United Group Insurance

Reminder: bridge projects to affect traffic on Hwy 92, east of Carson

News

May 29th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(CRESTON, Iowa DOT Construction Office News) – Motorists who travel on Iowa 92 between U.S. 59 and Pottawattamie County Road M-47 east of Carson should be aware of an upcoming bridge deck replacement project that could slow down their trip.

Beginning on Tuesday morning, May 30, until Thursday, Aug. 24, weather permitting, construction crews will work on replacing the bridge deck on the Iowa 92 bridge over Graybill Creek, 1.2 miles east of the junction with U.S. 59. Motorists on the bridge will be directed by traffic signals. A 10-foot-4-inch lane-width restriction and a 15-foot height restriction will be in place during this project.

In addition, a project to repair the Iowa 92 bridge over Jordan Creek one mile east of Carson will require closing Iowa 92 in both directions between U.S. 59 and Pottawattamie County Road M-47 starting Wednesday, June 1 at 7 a.m., weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston construction office. The closure is expected to be in place until Aug. 18.

During this project, traffic will be detoured around the work zone using U.S. 6, U.S. 59, and Iowa 48 (see map).

MARGARET MARY PETERSEN, 68, of Harlan (Mass of Christian Burial 6/3/23)

Obituaries

May 29th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

MARGARET MARY PETERSEN, 68, of Harlan, died Sunday, May 28, 2023, at home.  A Mass of Christian Burial for MARGARET MARY PETERSEN will be held 11-a.m. Saturday, June 3, 2023, at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, in Harlan.  Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Harlan has the arrangements.

Visitation at the funeral home is on Friday, June 2nd, from 5-until 8-p.m., with a Wake service at 7-p.m.

Burial is in the Harlan Cemetery.

MARGARET MARY PETERSEN is survived by:

Her husband – Marlin Petersen of Kirkman.

Her son – Steven (Jill) Obrecht, of Harlan.

Her brothers – Rick (Barb) Bruck and Randy Bruck (Kristy Davis), all of Manilla; Wayne Bruck (Linda Bentzen), of Defiance; Steve Bruck (Karla Moeller), of Harlan; and Eric (Patti) Bruck, of Storm Lake.

Her sisters – Rose (Quinten) Christensen, Marilyn (Dan) Martin, and Cheryl Petsche, all of Harlan .

and 4 grandchildren.

LIVIA ‘Suzette” BATES-LEAL, age 59, of Harlan (Svcs. 6/1/23)

Obituaries

May 29th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

LIVIA ‘Suzette” BATES-LEAL, age 59, of Harlan, died Sunday, May 28, 2o23, at home. Funeral services for LIVIA ‘Suzette” BATES-LEAL will be held 11-a.m. Thursday, June 1, 2023, at the Pauley-Jones Funeral Home, in Harlan.

Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Wed., May 31st, from 4-until 7-p.m.

Burial is in the Harlan Cemetery.

LIVIA ‘Suzette” BATES-LEAL is survived by:

Her sons – Shawn (Melinda) Bates, & Joseph (Jade), all of Harlan.
Her mother – Jessie Bates, of Irwin.
7 grandchildren and her niece, Jessica Anderson of Harlan.

ROBERTA STEIN, 81, of Atlantic (Svcs. Pending)

Obituaries

May 29th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

ROBERTA STEIN, 81, of Atlantic, died Sunday, May 28, 2023, at Atlantic Specialty Care. Services for ROBERTA STEIN are pending with Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic.

Condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.

Vehicle Crash into Camping World Council Bluffs

News

May 29th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – One person was injured this (Monday) morning, when a pickup plowed into a store in Council Bluffs. According to the Council Bluffs Police Department, Officers and Fire Department personnel responded at around 11:13-a.m. to Camping World, at 2802 S. 21st St., for a personal injury collision in which a vehicle drove into the building. Upon arrival, crews found a 2023 Ford F-150 Supercrew pickup truck had driven up over the parking stall in front of the building and penetrated about one-half the length of the vehicle into the building.  A worker who had been sitting at a desk inside the building on the opposite side of the wall was struck and propelled forward.

Photos courtesy the Council Bluffs PD

The worker sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported by private auto to the hospital.  The elderly driver of the vehicle was unharmed. The vehicle had driven between the main metal frameworks of the building and mainly damaged nonstructural support metal studs.  A hole approximately 12’ x 12’ was sustained in the side of the building.  Glass partition offices inside of the building were also damaged.

The vehicle was pulled out of the building by Arrow Towing. The case is still under investigation at this time.

Iowa’s Riley Moss on preparations in Denver

Sports

May 29th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

Former Iowa standout Riley Moss is trying to carve out a role on the Denver Broncos. Moss was a third round pick by the Broncos in last month’s NFL Draft and off-season training resumes on Tuesday.

Moss credits his track success in high school for elevating his career in football.

