Officials with ISU Extension in Cass County says they’re excited to offer “On Their Own and OK!,” a course to help youth gain the skills and confidence to stay home alone. The program will be held on Thursday, August 11 from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. The program is open to any interested youth who are entering 4-8^th grade this fall.

Topics covered throughout the day will include handling emergencies and basic first aid, safety and privacy with electronics and other appliances, daily routines and responsibilities, and dealing with siblings and friends when home alone. In addition, youth will learn the basics of healthy meals and snacks, including preparing their own meal and snack during the class! Participants will also get a workbook to help start a conversation about family rules, activities and more when home alone.

There is no charge to attend this program, and all materials are provided, but pre-registration is required and the class size is limited to 25 youth. To register, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email xcass@iastate.edu. A registration form with more course details is also available on the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says a Page County man was arrested early this (Thursday) morning, on a U-S Marshall’s warrant. 68-year old Danny Gene McClain, of Clarinda, was arrested at around 1:35-a.m. on Highway 34. He was wanted on a warrant for Probation Violation. McClain was being held without bond, in the Mills County Jail.

And, 28-year old Nicole Katherine Spracklin, of Glenwood, was arrested Wednesday night in Mills County, for Driving While Barred. Her bond was set at $2,000.

The annual state sales tax holiday is this Friday and Saturday across the state. Iowa Department of Revenue spokesperson, Victoria Daniels, says there are limits on the tax exemption. “It applies to select clothing and footwear. And one big thing to remember is that the item has to be less than 100 dollars — not 100 dollars — it has to be less than 100 dollars in order to qualify for the exemption.”

Accessories do not qualify for the sales tax exemption. According to Daniels, “Things like jewelry, and the other thing is if it is something you wouldn’t wear normally in everyday life, then it doesn’t qualify. For example, athletic cleats, things like that that you wouldn’t just wear to school or work.”

There are some items that people often mistakenly think are included. Daniels says “Bookbags and backpacks — you know people think of it as back to school — but it really only includes clothing and footwear.” The event is often billed as the Sales Tax Weekend, but Daniels says it doesn’t last all weekend. “By law it occurs on the first Friday and Saturday of August. People sometimes think ‘oh it’s the weekend’, but Sunday is not applicable.”

Many stores offer discounts to go along with the sales tax holiday. The complete listing of the items can be found at www.tax.iowa.gov. The tax holiday begins at 12:01 a-m Friday and runs through 11:59 p-m Saturday.

(Radio Iowa)

Shelby County Extension Council Chairperson Julie Klein reports four Shelby County residents have been appointed to the Iowa State University Extension Council Nominating Committee. The committee is charged with nominating candidates for the four vacancies on the council before August 10th, 2016. Committee members selected to nominate extension council candidates for the 2016 election are Arleatta Bartelson of Irwin, Travis Lane of Shelby, Robert Mortensen of Elk Horn and Stacy Torneten of Harlan.

By law the nominating committee must include two women and two men, and cannot include any current member of the council. The committee is required to take county geography into consideration when nominating candidates. Terry Maloy, director for Iowa Association of County Extension Councils, says “Serving as an extension council member is one way to give back to your community. If you believe local educational opportunities are vital to the community’s well-being, then you should consider running for council. It is rewarding to know that people are able to improve their lives, farms, businesses and communities because of ISU Extension and Outreach’s education and information.”

Candidates nominated by the committee must submit petitions containing the names of 25 qualified voters to the county election commissioner by 5 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2016. Additionally, individuals may petition to have their names placed on the ballot through a self-nominating process by submitting petitions with 25 names to the election commissioner. Petition forms are available from the election commissioner and at the county extension office.

Voters will cast ballots for the nominees in the Nov. 8th, 2016, general election. Successful candidates will serve four-year terms beginning in January 2017.

Atlantic Specialty Care has been named winner the 2016 Governor’s Award for Quality Care in Health Care Facilities. Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds will present the award to Atlantic Specialty Care in Atlantic early this fall. The Atlantic facility was nominated by a family member of three former residents, all of whom required special care and attention due to their illnesses.

The Governor’s Award for Quality Care was established to recognize long-term care facilities that provide – in the nominator’s opinion – a high level of care to their residents. This year’s Governor’s Award recipients were selected from a field of 17 nominated facilities. Since the first awards were presented in 2001, a total of 53 awards have been presented to 46 individual facilities.

Iowa’s spokeswoman for people with disabilities is leaving this weekend for Michigan where she’ll represent Iowa in the Ms. Wheelchair America pageant. Pattie Duff is a mother of four in Des Moines and as the 2016 Ms. Wheelchair Iowa, she’ll be competing in the 45th annual national event next week in Grand Rapids.

“It’s going to be really exciting from the different things we’re going to do and it sounds like it’ll be really fun,” Duff says. “I’ll just be glad to experience a lot of different things that I haven’t already and to get to meet face-to-face a lot of the contestants I haven’t even talked to on Facebook and build that bond.” The competition is not based on physical beauty but instead on a woman’s advocacy and accomplishments.

Duff uses a wheelchair for mobility after a spinal cord injury about three years ago. In addition to her three biological children and a step-daughter, she also has a seven-month-old foster child. That foster-daughter is the basis of Duff’s pageant platform, reinforcing that people with disabilities -can- be foster parents. “As long as you are physically able to take care of yourself and a child, then you are able to be a foster parent,” Duff says. “I just want more people that utilize wheelchairs to be able to become foster parents, if they would like to be.”

The 43-year-old Duff has degrees in psychology and human services and is working toward a new degree in special education. She works for Easter Seals of Iowa, a non-profit group that offers a range of services and camps for children and adults with disabilities. “I help feed them, if they need help showering, if they need help dressing, if they need help with the arts and crafts, anything they need help with,” Duff says. “We help promote independence and we try to get them to do what they can for themselves, but if they can’t, then I help them.”

The new Ms. Wheelchair America will be crowned next Saturday night, August 13th, and she’ll represent the 56-million Americans living with disabilities.

(Radio Iowa)

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) handicapped-accessible entrance on the south side of the Cass County Courthouse, will be closed Friday, August 5th, while work is done on the roof above the steps at that entrance. The west, single door on the south side of the courthouse will serve as a temporary entrance.

Work will also be done on the roof above the north exit/entry steps on Friday.

The Cass County Conservation Board (CCCB) is sponsoring a “Breakfast with the Birds” Program. The program will be held at Sunnyside Park, Kiddie Korral Shelter in Atlantic, Saturday, August 13th, beginning at 9-a.m. Free will donations are being accepted. 

During the event, Terrie Hoefer, rehabilitator and Educator at S.O.A.R., Saving Our Avian Resources, will show and discuss several of her permanently injured birds and will hopefully have one that is fully recovered and ready to release back into the wild.

Breakfast with the birds is made possible by the Dick McCauley Memorial Fund. The CCCB asks you to help them support raptors and education, by attending “Breakfast with the Birds,” on Aug. 13th.

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) – Officials say a pharmaceutical supply company plans to hire 100 more workers for its Clear Lake operation. McKesson Distribution Center opened in May and currently employs 120 workers. Director of operations Chris Van Norman told the Mason City Globe Gazette that the center serves 2,500 pharmacies in the Midwest and north-central Plains.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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