Authorities in Red Oak say two men were arrested Tuesday night, on drug charges. According to the Red Oak Police, 18-year old Mason Phillip Roach was arrested on Possession of Marijuana and Drug Paraphernalia charges, and, 25-year old James Harlan Rosencrans was arrested for Possession of Marijuana. Both men are from Red Oak. They were taken into custody in the vicinity of East Grimes and North 6th Streets in Red Oak, at around 11:25-p.m. Tuesday, and were being held in the Montgomery County Jail, on $1,000 cash bond, each.

A public hearing will be held this evening in Atlantic, with regard to proposed amendments to the Fiscal Year 2012 budget. City Administrator Doug Harris says the amendment includes a $33,000 overage in the Public Works Dept. resulting from some equipment purchases that were budgeted for last year, under the AMU lease-purchase program, that were not expended until the current fiscal year. While the unspent funds were carried over and available, the appropriation authority does not carry forward.

Another reason for the budget amendment, according to Harris, is that Library Director Carol Stanger has informed the City the facility will be spending an additional $15,000 for equipment. The additional funds for purchases will come from a large donation the library received last year, and were placed in their Trust and Agency (T&A) Fund. Also, the budget for Community and Economic Development is increasing $18,500, for the first installment payment for the replacement of faulty Christmas lights. The amount will be funded from the City, AMU, and a $4,661 loan from the Chamber of Commerce. The funds first passed through the Chamber and they in-turn to the City. The 2nd payment of $19,486 will be made this coming Fall. The City will reimburse the Chamber for their contribution in subsequent years.

And finally, the budget needs to be amended by $348,850 on the Business Type/Enterprises line item, according to Harris, because of overruns resulting from various capital projects, the two largest of which pertain to the construction of the new wastewater treatment plant, and the replacement of a sanitary sewer line on Cedar Street. Those two projects alone make up $303,000 of the amendment.

The public hearing, followed by action on a Resolution amending the F.Y. 2012 Budget, and other matters to come before the Atlantic City Council, will take place at City Hall, beginning the 5:30-p.m.

Ann Pross, Center Director for Iowa Western Community College in Atlantic has announced that the Don & Lois Sonntag Endowment Fund has received its first contribution towards their $5,000 challenge grant.  The funds will be available to students from the Atlantic area that are pursuing a career in nursing, especially those serving patients with cancer.

Atlantic resident, Pat McCurdy contributed the first $1,000 to the Don & Lois Sonntag Endowment Fund.  It will be matched by Don and Lois Sonntag who have family members that have been challenged with cancer.  The career of nursing is tender to their hearts.
In making his donation, McCurdy said he’s “Seen first-hand what a wonderful profession nursing is.” He says his “…Late wife Linda had a 15 year battle with cancer.  Her care from all the nurses over those years was outstanding.  If this scholarship helps one person become a nurse it is money well spent.”

The Don & Lois Sonntag Endowment Fund is offering up to a $5,000 challenge grant for matching funds to benefit students attending Iowa Western Community College. They have already committed $2,500 to nursing scholarships and the gift from Pat McCurdy brings the current scholarship total to $3,500. The goal will be to appeal for funds to match the $5,000 challenge and have $10,000 available for area students who are pursuing a career in nursing.

Pross said “It is particularly meaningful to have families pledge a gift to the effort of educating our next generation of nurses,” and she hopes that others will join in the scholarship campaign “So that they can maximize the generous challenge from Don & Lois Sonntag.” Pross said also that the scholarship opportunity will provide much-needed financial assistance to those enrolled in nursing prerequisites or the nursing program.

Matching funds 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, and all donors will be recognized per their request. Iowa Western Community College will make decisions on all applications according to need and scholarship criteria.  The amount awarded to each student will depend on the number of qualified applicants.  The scholarships will be for classes starting August 20th, 2012, and students from Atlantic and surrounding area area eligible to apply.  All funds from the effort will be used only for students enrolled in nursing prerequisite courses or the nursing program.

