w/ Ric Hanson

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Meetings are planned this month in more than 100 Iowa towns where the U.S. Postal Service plans to reduce hours at post offices. Peter Hass, a spokesperson for the U-S-P-S in Iowa, says window hours could be reduced to 2, 4 or 6 hours a day depending on the location. “We want to hear our customers’ feedback on what their preferences are and we’re going to be doing community meetings in every community where we have a proposed change in the retail hours for a post office,” Hass said.

The USPS originally proposed closing 3,700 rural post offices around the country to cut costs, but altered the plan to simply reduce retail hours. Hass notes access to a post office’s P.O. Boxes would remain the same under the plan – only access to a clerk to buy stamps or mail a package would be limited.

The meetings happening in Iowa begin next week. Hass said Iowans who can’t attend a meeting in their community can still provide feedback. “Prior to the meetings, we’re sending out notifications to our customers in those communities with a survey, so they can provide their input in that way as well,” Hass said. The USPS is searching for ways to cut costs in response to a 25% drop in mail volume in the past five years. The plan to reduce rural post office hours is projected to save the Postal Service $500 million a year.

Here is a partial schedule of the meetings set to occur at Post Offices or other locations in southwest Iowa:

Oct. 9^th: 6-p.m. at the Braddyville City Hall.

Oct. 15^th: Orient Post Office, 2:15-p.m.; Fontanelle Post Office, 4-p.m; Cumberland Post Office- 5:15-p.m.; Grant Post Office, 6:30-p.m.

Oct. 16^th: Prescott Post Office, 2-p.m.

Oct. 17^th: De Soto Post Office, 1-pm.; Macksburg Post Office, 2:30-p.m.

Other location and meeting times can be found here: http://about.usps.com/news/electronic-press-kits/our-future-network/post-plan.htm#toggle_oct2012

(Radio Iowa/Ric Hanson)

Deputies in Montgomery County are investigating a residential burglary in Villisca. Officials say sometime between 3:30-p.m. Sunday and 9-a.m. Monday, someone entered the bedroom of a home in the 100-block of West 5th Street, in Villisca. Entry was gained through a screen window. Inside, the person or persons responsible for the theft, took $260 in cash bills and a mason jar with an estimated $35 in change. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office’ Crime Stoppers line at 1-800-432-1001.

DENVER (AP) — CenturyLink workers in 13 states in the West and Midwest are authorizing a strike, if union leaders and the telecommunications company can’t reach a contract agreement. The Communications Workers of America said Monday that more than 88 percent of those voting backed the action. The union and Monroe, La.-based CenturyLink are trying to reach a new contract for 13,000 employees before the current contract expires Saturday night. The employees include customer service agents, network technicians and Internet support workers. The union approved a strike during contract talks in 2008 but a work stoppage wasn’t ordered. CWA spokesman Al Kogler said the union opposes a proposed increase in health care premiums and wants to bring more jobs back to the U.S. CenturyLink workers in Montana are negotiating a separate contract.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Musician Jon Bon Jovi will perform at free events in Iowa City and Des Moines in support of President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign. Obama’s campaign announced Monday that Bon Jovi would give acoustic performances Friday at 3:30 p.m. in Hubbard Park in Iowa City and at 6:45 p.m. at Western Gateway Park in Des Moines. Local elected officials and volunteers also will speak at the rallies, which the campaign says will promote early voting. Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan is holding events Monday and Tuesday in eastern Iowa timed to encourage early voting by supporters of GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Vice President Joe Biden will stress the same message on Thursday in Iowa. The Bon Jovi event is free but tickets available at Obama officers are required.

