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Healthy Cass County Continues to Promote Mental Health Resources

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July 19th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors declared May Mental Health Month, and throughout the month of May, businesses and organizations shared mental health resources and promoted mental wellbeing across Cass County. For example, yard signs with messages such as “Mental Health is Health” and “It’s OK to Not Be OK” were displayed outside the courthouse and at parks, and libraries and other businesses across Cass County shared brochures on mental health resources.

While Mental Health Month may be over, mental health resources remain available. Mental health resources and many mental health trainings can be requested at any time.

A message written in chalk says, Keep Trying Your Doing Great. Atlantic elementary students wrote mental health messages on sidewalks in downtown Atlantic during May thanks to a chalk donation from Cappel’s Ace Hardware.

Mental health crisis resources available to people in Cass County 24/7 include:

For additional mental health resources in Cass County, see the Cass County Urgent Need Community Resource Guide at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass/. For a paper copy of the guide,
call or visit the Cass County Extension Office at 805 W. 10th Street, Atlantic, IA 50022.

Free Mental Health Programs available in Cass County on request include:
Programs are available to businesses, churches, clubs, and other organizations.

  • Question. Persuade. Refer. Suicide prevention training for adults by ISU Extension. Length: 1-1.5 hrs. Contact: Cass County ISU Extension at 712-243-1132.
  • Make It OK: Stigma is one of the greatest barriers to people getting mental health treatment. This is a mental health stigma reduction training. Length: 45 min – 1.5 hours.
    Contact: Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh bhoegh@iastate.edu or 712-249-5870.
  • NAMI Ending the Silence: Ending the Silence is a 50-minute session designed for middle and high school students. Students learn about mental health conditions through a brief
    presentation, short videos, and personal testimony from a young adult who describes their journey to recovery. Contact: Anna Killpack, Executive Director of NAMI Southwest Iowa,
    anna@namisouthwestiowa.com, 712-542-7904. (NAMI Southwest Iowa is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which is the nation’s largest grassroots mental
    health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.)
  • CALM (Counseling on Access to Lethal Means) Is a suicide prevention training for adults related to reducing access to firearms. Length: 1 – 1.5 hrs Contact: Gina Moulas, Community
    Engagement and Partnership Coordinator for Suicide Prevention, VA Nebraska Western Iowa Health Care System, gina.moulas@va.gov, 402-810-0074.

For more information on available mental health programming or to discuss scheduling, call the Cass County ISU Extension Office at 712-243-1132.

Healthy Cass County is a community-focused volunteer network formed to promote the health and well-being of Cass County residents. Healthy Cass County meets on the second Monday of the month from 12-1 PM. Healthy Cass County welcomes participants from across Cass County. Reach out to Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh at bhoegh@iastate.edu or call 712-249-5870 for more information. For information on community wellness events or resources, follow Healthy Cass County on Facebook @HealthyCassCounty.

2 arrested Tuesday morning in Red Oak following assault investigation

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July 19th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – An investigation into an alleged assault early this (Tuesday) morning, in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of two people. Red Oak Police say Officers were called to the 300 block of E. Market Street in Red Oak, for an assault that had occurred. Before those Officers arrived, Dispatch advised them that the female victim of the assault was in the front lobby of the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center. She reported the assault, and also that the alleged assailant, 24-year-old Abigail Jean Kates, of Red Oak, threw a pan at the woman’s car, causing one of the rear driver’s side windows to shatter.

Officers spoke with both the victim and Kates. They subsequently charged Kates with Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. In addition, 32-year-old Dylan Thomas Griffeth, of Red Oak, was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree, and Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense.

Both subjects were being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail, as of the latest report.

Creston Police report, 7/19/22

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July 19th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department reports the arrest on Monday, at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, of 24-year-old Maxim. R. Kozlov, from Shannon City. Kozlov was charged with a Department of Corrections Warrant for Violation of Parole. He was being held in the Union County Jail on No Bond.