Moss says he has also learned how to be physical as a defensive back.

Look closely before you leap into renting a summer vacation property

News

May 29th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who are spending part of their Memorial Day looking for a place to rent for their upcoming summer vacation need to be wary of scams. Consumer protection expert Michelle Reinen advises everyone to do their homework first to make sure dream listings on sites like Vacation Rental By Owner or Air-B-N-B are real. “It looks beautiful, has enticing rooms and units, and gives you lots of accessories, if you will,” Reinen says, “and then when you show up and arrive, the lodging is of poor quality or may not even exist at all.”

The old rule about how “If it looks too good to be true,” still applies as Reinen says scammers are making fake listings with bogus reviews to entice people. She says to think twice about booking if the posted reviews are along the following lines. “If they all appear during a very short period of time, or have goofy names,” Reinen says, “or every single one is positive and five stars, there’s no four-star or three-star, nothing ever went wrong.” Reinen says you should be sure to make your payment through whatever program you’re using to find your rental, not a third party, and use a credit card so you’ll have recourse if there’s an issue.

“If you’re asked to move to a different platform to make a payment, cryptocurrency, wire money, pay cash, prepaid gift card, those are telltale signs of a scam,” she says. If you’re looking at more traditional rentals, be sure to read your rental agreement closely before signing. Also, be sure the rental property actually exists by checking out the property’s address with an online mapping program.

ING Leader gives Veterans Day keynote speech

News

May 29th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The leader of the Iowa National Guard, Brigadier General Stephen Osborn, was the keynote speaker at today’s (Monday) Memorial Day ceremony at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Van Meter. Osborn talked about the long history of the Iowa National Guard in supporting the regular Army back to World War One. “And the National Guard over that timeframe provided combat units and essential reinforcements to the regular army, bolstering the forces and contributing to the Allied victory,” Osborn says.

“The bravery in battle of thousands of Iowans — such as Edward Fleur, Donald McRae, and Harrison McHenry, all serving in France with the 168th Infantry Regiment of the Iowa Army National Guard when they were killed, defending freedom and fighting for their nation” He says out our nation today stands together in gratitude for the selflessness and sacrifice of the men and women who fought and died for our nation.

Brigadier General Stephen Osborn

“We remember their courage, their strength, and their dedication.We remember their actions, their achievements and their words. We remember the lives cut short, and the futures that would not be,” General Osborn says. Osborn says it is also important to remember those who supported the soldiers. “And as we remember those who laid down their lives, I would also like to take a moment to remember the loved ones they left behind. The ones who see these messages and are reminded that their mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives live on in the hearts and memories of so many,” Osborn says.

He says it’s import to remember them on this Memorial Day, and every day. “We must honor the lives of those who sacrifice for our freedoms. We must keep them in our memories. We must keep telling their stories and keep their legacies alive,” Osborn says. “But most of all, we must continue to live and serve our lives with honor so that our nation may be worthy of their sacrifice.” Osborn is a Davenport native who was named Adjutant General of the Iowa National Guard in March after serving as the Deputy Adjutant General.

Average wait time in an Iowa Emergency Room? 123 minutes

News

May 29th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Hospitals in the Des Moines metro are encouraging people to avoid emergency rooms, if possible, this summer and go to an urgent care clinic for less severe illnesses and injuries. The message comes as hospitals throughout the country deal with a critical shortage of nurses and expect to see the typical summertime increase in trauma cases. Jennifer Olson is the president of MercyOne Medical Group.

“If you have a finger that is possibly broken, then urgent care can definitely take care of something like that,” she says. “If you have a cough, but you’re not short of breath, urgent care is very much appropriate for that.”

Olson says if you have a serious break in a bone or are experiencing serious life threatening symptoms – like chest pains or shortness of breath – then go immediately to the E-R. According to a recent insurance industry analysis, the average wait time in an Iowa hospital emergency room is 123 minutes.

Three rural Iowa clinics to become eligible for higher reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid

News

May 29th, 2023 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Three more clinics in rural Iowa are being reclassified as “Federally Qualified Health Centers” — making them eligible for higher government reimbursement rates when treating Medicare and Medicaid patients. The Spencer Hospital operates clinics in Hartley, Milford and Sioux Rapids. The hospital’s board of trustees has voted to rebrand the clinics as “Access Health” and convert them to Federally Qualified Health Centers, also known as Community Health Centers. The move is expected to save the hospital 200-thousand dollars annually.

Not only will the three northwest Iowa clinics get higher reimbursement rates for treating patients enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid, there are federal grants available as well. The program, created in 1990, is meant to ensure health care services are available for uninsured and underserved residents in urban and rural areas.

Government records indicate there are 86 Community Health Centers in Iowa. Officials expect to complete the process of converting the clinics in Hartley, Milford and Sioux Rapids to Community Health Centers in August.