Firefighters from Audubon, Templeton and Dedham were on the scene of a hog confinement facility fire this (Thursday) morning, in Audubon County. Audubon Fire Chief John Ballou told KJAN News the blaze at the private hog confinement facility located at 2516 150th Street, northeast of Audubon, was reported at around 7:20-a.m.  About 20 hogs were lost, but another 360 were saved.

Ballou said when the arrived the entire attic space was on fire. At that point tanker trucks from Templeton and Dedham were called-in to assist.  The flames were confined to the attic area and knocked down to prevent them from spreading. The Chief said a man at the facility told him he saw arcing and burning around the wires leading into the attic.

A dollar amount of the damage was not available, but Ballou said the roof will likely need to be replaced. No injuries were reported. Crews were on the scene for a little more than two-hours.

(In an update to our story posted online Wednesday night and heard this (Thursday) morning on KJAN), the Cass County Sheriff’s office says an accident that occurred at around 5:30-p.m. resulted in two-people being transported to the hospital in Atlantic.

Authorities say 55-year-old Paul Stinn, of Atlantic, was driving a 2004 Ford pickup westbound on Highway 6 near the railroad overpass, and had slowed for traffic in front of him. A 2002 Dodge Dakota pickup driven by 35-year-old Heather Possehn, of Audubon, rear-ended Stinn’s truck, causing a total of about $20,000 damage.

Authorities cited Possehn for Failure to Stop.

The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund recently donated $300 to the Friday Friends Backpack Program. The program helps provide weekend meals for students in need in the Atlantic school district.

Officials with the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, say a recent audit by Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Co. P.C., shows the hospital remained financially strong during the 2014 fiscal year. Susan Daniels, CCMH Chief Financial Officer, said “The staff at CCMH is to be commended on another great year for the hospital. Our knowledgeable staff is increasingly important during this time of change in the national healthcare landscape, and we appreciate their efforts to keep CCMH a first-class hospital and economic engine in our community.”

Highlights of the audit include:
• The hospital’s unrestricted funds revenues totaled $38.95-million (for the year ending June 30, 2014), which is a 2.4 percent increase from 2013.
• The revenues included $33.4-million in net patient revenue, $638,300 in other operating revenue, $2.16-million from the county and $132,200 in investment income.
• Expenses for the year totaled nearly $36.3-million, a 2.6 percent increase from the prior year, and included just over $6.2-million for nursing services, nearly $13.7-million for other professional services and $8.86-mllion for fiscal and administrative services.

The increase in revenues was primarily due to higher reimbursement for services provided to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, as well as increased retail pharmacy income. The increase in expense was primarily due to increased depreciation and interest as a result of the hospital completing its construction projects.

There were no necessary corrective measures indicated in the audit. A copy of the audit report is available for review in the offices of the Auditor of State and the CCMH Chief Executive Officer.

Police in Council Bluffs are looking for a suspect involved in a convenience store robbery early this (Thursday) morning. Police Sgt. Chad Meyers said at around 2:50-a.m., a white man about 5-feet 9-inches tall, with an average build, entered the Kum-and-Go store at 2024 5th Avenue in Council Bluffs. The man, who was armed with a large wrench, approached the clerk and demanded money.

Still shot of robbery suspect taken from surveillance video.

The clerk grabbed a baseball bat and told the man to leave. The suspect then began throwing items at the clerk, who in-turn swung the bat at the suspect several times, but missed. The suspect fled the store and was last seen running eastbound in an alley behind the store.

The suspect was wearing a black and grey coat, stocking cap, and had a red scarf covering his face. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Council Bluffs Police Dept. at 712-328-STOP. Information that leads to an arrest and conviction is eligible for a cash reward.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad’s office announced today (Thursday), the Governor has made several appointments to Iowa’s various boards and commissions. Included among the more than one-half dozen appointees, is Kathleen Parris, of Audubon (to the Health Facilities Council), and Timothy Carmody, of Council Bluffs (to the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Council).

The appointments are effective today (Nov. 20th), are unpaid positions, and are subject to Iowa Senate confirmation in the 2015 legislative session.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Anti-smoking activists are launching a campaign calling on Iowa’s largest grocery store chain to end tobacco sales at locations with pharmacies and clinics. The Iowa Tobacco Prevention Alliance said Thursday that Hy-Vee, Inc. should stop selling cigarettes, chewing tobacco and e-cigarettes at those locations to demonstrate its commitment to its customers’ health.

The alliance noted that Hy-Vee is a leader of Iowa’s “Healthiest State Initiative” and has taken many steps to focus on health and wellness. Executive director Jeneane Moody said selling tobacco products is inconsistent with those values.

She said the group went public with its campaign after Hy-Vee didn’t respond to a letter requesting a meeting to discuss the issue. CVS ended tobacco products at its stores earlier this year.