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IDPH official: Iowa faces the worst flu season in years

News

January 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A top Iowa health official calls this the worst flu season the state has seen in many years. State Epidemiologist Patricia Quinlisk noted Friday that influenza will likely keep going around until April. She says vaccines are still available, but people may have to call more than one location to find where shots are available.

Complete statewide figures on the number of flu cases are not available. The state gets data from 21 of Iowa’s 118 hospitals. At those hospitals, there were 141 hospitalizations due to influenza in the first week of January. Quinlisk says there were never more than 20 hospitalizations during that same week in the past few years. Flu deaths are not immediately reported to the Iowa health department, so a tally isn’t now available.

Bar Burglary in Adams County

News

January 11th, 2013 by admin

An Adams County man was arrested on Thursday for breaking into Carbon Bar on 1008 8th St in Corning. According to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office Dale Anson was arrested on a warrant for breaking into Carbon Bar and charged with Burglary/3rd Degree and Theft/5th Degree. Anson is being held on $5,000 bond.

Atlantic Medical Center running out of flu vaccine

News

January 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

Officials at the Atlantic Medical Center (AMC)  announced Friday that they no longer have any flu vaccine available for people over 2 years of age.  Jeri Orstad, RN, AMC Immunization Nurse, checked with Cass County Public Health and the Hy-Vee Pharmacy, and confirmed they have also used all of their vaccine supply. The  AMC does have limited doses available for children ages 6 months to two years.

Officials say some children in that age group will require two doses of vaccine. Your personal healthcare provider will advise you of your child’s needs.  For those who do need two doses parents are reminded to bring them back for the second dose, to ensure they receive the full vaccine benefit.

According to the Centers for Disease Control Website, everyone should utilize the following good health habits to avoid spreading flu and other infectious diseases:

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
  • Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
  • If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
  • While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
  • Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs like the flu.

G & R Grain bankruptcy update

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Trustee for a Portsmouth granary which closed January 1st, has issued an update on the status of bankruptcy proceedings.  Deborah L. Petersen, Trustee for the G & R Feed and Grain Co., Inc., case, said Friday that the USDA is still finalizing their calculations, however, they have determined that they will begin taking bids for sale of all stored grain on Monday, January 14th, 2013. Once the stored grain is all sold by the USDA, each producer with a warehouse receipt for stored grain will receive a letter from the USDA. Producers can expect to receive a check for their stored grain within 4 – 6 weeks after all grain is sold and delivered. At this point, there is no action for producers to take with the USDA. The USDA will announce further details as they become available.

G & R Feed and Grain filed a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy case on January 1st, 2013. The Iowa Department of Agriculture is in the process of reviewing all deferred price contracts. They are sending letters to producers who sold grain to G & R. The letter indicates that holders of signed credit-sale contracts do not qualify for payment from the Iowa Depositors and Seller Indemnity Fund, but you may qualify for other partial payments. Producers who sold grain for cash or who sold grain on an unsigned contract, who were not paid, may qualify for the Indemnity Fund and may receive up to 90% of their claim, with certain limits. These producers may proceed to file their claims with the Iowa Department of Agriculture, as well as with the Bankruptcy Court.

Petersen says G & R intends to have complete schedules filed in the Bankruptcy Court soon. Once filed and completed, everyone listed will receive a notice from the Bankruptcy Court. The Notice contains information on how to file a claim with the Bankruptcy Court. If you have a claim for a deferred price contract, or other amount due you, you should take action to timely file a claim. If you have a contract for future delivery of grain, you will soon receive notice of rejection of that contract, as the Trustee will not be fulfilling those contracts. Once the Rejection is finalized, then the Trustee has no further interest in the contract and the producer will not be required to fulfill the contract and can sell or otherwise dispose of the grain as the producer desires.

Petersen says as the Trustee, she has taken possession of all assets, other than the stored grain, and is taking action to liquidate as soon as possible. There are many other matters still in the information gathering stage. Petersen says if you have legal questions, including how to file a claim, you shoudl contact an attorney of your choice.

LORRAINE LARSEN, 94, of Audubon (Svcs. at a later date)

Obituaries

January 11th, 2013 by admin

LORRAINE LARSEN, 94, of Audubon died Thurs., Jan., 10th at The Friendship Home in Audubon. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service for LORRAINE LARSEN will be held at a later date. Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon has the arrangements.

LORRAINE LARSEN is survived by:

Son, David (Roberta) Sonksen of Fort Dodge

Son, James (Teri) Sonksen of Burlingame, CA

Son, Dennis (Carol) Larsen of Panora

Daughter, Jane (Dale) Hughes of Edmond, OK

Her sister – Leona (Elmer) Jensen, of Strathmore, Alberta Canada.

14 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 11th

Trading Post

January 11th, 2013 by admin

TAG SALE: Friday, January 11th 12-5 pm & Saturday, January 12th 8-4 pm @ 323 Walnut St., Atlantic. Lots of items, antique furniture, cd’s, dvd’s, lots of books.

Audubon woman arrested on Pott. County warrant

News

January 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

A woman wanted on a warrant out of Pottawattamie County was arrested Thursday in Audubon. According to a police report,  19-year- old Christina Miller, of Audubon was arrested on warrant for Failure to Appear on Assault Causing Injury to Peace Officers or others, and Interference with Official Acts resulting in bodily injury. The Aggravated Serious Misdemeanor charges stem from an April 2012 incident.

After being taken into custody, Miller was turned over to deputies with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office. She was released later in the day Thursday, on pre-trial supervision. She’s scheduled to appear for her trial in Pottawattamie County District Court, on February 15th.

2 warrant-based arrests in Adams County Friday

News

January 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Adams County Sheriff’s Department reports two people were arrested today (Friday), on separate charges. 20-year old Janelle Blaisure, of Corning, was taken into custody at around 8:45-a.m., on a felony Conspiracy to Commit Burglary charge. Blaisure was arrested after deputies in Adams County served her with a warrant at 1004 Benton Avenue, in Corning. The woman was being held in the Adams County Jail on $5,000 bond.

And, just before 1-a.m., 30-year old Brittney Einertson, of Bellevue, NE, was arrested on a warrant issued out of Decatur County, after the vehicle she was a passenger in was pulled over during a routine traffic stop. Einertson was being held in the Adams County Jail on $400 cash bond.

USDA final report details crop losses to drought

Ag/Outdoor, News, Weather

January 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released its final crop report for 2012, showing heavy losses due to the drought still gripping much of the nation.  The year-end report shows farmers got less than three-fourths of the corn the agency initially expected when planting was done in the spring.  The report released Friday shows a harvest of 10.78 billion bushels of corn, 27 percent less than the 14.8 billion bushels anticipated before drought set in.

The number in the final report is slightly more than the agency’s December estimate of 10.72 billion bushels and still marks one of the largest corn harvests in U.S. history. Farmers say better crop technology saved them from more devastating losses, and production was helped by the large number of acres planted this year.

Atlantic man arrested on Montgomery County warrant

News

January 11th, 2013 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic Police Department reports 30-year old Zachary Frank, of Atlantic, was arrested Thursday, on a warrant out of Montgomery County. The warrant charges Frank violated the terms of his probation that were established when he was found guilty last July, on a Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charge.

Frank’s probation was revoked Thursday, and he was ordered to serve the 10 days in jail a judge originally imposed during his sentencing. The jail time had been suspended July 5th, 2012, and Frank was placed on probation for six-months.