(Radio Iowa) – A northeast Iowa hospice center is piloting a new healthcare model for patients with dementia. Cedar Valley Hospice is one of about 400 care facilities nationwide unrolling a new program aimed at improving care for at-home dementia patients. Michaela Vandersee, the Waterloo center’s executive director, says the program’s focus will be a step toward better treatment for rural Iowans.

The program is a new approach to provide both healthcare and reimbursement resources for patients and their in-home caregivers. Vandersee says dementia is all-too common in the region, and support in rural areas has been sparse.

Vandersee estimates an additional 12-hundred patients will be eligible for assistance across the center’s 15-county area, as part of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid’s GUIDE program.

(Grant Leo Winterer, Iowa Public Radio)

(Clarinda, Iowa) – The Page County Sheriff’s Office has released  a report on arrests that took place between July 14th & 25th:

7/14/2024 Dillion Warren Decker (28) of North English Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail for violation of probation.
7/16/2024 Jules Lee Daniel Gould (30) of Shenandoah Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail to serve time. Arrested by the Page County Sheriff’s Office.
7/18/2024 Dena Jean West (42) of Shenandoah Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail for theft.
7/18/2024 Blas Rendon Luevanos (23) of Shenandoah Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail for violation of probation. Arrested by the Page County Sheriff’s Office.
7/19/2024 Amy Jo Liles (37) of Shenandoah Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail to serve time.
7/21/2024 Bryan Scott Casey (44) of West Des Moines Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail for violation of probation. Arrested by the Page County Sheriff’s Office. Arrested at the Polk County Jail.
7/21/2024 Maria Jean Mullenberg (21) of Shenandoah Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail to serve time.
7/22/2024 Nicholas Alan Haidsiak (39) of Coin Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail for disorderly conduct, public intoxication and assault on law enforcement officer.
7/23/2024 Justin Leo Powers (33) of Shenandoah Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail for criminal mischief.

7/24/2024 Amy Jo Liles (37) of Shenandoah Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail to serve time.
7/25/2024 David Dale Morelock (38 ) of Shenandoah Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail for failure to appear. Arrested by the Page County Sheriff’s Office.
7/25/2024 Aaron Dwayne McGinnis (31) of Red Oak Iowa. Booked into the Page County Jail for OWI.

A charge is merely an accusation and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

There were also 18 people cited for Speeding and/or other other traffic/moving violations. Four people were cited for Minor In Possession of alcohol:

• Noah Robert Comer of New Market Iowa.
• Jacob David Earl Cook of Yorktown Iowa.
• Caden Michael Butt of Clarinda Iowa.
• Syndsay Christine Maurer of Corning Iowa.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Friday (today) released a report on arrests that occurred between July 5th and 24th.

On July 24^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested James Cisar JR., 63, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Harassment 3^rd Degree.  Cisar Jr. was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On July 23^rd, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Tahni Roberts, 39, of Harlan, on the charge of Public Intoxication.  Roberts was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On July 19^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jeremy Seufert, 48, of Anita, on the charge of OWI 1^st Offense.  Seufert was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance; Also arrested on the 19th, was 19-year-old Alex Rush, of Griswold, on warrants for Burglary 1^st Degree, Assault Causing Bodily Injury and False Imprisonment.  Rush was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On July 18^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Shea M. Young, 35, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault – 1^st Offense.  Young was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On July 16^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Nshimirimana Wilson, 22, of Omaha, NE, on a warrant for another agency’s hold.  Wilson was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond; and, 44-year-old Kantauo Mark, of Atlantic, was arrested on a warrant for Probation Violation.  Mark was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On July 15^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Samantha Wehrli, 33, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Failure to Appear.  Wehrli was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release after time served.

On July 12^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Christopher Klimantas, 35, of Omaha, NE, on warrants for Theft 2^nd Degree and Possession of Theft Detection Removal Device.  Klimantas was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later transfer to another agency.

