A Glenwood man was arrested Sunday, on a felony assault charge. According to Glenwood Police, 50-year old Carl Galvan was taken into custody for felony Domestic Abuse Assault, and, unlawful possession of Prescription drugs. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

Also arrested Sunday in Glenwood, was 39-year old Lance Cole, of Glenwood, who was charged with Driving While Revoked. His bond was set at $1,000.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman from Underwood was arrested Sunday morning  for OWI/1st offense. 28-year old Jessica Archer was taken into custody after she was pulled over at around 2:40-a.m. in Underwood, for not having registration plates. The deputy observed Archer showed signs of impairment before placing her under arrest.

Late Saturday night, a Clarinda Corrections Officer, 55-year old David William Berry, of Elliott, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, after he was pulled over in Oakland at around 11:50-p.m., for driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway.

And, 52-year old Lorene Mae Pucelik, of Harlan, was arrested for OWI/1st offense and Failure to Maintain Control, after she was pulled over in Oakland at around 9:20-p.m., Friday. The woman’s husband had called authorities saying he was concerned for her welfare when she didn’t show up to meet him at the Avoca High School football game, Friday.

Gov. Terry Branstad has announced that the Abigail Adams Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution would be the 5th award recipient of private funds used to promote historical projects around Iowa.  Kristine Bartley, Regent of the Abigail Adams Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) joined Gov. Branstad in the announcement.

To date, the Iowa History Fund has provided funds to:

• restore Gov. Samuel Merrill’s mausoleum in Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines;
• construct a monument honoring the six Littleton brothers near Wapello;
• assemble the Hugh Sidey Collection in Greenfield; and
• repair gravesites at the 160 year old St. Wenceslaus Church Cemetery in Spillville.

The 5^th Iowa History Fund award, in the amount of $10,000, is being granted to finalize the fundraising effort to install more than 300 unmarked baby graves in Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines.  The Iowa History Fund contribution will match other private contributions from Kurt Rasmussen, Suku Radia and Prairie Meadows to meet the organization’s overall goal of raising just under $27,000.

Starting in 1848, 501 babies were buried in a special area of Woodland Cemetery.  At the time, most were given a number and a small wooden cross that eventually deteriorated.  In 2006, Gerald A. LaBlanc initiated a campaign to complete a headstone marker for each grave.  LaBlanc, now almost 90 years old, has been an educator, advocate, tour guide, fundraiser and spark plug for preservation, restoration and appreciation of the historic site.  He secured the funds for 196 of 501 headstones but was unable to complete the project alone.  Stepping up in service, the Abigail Adams Chapter DAR has taken the initiative to complete the project.

DES MOINES, IA (October 10, 2016) – Despite rising health premiums, Iowa employers are asking employees with single (employee-only) and family coverage to contribute about the same as they did in 2015. Remarkably similar to previous studies, Iowa employees with single coverage are paying 17.1 percent of the total health premium (employer and worker contributions combined), while employees with family coverage contribute about 31 percent of the family premium. This is according to the 2016 Iowa Employer Benefits Study(c), the 18th annual study conducted by David P. Lind Benchmark of Clive, an employee benefits research firm. One-thousand-twenty-five Iowa employers participated in this year’s survey.

The study also found that Iowa employer health insurance premiums increased an average of 8.0 percent from 2015 to 2016. This factors in employers receiving an increase, decrease, or no change in their premiums. The Iowa average represents the premium increase employers received prior to making design changes to their medical insurance plans. After the health plans were modified by employers – such as increasing employee cost-sharing arrangements – the increase over last year was 5.9 percent for single premiums and one-half percent for family premiums. During the similar period, wages for Iowans increased by 3.7% (source: Iowa Workforce Development). The study also showed:

* The combined average annual premiums for all types of medical plans offered by Iowa employers (HMO, PPO, Traditional Indemnity and Consumer-Driven Health Plans) were $6,509 (up 5.9% from 2015) for employee-only coverage and $15,743 (up 0.5%) for employees who include family members. Since 1999, the year this study began, the single premium has increased by 215 percent while the family premium has increased by 186 percent.

* Employees are asked to contribute $93 monthly for employee-only coverage, similar to last year. Employees with family members are asked to pay over $403 a month, a slight decrease compared to last year ($417). Over the course of 18 years (1999-2016), employee contributions have increased by 151 percent for single coverage and 128 percent for family coverage.  In sharp contrast, the Iowa Workforce Development shows the average weekly wage (for all industries) earned in Iowa increased by 46.4 percent between 2000 and 2015. It is important to note that employers continue to pay about 83 percent of the total single-health premium and 69 percent of the family premium – similar to results from past studies.