And, there were two incidents reported to Creston Police, Monday. A woman from Afton said someone stole her black leather Montana purse while working at the hospital. Contents taken were a debit card, drivers license, check book, cash and car keys. Loss estimate $260. The theft took place sometime between 2:30- and 3-p.m., Monday.

A Creston woman reported Monday night, that someone stole her Black and Orange BMX Bike from the side yard next to the front door. Loss estimate $200

Iowa schools encouraged to apply for federal grants for new buses

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July 19th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – State Auditor Rob Sand is encouraging Iowa school districts to apply for federal infrastructure grants to replace aging diesel powered buses. The grants can be used to buy buses that are battery-powered or run on propane or compressed natural gas. Sand says the federal program puts no limit on how much money goes to each state. “If we do a good job of getting applications in, we could really make great investments in our school bus fleet and great investments in reducing costs for our school districts in this state,” Sand says.

The application deadline is August 19th. Sand says more efficient school buses could make a big impact on a district’s budget. “Now that inflation is a problem and we are dealing with high fuel prices constantly, this could be an incredibly promising program for a lot of school districts to be able to save a good amount of money,” Sand says.

The grants come from the bipartisan infrastructure bill congress approved last year. The program is for replacing buses that are at least 12 years old. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a list of 204 public school districts in Iowa that would be prioritized for grants because they are rural or serve a student body with a high poverty rate. The Meskwaki Settlement School is also on the E-P-A’s priority list for bus replacement.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Grant Gerlock)

Beware of a social media “Friends” scam

News

July 19th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A Senior Citizen in Atlantic has asked the local media to warn the public about a scam involving fake Facebook “friends”.  The person says you may receive a message from a friend on Facebook Messenger, your phone or computer, telling you about a non-taxable grant that is available to low-income senior citizens. This so-called “friend” will tell you that he or she applied and paid a small fee and got the money delivered to their door shortly after. Your “friend” may also tell you that you need to pay some additional fees, all using Cash App, Zelle or gift cards. Please be aware you are never chatting with your real “friend”, you’re chatting with a scammer.

The senior citizen who approached the media, said they thought this was a scam to start with, but with three “friends” messaging them and encouraging the person to apply, they began to think it was real. The key to avoid this scam is to contact your real friend(s) in-person and ask if they know about these grants or programs that are being promoted.

The citizen concluded by saying, “Let my loss save you from being tempted.”

Atlantic Parks and Rec Board News: Splash pad discussed

News

July 18th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Board of Directors met Monday evening, at City Hall. During the meeting, Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen updated the Board on the Bull Creek improvement project, which is nearly finished.

Rasmussen spoke also, about the proposed Sunnyside Splash Pad project. Three companies: Rain Deck, out of Texas, Aquatix, from Minnesota, and Crouch Recreation, which is out of Elkhorn, NE., have all provided a rough idea with regard to cost analysis, layout and functionality of a potential splash pad.

Rain Deck, he said, might be able to make a presentation via video conference. Rasmussen said he instructed all three companies to consider what types of things they can include in the making of a splashpad, so that it is inclusive for persons with disabilities.

The Parks Board asked Bryant to contact those companies to see if they would like to be a part of a Parks & Rec Work Session to explain more, about their proposals and associated costs. Officials with Crouch Recreation, he said stopped in Atlantic recently, and mentioned the current lead-time for projects is 12-to 16-weeks, and that’s not counting on the construction of a base and other factors.

Parks & Rec Chairperson Jolene Smith, it’s time to get the ball rolling on moving forward, so the public can see progress is being made.

In other business, Bryant Rasmussen said rip-rap for erosion control on Lake #3 at the Schildberg Recreation Area. They used broken-up concrete from an older trail section to shore-up the bank.

The Parks Board tabled any action on expanding the Soccer Complex until more information on costs and specifics can be addressed.

Glenwood Resource Center cited after accidental oxygen deprivation incident

News

July 18th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

GLENWOOD, Iowa — The State run Glenwood Resource Center is in trouble once again. The facility was cited for putting a resident in jeopardy, when a patient was accidentally be deprived of oxygen for a time. KETV reports an investigation revealed that a man’s oxygen had been shut off to move him — and wasn’t turned back on. Inspectors say the man was checked on four times and no one noticed. Once the oxygen was back on, nearly 3 hours later, the man recovered. State inspectors said this is another case of the facility’s lack of staff training.