On July 11^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Cole Benton, 33, of Hamlin, on a warrant for Failure to Appear.  Benton was transported to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On July 10^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Rebecca Klinghammer, 32, of Griswold, on warrants for Child Endangerment and Assault causing Bodily Injury.  Klinghammer was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On July 10^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Chad Arbuckle, 30, of Elk Horn, on a warrant for Theft 4^th Degree.  Arbuckle was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release.

On July 9^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Rex McDermott, 57, of Elk Horn, on a warrant for OWI 3^rd or Subsequent Offense.  McDermott was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On July 5^th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Harley Finazzo, 29, of Omaha, NE, on the charge of Public Intoxication.  Finazzo was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

RED OAK, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) report that at around 10:30-p.m. Thursday, July 25, 2024, the Red Oak Police Department received a call from an individual requesting assistance at an apartment complex on West Reed Street in Red Oak. Responding officers found a 48-year-old male suffering from a stab wound. The victim was medically treated by the Red Oak Fire Department and later transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska for further medical care.

A suspect in the incident, 32-year-old Miguel Ramone Martinez, was taken into custody without incident by the Red Oak Police Department and transported to the Montgomery County Jail.  He faces a charge of Willful Injury, a Class C Felony.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation. This is an ongoing investigation. No additional information will be released at this time.

Note:  A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. 

(Radio Iowa) – The Ankeny-based Casey’s convenience store officially announced the acquisition today (Friday) of 198 stores in the southern U-S that includes 148 in Texas and 50 in Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi. . Casey’s is purchasing the CEFCO convenience stores for more than $1.145-BILLION dollars. Casey’s C-E-O Darin Rebelez talked about the purchase in a conference call for investors. “This acquisition will quickly expand Casey’s presence in Texas, a very attractive market for Casey’s, in addition we’ll be able to expand our footprint further into the South as well,” he says.

Casey’s had already owned 22 stores in Texas and will have 29-hundred stores overall once the acquisition is complete. Fikes Wholesale owns the stores and Rebelez says they will fit well with their operation. “Acquisitions this size and strategic fit do not come along very often. And we seize the opportunity to add these large, high quality stores to our network. The fit between fives and cases is outstanding,” Rebelez says. “CEFCO’s large format stores average over 48-hundred square feet. comparable to the news stories at Casey’s builds today.”

He says the Texas stores are mostly in smaller towns in the Dallas to San Antonio to Houston triangle. The Florida stores are mainly in the panhandle area. CEFCO is known for its chicken, and Rebelez says they plan to remodel the kitchens to bring in Casey’s pizza. “CEFCO has done a really nice job of building their own food business and they have kitchens and a lot of their stores, so that should make the integration process go a little smoother for us. But still we see that as our biggest synergy. Fuel it’d be the next largest synergy that we have,” according to Rebelez.

(Casey’s photo)

CEFCO has a fuel terminal that is included in the agreement. Rebelez says the plan is to put the Casey’s name on the stores. “It would be our intention over the next couple of years as we are able to remodel that we would rebrand these stores to Casey’s. There are a handful of stores that have some Q-S-R ours and they’re, they’re under franchise agreements and so we’ll have to navigate that and that’s not unusual,” he says.

Rebelez says they acquisition will help them meet the goal they set in 2023 to expand by 350 stores in half they time they had expected. The acquisition should be completed by the end of this years.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns, today (Friday), said the filing period for candidates for Non-party political organization (NPPO) and Non-Affiliated persons for the upcoming General Election to be held November 5, 2024, are as follows:

• Non-Party candidates and Township Trustees- August 5^th-August 28th
• Soil & Water Commissioners and Agricultural Extension-August 5^th – August 28th
• Hospital Board of Trustees- Anytime with a deadline of Wednesday August 28^th.