* The average deductibles that Iowa employees are required to pay in 2016 dropped slightly for single coverage ($1,627) when compared to last year’s average ($1,662). The 2016 family deductible ($3,382) remained statistically unchanged from 2015. Despite this glacial change, deductibles since 2004 for both single and family have risen by 188 percent and 185 percent, respectively.

* In the six years (2005-2010) prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, family health premiums for Iowa employers have increased by almost 31 percent. Since 2010, family premiums increased by only 18.4 percent during 2011-2016.

* From the 2011 – 2016 post-ACA period, contributions by employees with family coverage have increased by only nine percent, compared to 23.5 percent during the 2005-2010 period.

* The percentage change in family deductibles during the same pre-ACA period was 71 percent (from $1,547 to $2,644), compared to the family deductible increase of six percent during the post-ACA period.

As health insurance costs continue to rise, employers contain their health insurance costs by:

* Passing some or all of the increased costs to their employees (51 percent)
* Absorbing the entire cost increase (30 percent)
* Increasing deductibles (23 percent)
* Raising employees’ out-of-pocket costs (13 percent)
* Increasing co-payments for office visits (10 percent)
* Changing insurance companies (9 percent)
* Reducing pay raises or bonuses (8.5 percent)
* Offering Consumer-Driven Health Plans (7 percent)
* Increasing prescription drug co-payments (5 percent)
* Hiring fewer new employees (5 percent)
* Beginning wellness program initiatives (2 percent)

When asked about important reasons for changing health plans, Iowa employers felt that reducing long-term health costs and complying with government regulations were equally important when making coverage decisions. In addition, encouraging employees to better understand health costs and to become more engaged when seeking care are also important to employers.

In 2016, 79 percent of all Iowa employers reported offering health coverage, a slight increase from 76 percent in 2015. The most apparent reason for this increase is that more employers with fewer than 50 employees are reportedly offering health insurance to attract and retain employees in a seemingly more competitive employment market. “Reported premium increases by employers this past year does not appear to have meaningfully impacted employee costs through payroll deductions and through higher deductibles. Based on our recent findings, this one year hiatus from such increases has been beneficial to employee cost-sharing responsibilities. It does appear that post-ACA results show that such costs have only moderately increased when compared to pre-ACA results,” noted David P. Lind Benchmark President, David Lind.

The 2016 Iowa Employer Benefits Study(c) was conducted during the spring and summer of 2016.  Results are based on 1,025 responses from 4,798 randomly selected employers with two or more employees. For the overall sample, the results are accurate to within plus or minus 3.0 percent, at a 95 percent confidence level.  Data Point Research, Inc., of Ames, provided the statistical analysis and mathematical basis for the study.

David P. Lind Benchmark (DPLB) is an independent, for-profit, and non-partisan employee benefits research firm located in Clive, Iowa. Since 1999, DPLB has provided scientifically-based research to assist private and public employers and policy makers in their decision making. The Iowa Employer Benefits Study(c) is a comprehensive, statistical review of Iowa employee benefits and healthcare that is conducted annually by David P. Lind Benchmark.

The Creston Police Department say three people were arrested on drug charges over the weekend. Early Sunday morning, 21-year old Nathaniel Dewitt-Patterson, of Creston, was arrested on charges of OWI 1st, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Paraphernalia. And, 21-year old Gage Cheers, of Creston, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both men were later released from the Union County Jail on $1000 bond, each. And, Saturday morning, 22-year old Clinton Marshall, of Corning, was arrested in Creston for OWI/ 2^nd offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Paraphernalia and Driving While Barred. He was released from the Union County Jail on a $2000 bond.

Creston Police said also, 48-year old Gail Cheers, of Creston, was arrested Sunday for Driving While Revoked. He was later released on $300 bond. And, 33-year old Erin Wallace, of Creston, was arrested Sunday for Domestic Abuse/Assault. She was transferred to the Rinngold County Jail and held while awaiting bond.

On Friday, Creston Police arrested 20-year old  Jeremy Ebrecht, of Creston, on a Taylor County Warrant for two counts of Contempt – Violation of No Contact/Protection Order. Ebrecht was transferred to the custody of Taylor County.