(Radio Iowa) – The year may be winding down, but the demand for blood from Iowa hospitals is rising while the number of blood donors is dwindling. Josh Murray, regional communications director for the Iowa-Nebraska Region of the American Red Cross, says the agency is making an appeal for everyone who’s able to give a pint. “Our donor turnout is still down. People have been kind of slow coming back after the pandemic to give,” Murray says. “Also, we’re seeing a rise in hospital demand. They’re doing more elective surgeries that maybe they didn’t do during the height of the pandemic. There’s some other cases that they need more blood for treatments that maybe they couldn’t do in the past year.”

Several blood drives are planned in Iowa during December, which Murray says is a welcome change since so many had to be called off during the pandemic.  “We’re excited to get more blood drives on the calendar, more opportunities for people to give,” Murray says. “This is traditionally a tough time to collect blood with the holidays, everyone is busy, the weather is going to get nasty here soon and we’ll have to deal with that. We have an opportunity for people to get out, help us collect that blood so we can be able to provide that to hospitals and to patients in need.”

Blood products are perishable and Murray says the only source of lifesaving blood for patients is volunteer blood donors. “Type O is always in need, that’s universal and the most transfused type, but really all blood types are in need right now,” Murray says. “We’re seeing a shortage across the board. We encourage everyone, no matter what your blood type, to consider giving blood. If you’re an O, that is even more significant right now.”

Blood can be safely donated every 56 days and Murray says donors can feel good knowing that by donating through the Red Cross, they may be helping patients not only in their community, but also others across the nation. Blood drives are planned in the following cities: Omaha-Council Bluffs on December 20th, Cedar Rapids on December 22nd, Des Moines on December 23rd, South Sioux City on December 30th and Cedar Falls on December 30th.

redcross.org/iowa

(Radio Iowa) – A Republican state senator from Davenport will not seek reelection in 2022 and is running for state treasurer instead.

Roby Smith has been a member of the Iowa Senate since 2011 and he recently led the debate of election law changes. Smith intends to challenge Democrat Michael Fitzgerald’s bid for a 11th term as state treasurer. Fitzgerald, who is 70, is the country’s longest-serving state treasurer.

A Republican state senator from Davenport will not seek reelection in 2022 and is running for state treasurer instead.
Roby Smith has been a member of the Iowa Senate since 2011 and he recently led the debate of election law changes. Smith intends to challenge Democrat Michael Fitzgerald’s bid for a 11th term as state treasurer. Fitzgerald, who is 70, is the country’s longest-serving state treasurer.
Smith, who is 44 years old, said in a written statement that the economy, “especially banking, is undergoing changes and Iowa needs a treasurer who understands the challenges of the 21st Century.” Smith worked as a banker in the Davenport area before he was elected to the state senate. In 2016, Smith joined the group that owns the Quad City River Bandits and he also runs a small business.
The legislature approved a redistricting plan in late October. Smith and incumbent Democrat Jim Lykam currently live in the same state senate district.

Smith, who is 44 years old, said in a written statement that the economy, “especially banking, is undergoing changes and Iowa needs a treasurer who understands the challenges of the 21st Century.” Smith worked as a banker in the Davenport area before he was elected to the state senate. In 2016, Smith joined the group that owns the Quad City River Bandits and he also runs a small business.

The legislature approved a redistricting plan in late October. Smith and incumbent Democrat Jim Lykam currently live in the same state senate district.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa inmate whose conviction for killing an Independence police officer sparked a call for an end to the death penalty has died. The Iowa Department of Corrections says 84-year-old Warren Nutter died from natural causes Wednesday in hospice at the Iowa State Penitentiary. The current Independence police chief, David Niedert, says Nutter killed Independence police officer Harold Pearce at the Buchanan County Courthouse on January 5th of 1956 while trying to escape.

He says Nutter and two other boys and two girls were taken to the courthouse after a short chase. Nutter got out and got a shotgun from their car and came back in and shot officer Pearce. Nutter was from Freeport, Illinois and the case got national attention because of his age. Nutter was saved from hanging when the governor commuted his sentence from death to life in prison in 1957. Chief Niedert says it’s important to remember the officer, not Nutter.

Warren Nutter. (screenshot from the documentary, The Fort.)

