The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports one arrest after responding to a call at Cubby’s gas station for a report of a possible intoxicated driver on Friday. After investigation Deputies arrested 51-year-old Christopher Russell Shepherd of Douds, IA for Driving While Suspended. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $491.25 bond.

The Atlantic Police Department on Friday released information on 4 recent arrests.

On September 15th Officers arrested 45-year-old Amanda Bashor of Atlantic on a Shelby County Warrant for Assault While Displaying a Dangerous Weapon. She was taken into custody and transferred to the Shelby County Jail.

On September 19th Atlantic Police arrested Jillian Gauthier of Denver, CO for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Cocaine) 1st Offense. She was booked in to the Cass County Jail.

On September 27th Officers arrested 20-year-old Mikayla Waldron of Atlantic for Theft 4th Degree. She was cited into court and released.

On September 30th 23-year-old Sean Smith of Atlantic was arrested for Interference With Official Acts and a Cass County Warrant for Failure to Appear. He was transported to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

DES MOINES, IA (Oct. 1, 2021) – Gov. Kim Reynolds declared October as Healthiest State Month in a proclamation signing earlier this week. Iowans from all sectors will celebrate 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! – a nationally recognized and evidence-based prevention framework to promote healthy habits.

“The Healthiest State Initiative partners with early care, out-of-school programs, schools, health care and workplaces to catalyze change to support the healthy choice as the easy choice for Iowans in the places they live, learn, work and play,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds.

The goal of 5-2-1-0 is to increase physical activity and healthy eating through policy and environmental change. Each week in October will focus on healthy habits promoted by 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count!:

• October 4-8: 1 or more hour of physical activity
  • October 6 – Healthiest State 11^th Annual Walk
• October 11-15: 5 or more fruits or vegetables
  • October 13 – Iowa Local Food Day
• October 18-22: 2 hours or less of recreational screen time
• October 25-29: 0 sugary drinks – drink more water!
  • October 28 – 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Virtual Summit

Celebrating Healthiest State Month is fun and easy! Free celebration toolkits and resources are available at www.IowaHealthiestState.com/HSImonth for education sites, communities, workplaces, health care clinics and households.

The celebration toolkits contain weekly activity ideas, communication templates and sample social media posts. Additional free resources are available including social media graphics, posters, activity sheets and weekly newsletters for your site.

“All Iowans could benefit by incorporating more healthy habits into their day,” said Jami Haberl, executive director for the Healthiest State Initiative. “Healthiest State Month is an opportunity to celebrate healthy habits and have fun while doing it.”

The Healthiest State Initiative will also be celebrating Healthiest State Month with weekly 5-2-1-0 themed giveaways and videos on their Facebook page. Iowans are encouraged to share their Healthiest State Month celebrations on social media using #HealthyChoicesCount.

5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Summit

The annual 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Summit will be held on October 28. The multi-sector, virtual event is an opportunity for Iowans to learn more about 5-2-1-0 and strategies to support healthy eating and active living through keynote speakers and interactive panel discussions.  The 5-2-1-0 Summit is sponsored by Grinnell Mutual and Above & Beyond Cancer. To learn more and register, visit: www.IowaHealthiestState.com/Summit.

Healthy Cass County, Atlantic Parks & Rec, and Royal Neighbors are organizing a public walk at the Schildberg Recreation Area on October 6 at 10:00 AM. Everyone in Cass County is welcome to join!

Early October is a beautiful time of year to spend time outdoors in Iowa, but if that’s not reason enough to join the walk, the Nishna Valley Family YMCA, Royal Neighbors, and Cass County Iowa State University Extension will be providing free water bottles and other
giveaways to participants.

The walk at Schildberg is just one of many walks taking place in Iowa on October 6. October 6 is Iowa’s 11th Annual Healthiest State Walk. All Iowans are encouraged to get outside and walk for half an hour on October 6, whether or not they are joining in a public walk.

The Healthiest State Walk is spearheaded by Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with the goal of making Iowa the healthiest state in the nation. On their blog, Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative shares many benefits to walking including increased energy levels and better sleep, as well as increased blood flow that leads to better cognitive functioning, improved memory, and reduced anxiety and depression. Lastly, Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative points out that walking is a great way to connect with others.

Healthy Cass County encourages people who cannot attend the Schildberg walk to consider registering their own public or private walk and inviting a friend, family member, coworker, or neighbor to join them in walking. Individuals and organizations may register their October 6 walks at www.iowahealthieststate.com/events/annual-walk/.

AMES, Iowa – Oct. 1, 2021 – A public auction of state-owned vehicles, equipment, and other surplus items will be held by the Iowa Department of Transportation on its grounds in Ames, Saturday, Oct. 16. Registration begins at 7 a.m. The sale starts promptly at 9 a.m. and will be held in the Iowa DOT auction building near 931 South Fourth Street in Ames.

