A Union County teen was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Creston following a rear-end collision Monday afternoon. Officials say 16-year old Paige Parsons, of Creston, was injured, when the 2000 Ford Explorer she was driving was hit from behind by a 1995 Ford Escort. Authorities say the driver of the car, 21-year old Lane Craven, of Gilman, escaped injury during the collision that happened at around 3:45-p.m. near Russell Street and State Highway 25/S. Sumner Avenue.

No citations were issued, but the police report did indicate Craven was following too close, and operating a vehicle in a reckless, erratic, careless, or negligent manner. Damage from the collision amounted to $3,000.

Police in Creston say a traffic stop late Monday night resulted in the arrest of a man on drug and other charges. 28-year old Christopher Edward Deboard, of Creston, was arrested at the intersection of Cherry St and College Drive in Creston for Interference w/Official Acts, Possession of a Controlled Substance-Marijuana 2^nd Offense, Possession of Paraphernalia, Possession of a Controlled Substance-Methamphetamine and OWI 1^st.

DeBoard was being held on a $2000 bond in the Union County Jail.

Does your mom or dad take care of a loved one (perhaps one cares for the other)? Do you have a relative who cares for a loved one who is aging? Do you know what your parents or relatives are going through? Your family member is in a new role of caregiver when helping a loved one with things he/she cannot do because of aging or a medical condition’s disabling effects. How do you better support your relative during this time?

Caregiving Relationships: Conversations on Aging, is a program for adult children supporting their aging caregiver parents or other loved ones. The program will be held on Tuesday, October 18th, 2016, 6:30 – 8:45 pm at the Cass County Extension office, 805 West 10th Street in Atlantic.

Research shows that spousal caregivers are more likely to provide care with help from adult children than to accept help from community supports or non-family members. Kim Brantner, Human Science Specialist in Family Life, says“You are a son or daughter to your parent(s) regardless of age, but your role description can change when your parent is in the role of a caregiver. The program helps adult children learn to recognize how caregiving affects relationships. It helps them discover their role in making decisions about their parents’ later life.” It also helps adult children build talking and listening skills and gain ideas on how to start difficult conversations.

The Caregiving Relationships course is the first of several opportunities Cass County Extension is offering to address family caregiving and healthy aging issues in the coming year. The next learning opportunity is the Powerful Tools for Caregivers program, a series of six, 2-1/2 hour classes designed especially for family caregivers. The series starts on Thursday, November 3 and continues weekly on Tuesdays November 10, 17, December 1, 8, and 15. There is no class on Thanksgiving. The six week series will be also be held at the Cass County Extension Office in Atlantic.

There is no cost to attend the Caregiving Relationships workshop on October 18th, but pre-registration is requested by Friday, October 14th. For more information on either program, or to register, contact Cass County Extension at 712-243-1132 or email keolson@iastate.edu. A brochure with more information is also available on the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

The City of Atlantic’s Planning and Zoning Commission will meet this evening in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall, to discuss Setback requirements set forth in the Zoning Ordinance, and other business related to the Zoning Ordinance Update. Their session begins at 5:30.

During the last meeting of the P&Z on Sept. 13th, the Commission heard from Rick Mendenhall, of Atlantic, who discussed his variance appeal with the board as it pertains to his property in the 200 block of Linn Street. The Commission tabled action on the matter until they could research more, the necessity of setbacks.

Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees spoke with City Administrator John Lund about setbacks, and recommended the Commission NOT reduce the setbacks that have already been established. According to McNees, the current setbacks of 6-feet in certain zones are somewhat less than what he would prefer, because in the event a structure catches fire, heat from the source expands, and can damage a nearby structure. McNees said there should be a minimum of 12-feet separation between two structures, with his preference being 20-feet. In any event, he says structures should not be placed closer together.

The Commission will have to consider safety, property rights and aesthetics when determining if any changes should be made to the Ordinance, with regard to setbacks.

Many Iowans are ambivalent about the choices in the presidential election but this will be the first time in the voting booth for thousands of young people — and they need to be encouraged. Carolyn Thiele, with the League of Women Voters in Omaha-Council Bluffs, says they’re spreading the message on sidewalks using spray chalk to remind everyone to register and vote in November.

“The league’s mission is to make democracy work better and that only happens if everybody’s voting,” Thiele says. “It’s just that gentle, fun reminder that yes, this is an important part of being a citizen in this country.” Art students helped to design the stencils for the chalk-painting project with slogans like “Be a voter!” and “Go vote!” in English and Spanish. Several area high schools are being enlisted to join the effort.

“The sophomores that are part of the Partnership 4 Kids are going to be doing a lesson on voting and after that, they’re going to be doing a service learning project where they’re going to help us put the chalk messages around their community,” Thiele says. “They’re also going to help us organize a voter registration drive in their high school so if there are any 18-year-olds, they’ll be able to register to vote and vote for the first time in November.”

Election Day is November 8th.

(Radio Iowa)