year-old man in February 2013.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa woman has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in connection to the torture of her mentally disabled stepson. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports 47-year-old Rebecca Beyer received the sentence Thursday at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse.

Authorities said Beyer abused the man, now 21, in February 2013. She was convicted in May of first-degree kidnapping and willful injury causing serious injury. The man testified that Beyer burned him and locked him inside a garage. He said he was attached to a wall with a dog leash.

The man’s father faces charges in the case, and his trial is scheduled to start in August. The man’s stepbrother pleaded guilty earlier this year to an accessory charge as part of a plea deal.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo man has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in the death of a woman found in the middle of a rural road.

Shaun Hogan

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office says 36-year-old Shaun Michael Hogan was taken into custody Thursday in connection with the death of 29-year-old Crystal Marie Gaffney, also of Waterloo. He is being held without bond at the county jail.

The state medical examiner’s office says Gaffney died from head trauma. She was found Wednesday morning near Walker. The sheriff’s office says Gaffney is the mother of three girls who were the subject of a Wednesday night Amber Alert. They were found safe. Hogan and Gaffney are the parents of a young child, but additional information was not released.

Hogan will make an initial court appearance Friday.

Sunday July 6th
Dog Show:
Champion Confirmation: Shaylee Yates; Reserve confirmation: Shiloh Carroll;
Champion Grooming: Dean Robinson; Reserve Grooming: Sammi Wahling
Champion Pre-Novice A: Sammi Wahling; Champion Pre-Novice B: Cassidy Robinson
Reserve Pre- Novice B: Lucy Borkowski; Champion Novice: Dean Robinson
Reserve Novice: Shiloh Carroll; Champion Grad Novice: Dean Robinson
Costume Class Champion: Shaylee Yates; Reserve Costume Class: Dean Robinson
Junior Showman: Dean Robinson; Junior Reserve Showman: Sammi Whaling
Intermediate Showman: Mary Carroll; Intermediate reserve showman: Cassidy Robinson
Overall Showman: Shaylee yates; Reserve: Mary Carroll.

Tuesday July 8th
Iowa State Fair Static exhibits:
Ag and Natural Resources – Nick Wageman, Jacob Blum, Jessica Buman, Emily Taggs & Reed Boardman.

Personal Development – Chantel Schmidt, Jacob Bartley, Jessica Buman, Kara Rueschenberg &
Kaylee Rivera.

Family Consumer Sciences – Chandler Mores, Kristen Ferry, Emily Pattee, Chantel Schmidt, Chandler Mores, Lydia Madsen, Chelsea Assman, Chantel Schmidt, Jessica Buman, Mackenzie Goshorn

Creative Arts – Cole Lingle, Emily Lefeber, Jacob Bartley, Emily Lefeber, Emma Barnes, Will Carroll,
Mary Carroll, Marea Ferry, Chelsea Assman, Kaylee Rivera

Communications—Posters: Kaylee Rivera & Cassidy Robinson.

Wednesday, July 9
Fair Booths
Champion: Northeast Sodbusters; Reserve Champion: Portsmouth Super Production

Best of Iowa
Junior Champions: Emily Taggs and Abigail Jacobsen; Junior Reserve Champions: Madison Rivera
Intermediate Champion: Emma Barnes; Intermediate Reserve Champion: Gabe Madson

Thursday, July 10
Cat and Small Pet Show
Champion Short hair: Lydia Madsen, “Jade”; Reserve Champion Short hair: Emily Taggs, “Max”.
Champion Long hair: Kennedy Jackson; Reserve Champion Long hair: Rachel Nelson
Overall Champion Cat: Lydia Madsen; Reserve Overall Champion Cat: Kennedy Jackson

Junior Showmanship: Emily Taggs; Reserve Junior Showmanship: Mitchell Rueschenberg
Senior Showmanship: Rachel Nelson; Reserve Sr. Showmanship: Lydia Madsen
Overall showmanship: Rachel Nelson; Reserve Overall showmanship: Mitchell Rueschenberg

Overall Champion Small Pet: Reanna Obrecht, Guinea Pig
Reserve Overalll Chammpion small pet: Kaylee Rivera: Hamster (Emmie)

