A Montgomery County man was injured during a single-vehicle rollover accident Thursday morning, in Pottawattamie County. According to the Sheriff’s Department, 20-year old Luis Rodriguez-Ibara, of Red Oak, was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic for treatment of unknown/possible injuries,

The accident happened at around 5:23-a.m., when the 2005 Nissan Ultima Rodriguez-Ibara was driving left the road off 510th Street and ended-up on its top, in a ditch. The crash remains under investigation.

A regular meeting of the Adair County Board of Supervisors will be held 9-a.m. Friday, at the courthouse in Greenfield. On their agenda, is discussion on the following: Computer bids, with regard to the County Recorder’s Office; Two representatives from MATURA will talk about the Neighborhood Center; Representatives with Chamber Mainstreet and General Relief will discuss with the Board a Courtyard Use Permit; The Adair County Treasurer will present resolutions for property tax abatements; and Sheriff Jeff Vandewater will discuss County Law Enforcement matters.

The last part of the meeting features County Engineer Nick Kauffmann, who will present a materials bid for a Local Option Sales Tax funded bridge project. He’ll also discuss and/or act on Credit Card Agreements for Secondary Road Employees, the Fiscal Year 2017 Annual D.O.T report, and present his regular report on department maintenance and activities.

The Iowa Department of Public Health is alerting Iowans to marketing phone calls offering prescriptions for pain relief creams or braces/devices. According to Iowa Board of Pharmacy Director Andrew Funk, third-party marketing firms are calling Iowans and asking if they are experiencing any pain; for instance, joint or back pain. In some cases, the call is initiated based on an online survey completed by the consumer.

As the conversation goes on, the sales representative collects the patient’s date of birth, prescriber’s name and, in some instances, their city of birth (which, in-turn may be used to “guess” the patient’s social security number in an attempt to obtain the patient’s third-party insurance information). They are then informed that a prescription topical cream or prescription brace or device may help alleviate the pain/discomfort.

The patient agrees (but isn’t always sure what they’re agreeing to) and the marketing firm sends a prescription request to the prescriber to sign, which gets routed to a pharmacy with which the marketing company has a contract, and is likely completely unknown to the patient (historically, these have been pharmacies outside Iowa). In many cases, the prescription drug has been pre-selected by an employee of the marketing firm who likely is not a health care practitioner.

Typically, these prescriptions are submitted to the patient’s insurance and oftentimes amount to tens of thousands of dollars. IDPH wants Iowans to know about this tactic and reminds them to be wary of divulging any personal information over the internet or phone (including date and city of birth). Patients should speak directly with their prescribers about effective pain relief solutions. Additionally, prescribers need to be diligent when reviewing prescription requests, especially for topical pain creams, braces or devices that come in via fax from a pharmacy out of state or unknown to the prescriber.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet Friday at 8:30-a.m.  On the agenda for their session at the courthouse, is canvassing of the votes from Tuesday’s School Board Election. The Board will also discuss filling the vacancy position of County Attorney.

Cass County Attorney David Wiederstein resigned from his position in August, effective Jan. 1st. He did so after the Supervisors voted to make the position full-time. Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman says whether a person is appointed or elected, the term will expire at the end of 2018. The position for the next four-year term beginning in January 2019, will appear on the 2018 Primary Election ballot.

If the Board chooses to appoint a county attorney, the public would have a 14-day window after appointment to submit a petition for a special election to fill the position. In other business, the Supervisors will act on approving a Resolution approving with Crow River Construction, contracts and bonds for a gray water transmission project, with regard to the Elite Octane Ethanol Plant project. And, a resolution approving an Easement Review and Purchase Agreement to acquire an easement for a gray water transmission pipe to cross railroad property of Hawkeye Land Company.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A judge won’t let a Des Moines woman use Iowa’s new “stand your ground” defense against charges that she killed her stepfather. The law says a person doesn’t have to retreat before using deadly force if the person thinks his or her life is being threatened.

Sera Alexander’s lawyer had argued that Alexander should be allowed to use the law although it took effect July 1, nearly two months after Anthony Hartmann was slain May 8. Alexander is accused of shooting to death Hartmann in the basement of her family’s Des Moines home.

Judge Robert Blink said in his ruling issued Tuesday that Alexander could not use the defense “because that law was prospective in nature.” Police have said Hartmann didn’t threaten or hurt Alexander immediately before he was shot.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley is firmly behind his grandson as a candidate to replace Bill Northey as Iowa’s secretary of agriculture.  Northey has been nominated to an undersecretary post at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is widely expected to be confirmed. State Rep. Pat Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford, has acknowledged his interest in succeeding Northey.

The Des Moines Register reports that Chuck Grassley said Wednesday that his grandson’s experience as a farmer and state legislator make him qualified to lead the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

And, Chuck Grassley says, “I hope he’ll be appointed.” Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is on a foreign trade mission, has said little about her plans for the appointment other than mentioning last week that several people were under consideration.

We won’t know for sure how many students are enrolled in the Atlantic School District until early next month, when administrators are required to update the figure to the State. However, Superintendent Steve Barber said at Wednesday evening’s School Board meeting, the numbers appear to be down significantly. They includes 13 or 14 students who have elected to take home schooled assistance, and another 13 or 14 who have opted not to Open enroll in the district, for a preliminary total of about 28 students.

Atlantic graduated 105 students in May, and brought in 101, or a net loss of four. While the deadline to Open Enroll students has passed, Barber says there may still be an influx of Open Enrollments, and the numbers seem to indicate that may be the case, for a number of reasons. The deadline is Sept. 1^st, but there are some late kindergarteners brought in. Others include families who have moved into the district, changing living arrangements, etc. The parent or parents must show just cause why they wish to enroll their student or students after the Sept. 1^st deadline to sign-up.

In other news, Superintendent Steve Barber said also the “punch list” is expected to be completed today (Thursday) for the district’s recently purchased and newly remodel building, formerly occupied by Cass, Incorporated. The list is the contractor’s way of showing all the facets of the building have been completed according to design and code.

Administrators are currently working through the process of what to name the building, which is tentatively known as the Cass County Educational Opportunity Center, or, CCEOC. A proposal with regard to that is likely to be presented before the school board next month. Barber says they hope to occupy the building no later than Sept. 28^th.

When finished, the CCEOC will house various programs and staff, along with students and staff from the LINK Center.

Four people were arrested for Disorderly Conduct Wednesday night, following an incident in Villisca. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were called to the 100 block of W. 2nd Street in Villisca at around 9:37-p.m. With assistance from the Iowa State Patrol, they arrested 26-year old Jesse Allen Luft, 24-year old Jasmine Leigh Weaver, and 40-year old Miguel Angel Ramos-Saldana, all of Villisca, along with Javier Ramos-Saldana.

All suspects were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond, each.