The GRC is set to close permanently in 2024. Trouble at the Center came to light in 2019 with allegations of abuse and experiments on the developmentally disabled. That led to a federal investigation, and in December 2021, the justice department condemned how the facility was run. In June, a citation report filed by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals showed that a 30-year-old resident at the Glenwood Resource Center died of dehydration.

The report alleges that a “lack of training and communication” led to the man being given lower fluids than were ordered for him several times over a one-month period.

Central Iowa child dies in CO zip-line accident

News

July 18th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

A family, sheriff’s office and community are mourning the loss of a 4-year-old boy killed in a “tragic accident” that involved a slack line or zip line Friday morning in Littleton, Colorado. Jefferson County, Colorado Sheriff’s Deputies say they were called to the 6000 block of South Jay Way for a tree that fell on a 4-year-old boy. Deputies said a group of kids was playing on a slack line or a zip line between two trees when one gave way and fell on top of the boy.

KCCI reports a GoFundMe identifies him as Maximillion Wood from Indianola, Iowa. The Wood family was visiting other family members in the neighborhood when the accident happened. Maximillion’s 14-year-old sister was also hurt and is expected to be okay. Karlyn Tilley, public information officer for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado, says “Although we are still investigating this death, we have no reason to believe this was anything more than a very tragic accident. It was incredibly traumatic for all of the children who witnessed the incident. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office provided victim advocates to the family, the owners of the home where the incident occurred, and to all other children who were in the yard.”

The GoFundMe said Maximillion would have started kindergarten this year and that he looked up to his siblings and his parents.

Man who pleaded guilty in lottery rigging scandal released after 5 years in prison

News

July 18th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – State records show the man convicted of rigging lottery jackpots in Iowa and at least four other states was released Friday after serving more than five years in prison. Eddie Tipton was head of security at the Multi-state Lottery Association in Urbandale. He implanted computer code that manipulated the numbers for Hot Lotto jackpots worth at least 24 million in Iowa, Wisconsin, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. Iowa Lottery officials refused to pay a 2010 Hot Lotto jackpot to people who were trying to claim the money anonymously. The scheme unraveled when a co-worker saw the video of a man in a hoodie buying the winning ticket and recognized Tipton.

In 2017, Tipton pleaded guilty to ongoing criminal conduct and was sentenced to up to 25 years in prison. The Iowa Board of Parole approved Eddie Tipton’s early release in January, but his parole date was delayed after Tipton got into a fight in prison in February.

Tipton’s brother, Tommy — a former county magistrate in Texas, served 75 days in jail for his role in the scam. Eddie Tipton has filed a court petition to have his conviction reversed and end the payment of restitution.

Driver’s Ed instructor killed in eastern Iowa crash

News

July 18th, 2022 by Ric Hanson

(Janesville, Iowa) – A driver’s education instructor died and three other people were injured this (Monday) morning during a crash in eastern Iowa’s Bremer County. According to the Iowa State Patrol a 2014 Chevy Impala driven by a 14-year-old from Waterloo, was southbound on Highway 218 at around 8:30-a.m., when the wheels dropped off the shoulder of the road. The driver over-corrected, causing the car to cross the southbound lanes and the median, before it entered the path of a northbound 2010 Toyota Highlander SUV. The SUV struck the car on its passenger side. All the crash victims were wearing their seat belts.

The Driver’s Ed Instructor, 71-year-old Gregory Michael Harter, of Fairbank, died at the scene. The juvenile driver and a 14-year old passenger in the car from Waverly, along with the driver of the SUV, 44-year-old Tabetha Gehrke, of Waterloo, were injured in the crash. The two teens were transported by ambulance to Allen Hospital in Waterloo. Tabetha Gehrke was transported ambulance to Mercy One-Waterloo.

The accident remains under investigation.