“Mister Nutter had become more famous or infamous I guess due to some online documentary shows about the state of Iowa prison system that had aired. He was profiled on that as one of the inmates. Obviously, he was paying for his crimes as the court prescribed — but we would like to remember officer Pearce as the one who gave his life in service to the city of Independence,” Niedert says. Pearce was 52 when he was killed. Niedert started his career at the police station in the Buchanan County Courthouse and his superiors told him of the story of Pearce.

“It was always a cautionary tale to a young patrolman back in that time to always be on guard — to stay safe at all times. That was why it was passed down to me by my sergeants and above at that time,” Niedert says. He says the recent deaths of state troopers in the area are another reminder. “It just shows us as time goes on the job stays just as dangerous as it was,” Niedert says. Niedert says there is a plaque remembering officer Pearce at the police stations.

The Iowa Department of Corrections shows Nutter began serving his sentence in February of 1956 — and had been the longest-serving prisoner in the system. His story was part of the drive behind ending the death penalty in Iowa, which happened 9 years later. Nutter was interviewed in the documentary “The Fort” which chronicled the history of the original Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison — which was closed after 177 years — when the new facility opened.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – On Monday, October 25th, the Cass County Youth Mental Health Symposium was held at Atlantic High School. The event, open to all middle-school and high-school students, parents, and community members, included time for attendees to visit booths of over 20 organizations that provide mental health and wellness resources to Cass County.

Students visit a booth at the Cass County Youth Mental Health Symposium

Short presentations were given on issues affecting students today, including anxiety, healthy relationships, and mental health awareness; and motivational speaker Joe Beckman talked about the importance of human connection.

A parent of a high school student who attended the event shared, “The Mental Health Symposium was such an awesome opportunity for me and our community. I was pleasantly surprised at how many vendors were there representing services in our area. Mental Health continues to be a very difficult subject for so many, yet so many of us are affected by it on a daily basis!” She further commented on keynote speaker Joe Beckman, who presented to Atlantic Community School District students during the school day and again at the community event in the evening.

“The speaker brought a simple message to a difficult subject. He addressed issues affecting our kiddos that have taken over our daily living like cell phone use. He was energetic and empowering. I felt his message was well received by those in attendance. Whether you are living with mental illness in your life or someone you love, you walked out with a renewed sense of purpose and the energy to continue to move in the right direction.”

Her enthusiasm was shared by many in attendance. Atlantic High School Teacher Allison Berryhill was thrilled to be able to pass along resources she obtained at the symposium with parents of her students. “I shared many of the resources with parents at conferences as we talked about the importance of mental health,” commented Berryhill.

Atlantic High School Principal Heather McKay expressed deep gratitude for sponsoring organizations that made the event possible. The free event included a meal, door prizes, and free childcare. A large donation was made by the Atlantic Community School Foundation to cover the cost of the keynote speaker, and several organizations donated to cover the cost of meal, including Full Circle Therapy, Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services, Therapy Place, Cass Health, and Atlantic Bottling Company.

Gift cards and other door prizes were donated by the Family Crisis Support Network. Local organizations providing resources at the symposium included Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services, Therapy Place, Full Circle Therapy, Cass County PROSPER, Cass Health’s Senior Life Solutions, and Cass County ISU Extension, among others. Participating regional organizations in included Southwest Iowa Mental Health and Disability Services Region, Employee and Family Resources, Boys Town with the Hope4Iowa Crisis Line, COVID Recovery Iowa, Catholic Charities, the Eating Disorder Coalition of Iowa, Iowa Healthiest State Initiative featuring the program Make It OK, and NAMI Southwest Iowa, in addition to many more.

Organizations that helped plan the event, including Atlantic High School, Cass County Extension, Cass County PROSPER, Green Hills Education Agency, and Healthy Cass County, continue to look for opportunities to make mental health resources known and accessible to all people in Cass County.

Free mental health resources available to people in Cass County 24/7 include:
• Your Life Iowa: For problems with alcohol, drugs, gambling, suicidal thoughts or mental health. (855) 581-8111, www.yourlifeiowa.org.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), suicidepreventionlifeline.org
• Iowa Concern: For stress counseling, legal education, and financial concerns. www.extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern/
• COVID Recovery Iowa: (800) 447-1985, Spanish: 531-800-3687, www.covidrecoveryiowa.com
For

For information on community wellness events or resources, follow Healthy Cass County on Facebook @HealthyCassCounty. Healthy Cass County is a community-focused volunteer network formed to promote the health and well-being of Cass County residents. Reach out to Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh at bhoegh@iastate.edu or call 712-249-5870 for more information. Healthy Cass County welcomes participants from across Cass County.