For additional information, contact:  Don Sonntag at 712-249-1906 or Ann Pross, Iowa Western Cass County Center Director at 712-243-5527.

The Atlantic Nursing and Rehab Center in Atlantic has been recognized as a 2012 recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality award for its dedication to improving quality care.

Commitment to Quality Award

The award is one of three distinctions possible through the National Quality Award program, presented by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL). The program honors facilities across the nation that have demonstrated their commitment to the quality improvement journey.

Governor Mark Parkinson, President and CEO of AHCA/NCAL said “Each one of the award recipients has proven its dedication to improving lives through quality care.”  Implemented by AHCA/NCAL in 1996, the National Quality Award Program is centered on the core values and criteria of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. The program assists providers of long term and post-acute care services in achieving their performance excellence goals.

The program has three levels: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Facilities begin the quality improvement process at the Bronze level, where they develop an organizational profile with essential performance elements such as vision and mission statements and an assessment of customers’ expectations. Bronze applicants must demonstrate their ability to implement a performance improvement system. A team of trained Examiners reviews each Bronze application to determine if the facility has met the demands of the criteria.

As a recipient of the Bronze – Commitment to Quality award, Atlantic Nursing and Rehab Center may now move forward in developing approaches and achieving performance levels that meet the criteria required for the Silver -Achievement in Quality award. The Atlantic Nursing and Rehab Center was one of 12 IHCA member facilities to receive the Bronze level award, which will be presented during AHCA/NCAL’s 63 Annual Convention and Exposition, October 7th through the 10th, in Tampa, FL.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Grocery distributor Nash Finch Company says its subsidiary U Save Foods Incorporated has agreed to buy Omaha-based No Frills Supermarkets. The deal adds 18 stores to the Nash Finch company. Fourteen are located in Nebraska, 12 of which are in the Omaha market. Four stores are located in western Iowa.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — No injuries have been reported from an explosion at a biodiesel plant in Mason City. The Globe Gazette in Mason City reports the explosion happened late yesterday afternoon at the Soy Energy plant on the city’s southwest side. The explosion was reported about 6 p.m. yesterday.

ELKADER, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa teenager accused of killing his grandparents at their home in Manchester has been formally charged with two counts of first-degree murder. 17-year old Isaiah Sweet made his initial court appearance on Tuesday in Clayton County District Court in Elkader. He’s charged in the deaths of Richard and Janet Sweet. Their bodies were found Sunday afternoon when relatives arrived for a Mother’s Day gathering.

PEOSTA, Iowa (AP) — Workers at a printing company may have to return to college for a spelling refresher. Because of an error, hundreds of Northeast Iowa Community College diploma covers featured a misspelling — the state was spelled “Ioma.” Tracy Kruse, the college’s director of external relations, said the error wasn’t noticed until shortly before last week’s ceremonies at the Peosta and Calmar campuses. About 300 graduates saw the misspellings.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a former employee has been charged with stealing over $13,000 worth of artifacts from the Cedar Falls Historical Society museum. Police say 58-year-old David Arnold of Waterloo, was arrested yesterday for first-degree theft. He was taken to the Black Hawk County jail. The museum reported the theft on April 25th.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The hiring of a new Sioux City West High School boys and girls track coach based on tenure has raised complaints that the district may have overlooked better qualified candidates. Bruce Lear, director of the teachers union, says the district had to hire Rochelle Babcock in accordance with the union’s contract language on tenure and the district should have never suggested others would be interviewed.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An environmental research center at the University of Iowa has received a $7.9 million grant to help support research of rural health issues. The Iowa City Press Citizen reports that the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center is getting a five-year grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The center has 65 faculty researchers and was founded in 1990.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – A western Iowa woman charged with drowning her 15-month-old son has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.  Twenty-four-year-old Ashley Cameron, of Onawa, entered the plea on Monday in Monona County District Court. Her trial is set for July 31st. 

Cameron is charged in the Feb. 11th death of Markis Dahms. Police say she held her son under a running faucet in the bathtub in their home until he drowned. The boy was found after officers responded to an emergency call about a child who wasn’t breathing.