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Denison trail project awarded $120,000

Ag/Outdoor, News

January 12th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa – Jan. 12, 2022 – The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved $984,213 in total funding for four statewide Iowa’s Transportation Alternatives Program projects, including $120,000 for Weiss Family Safe Routes to Schools Trail, in Denison.

The TAPs program supports projects such as trails, Safe Routes to School, National Scenic Byways, and the preservation or rehabilitation of historic transportation facilities. The majority of Iowa’s Transportation Alternatives program funding is distributed to Iowa’s metropolitan planning organizations and regional planning affiliations for the selection of local projects.

The Commission awards Transportation Alternatives projects annually that are statewide in nature. Funding is available to cities, counties, school districts, or other eligible organizations through an annual application-based program.

Cass Health Announces New Vascular and Pulmonary Partnership With Methodist Physicians Clinic

News

January 12th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

ATLANTIC, Iowa – Thanks to a partnership between Cass Health and Methodist Physicians Clinic, patients in and near Atlantic no longer need to travel far for vascular and pulmonary care. Officials with Cass Health, Wednesday (Jan. 12) said vascular surgeons John Park, MD, and Anjan Talukdar, MD, as well as pulmonologists Sumit Mukherjee, MD, and Palvannanathan (Paul) Ganesan, MD – all with Methodist Physicians Clinic – will now see patients at the Cass Health
Specialty Clinic in Atlantic.

Methodist Physicians Clinic, which is based in Omaha, also has clinic locations in Fremont and western Iowa. “We understand that traveling to see a specialist can be challenging,” Dr. Park said. “It’s our goal to eliminate barriers to health care. We look forward to getting to know the patients in Atlantic and surrounding communities while being a part
of their health care journey.”

Dr. Park graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and completed his general and vascular surgery residencies at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati. Dr. Talukdar graduated from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi. He completed his general surgery residency at Creighton University Medical Center and received fellowship training at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.

Dr. Mukherjee, who also specializes in critical care medicine, graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He completed his pulmonology internship and residency at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Dr. Ganesan, who also specializes in sleep medicine, internal medicine and critical care medicine, graduated from Stanley Medical College in Chennai, India. He completed his residency at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and received fellowship training at the Creighton University School of Medicine.

“One of our overarching goals at Cass Health is to have timely access to quality healthcare professionals locally,” said Brett Altman, CEO of Cass Health. “Partnering with Methodist and these high caliber specialty physicians is helping us to bring the best of the best to our own doorstep to provide the best care close to home.”

The Cass Health Specialty Clinic is located on the main Cass Health site at 1501 E 10th St. Atlantic, IA. Dr. Park is seeing patients on the first Friday of each month, Dr. Talukdar is seeing patients on the second Monday of each month, Dr. Mukherjee is seeing patients the third Wednesday of each month, and Dr. Ganesan is seeing patients the second Wednesday of each month. Appointments with all four physicians can be scheduled by calling (712) 243-7590.

Cass County Republicans Donate to Atlantic, Cumberland Food Pantries

News

January 12th, 2022 by Jim Field

The Cass County Republican Central Committee recently made donations of $100 to the Atlantic Food Pantry and the Cumberland Care and Share Food Pantry.

The Atlantic Food Pantry was established in March, 1982 in the old Presbyterian Church, but moved to its current location at 19 West 4th Street in 1989.  It is open Thursday as a drive-through from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm, or until the line ends.  Delivery is available within the city limits.  The pantry has 30 volunteers and has seen an increase of three times the former need of their supplies.  Due to limited storage at the pantry, cash donations are most in need, but any donation is accepted and appreciated.  The pantry served approximately 3,500 households or about 7,700 individuals in 2021.  Pictured delivering the donation is Cathy Zimmerman, Cass County Republican Central Committee Treasurer (center) to volunteers Ken Burkhart (left) and Sheryl Jensen (right).

The Cumberland Care and Share program was started in 2017 and is located at the Methodist Church in Cumberland.  The program is independently operated and has 10 volunteers.  The pantry is open for drive-though pick-up on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays each month from 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm.  This past year they served about 450 individuals which is almost double the normal supplemental food need.  All donations are accepted and appreciated.  Items now needed include paper products, personal hygiene products and cold foods.  Foods especially needed in the summer would be fresh produce.  Pictured delivering the donation is Cathy Zimmerman, Cass County Central Committee Treasurer (center) to volunteers Julie Brown, Katie Greenwalt, Becky Pelzer and Steve Pelzer (left to right).

