A woman whose job with the U-S Army Corps of Engineers has made her both famous and infamous during many stressful times is leaving her post. Jody Farhat, the Corps’ Chief of the Missouri River Basin Water Management Office, is retiring today (Friday) after 34 years on the job. Farhat notes she’s seen some very difficult challenges as the Corps responded to extreme flooding or devastating drought conditions.

“I think I managed through those rough times knowing that the Corps has done our job the best that we could,” Farhat says. For example, the Corps — and Farhat — came under intense criticism during the floods of 2011 when high water on the Missouri River swamped cities and towns all across western Iowa and from North Dakota all the way to Missouri.

“The work that we do really does impact people,” Farhat says. “Trying to be very empathetic with folks and letting them know that we do understand that what we do impacts their lives and their livelihoods.” The Corps works to maintain an even, level flow of water in the Missouri River basin and in its reservoir system, but it’s often a difficult balance, trying to allow for snowpack in the Rockies and heavy rains versus long droughts. Farhat says she always tried to be as open as possible about river operations.

“It’s been a great honor for me to have worked for the Corps,” she says. “I believe that the Corps is a great institution and we really are focused on service to the public. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.” Farhat says she isn’t going to another job. She’s retiring and plans to stay in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area.

(Radio Iowa)

The family of an Atlantic woman who passed away in March as the result injuries she suffered during a Dec. 2016 accident in Nebraska, has established a nursing scholarship in her name. Cindy Harlan Breen, the daughter of Joan and Keith Harlan, says the Joan Harlan Memorial Nursing Scholarship was established “In honor of all the exceptional nursing care” she received while being treated for her injuries.

A memorial fund for nursing scholarships in her name will be administered through Iowa Western in Atlantic. Friends of the family and community members are invited to contribute to the Joan Harlan Memorial Nursing Scholarship.  Donations under the endowment program can be in any amount. All funds will be submitted to Iowa Western Community College Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax deductible entity.

The demand for nurses is a growing issue.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of registered nurses will increase ­ 16 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all other occupations. Access to a high-quality, local nursing education program is vitally important to Southwest Iowa and, according to Iowa Western Atlantic Center Director Ann Pross, they are “Proud to provide excellent medical training” for their students.

Students pursuing a nursing career, through coursework at Iowa Western, may apply for the Joan Harlan Scholarship funds by completing and submitting the application to Iowa Western by November 15.   The scholarship application is available online at www.iwcc.edu.

IWCC scholarship review committee will make recipient selection(s) on all applications according to scholarship criteria established by the Harlan family.  The amount awarded to each student will depend on the number of qualified applicants. The scholarships will be for classes starting Jan 2018, and students from Atlantic and the surrounding Cass County area may qualify. As designated by the Harlan family, all funds from this effort will be used only for students enrolled in the nursing program at Iowa Western Community College.

For additional information, please contact Ann Pross, Iowa Western Cass County Center director at 712-243-5527.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa Department of Human Services Director Jerry R. Foxhoven on Friday announced that he has appointed Jerry A. Rea as superintendent of the Glenwood Resource Center.

Iowa has two resource centers that provide a full range of active treatment and habilitation services to individuals with severe intellectual disabilities. The resource centers, at Glenwood in southwest Iowa and Woodward in the north-central part of the state, support individuals to live safe, successful lives in the home and community of their choice.

“Dr. Rea has vast experience overseeing operations at a state hospital and serving individuals with intellectual disabilities and mental health needs,” said Foxhoven. “He is committed to offering an array of supports and services to individuals with the most severe disabilities.”

Dr. Rea will begin his duties the week of September 11, 2017. He brings to the Glenwood role 13 years of experience as superintendent at Parsons State Hospital and Training Center in Kansas. Prior to that, he was the program director/manager at Parsons from 1991 to 2004.  In addition, from August 2013 through August 2015, Dr. Rea served as the superintendent for both Parsons and the Osawatomie State Hospital and Rainbow Mental Health Facility.

He also recently served as an Adjunct Research Scientist at the University of Kansas and an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Wichita State University. He is the lead author of many publications on services for individuals with developmental disabilities, and has presented his research at conferences across the United States and Canada.

Dr. Rea was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas in child development and child psychology in 1996. He also holds a master’s degree in special education from the University of Kansas, and a bachelor’s of science in psychology from the Oregon College of Education.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Dr. Rea to Iowa, and are confident his years of operations and research experience will benefit the more than 200 Iowans Glenwood Resource Center serves, and the service system as a whole,” said Rick Shults, administrator of Mental Health and Disability Services for Iowa.