(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Armour Insurance on Thursday, August 5th to welcome their new agent, Jake Olsen. Jake was born and raised in Atlantic, went to Northwestern University where he graduated with a degree in Finance. Soon after graduation, owner Lucas Mosier, approached Jake about coming on board in which he accepted and joined the Atlantic team at the beginning of June 2020. Since joining the company, Jake has received licensing in personal, commercial and life insurance.

Armour Insurance has offices in Atlantic, Griswold and Council Bluffs and specializes in auto, home, farm, business, personal, commercial, life, health and crop insurance. Armour Insurance is located at 700 E. 7th St. Contact 712-243-1630 or visit https://www.insarmour.com/ for more information.

Ambassador’s Pictured Left to Right: Kevin Ferguson, Abby Becker, Kelsey Beschorner, Jim Kickland, Rachel Czaja, Jason Nicholas, Krysta Hanson, Anne Quist, Kennedy Freund, Margo Larson, Ruth Sears, Jessi Klever, Katie Hockenberry, Bill Saluk, Jessica Oswalt, Dr.Keith Leonard, Dolly Bergmann, Marcia Anderson, Colt Doherty, Alden Harriman, Dawn Marnin, Nedra Perry, Rich Perry, Amy Coenen, Donnie Drennan, Graydon Schmidt. Seated: Lucas Mosier & Jake Olsen.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Conservation Board has two programs coming up later this month for nature lovers: the “Breakfast with the Birds” Program, and “Raptor Identification” Program. Both will be held August 21st in the Camblin’s Addition Shelter at Sunnyside Park. The  “Breakfast with the Birds” Program begins at 9-a.m.  For a free-will donation, you can enjoy a light breakfast. During the program, Cassie Wendl, will show and discuss live birds.  Raptor Identification Program

You can learn about different raptors (birds of prey) and tips about how to increase your birding knowledge, during the “Raptor Identification” Program, which will be held at 10-a.m. on August 21st. You can bring along your own pair of binoculars, or some will be provided. Funding for the program is provided by the Resource Enhancement and Protection – Conservation Education Program (REAP – CEP).

The Raptor workshop will be conducted by Kelly McKay (BioEco Research and Monitoring Center), with assistance from Mark Roberts (Clinton County Conservation) and Brian Ritter (Nahant Marsh Education Center). It’s the third of the CCCB’s “Building a Better Birder Workshop Series,” and is brought to you through aResource Enhancement and Protection (REAP-CEP) grant.

Pre-Registration is appreciated. Call  769-2372 or email to sign up lkanning@casscoia.us Of course this qualifies for our 120hrs Outdoor Challenge don’t forget to use #120hrsCassCoIA as a hashtag for your adventures.

(Denison, Iowa)  – Officials with Lutheran Services in Iowa (LSI) are putting out an urgent request for foster parents in western Iowa. Danette Morgan, Training and Development Coordinator for LSI in Denison, says if you have ever considered foster parenting, NOW is the time.

LSI is contracted with the Department of Human Services to cover 30 counties in western Iowa. They take referrals from DHS, which provides services in the home before the children are removed. Morgan says this is far different from the “myth” of simply coming in and grabbing the children from their unsafe home and bouncing them around until they find suitable temporary housing.

Danette says in cases where the child is not able to stay in their original home, LSI is notified of the need for a home. This year, up through the end of June, that has happened more than 300 times for the 30 counties LSI serves. She says throughout the State of Iowa, from January 2020 through the end of December, 3,936 children entered foster care.

When it’s not possible for the child to return home, they become eligible for adoption. As of July 22, 2021, there are 780 children eligible for adoption, in Iowa. Becoming a foster parent is a process that begins with an filling out an inquiry form at lsiowa.org/foster.

Free orientation classes will be held August 12th in Council Bluffs, September 9th in Audubon, and September 23^rd, in Sioux City. The no obligation classes offer you an opportunity to learn more about what it is to be a foster parent. If you’re still interested, the paperwork, including a background check is conducted.

If you pass that, LSI will talk with you about TIP (Trauma Informed Parenting) Classes. That involves training once a week for 3-hours each week for 10 weeks, or a total of 30 hours training, in addition to your home study.

There is no amount of income requirement to be a foster parent, but LSI does ask for verification of income. Single parents over the age of 21 may become foster parents, regardless of whether you own or rent your home. They’re simply looking for a safe, nurturing environment for foster children.