Passenger vehicles to be sold include Ford and Chevy sedans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles and Dodge minivans. These will be driven through the auction building during the sale. Large equipment and trucks will be sold on the southside of the auction building.

Other items will include but not limited to: trailers, plows, tires, mowers, brine tanks, spray equipment, tampers, concrete buggy, and lawn equipment.

Items for sale may be inspected at the sale site from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15, and from 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16. Pre-registration open during inspection time as well.

Please bring a driver’s license or state-issued identification card with you to the sale. The information from your driver’s license will be scanned into the system and a bid number will be printed for you to use at the auction. For those without a driver’s license, information will be entered manually. Please bring a tax-exempt number if buying under tax-exempt status. This will be entered during registration.

Full payment for all items other than vehicles and trailers is due the day of the sale. Payment for the items must be made in cash, cashier’s check, or certified check. Personal or company checks will be accepted, if accompanied by satisfactory identification. Sales tax will be collected. Dealers must provide tax-exemption numbers to be exempted from the tax. All items must be removed from Iowa DOT property within five business days of the sale.

Hallberg Auction and Real Estate of Buffalo Center will conduct this auction.

A listing of auction items will be available prior to the live auction on the Iowa DOT’s website at https://iowadot.gov/auction.

(DES MOINES, Iowa) – Iowans receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) should be aware of some key changes to the program beginning in October.

Nearly all SNAP beneficiaries will see a modest increase in benefits this month to account for a recent federal government review of the SNAP program that considers, among many factors, the increasing cost of eating a healthy diet and the changing eating habits of Americans.

The update resulted in an approximate 27 percent increase in benefits. However, this change takes place at the same time a pandemic-related increase will end. The December 2020 COVID-19 federal relief bill included a 15 percent increase in SNAP benefits from January through September 2021.

“The net result of the changes is that most Iowa families will see a $12 to $16 increase per person each month,” said Janee Harvey, Administrator for the Adult, Child, and Family Services Division at the Department of Human Services. “These changes are permanent and aren’t tied to pandemic programs.”

The changes will happen automatically, and recipients will see the increased benefits on their EBT cards in October.

For more information about Department of Human Services food assistance programs, including how to apply for benefits, visit https://dhs.iowa.gov/food-assistance.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has released information on four recent arrests.

On September 24th Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 29-year-old Anthony Rey Asay of Atlantic for public intoxication. Asay was taken to Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance.

On September 27th, Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested 52-year-old Richard Dean Fineran of Atlantic on a Cass County warrant for violation of probation.  Fineran was transported to Cass County Jail and was later released on his own recognizance.

On September 28th Cass County Sheriff’s Officials arrested 19-year-old Seth William Max Stephenson of Wiota on a Cass County warrant for violation of probation.  Stephenson was transported to Cass County Jail where he later posted bond.

Also on September 28th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 29-year-old Brian Richard Rodriguez of Bettendorf on a Cass County warrant for failure to appear.  Rodridguez was transported from Scott County Jail to Cass County Jail where was later sentenced and released.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office on Friday released details on two recent accidents.

The first accident occurred on September 21st. Deputies responded to an accident on Highway 148 east of Massena. A 1998 Peterbilt semi-tractor trailer was traveling eastbound on Highway 148 when he struck a low hanging wire owned by Alliant Energy. No injuries were reported and the semi sustained minor damage.

The second accident occurred on September 27th on Richland Road, approximately 1/3 mile east of 750th St. near Massena.  Mary Ann McKee was traveling westbound on Richland Rd driving at 1999 Ford F250 pickup. McKee attempted to pass a tractor towing a manure spreader, lost control of the vehicle and rolled The vehicle landed on a fence on the north side of the road.  McKee was transported to Cass County Memorial Hospital and later transported to UNMC by Life Flight with serious injuries.

A Villisca man was arrested early Friday following a traffic stop. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 22-year-old Jonah Lee Kirsch of Villisca at approximately 7:58 a.m. on Friday for Driving While Barred. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $2,000 bond.

The Cass County Conference Board met on Thursday evening in the Cass County Courtroom to discuss an insurance coverage situation for two former employees. A majority of Mayors, School Boards, and Supervisors voted in favor of continuing their coverage through the end of the year.

Coverage for the two was set to expire on October 31st and they would of had to pay out of pocket to keep coverage for November and December. The two employees were let go during restructuring of duties and a number of those involved at the meeting thought it was the right thing to do to extend the benefit. The county will absorb the cost of coverage for the remainder of the year for approximately $9,200. The money will come out of the Assessor’s budget.

A separation agreement with the coverage included is being drafted and will be given to the former employees to sign.