Chief Justice says courts got ‘stronger and better’ during the pandemic; some changes now permanent

News

January 12th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Larson Christensen is asking the Iowa legislature to approve an 11-point-six percent increase in the court system’s budget. Christensen delivered the annual “Condition of the Judiciary” speech this (Wednesday) morning in the Iowa House. She did not make a budget pitch, but instead focused on court operations and promised a review of the juvenile court system will be done in November.

Christensen wore a face covering in the House until she was recognized to speak and put it back when she finished and left the room. Christensen says Covid had an abrupt and brutal impact on the judiciary.

Christensen says the covid storm continues to rage. The chief justice issued 30 orders since the beginning of the pandemic, but replaced those with one order in December that keeps some changes in place.

Christensen says some of the changes might never have been envisioned if the courts hadn’t been forced to innovate during the pandemic. Republican Representative Gary Worthan of Storm Lake is chairman of the subcommittee that drafts the court system’s budget. Worthan says there are a lot of good things happening in the courts.

At least 90 percent of the court system’s budget is for salaries and Worthan says it’s a House G-O-P priority to maintain staffing levels and courtroom hours, especially in the courthouses in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.

Worthan says he believes it’s important to add another four district court judges to handle the volume of cases in the system.

Princeton Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Fraud

News

January 12th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

Des Moines, Iowa – A woman from eastern Iowa was sentenced last week in U-S District Court on a charge of Mail Fraud. Officials with the U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, today (Wednesday), said 32-year-old Chelsea Lynn Gless, of Princeton, faces 3-years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release after her term is served. She was also ordered to pay $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund, and over $2.9 million in restitution to victims.

Gless was the manager and part-owner of Royal Metals Group, a business that purported to buy and sell precious metals for customers. Over a period of nearly four years, Gless made false representations to clients and instead of delivering precious metals and paying clients for precious metals, Gless misappropriated clients’ funds and precious metals. Gless used the funds to pay personal expenses and other Royal Metals Group clients who were owned money. Gless was charged in federal court on November 18, 2020, with Mail Fraud, Money Laundering, and Wire Fraud. On August 20, 2021, she pleaded guilty to a scheme to defraud and one count of Mail Fraud.

U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa said “Chelsea Gless chose fraud over business failure and misappropriated millions of dollars from her customers. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners,” he said, “this prosecution sends a clear message to those like Gless that there are consequences for using lies and deception as a business model.”

The FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigation investigated this case with assistance from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Davenport Police Department, and Bettendorf Police Department. FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel stated, “Chelsea Gless developed a scheme to defraud dozens of precious metals investors of millions of dollars. In some cases, the victims of this scheme lost their entire retirement savings. The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to apprehend subjects like Chelsea Gless whose crimes of fraud can have devastating financial consequences for their victims.”

“IRS Criminal Investigation is proud to lend its financial investigation expertise to our law enforcement partners to follow money trails that lead to criminals defrauding the public,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge, Tyler Hatcher, St. Louis Field Office. “It will always be a top priority to uncover and stop schemes that steal the hard-earned money of trusting investors and bring those who devise them to justice.”

Iowa Launches First Statewide Program Recognizing Family-Friendly Employers

News

January 12th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

January 12, 2022 (Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa is the first state to recognize employers with family-friendly policies, such as workplace flexibility and child care assistance, with a “Best Place for Working Parents” designation, the Iowa Economic Development Authority announced today. The designation is now available to employers of all sizes in Iowa who qualify through an online assessment.

“Iowa faces an ongoing workforce shortage like most states, and we are committed to providing the necessary support our families, businesses and economy need to prosper,” Governor Kim Reynolds said. “This new program recognizes employers for their investments in child care, helps them attract and retain working parents, and encourages competition and continued investment in Iowa’s families.”

Iowa’s participation in the national Best Place for Working Parents® initiative delivers on a key recommendation from Governor Reynolds’ Child Care Task Force. The task force convened last year after the Governor’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board made confronting Iowa’s shortage of quality, affordable child care its top priority.

Iowa is a national leader in the share of households with all parents working. Family-friendly workplace policies benefit both working parents and businesses’ bottom line, research shows. For example, child care-related absences and employee turnover cost Iowa employers an estimated $781 million per year, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

“This new designation provides an economic development lever as today’s workforce needs continue to evolve and Iowa works to attract the talent we need for our businesses to grow and our communities to thrive,” said Debi Durham, executive director of IEDA and the Iowa Finance Authority.

Iowa employers can quickly determine whether they qualify for the Best Place for Working Parents® designation through a confidential online self-assessment. The assessment also helps businesses understand how they compare to others of similar size and industry across each of the program’s top 10 family-friendly policies.