Poultry Show
Champion duck: Laura Pauley; Champion duck pair: Laura Pauley
Champion Bantam: Cassidy Robinson; Reserve Champion Bantam: Ev Carroll

Champion Chicken: Kaylee Rivera; Reserve Champion Chicken: Megan Reetz

Commercial champion: Dean Robinson; Commercial Reserve: Collin Borkowski

Champion Broiler Trio: Carley McConnell; Reserve champion broiler trio: Kelsey Schaben
Champion single Broiler: Kelsey Schaben; Reserve champion single broiler: Carley McConnell

Showmanship
Sr: Collin Borkowski; Intermediate: Cassidy Robinson; Junior: Dean Robinson
Overall showmanship: Cassidy Robinson

Breeding Beef Show
Champion Prospect calf heifer: Taylor Andersen; Reserve: Brody Sorensen

Champion Prospect calf steer or bull: Dylan Stein; Reserve: Darren Stein

Cow Calf Show
Champion commercial cow and calf: Aaron Allen; Reserve: Teresa Arkfeld

Breeding Heifer Show
Champion AOB Heifer: Aaron Allen; Reserve: Trever Schulz

Champion Shorthorn Heifer: Allyssa Obrecht; Reserve: Wyatt Obrecht

Champion commercial Heifer: Taylor Andersen; Reserve: Dylan Stein

Overall Champion Breeding Heifer: Allyssa Obrecht; Reserve: Wyatt Obrecht

Dairy Show
Champion Dairy Heifer: Cassie Rasmussen
Showmanship – Junior: Wyatt Obrecht; Intermediate: Allyssa Obrecht; Senior: Dylan Stein
Overall: Allyssa Obrecht

Dairy showman: Cassie Rasmussen

Shelby County Emergency Management Director Bob Seivert reports residents in all but three Shelby County Towns (Earling, Westphalia, Kirkman) will be hearing Storm Sirens on Monday or Tuesday July 14th and 15th.  Seivert says technicians will be working on software necessary to activate each communities sirens. which will involve some actual siren activation, maybe several times, through out this time period.

The intent is to send out Code Red messages to communities prior to activation and use local radio media to keep residents from becoming concerned, especially if the weather is not ideal. Officials will not know any particular time period for each community activation, due to the nature of the repairs and testing being conducted.

Seivert says every effort will be made to keep the public informed. If the area happens to be under an actual Warning,  the testing will be postponed.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report a Tabor man was arrested Wednesday. 28-year old Kain Taylor Endicott was arrested at around 3:35-p.m. at a location on Pleasant Street, in Tabor. He’s been charged with Trespassing. Bond was set at $300.

Mills County, IOWA – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Mills County Sheriff’s Office are asking for the public’s help in identifying a male body pulled from the Missouri River on July 1, 2014.

The unidentified male body was located in the area of Lincoln’s Landing campground near the Plattsmouth Bridge in southern Mills County, Iowa.

The body was found with blue denim “Chaps” shorts, size 38, white/grey Under Armour boxer briefs, size large, a brown belt and black Ocean Pacific shoes, size medium 9-10.

The body has a Playboy bunny tattoo on the upper left part of the chest, a monochromatic tattoo of two unclothed Asian women with a dragon in the background located on the upper left arm and a tribal tattoo on the right shin.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call Mills County Sheriff Eugene Goos at (712) 527-4337 or DCI Special Agent Phillip Kennedy at (712) 322-1585.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Democrat Staci Appel says she has more than $725,000 in the bank for her run in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. Appel’s campaign reported Thursday that the former state lawmaker raised more than $425,000 during the 2nd quarter of the year, which ended June 30. In total, she has more than $725,000 on hand for her bid to replace retiring Republican congressman Tom Latham.

Appel ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. She will face Republican David Young, a former chief of staff for Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, in the general election. Young’s spokesman said Thursday that the campaign did not yet have any financial figures to release. Reports are due Tuesday to the Federal Election Commission.

The 3rd District covers much of southwest Iowa, stretching from Des Moines to Council Bluffs.