The Cass County Recorder’s Office will be closed on Friday morning from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The office will open for the day at 12:00 p.m.

(Radio Iowa) – House Republicans are proposing a series of steps to address gaps in Iowa’s mental health system, including state spending to add 46 psychiatric beds at the state Mental Health Institutes in Cherokee and Independence. Republican Representative Ann Meyer says that’s a 50 percent increase in treatment beds for critical cases.  “We don’t have enough beds that will take crisis patients,” Meyer says, “and this is going to be a heavy lift.”  She says there’s no estimate yet on the cost. Meyer, who is from Fort Dodge, says the issue came up in conversations with law enforcement and with constituents as she campaigned. “I had so many people standing at the doors telling me 20 minute stories about loved ones that don’t have access to mental health services,” Meyer says, “that are living on the streets, that are in crisis constantly.”

One initiative would have the state spend one-point-two MILLION dollars to support a dozen psychiatrists-in-training from the University of Iowa who’ll be working at the two Mental Health Institutes and at the Iowa prison system’s intake center in Oakdale. “The pipeline of doctors, we need that,” Meyer says. “When the DMU/Broadlawns residencies introduced a few years back, there were 800 applicants, so we know we can fill those slots.” Meyer says there are not enough spaces in substance abuse treatment programs for people who’re self-medicating to deal with their mental health issues and some hospitals are not accepting suicidal patients. “My hospitals are telling me you know any day there can be one to five sitting in the emergency room or the ICU, which is the only locked room in our hospital, and no treatment, no place to send them,” Meyer says, “and sometimes they’re released without treatment.”

Meyer says these issues came up repeatedly as she’s campaigned. “I had so many people standing at the doors telling me 20 minute stories about loved ones that don’t have access to mental health services,” Meyer says, “that are living on the streets, that are in crisis constantly.” Meyer says she met one young woman was desperate to find help for her homeless brother who was suffering from P-T-S-D — and Meyer saw the man on the street a few minutes later. “There’s so many stories like that,” Meyer says. “…It’s just such a crisis.”

House Republicans are also proposing a loan repayment program for psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and therapists who can prescribe medication. The plan would require the medical professional to agree to practice in Iowa for five years, which Meyer says will hopefully mean they’ve put down roots and will stay in Iowa.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday morning, and voted to approve the 2022 Wellness Program for County Employees. Supervisor Steve Green said their 2021 program saved the County a lot of money on its insurance.

In other business, the Board appointed two persons to fill vacancies in various positions. They approved the appointment of Cliff Aupperle as Franklin Township Trustee, and Jim Swanson from the Brighton Township, to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Several other positions remain to be filled, including Brighton Township Trustee, Pleasant Township Clerk, two more members of the Zoning Commission, and multiple members to the Condemnation in Eminent Domain, Board.

The Supervisors received a report from County Engineer Trent Wolken, who said his crews worked to remove the snow that fell over the weekend. Their job was made all the more difficult due to the rain that fell Friday and then froze before the snow piled-on. Crews spend four hours on Sunday alone getting the roads – including bus routes – in shape again.

He said also they’re still working on Bridge #280 on 700^th Street, including the install of pilings, and the paperwork for the 570^th Street overpass with the DOT, as well as paperwork for a RISE (Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy) Project.

And, the Board received Quarterly reports from Cass County Conservation Director Michah Lee, and Cass County Veterans Affairs Director Mitch Holmes.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s largest non-profit animal shelter is seeing a remarkable show of love for the late actress and animal advocate Betty White. Tom Colvin, chief executive officer of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, says more than 700 donations were made to the A-R-L on Monday in White’s honor on what would have been her 100th birthday. Colvin says donations are still arriving this (Tuesday) morning. “It’s estimated, at this point, that we’re looking at over $25,000 coming in so far,” Colvin says. “It’s coming in in various increments. Some people wanted to do the $5 and others wanted to do a lot more than that.”

Cass County Animal Control Officer Kris Erickson tells KJAN News, the Atlantic Animal Shelter received $1,000 in donations Monday. In addition, Nishnanet provided a TV system and all new lines for internet and phone. Scott Bennett from Nishna Net said on social media, “We donated all of the back-end technology needs of the new combined building. This included new network wiring, switches, WiFi access points and this new Digital Sign to recognize people and organizations that give back to others.”  Erickson says they even had “A couple ladies bring in pet supplies.”

The Betty White Challenge started a few weeks ago as a social media movement following her death on December 31st. Colvin had no idea what to expect in terms of donations and is overwhelmed with appreciation for the response. “I’m not that surprised because I know what Betty White meant to so many people,” Colvin says. “So many of us grew up with her. Regardless of your age, she was the perennial person on television and in movies and always had that great attitude and, of course, her love for animals showed through on everything.”

Eighty-percent of the A-R-L’s annual budget is based solely on donations and the Des Moines-based shelter takes in more than 11-thousand animals every year. “We also are so dependent on donations,” he says, “not only to care for those animals, but to actually run the various programs we have to keep animals out of the shelter, to help people stay united with their pets, maybe through a pet pantry or low-cost or no-cost spaying and neutering.”

The A-R-L serves pets — and people — across Iowa through its programs, which include pet adoption, humane education, pet behavior training, spay/neuter, animal cruelty intervention and more. Donations can still be made once, monthly or through any of several programs, like the Full Bellies Food Fund, the Miracle Medical Fund or Paw It Forward.

For more information about the Atlantic Animal Shelter, see the shelter’s Facebook page.