Police in Shenandoah report the arrested this (Friday) morning of a Nebraska man on a sex abuse charge. 24-year old Ramon Nelson, of Omaha, was charged with sexual abuse 3rd degree a class “C” felony.  Nelson was transported to the Page County Jail to await his initial appearance.

The grand opening of a new gambling facility is tomorrow (Saturday) in southwest Iowa. Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino has been closed this week as it transitions from being aboard a riverboat to an exclusively land-based gaming hall. Harrah’s general manager Bo Guidry says there will be advantages to not having a riverboat.  “It’s a good feeling not having to worry about customers going onto three different levels and having a slow elevator or to go up the stairs,” Guidry says. The Kanesville Queen, docked along the Missouri River, was closed for good over the weekend. The new casino is located near the entrance to the hotel. 

“We’re about 30 steps away from valet,” Guidry says. “Before, you had to park your car, walk down these long corridors, then you had to get on the ramp of the boat, which was 200 feet long, and then you would get to the boat.” The riverboat officially closed at 4 A-M on Monday and Guidry says it was a good morning for one gambler in particular. “Our last customer who left won $500 right before she left so it was fantastic and she had a great time,” he says.

The casino will offer new options for gambling, dining and entertainment. It has about 25-thousand square feet of gaming space, which is a bit smaller than what was available on the boat. Efforts to sell the riverboat and keep it afloat have failed. The plan is now to tear it apart for scrap. The new gaming space replaces what was Harrah’s convention area. Last year, the company took over operations of the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs. All events that were held at the casino are now being held there, including weddings, receptions and conventions.

(Radio Iowa)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is asking for more adults to be vaccinated against pertussis. Through the G.I.F.T. (Give Immunity Fight Transmission) program, officials with Shelby County Public Health say they can immunize more families by receiving the Adacel vaccine at no charge.  New mothers, fathers, grandparents, and day care providers are urged to get vaccinated against pertussis to decrease the spread of this highly contagious disease to infants and others. 

Recipients of the free Adacel vaccine must have Medicaid, Medicare, or no insurance and have an income level at or below 200% of the federal poverty level ($1985 per month for a family of 2). Interested persons may contact Shelby County Public Health at 755-4422 to make an appointment to receive the Adacel vaccine against pertussis or may register on-line at www.shelbycountyclinics.com.

According to the CDC, people who are not vaccinated have eight times the risk of infection compared to people who are fully vaccinated against pertussis. If someone who has been vaccinated does get pertussis, the disease is usually less serious and they’re far less likely to spread the virus to someone else. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) joins the CDC in urging Iowa adults to talk to their health care provider about getting a booster dose of pertussis-containing vaccine.

While children ages 5 to 14 years make up the bulk of reported cases, it’s important to note that adults are considered the primary ‘spreaders’ of the disease.  It’s especially important that adults receive pertussis-containing vaccine because they can spread the disease to infants who are too young to be immunized. In infants, pertussis can be severe and even deadly. Adults can receive the Tdap (the adult tetanus vaccine that also contains whooping cough vaccine) immunization.

For more information about pertussis, including the Iowa Pertussis Update, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/Cade/default.aspx?group=3#DI.