Officials at Cass County Memorial Hospital today (Wednesday), issued a press release aiming to reassure the public, that CCMH has not received any of the contaminated steroids which have been linked to an outbreak of fungal meningitis in other parts of the country.  Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Jason Smith said “We do provide steroid injections for pain management here at CCMH.”Smith said “The steroids we use are a different type, do not come from the supplier in question, and have not been contaminated with the fungus.” Smith emphasized that CCMH has never used the specific medication that is involved in this situation for either chronic pain management or labor and delivery pain management.  “The steroids we use for epidural pain-control injections are safe, and patients can feel confident proceeding with their care as usual.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are currently coordinating a multistate investigation of fungal meningitis among patients who received an epidural steroid injection with a potentially contaminated product. Several of these patients also suffered strokes that are believed to have resulted from their infection. Updates about the investigation are available at http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/meningitis.html.

The potentially contaminated medications were from shipped to facilities in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

According to the CDC website, fungal meningitis occurs when the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord are infected with a fungus. Fungal meningitis is rare and usually caused by the spread of a fungus through blood to the spinal cord.  It is not contagious, and cannot be spread person to person.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office is investigating several incidents of theft which occurred in Kimballton during the early morning hours of October 9th. Sheriff’s officials said Wednesday, that at least six vehicles were broken into. Items taken from those vehicles include a firearm, a Sirius satellite radio, tools, bags, and purses.

Anyone with information about the crimes should contact the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office at 712-563-2631 or Audubon County Crime stoppers at 712-563-2234.  You can remain anonymous and still be eligible for a Crime Stoppers reward.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, passed a Resolution approving an application to the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED), requesting certification for two additional enterprise zones in Atlantic. Cass-Atlantic Development Corporation (CADCO) Executive Director Russell Joyce said the enterprise zones are being requested for the purpose of housing development. He said the two enterprise zones would allow the investors to get the 5-percent state sales tax they pay for rehabilitation of the properties reimbursed, and a 10-percent investment State Income tax credit return on their investment. The County doesn’t stand to lose anything from the arrangement, if it’s approved. In fact, according to Joyce, if the investors use local businesses in the rehabilitation process, it will see income based on locally imposed taxes.

Joyce said RD Atlantic-Harlan LLP, is looking to acquire and rehabilitate the Regency Villa Apartments (1601 Redwood Drive), and MidTown 1 and 2 Apartments (1209 E. 8^th Street), both low-income, subsidized housing, in Atlantic. Regency 1 has 24, one-bedroom units in five buildings. MidTown 1 and Midtown 2 have 24 one-bedroom units in six buildings, and 36 2-bedroom units, respectively.

He said in order for the application to be submitted to the IDED, it must first be approved by the Supervisors, but that’s only the first step. The State then looks at the application, along with the local Enterprise Zone Commission, before it’s given the green light. The developers must also provide receipts for their rehabilitation efforts. Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman said the combined projects are expected to cost a little more than $2.6-million dollars.

The City of Massena is taking steps to secure Tax Increment Financing (TIF) through the use of an Enterprise Zone that might encompass a two-mile radius of the town, with the idea the funds raised from taxes on approximately 40 wind turbines in that area, would be used for Capital Improvement Projects (CIP’s) in the City. Massena City Councilperson Linda Reineke told the Cass County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, that they are working diligently and methodically, to come up with a proposal for the Board, which they hope to present sometime next Spring.

She said they have approved moving forward with looking into creating an Enterprise Zone or an Urban Renewal Area (URA) and using to TIF monies to invest in a CIP.  Reineke said the needs for the money derived from TIF are desperately needed, to help pay for a sewer improvement project that’s expected to cost about $700,000. She said residents in the small community cannot afford to pay for that project through taxes, on their own. She said the population in Massena has declined from 414 in 2000 to 355 in 2010. That, along with a decline the number of available decent homes has resulted in a decline in revenue for the City.

Reineke said young people, and those employed by Mid-American Energy, want to move back in to the community, but there simply isn’t enough quality housing. One of the Mid-American employees also wants to open a small shop in the community. She said a TIF presents a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for economic development in Massena and expansion.

Before any TIF can be established however, the City is creating a “laundry list” of Capital Improvement Projects, so they can better narrow down the actual amount of money they need for those projects. The City would also need to approve a TIF before the Board of Supervisors could give their blessing on any such request. Supervisor Chuck Reiken and Board Chair Duane McFadden commended the City for taking the time to plan, and coming up with the vision they can present to the Board, when they are ready to make their case for a TIF.

A representative of the Public Professional and Maintenance Employees (PPME) Union Local 2003 presented the Cass County Board of Supervisors Wednesday, with the Union’s initial bargaining proposal for the Fiscal Year beginning July 1^st, 2013 through June 30^th, 2016. Craig Meyer said the Union, which represents the County’s Secondary Roads Department, said one of the proposed changes they would to see made to their contract, is in the area of insurance. The proposal requests the County provide dental insurance to all employees and their families who request the coverage.

Other changes to the language in the contract, pertained to vacation time and holiday pay. The Union proposes employees should be eligible to use their vacation as they earn it, and after one-year, earn 10-days. They also request to have July 5^th as a floating holiday, beginning in 2013. And, when it comes to wages, the PPME Union requested a seven-percent rate increase for the first-year of the contract. They also called for a 4-percent increase across the board the second-year of the contract, and a 3-percent increase for the third-year, effective July, 2013.

When the Cass County Courthouse is closed due to bad weather, the Union requests Secondary Roads Department employees receive comp time equal to lost time paid to courthouse employees. The Supervisors did not present their initial proposal to the Union, because it is still being tweaked. It’s expected the proposal will be available to the Union Representative by the Board’s next meeting, on October. 17^th.