Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ouida Hargens, Thursday afternoon, announced she has resigned from her position. She has reportedly decided to resign to help her husband focus on his grain and livestock hedging business, and to pursue some other possible, future opportunities within the community.

In a statement, Hargens said “After careful consideration, I have decided to resign from my position of Executive Director of the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.  I moved to Atlantic in March of 2013 to take the position of the Programs Director. By April my passion for the community resembled that of a long-time resident.  In October, the same year, I took the position of the Executive Director. The community and membership has embraced me with open arms.”

Ouida Hargens

She went on to say “Your support helped me to reach many of my career goals. Strengthening partnerships within the community through the collaborative website www.atlanticiowa.com.  Growing the resources within the organization by securing three new Community Investors. Engaging members and volunteers in the Total Resource Campaign creating the most successful campaign two years in a row.”

“The goal of $90,000 was surpassed by $20,000, tripling the amount of funds previously raised. The $110,000 sponsorship campaign included participation of over 60% of our members.” The success of the campaign she said, has allowed for the addition of new programs and events to the community, as well as new memberships.

“All of these goals,” she said, “Were accomplished because of the support of the membership, community, and volunteers. Also, the time and dedication given by staff especially Chelsea Cousins, Alli Krogman and Bailey Smith, our current Program Director. All three were amazing, creative and talented women to work side by side with.”

Hargens closed by saying “Thank you again for all the opportunities and support.”

ADEL, Iowa (AP) — Iowa election officials say nearly 6,000 Dallas County absentee ballots went uncounted from the Nov. 8 election because of mistakes by local election officials. A letter from the Iowa Secretary of State’s office says a total of 5,842 ballots went uncounted, but the office acknowledges the missed votes did not change the outcome of any election on the ballot in the central Iowa county. The office says local officials tallied the votes, but failed to upload those tallies to software that compiles vote reports.

The omission of the ballots wasn’t discovered until Feb. 1. In the letter to Dallas County officials, Deputy Secretary of State Carol Olson said while the omissions were due to mistakes, “it is chilling to contemplate the possibility that winners could easily have been affected.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republicans on a legislative committee have approved a bill that would make big changes to Iowa’s collective bargaining law for public employees. The Senate Labor and Business Relations Committee approved the bill Thursday after hearing strong opposition from Democratic lawmakers, all of whom voted against the measure.

Iowa’s current collective bargaining law allows public sector employees like teachers, nurses and correctional officers to negotiate job benefits, including health insurance, extra pay and seniority. The proposed legislation would specifically prohibit those discussions.

Republicans say the bill, which includes exemptions for some public safety workers, will give employers greater flexibility to reward top employees. Unions argue it will hurt Iowa’s workforce and is meant to weaken unions.

The bill is expected to be debated on the Senate and House floors next week.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office said today (Thursday), a man from Malvern who was arrested after he was apprehended by a Fremont County K9 unit at around 3:45-a.m., has been charged with Possession of Burglary Tools, Interference with Official Acts, Theft in the 2nd Degree, Ongoing Criminal Conduct and Criminal Trespass with Injury. 37-year old Jeremy Lynn Erickson was being held in the Mills County Jail on $34,000 bond.

Jeremy L. Erickson

The Sheriff’s Department said also, 38-year old Nicholas Jason Manolia was arrested Wednesday night in Malvern for Obstruction of Emergency Communication. His bond was set at $300. And, 50-year old Denise Christine Russell, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Wednesday night along Highway 34 in Mills County, for Driving Under Suspension. Her bond was set at $300.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate issued the following statement today regarding a discrepancy in the vote totals reported by the Dallas County Auditor’s Office.

“One of the first components of my Election Integrity Act when I announced it last month was establishing post-election audits. I am asking the Iowa Legislature to give me the authority to conduct them. A post-election audit in Dallas County would have caught and fixed this problem. The Election Integrity Act is a comprehensive proposal aimed at modernizing technology, streamlining the process, protecting against human error and the potential for fraud, and instilling confidence in our electoral system. This bill would help ensure things like what happened in Dallas County never happen again.” – Paul Pate, Iowa Secretary of State

Secretary Pate issued a technical infraction to the Dallas County Auditor’s Office as a result of these errors.

A letter from the Dallas County Auditor’s Office explaining the situation is available at this link: https://s3.amazonaws.com/socialmedia.sos.iowa.gov/photos/DallasCountyResponsePDF.pdf

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – One of the companies involved in Iowa’s privately managed Medicaid system intends to reduce payments to agencies that serve thousands of people with disabilities, which is raising concerns that some of the organizations could go out of business.

