DES MOINES — Iowa’s emergency notification system is receiving an upgrade that will increase its capabilities to provide emergency and public safety information to citizens.

Alert Iowa is a statewide emergency notification system that enables State and local officials to communicate emergency information directly to citizens. The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) is making improvements to the system, which has been in place since 2014, that will utilize improved technology to make it easier for officials to issue alerts and will provide more options for the public to receive vital information.

“Through Alert Iowa, millions of emergency and public safety messages have been delivered to Iowans,” said HSEMD Director Paul Trombino. “This technology will give Iowans the ability to receive important emergency and safety information in the ways that they choose when it matters the most.”

Alert Iowa was developed by HSEMD to provide all counties with access to a single, statewide notification system that provides local control of how and when to disseminate emergency and public safety messages to residents. Upgrades to the system are being provided through a new platform from Rave Mobile Safety, and will benefit both the people who receive the alerts and the officials who send them. Residents will be able to sign up through a web portal, via text message, or by downloading an app. They will also be able to choose how to receive alerts, including by voice call, email, or text, and may have the ability to choose to receive alerts in their preferred language and provide information to an access/functional needs registry for participating counties. For the officials who send the messages, the upgraded system will make it easier to create and send alerts, give them the option to use social media to deliver emergency messages, and offer 24/7 support.

Currently, 90 counties are using Alert Iowa. Residents will begin receiving messages generated by the new platform by July, when the system transition will be complete.

To find out if your county is participating and to learn more about Alert Iowa, visit www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov or alert.iowa.gov. Officials in participating counties will provide information to residents on local sign-up options.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Senate has overwhelmingly approved a budget bill that includes four-and-a-half MILLION dollars over the next two years to cover fees for a digital “panic button” system for Iowa schools. Teachers and school staff would install the app on their smart phones. Senator Zach Whiting, a Republican from Spirit Lake, says the app would be preferable to dialing 9-1-1 in an active shooter situation.

“In the midst of some dangerous circumstance to take out the phone, unlock my phone which is four digits, bring up the phone, dial 911 and hit send — that’s a lot of steps and when I’m frazzled because I’m hearing noises and stuff, that takes longer,” Whiting says. “(With this app), you can just boom! One button, two buttons, go. And the teacher alerts everybody in the building as well as public safety.” Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, says the funding for this project is being diverted from a budget that’s supposed to be used to build and maintain state-owned infrastructure.

“This is an earmark for a private company to get $4.5 million,” she said. The company is called Rave. The Rave Guardian App is available for COLLEGE students at Drake, the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. Hitting the app connects a student with campus police. The plan legislators are sending the governor does not call for getting the app on K-through-12 students’ phones, but for the adults in Iowa schools. Senator Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo, isn’t convinced this is a good call.

“I know the 911 system is free,” Dotzler says. “I mean, why do we need this extra step in technology?…You can hit that number pretty fast and everybody understands it.” A spokesperson for House Republicans says they have signed off on the panic button app project for schools. The House may debate the bill that includes this project later today (Tuesday).

(Radio Iowa) – Republican lawmakers are making final decisions on a host of state spending plans and the single largest budget bill is on its way to the governor. The House and Senate have approved a two BILLION dollar budget for the state’s Public Health and Human Services Departments. Representative Joel Fry of Osceola, a Republican, guided the plan through the House.

“Typically this is one of the last budgets out of the House, so let me just say that must mean the end of session is drawing near,” Fry said. The bill provides a Medicaid reimbursement increase for health care providers and money to hire more social workers to investigate allegations of child abuse and neglect. It also includes an additional 50 million dollars in state funding for Iowa nursing homes.

“444 nursing homes in the state of Iowa will get an increase in funding,” Fry said. “Folks, they have done tremendous work over the course of this last year in caring for some of our most vulnerable in the state.” Democrats say the bill makes great strides, including additional money for psychiatric care for kids, but many Democrats argued the state has a big enough budget surplus to do more. However, Senator Amanda Ragan of Mason City, a Democrat, says the good parts outweighed its shortcomings.

“While are things I would like to see in it that aren’t there, I plan on supporting this budget,” Ragan says. Ragan and 14 other Democrats in the Senate voted “yes” on the plan along with all the Republicans present in the Senate. The vote tally in the House was more mixed, with three Republicans joining 33 Democrats in opposing the plan. The bill does NOT include a Senate Republican proposal creating a new system to more frequently check eligibility for food stamps and Medicaid coverage.

(Radio Iowa) – The town of Clarinda is moving forward with plans to create a large mural to honor native son Glenn Miller, the famed big band leader from the 1940s. The Glenn Miller Birthplace Society is working with artist John Cerney to develop the project on Highway 71 south of town. Coordinator Gary Alger says they’re raising money to pay for the project.

