The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa announced Friday, that 46-year old Rebecca Canfield, a resident of Cass County, was sentenced in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, to 30 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone and health care fraud. Canfield will serve 48 months of supervised release following her release from prison.

In August of 2015, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) received information regarding the illegal distribution of prescription drugs in and around Cass County (Iowa). An investigation revealed Mary Mayo and Rebecca Canfield obtained prescriptions for oxycodone from medical professionals through false representations of injury or illness and related pain management. Canfield used her Medicare/Medicaid benefits to obtain oxycodone from local pharmacies. Once the prescription drugs were obtained, Canfield provided the oxycodone to co-defendant Mary Mayo for resale.

During the course of the investigation it was determined Canfield also received Social Security benefits to which she was not entitled. As part of her sentence, Canfield was ordered to pay restitution to Medicare/Medicaid, and the Social Security Administration. Previously sentenced were: Mary Mayo, sentenced to 24 months imprisonment followed by 48 months of supervised release; Tony Martin May, sentenced to 12 months of imprisonment followed by 36 months of supervised release; Jessica Lynn Gross, sentenced to time served and 60 months of supervised release; and Alex Lee Pleis, sentenced to time served and 36 months of supervised release.

The case was investigated by the DEA; Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General; Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; Social Security Administration-Office of the Inspector General; Cass County Sheriff’s Office; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force. The matter was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports an Afton resident informed authorities this (Monday) morning, that his pickup truck had been stolen. The red, 2006 Dodge RAM 3500 with Iowa license plate BDM 289, was taken from 505 W. Jefferson Street, in Afton, sometime overnight Sunday into early this (Monday) morning. Anyone with information about the incident should contact the Union County Sheriff’s Office or your local authorities.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests. At around 2:30-a.m. Saturday, 71-year old Roger Thomas Anderson, of Omaha, NE., was arrested following a traffic stop on Deacon Road. He faces charges that include Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Concealed Weapon – Gun. Anderson’s bond was set at $3,300.

And, 28-year old Bradley Scott Wonder, of Emerson, was arrested following a traffic stop on Highway 34 at around 3-p.m. Friday. He was charged with Violation of Order, DUS (Driving Under Suspension), Open Container, and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability, Wonder was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

The Glenwood Police Dept. reports the arrest on drug charges, Sunday, of 20-year old Cordell Belt. The Bellevue, NE. man was arrested in Glenwood, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,300. And, Glenwood Police arrested 25-year-old Zachary Digilio, of Glenwood, on January 4th. Digilo was taken into custody for being a Fugitive from Justice.

DES MOINES, IA (Jan. 6, 2020) — Officials with the Healthiest State Initiative has announced the finalists for the “2020 Healthiest State Annual Awards.” Individuals, communities, K-12 schools, early care providers, out-of-school programs and workplaces will be recognized for their efforts to improve the physical, social and emotional well-being of Iowans in their respective sectors at an awards ceremony on Feb. 6th, in West Des Moines.

The finalists in the eight categories include:

• Healthy HometownSM Powered by Wellmark Community Award: The City of Creston; City of Dallas Center; Dickinson County; City of Manning; the cities of – Washington, Waverly & West Union.
• K-12 School: Irving Elementary (Waterloo); Notre Dame Catholic School (Cresco); Pierce Elementary (Cedar Rapids)
• Early Care Provider: Children’s Center (Council Bluffs); Little Steps & Beyond (Iowa City); TenderCare (Mount Pleasant); Tri-County Child & Development (Waterloo).
• Out-of-School Program: Live Well Montgomery County (Red Oak); and, Opportunity on Deck (Urbandale).
• Individual: Scott Gall (Cedar Falls); Bob King (Dallas Center); Ben Spellman (Des Moines).
• Workplace: Small – Anawim Housing (Des Moines); Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center; MercyCare Business Solutions (Cedar Rapids)….Medium – Merchants Bonding Company (West Des Moines); Montgomery County Hospital (Red Oak); Northwest Financial Corporation (Arnolds Park)…..Large – Drake University (Des Moines); Grinnell Mutual (Grinnell); The Iowa Clinic (Des Moines).

Each finalist will be recognized and winners from each category will be announced at the Healthiest State Annual Awards ceremony on Feb. 6 at the Ron Pearson Center in West Des Moines.  Each winner will be granted a monetary gift to continue their work focused on improving the health and well-being of their employees, students or citizens. In addition to the awards presentation, keynote speaker Lyndsey (Medders) Fennelly will tell her inspirational story of living with a mental illness. Fennelly is a former Iowa State University women’s basketball player, owner of CampusCycle spin studio and passionate advocate for mental health. She is married to Iowa State Women’s basketball assistant coach, Billy Fennelly, and they live in Ames with their two children.

The Healthiest State Annual Awards are sponsored by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Hy-Vee, Inc., and Nemours.  Healthiest State Annual Awards tickets on sale now. The Healthiest State Annual Awards are open to the public and tickets are on sale now at IowaHealthiestState.com/Awards. Tickets are $25 for individuals or $190 for a table of eight. The event, hosted at the Ron Pearson Center in West Des Moines, will open at 4:15 p.m. for hors d’oeuvres and networking with the awards ceremony beginning at 5 p.m.

(Radio Iowa) — Democratic presidential candidate John Delaney embarked on a bus tour of the state this weekend, with at least 30 more stops planned this month, including a few very small Iowa towns.

Democratic Pres. candidate John K. Delany.

“All the economic opportunities are in a couple of big cities and we need someone to really fight for these towns,” Delaney said this weekend. Delaney, a former Maryland congressman, has been running for president since mid-2017. He told a crowd in Doon that rural America has often been ignored. “If you caucus for me and I do better in the Iowa caucus than people expect, I promise you on national television, I’ll stand and look at those cameras and say: ‘Listen, you know why I did well? It’s ’cause rural America voted for me. And you know why rural America voted for me? Because I actually have plans for rural America.”

Delaney’s infrastructure plan, for example, would give more money to struggling communities over larger cities. Joe Munoz says he’ll caucus for Delaney. “This country is so separated, we need to work together,” Munoz said. “And he seems like the person that wants to work together and can get the job done.” Doon had a population of fewer than 600 in the 2010 Census and is located in northwest Iowa’s Lyon County.

A couple of Republicans at the restaurant in Doon challenged Delaney on the issue of abortion. Delaney replied that he supports a woman’s right to choose.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Katie Peikes)