The Des Moines Register reports that letters sent this week show AmeriHealth Caritas plans to cut the rates to the minimum. AmeriHealth is one of three national insurance companies that took over management of Iowa’s Medicaid program last April. The program covers about 600,000 Iowa residents, including tens of thousands with serious disabilities.

The company negotiated higher rates than Iowa required it to pay community agencies for services given to residents with disabilities. But contracts with the agencies allow the management company to cut those rates at any time.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following an accident Wednesday afternoon, east of Clarinda. Authorities say 38-year old Troy Donavan Peterson, of Essex, was driving a 1995 International 1000 series panel truck owned by UPS from Des Moines, and was traveling east in a driveway at 2215 U Avenue, after making a delivery.

55-year old Brenda Rose Lisle,  of 2215 U Avenue was westbound in the driveway in her 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee. As both vehicles approached a curve in the single lane drive, their front ends collided, causing heavy, but functional damage. The accident happened at around 1:18-p.m.

The UPS truck and SUV sustained an estimated $5,000 damage each.

This week, state officials have launched I-Able (https://www.iable.gov/)– a new savings plan for Iowans who want to save for the care of a mentally or physically disabled family member. State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald says Iowa is partnering with 14 states to offer this program. “Through our partnership, we were able to accomplish our goals to make this simple and easy and, especially the investment options, easy to understand,” Fitzgerald says. “We make it inexpensive. You can start an IAble plan for as little as $25.”

Fitzgerald says I-Able gives Iowans concerned about the well-being of a loved one the opportunity save for future disability-related expenses. “You can save for housing, transportation, assistive technology, education and much more,” Fitzgerald says. “Families can save up to $14,000 per year.”

However, there is an upper limit to each account of 100-thousand dollars in total contributions. Savers will get a tax break, similar to the “College Savings Iowa” accounts Fitzgerald’s office also manages. In addition, these I-Able savings accounts won’t make the Iowan ineligible for Social Security Disability benefits or Medicaid. “That’s a real important feature for families and people with disabilities,” Fitzgerald says.

Under current rules, a disabled American loses their Social Security Disability and Medicaid benefits if they have more than two-thousand dollars in savings. Fitzgerald officially unveiled the I-Able program THIS week, but the website went live LAST week and five people found it and signed up. “We know the need is there, but we wanted to make sure all the bells and whistles were working,” Fitzgerald says. “…When we say it’s smooth and easy, we want to make sure it is.”

I-Able was developed based on tax breaks outlined in the federal “Achieving a Better Life Experience” or ABLE Act.

(Radio Iowa)

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports one person was arrested on a warrant related to a drug charge. 19-year old Deontas Isaiah Davis, of Council Bluffs, was arrested today (Thursday) at around 1:15-a.m., following a traffic stop. A records check indicated Davis was wanted on a Council Bluffs Police warrant for Failure to Appear in court on Possession of a Controlled Substance, charge.

And, 27-year old Nathan Jeffrey Nissen, of Council Bluffs, turned himself-in to authorities, Wednesday morning. Nissen was wanted on a warrant for Probation Violation.

Many people wait until there is a crisis to discuss financing for long-term care. Planning ahead can make decisions easier on both the caregiver and the care receiver. To help families begin to have these important discussions, Cass County Extension is pleased to be hosting the Finances of Caregiving series this winter. Finances of Caregiving is a new series of 5 workshops designed to help families plan together for the care receiver’s care. The series begins Tuesday, February 21, and runs for 5 consecutive Tuesdays from 6:30 – 8:30 PM at the Cass County Extension Office in Atlantic.

“It is important to plan ahead while the care receiver still has the capacity to sign legal documents. It is also important to involve all members of the family so that the care receiver’s wishes are clearly understood,” says instructor Sandra McKinnon, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Human Science Specialist, Family Finance.

“Life expectancy for Americans continues to increase, so it is more and more likely that most adults will be caring for an elderly parent or relative,” says McKinnon. Long term caregiving has significant financial consequences for caregivers, particularly for women. If it is necessary for the caregiver to leave work or reduce hours, they will need to prepare for retirement while providing care.

“Understanding your choices means knowing your current situation,” says McKinnon.  “This program guides you through finding and collecting that information. In this workshop, caregivers and care receivers create an information binder to help family members when a crisis does occur. It will take time, but it will be time well spent,” she adds.

The fee for the entire series is $20. Each participant receives a financial binder and other planning resources that they will use to create a family care plan throughout the course. Family members are encouraged to attend together to create a comprehensive plan that is respectful to the wishes of all parties.

The workshop series is presented by Cass County Extension. To register, contact the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132, or stop by 805 West 10th St., in Atlantic.You can also visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/ for more information, or a printable registration form.