“We started working on this at least a couple months ago,” Alger says. “We couldn’t really push the fundraising, because we had to get approval from the DOT to put this south of town. So, as you’re coming into town from the south, the artist asked for that, because he said that was the best place to display it.” Cerney is based in Salinas, California, and he specializes in larger-than-life plywood painted figures near highways.

Alger says the rising cost of building materials means more funds are needed to make the project a reality. “They thought they could do the initial part for about $10,000,” Alger says. “We’ve got various donations from $50 to $2,000. I just got word that we got four more $1,000 donations coming in.” For more information or to contribute to the project, contact Alger at (712) 542-3887.

Adair-Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator Robert Kempf, Tuesday, said upgrades to Iowa’s emergency notification system, Alert Iowa, are making it easier for the residents of Adair & Guthrie Counties to sign up and receive alerts about severe weather and other emergencies with more options and ability choose how and what alerts they want to receive while maintaining updates to their own information to receive these alerts or what information they want to be shared.

Alert Iowa has been a statewide emergency notification system that the Adair & Guthrie County EMA has used since 2014 to send alerts to residents. The State of Iowa have changed to a new operating program for Alert Iowa therefore, if you were signed up for the alert system prior to today, then you will need to signup under the new system to continue to receive these alerts. Improvements to the system will enable County officials to better communicate emergency information directly to citizens via voice call, text message, email, and social media. The system also now has the capability to translate messages into multiple languages.

Kempf says “Alert Iowa is a great tool that allows us to push official, real-time alerts to our residents. These upgrades will not only make it easier for us to notify our residents when emergencies happen or when we need to share important public safety information but will let residents choose the best way for them to receive these alerts.” Smart911 is another new feature with this new alert system. It is a nationwide system that can push your profile information to 9-1-1. You can choose how much or as little information you want to share and can only be viewed by 9-1-1 or Adair & Guthrie County Emergency Management. “With the Smart911 app, we will be able to notify travelers or visitors to our Counties.

When the app users enter the area associated with an alert, they will instantly receive the notification. Although our local 9-1-1 does not have the capability to receive this information from the app at this time, it may be an option added later at the call center. The app can still be used by our residents while they are traveling should they need to call 9-1-1. The target date for Adair & Guthrie Counties to have the transition to the upgraded system completed is June 30, 2021. Please feel free to contact our office if you need help signing up or if you signed up for the new service and want us to remove you from the old system, so you are not receiving multiple messages from both systems.”

Signing up for Alert Iowa is easy and can be done through the county’s web portal, by sending a text, or by downloading the Smart911 app. Residents who are currently signed up to receive alerts from our old system will need to sign up for the new system.

To sign up:

• Create an account on the Adair & Guthrie County web portal at https://www.smart911.com/smart911/ref/reg.action?pa=AGCountiesIowaAlerts
• Text your county name followed by IA to 672-83
• Download the Smart911 app from the Apple or Google Play stores.

To learn more about Alert Iowa in Adair & Guthrie Counties, visit alert.iowa.gov or additional information on the system is available at www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov .

Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken reports, effective Monday, May 24, 2021, Olive Street (N16) will be closed to thru traffic for the replacement of a bridge one mile south of I-80, between Boston Rd. and Chicago Rd. A signed detour will be provided using I-80, Hwy 6, and Hwy 71.

A.M. Cohron & Son, Inc. of Atlantic, IA is the prime contractor for this project. The project involves replacing the existing 56 ft. long x 24 ft. wide bridge with a 110 ft. long x 30 ft. wide bridge. The construction contract is for $664,562.32 and is funded by federal swap funds.

The contract contains 85 working days to complete the project. It is estimated that the project will be closed until early September.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports six arrests. On May 14th, 44-year-old Nina Bruns, of Audubon, was arrested  for Possession of Controlled Substance- 3rd offense and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released on her own recognizance on the charges and was held on an out of state no bond warrant until she was extradited to Nebraska.

There were two arrests in Audubon County on May 13th: 32-year-old Mark Holland, of Audubon, was arrested on an outstanding Violation of Probation warrant. He later posted bond and was released; and, 24-year-old Andrew Malloy, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving While Barred. He was released on his own recognizance and will appear before the magistrate at a later date.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Audubon County arrested 31-year-old Matthew Petersen, of Audubon, on May 8th for Driving While Intoxicated-2nd offense. He was released on his own recognizance and appeared before the magistrate on a later date. The charge stems from a traffic stop in the area of Littlefield Drive and Ibis Avenue.