County positions open are:

1. Board Of Supervisors District 1, District 4 & District 5
2. County Auditor
3. County Sheriff
4. Edna Township Trustee
5. Union Township Trustee
6. Soil & Water Commissioners (3)
7. Hospital Board of Trustees (3)
8. Ag-Extension (4)

For more information and for the number of signatures required for each office, please contact the Auditor’s office at 712-243-4570. Anyone interested in running as an NPPO or Non-Affiliated candidate or any of the positions listed above for the General Election may pick up Nomination Papers and Affidavits of Candidacy in the Auditor’s Office, located at 5 W 7^th Street, in Atlantic, from 8:00 a.m. till 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/general/index.html (Iowa Secretary of State website)

Absentee ballot request forms are available online at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/electioninfo/absenteeinfo.html ( Iowa Secretary of State website) or in the Cass County Auditor’s Office.  The registered voter must request the application form themselves, you may not request on behalf of another registered voter.  Request forms can not be returned to the auditor’s office until August 27, 2024.  Last day to request a ballot to be mailed is Monday, October 21, 2024.

Please contact the Cass County Auditor’s Office with any questions regarding absentee voting or candidate filings.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Glenwood Police Department reports the arrest of a woman on two-counts of Child Endangerment, Authorities say 34-year-old Marie Brown, of Glenwood, was taken into custody Thursday on the Pottawattamie County warrant, and was being held in the Mills County Jail without bond, until seen by a magistrate judge. And, 46-year-old Sean Carlson, of Glenwood, was arrested today (Friday) in Glenwood, for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was also being held without bond in the Mills County Jail, pending an appearance before the judge.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa’s annual sales tax holiday returns Aug. 2nd & 3rd, just in time for families looking to save a little money while back-to-school shopping. Iowa’s sales tax normally ranges from 6-7%, but that tax is waived on certain items during the tax-free weekend. All businesses open during the holiday must participate, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue, and eligible items purchased online, or by mail order or catalog, are also exempt as long as they’re ordered and paid for during the exemption period. This year’s exemption period runs from 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 2, until midnight Saturday Aug. 3. Sunday, Aug. 4 is not included in the tax-exempt period.

Find the state’s list of sales tax-exempt items — and items that are taxable — here.

Some of the tax-free items include clothing and shoes under $100 (Such as underclothes, sneakers, coats and jackets, belts, jeans, diapers, work uniforms, costumes and bridal apparel).

The exemption does not apply to any item that costs $100 or more. It also doesn’t apply to backpacks, garment bags, watches and jewelry, umbrellas, clothing repairs or alterations, sporting equipment or other special clothing or footwear for athletics. Items purchased online are included in the tax exemption as long as they fit the normal requirements. As long as items are ordered and paid for during the holiday, it does not matter if delivery isn’t complete until after the holiday has concluded.

Image from https://itrfoundation.org/iowas-sales-tax-free-weekend-is-coming-up-but-is-it-good-policy/

The National Retail Federation estimates families will spend an average of $874 this year on back-to-school items. That’s slightly down from last year, but still the second-highest average recorded. Of that spending, families are expected to shell out more than $300 for electronics this year and more than $400 on clothing and accessories. Another $142 is expected to go toward school supplies.

Carol Ehlers, a human sciences specialist in family well-being with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, said families need to plan ahead and budget for back-to-school purchases. In a news release, Ehlers provided these tips to Iowans ahead of the tax-free holiday weekend:

• Plan ahead: Plan for major clothing and shoe purchases before you go shopping during Iowa’s sales tax-free weekend event.
• Set a budget and stick to it: Be careful not to overspend just because the tax-free weekend is occurring.
• Compare prices: Use the sales circulars from your newspaper to compare prices on the items you wish to buy. Visit websites of several stores where you usually shop. If you tend to buy your kids’ jeans or sneakers at national retail outlets, visit their websites during tax-free weekend to find out which store is offering the better deal.
• Know the rules and expect a busy shopping weekend: The Iowa Legislature approved the tax holiday in 2000 to help boost the economy and give consumers a break. Previous tax-free holidays have shown to pump up sales for everyone from big-box retailers to mom-and-pop shops. Some merchants report double-digit increases in sales, compared to a typical August weekend.