One person was injured when a motorcycle and car collided on Atlantic’s west side, Thursday afternoon. According to dispatch reports, the accident at 2nd Street and Sunnyside lane (near the Wastewater Treatment Plant), happened at around 1:45-p.m.  The driver of the motorcycle was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital with what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries. He was said to be conscious and talking when authorities arrived on the scene.

No other details are immediately available. The Iowa State Patrol assisted at the scene with the accident investigation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Officials say nearly 7 percent of Iowa is no longer in drought.    The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says in a report issued Thursday that conditions have returned to normal in a swath of southeast Iowa. The U.S. Drought Monitor map from the National Drought Mitigation Center shows the drought conditions are worse to the northwest, culminating in extreme drought in portions of northwest Iowa.

The drought center says that a year ago nearly 61 percent of Iowa had no drought.  March rain in Iowa was a drop or two higher than the historical normal of 2.15 inches. It was the fourth consecutive month for higher-than-normal rainfall in the state.

Police in Red Oak are investigating three incidents of theft which were reported to authorities Thursday afternoon. At around 2:15-p.m., officers were notified of a burglary which occurred at a residence in the 700 block of East Reed Street. On the scene, the found pry marks and about $150 damage to the back door of the residence. Several items were missing from inside the home, and while the list was still being compiled late Thursday evening, the loss was estimated to be around $2,300.

At around 4:50-p.m. Thursday, Red Oak Police received a report from a woman who lives on East Nuckols Street, that someone had entered her vehicle and stolen a set of keys, along with a picture book. The items were valued at $15.

About 20-minutes later, police officers in Red Oak received a report about prescription narcotics having been stolen from another vehicle on East Nuckols Street. No damage was done to the vehicle in the process. All three incidents remain under investigation, and anyone with information about the crimes is asked to contact the Red Oak Police Department, or Crimestoppers, at 1-800-432-1001.

The full details are out about the governor’s “Healthy Iowa Plan” to cover nearly 90-thousand low-income Iowans who have a job, but still live just below the poverty line. Representative Walt Rogers, a Republican from Cedar Falls, says the bill that’s been drafted calls for giving those Iowans access to a “medical home” that’s nearby.  “There may be some rural areas that we run into some issues,” Rogers says. “But our goal is to go within 30 minutes/30 miles of everybody.” The current state program that provides health care coverage to nearly 70-thousand low-income Iowans forces them to go to hospitals in Des Moines or Iowa City for treatment. The governor’s new plan would require participants to make a 10-dollar a month co-payment.

“There’s an element in there — it’s called ‘My Reward Plan,’ so every person has kind of their own plan that they take charge of,” Rogers says, “and they can do things to reduce their own premiums, to reduce their own co-pays, like smoking cessation things.” A combination of property taxes collected at the county level and 23 million dollars in state tax dollars would be used to finance the new “Healthy Iowa Plan.” Rogers has been designated as the lead Republican to deal with this issue.

This is not necessarily the plan that’s going to pass out of the House,” Rogers says. “What we want to do is look at it. We want to look at any ideas that Democrats have.” This “Healthy Iowa Plan” is Republican Governor Terry Branstad’s alternative to what Democrats have proposed — to expand Medicaid to cover as many as 150-thousand more Iowans. The top Democrat in the Senate accuses the governor of “dereliction of duty” for just now getting details of his plan released at the end of week 12 of the 2013 legislative session.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

After four decades of history, a highly-popular annual air show in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area is being cancelled due to federal budget cuts. There will be no “Defenders of Freedom” Air Show at Offutt Air Force Base this year, in fact, there will be no air shows there until further notice. Colonel John Rauch, the 55th Wing Commander, says cancelling this much-loved event wasn’t an easy call but it may be revived, some year.  “We hope to be able to do it in the future if the fiscal situation lets us do it,” Colonel Rauch says. “It’s our apology that we can’t open up the base like we’d like to because we do know that the community provides a lot of support and a lot of welcome to the military members here.”

Rauch says the air show cost about 200-thousand dollars to put on last year. Due to the across-the-board federal budget cuts, known as sequestration, that money needs to go elsewhere. “There is a lot of things that go towards readiness,” Rauch says. “Just maintaining the base and that sort of thing the money will be used for rather than things that we would do on the weekend.” The air show and base open house were originally scheduled for late August.

The event has drawn tens of thousands of spectators every summer since 1975.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Health System in Atlantic reports CCHS is hosting Spring Forward Your Diabetes Health Clock, a free community event, on Wednesday, April 17^th, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the hospital atrium. The event is open to anyone interested in learning more about diabetes, ways to stay healthy with diabetes, and even how to prevent developing diabetes.  There will be vendors with diabetes products and product samples, interactive education areas, and cooking and exercise demonstrations. No advance registration or reservations are necessary.

Emily Krengel, RD, CCMH Dietician, will present healthy cooking demonstrations.  Mary Fuller, PA-C, Certified Tobacco Cessation Specialist, will present a brief program on diabetes, including the effects of tobacco use and prevention tips.  CCMH Diabetes Center Educators Barbara Petersen RN, CDE and Aubrey Molgaard RN, CDE, will be on hand for one-on-one discussions with participants along with other clinical specialists from throughout the health system, including:

• Kim Kopp, RN, Wound, Ostomy, Continence Care
• Peggy Dunbar, RN, Cardiac Rehab
• Sara Arnold, PharmD, Pharmacist
• Regina Hansen, RN, Health Coach
• Lisa Parker, RN, Health Coach

If you have any questions about diabetes, or would like to make an appointment, call the Cass County Memorial Hospital Diabetes Center at 712-243-7833.

An Adair County man was arrested today (Thursday) on drug charges, following a traffic stop. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says deputies arrested 48-year old Jason Shane Steckelberg, of Fontanelle, on felony charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver Methamphetamine, and Failure to Affix Drug Tax Stamp. Steckelberg also faces varying degrees of misdemeanor charges for Prohibited Acts, OWI 1^st Offense,  and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was taken to the Cass County Jail and held on $100,000 bond.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday) said no injuries were reported following a moped accident last Friday. Authorities say 53-year old Deborah Lambrecht, of Atlantic, was riding a 2005 Yamaha Zuma westbound on the Airport Road at around 5:17-p.m., when the moped lost traction on the sand-covered road, and slid onto its side. Damage to the moped was estimated at $400. Officials say Lambrecht was cited for Failure to have a Valid License.

(12-p.m. News)