Four people suffered what were described as minor injuries during a rollover accident early this (Tuesday) morning on Interstate 80, here in Cass County. According to the Cass County Communications Center dispatches, a vehicle rolled into the median just east of mile marker 60 (the Highway 71 exit). Atlantic and Anita Fire and Rescue, and Medivac ambulance were called to the scene. All four persons in the vehicle were said to be conscious and breathing following the crash, which was reported at 3:27-a.m. Their injuries included cuts from flying glass, and a possible broken ankle. A semi is believed to have been involved in the accident. No other details are available at this time. Cass County Sheriff’s deputies and the Iowa State Patrol were still on the scene investigating just before 4-a.m., but early indications are drugs or alcohol may have played a role in the crash. Dispatch reports indicated a gun was also found in the vehicle or on one of the subjects injured.

Officials with the Cass County Soil & Water Conservation District Commission (SWCD) report they have designated $5,000 of their Iowa Financial Incentives Program (IFIP) funds to offer cost-share assistance to individuals for planting cover crops on cropland in Cass County.  Cover crops are used to reduce soil erosion and capture residual fertilizer to protect soil resources and water quality.

Farmers interested in this assistance should come into the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office at the USDA Service Center on 503 W. 7^th Street in Atlantic or call the office at 712-243-3180.  Applications will be accepted on a “first come – first serve” basis.  Approved applications will receive a one-time payment of $20.00 per acre on a maximum of 25 acres.  Applications need to be made by Monday, October 8^th .

Officials with the Cass County Memorial Hospital Foundation said Monday, that they have raised over $280,000 for the Cass County Health System Healing Garden. The funds come from generous gifts made by individuals, families, foundations and businesses.  The foundation says they are currently at 93-percent of their campaign goal of reaching $300,000.

CCMH Healing Garden (Cass. Co. Health System photo)

The Healing Garden is adjacent to the hospital cafeteria, and opened July 31, 2012.

CCMH Foundation Director Dawn Marnin said in a press release, that “It is so rewarding to see so many patients, visitors and staff enjoying the garden at all hours of the day.”  Marnin says she’s “Received countless comments about how relaxing and beneficial just a few minutes in the garden can be, (and) it’s a joy to know (it is) having such a positive impact.”

Marnin says there is still time to have a donor recognition paver or plaque installed this fall, but only for a limited time.  Donor recognition gifts are available for $250 and up.  To sponsor an area of the garden or purchase a paver in honor or memory of someone special in your life, contact the CCMH Foundation office soon.  While the opportunity to donate and have a paver or plaque installed, is only available until October 10th. Marnin says gifts of all sizes are appreciated.

For more information, go to www.casshealth.org.,   or contact Dawn Marnin, CCMH Foundation Director 712-243-7409.

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa said Monday, a Douglas County, NE., man was sentenced Friday to one and a-half years in prison for failing to register with the sex offender registry. United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner handed down the 18-month prison sentence to 42-year old Richard Elliot Hansen. Gritzner also ordered Hansen to serve a five-year term of supervised release following incarceration.

On May 3rd, 2012, Hansen entered a guilty plea to failing to register with the Pottawattamie County, Sheriff’s Office, as required when he began employment in Council Bluffs. Law enforcement determined in November of 2011 that Hansen had been employed at a Council Bluffs business for approximately two months without registering with the Sheriff’s Office as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.

The investigation was conducted by the United States Marshal’s Service, and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

A Judge in Pottawattamie County, Friday, sentenced a Council Bluffs man to more than three and one-half years in prison, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa said Monday evening, that the sentence was handed down against 39-year old Lawrence Anthony Cipolla, from Chief United States District Court Judge James E. Gritzner. The judge sentenced Cipolla to 45-months in prison, to be followed by 2 years of supervised release. The Court also ordered Cipolla to pay a $100.00 special assessment for the Crime Victim Fund. Cipolla remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending designation of the Federal Bureau of Prisons facility at which he will serve his sentence.

On March 28, 2012, Cipolla was charged in a two-count Superseding Indictment with being a felon in possession of a firearm and distribution of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Cipolla entered his plea of guilty to the firearms charge on June 28, 2012. The firearms charge arose from the July 21, 2011 sale of a .44 caliber revolver by Cipolla to a confidential informant.

The case was investigated by the SouthWest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.