More information about The Best Place for Working Parents® Iowa program can be found at iowaeda.com/best-place-for-working-parents-iowa/.

About The Best Place for Working Parents®
The Best Place for Working Parents® is a growing national network of business leaders proving that family-friendly is business-friendly. Originating in Fort Worth, Texas, The Best Place for Working Parents® seeks to support businesses with research-backed strategies that benefit working parents and businesses’ bottom line. Learn more at www.bestplace4workingparents.com.

Nursing homes and care centers still struggling to find staff

News

January 12th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The administrators of Iowa’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities say they’re struggling to retain enough staff. Devin Juel at the Hawkeye Care Center in Dubuque says at one point last fall, the facility had to shut down an entire wing due to staffing issues. And he says he knows other facilities are experiencing similar shortages. “We get calls daily. I take at least six to 12 calls a day from hospitals not only from here in Dubuque, but from Iowa City, Madison, Rockford, Illinois, even Omaha, Nebraska, looking for placement for people that need nursing home care,” he says.

Juel says his facility started to see a rapid decline in staff last summer. And that’s only increased the rate of burnout as remaining staff now have to work a lot of overtime. “People have to cover extra shifts and, and you know, it’s, it’s not an easy job. It’s pretty, pretty labor-intensive at times, you know, when you’re caring for adults, and some of them are pretty dependent and need a lot of help with dressing, bathing, etc, “according to Juel.

Juel says the facility will see many people apply for a job, but then few will follow through on interviewing and training. He made his comments on Iowa Public Radio’s River to River program.

(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

Adair County Supervisors approve handbook & budget amendments

News

January 12th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors met this (Wednesday) morning during a regular weekly session. The Board approved an amendment to the Inclement Weather & Worksite Closing policy in the County Employee Handbook. Board Chair Matt Wedemeyer explains.

Wedemeyer, from rural Casey, was elected as Chairman of the Board during Monday’s annual re-organizational meeting, and succeeded Steve Shelley. Jerry Walker, of Bridgewater, was named Vice-Chair. In other business, the Adair County Supervisors held a Public Hearing on a FY22 Budget Amendment, during which there were no comments/objections. Matt Wedemeyer then read a Resolution, which the Board voted to pass.

In discussion, the Board received requests for funding in advance of setting the County’s FY23 Budget. The requests came from Adair County Conservation Director Dominick Johnson, Veteran’s Affair Commissioner John Schildberg, and County Attorney Melissa Larson. The new fiscal year starts July 1st, but counties including Adair are preparing to crunch the numbers now, and see what they can afford for various programs, staff and equipment needs.

Gov. Reynolds Launches New Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship

News

January 12th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES – Gov. Reynolds has announced the launch of a first-in-the-nation Teacher and Paraeducator Registered Apprenticeship Grant Program Tuesday during her annual Condition of the State Address.  The grant program will provide opportunities for current high school students to earn a paraeducator certificate and associates degree and paraeducators to earn their bachelor’s degree all while learning and working in the classroom. The program will begin in the 2022-2023 school year.  “This is a transformational opportunity that puts our schools at the center of growing their future workforce,” said Gov. Reynolds. “I can’t think of a better place to recruit our future generations of teachers and paraeducators than in our own classrooms. Through this first-in-the-nation experience today, we’ll be shaping our educators of tomorrow.” 

The Iowa Department of Education (DOE) and Iowa Workforce Development Agency (IWD) will use $9M in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Elementary and Secondary School Education Relief (ESSERIII) funds to create the model program which will train and educate current high school students and paraeducators for the next step in their teaching careers while they learn, work, and get paid in Iowa schools.

Through the grant program, school districts will be required to partner with local community colleges or four-year colleges/universities to provide the required education and training. The DOE and IWD will provide up to $40,500 over a three-year period for each high school student that completes the Paraeducator Certificate or Associates degree model. The DOE will provide up to $47,000 over a two-year period for each paraeducator that completes the bachelor’s degree model. Funding will support:   

  • Tuition and fees up to $7,000/year for up to three years at a community college. 
  • Tuition and fees up to $17,000/ year for up to two years at a public or private four-year college/university. 
  • Hourly rate of $12 for high school aides while still in school and 50% of wages that districts currently pay for aides and paraeducators for up to 30 hours per week for 36 weeks.  

The grant application, deadlines and further information can be found here 

(Podcast) KJAN News, 1/12/22

News, Podcasts

January 12th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

More area/State news from Ric Hanson.

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