For more information, go to https://lsiowa.org/foster-care-adoption/, or Email fosteradopt@lsiowa.org to ask questions and sign up.

Des Moines, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division said Friday (today), former insurance producer Dustin French of Red Oak, was recently sentenced in Montgomery County District Court after pleading guilty to his actions in an insurance fraud scheme. The sentence follows an investigation by the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau which began in April of 2020.  The investigation concluded French received compensation from his insurer on multiple occasions following claims to his insurance provider.  The investigation determined the documentation supporting the claims was not accurate, leading to French receiving benefits to which he was not entitled.

In February of 2021, French was charged with one count of Insurance Fraud – Presenting False Information (Class D Felony) and one count of Theft in the 2nd Degree (Class D Felony).  In July of 2021, French pled guilty to one count of Theft 3rd Degree (Aggravated Misdemeanor).  French received a deferred judgement and was ordered to serve two years probation.  French was also assessed a civil penalty of $855 and ordered to pay $1,800 in victim restitution.

Photo courtesy of the Montgomery County Jail.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-654-6556.

With Ric Hanson.

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(Omaha, Nebraska) – A fisherman who saw what he thought was a body in the Missouri River, Thursday, under the I680 bridge, alerted authorities, who recovered the remains of a child who had been missing from N.P. Dodge Park in Omaha, since Tuesday evening.

Authorities had searched for 7-year-old Abi Gurung since he disappeared. Police say no foul play is suspected. N.P. Dodge Park, which was closed during the investigation, reopened this (Friday) morning.

The Gurung family told KETV they’re planning on a funeral ceremony where Buddhist monks will pray over Abi’s body before cremation. A friend of the family said Abi was born in America, and his parents worked hard raising him to be a good citizen.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests took place the first-half of this week. On Monday, 43-year-old Jeffery Lee Simpson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, OWI 1^st Offense and possession of drug paraphernalia.  Simpson was transported to Cass County Jail where he remained held as of the latest report.

On Wednesday, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 47-year-old John Duane Anderson, of Cumberland, on a Cass County warrant for domestic abuse assault 1^st offense.  Anderson was transported to Cass County Jail where he later posted bond.

And, on Thursday, 41-year-old Jamie Marie Tallant, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Cass County for OWI 3^rd offense and driving under suspension.  Tallant was transported to Cass County Jail where she was later released after posting bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Electric scooters will be a form of public transportation in another Iowa city. Burlington has partnered with the Los Angeles-based company Bird Rides to bring a total of 35 shared electric scooters to the city. Burlington City Manager Chad Bird said that the scooters made for a “useful way to bridge the gap between public transportation and a person’s home or work.”

The scooters are rented and tracked through a mobile app, which riders use to find a scooter, and pay for their use by the minute at no cost to the city. The company plans on offering scooters to residents and visitors in order to help reduce carbon emissions, as well as traffic congestion on roadways.

A Bird brand scooter

Cedar Rapids has an electric scooter sharing program and Davenport officials are considering an e-scooter ordinance. In April, Mason City signed a scooter contract with the same company Burlington is using.

(Radio Iowa) – A group that advocates for the civil rights of Hispanics is asking Iowa’s Secretary of State to offer documents related to voting that are translated into other languages. “Thousands of Iowa citizens have been denied their right to have election material, including the ballot, in other languages,” says Joe Henry, a member of LULAC’s Iowa board of directors. Under federal guidelines, Tama County offers voting materials in the Meskwaki language and Buena Vista County has translated documents in Spanish. LULAC has filed a formal request, asking the secretary of state to allow voting materials be made available statewide in Spanish, Burmese and other languages.

“This should not be difficult for the secretary of state to acknowledge the right of Iowans who are U.S. citizens to have voting material, election material in other languages,” If that doesn’t happen, Henry says the group may go to court. “If our rights are not acknowledged, then we will go to court to demand justice,” Henry says. “…We hope that the secretary of state…realizes that our rights have not been upheld. They’ve been held hostage.”

The Iowa secretary of state’s office previously allowed translated voting materials throughout the state, but changed the practice in 2008. A district court judge ruled that voter registration forms offered in other languages conflicted with the state’s so-called “English Only” law requiring government business be conducted in English. Henry says that interpretation conflicts with the constitutional right to vote and he says the ruling should have been appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court.

A spokesman for Iowa’s secretary of state says the office “will follow the process outlined in state law” as it reviews LULAC’s request for administration action.