On May 4th, Deputies arrested 46-year-old Abby DeJong, of Manning, on an outstanding warrant for Operating While Intoxicated-1st offense. She appeared before the magistrate and was released on her own recognizance. And, on April 27th, 19-year-old Ethan McMichael, of Panora, was arrested in Audubon County on an outstanding warrant for Violation of Probation, original charge Theft 2nd and Theft 3rd. He posted bond, was released and will make a court appearance at a later date.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 3 recent arrests.

On Monday, May 17th at 11:00 a.m. Deputies arrested 37-year-old Travis Mitchell Long of Council Bluffs on a warrant for Failure to Appear. He was arrested in Pottawattamie County and held on $30,000 bond.

Also on Monday, May 17th at 11:07 a.m. Deputies arrested 24-year-old Blake Michael Cole of Villisca on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Cole was arrested in Pottawattamie County and held on $25,000 bond.

On Tuesday, May 18th at 9:33 a.m. Deputies arrested 36-year-old Hector Antonio Melendez Robles of Bellevue, NE on a warrant for Failure to Appear on an original charge of OWI 1st. Robles was arrested in Glenwood, taken to the Mills County Jail and held on $15,000 bond.

Atlantic, IA— Effective officially on July 1, 2021, Cass County Health System will be known as Cass Health.

“As an independent hospital, we can be nimble and sensitive to the needs of the patients, families, and communities we serve. Over the past four years, we have recruited more than 30 new providers to the community, and we have been modernizing, updating, and renovating several areas inside and outside the walls of the hospital. During this renovation process, we along with our board, decided it was the right time to update our name,” said Cass Health CEO Brett Altman.

“Healthcare certainly doesn’t look the same as it did when we opened in 1968, and neither does the area we serve. Today, about 33% of our patients travel to Cass Health from outside of the county.  As we have gotten more regional, we are no longer just a county health system. We have added primary care providers, specialists, and surgeons, and we are seeing our patients come from a much broader region, where similar services aren’t readily available. Our mission is to provide a superior healthcare experience, and that does not stop at the county line.  We want to be inclusive and make everyone feel welcome here,” said Altman.

In recent years, Cass Health has added several providers who have increased the service area for the organization. When Montgomery County Memorial Hospital ceased its labor and delivery services, Cass Health partnered with them and Dr. Marcela Pineda, OB/GYN. While her patients continue to see her in the clinics outside of Cass County, they travel to Cass Health when they are ready to deliver their babies. Additionally, Internal Medicine physician Dr. Bethel Kopp joined Cass Health, also extending its reach, as she had practiced in the southern Iowa communities of Corning, Lennox, and Bedford for over 30 years, including patients from northern Missouri.  Now those same patients are accessing her through Cass Health’s rural clinics in Anita and Massena.  Doctors Weresh and Rinehart are routinely bringing in patients from the Des Moines metro. Most recently, Cass Health recruited Dr. Kim Hendricks, who is the only rheumatologist in southwest and west central Iowa and draws patients from a 70-mile radius.

“Patients are seeking out these physicians because they are highly respected, and time after time, these patients are impressed by their experience with our entire team,” said Altman.

Cass Health Chief Financial Officer Abbey Stangl stated, “The current construction and rebranding project is a refresh for our organization. We will have an entirely new clinic, new and improved parking lots, a coffee shop and new gift shop, a new helipad, and several other major improvements. There is no better time to show our employees, our physicians, our patients, and our community that we are investing in our future, and that we are here to stay as an independent rural hospital. Our investments here are not about us – it’s about investing in our community. That is part of the reason why we are also committed to paying for these improvements with cash; we will not go into debt or need to raise our tax levy to achieve these improvements. In fact, we’ve continued to lower our tax levy each year over the past several years.”

The Cass County Board of Supervisors had a short meeting on Tuesday morning at the Cass County Courthouse.

Veterans Affairs Director Mitch Holmes shared that current Veterans Commission member Dean Harrison will not be continuing his service on the commission at the end of his term which ends on June 30th. He said he will begin advertising for the opening and the Board will eventually have to appoint a new member.

Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken provided an update on equipment and projects. The big news of his discussion was that work will begin on Bridge 433 on Olive Street, 1 mile south of the interstate next week. The bridge will be closed on Monday, May 24th to begin work. The detour will be Highway 71 to 83/6 for traffic in and out of Atlantic. He said the closure is set to be in place until the week after Labor Day but could possibly be done sooner.

The Board also discussed the opening for a County Assessor following the departure of Brenda Nelson. Board Chair Steve Baier said the search process has started.

He said the Examining Board will have a list of qualifications to guide them through candidates and they will make recommendations on a candidate or candidates. County Auditor Dale Sunderman explained the ultimate approval comes down to a vote of a few entities.

Chair Baier said there is a limited pool of candidates and a number of counties have dealt with some lengthy vacancies at the position. They will see what kind of response they get within the next week.