(Atlantic, Iowa) – Willow Heights, a 43-bed private, non-profit Residential Care Facility (RCF) on Atlantic’s southwest side, is closing, with officials working to find suitable housing for its residents, who are 18 and older, and unable to live independently because mental illness, intellectual disability, a pattern of substance abuse or other disabling conditions. The nearly 50-year old building, which is leased and run by Partnership for Progress, Inc., is owned by Cass County. It first opened as a County Care Facility in about 1973, and was privately leased to a non-profit agency in the early 1990’s.

Willow Heights RCF (photo via Partnership for Progress)

Cass County Board of Supervisors Chair Steve Baier told KJAN the news did not come as a complete surprise to him.

He says the model for mental health care is changing, and the funding streams for large settings such as Willow Heights, is not what it used to be. The finances are a lot better, he said, if those clients are placed in houses, but it’s not without a certain level of risk.

Baier says he doesn’t know what will become of the facility, what the property might be used for, or even if the County wants to continue to own property of that size. He said it’s a good, solid building, and has received consistent upgrades and a new roof.

Suzanne Watson, CEO & Director of Southwest Iowa Mental Health Disability Services (MH/DS) Region, based in Council Bluffs, told KJAN News SWIMS will be working closely with Willow Heights to find placement for the affected clients in Atlantic and surrounding communities. They hope to make it an easy transition for them as possible.

She said while in most of the cases where RCF’s are closing is simply due to downsizing from larger to smaller settings, the current employment situation in Iowa and across the country is another factor.

She said the main thing she wants people to know, is that Willow Heights residents will not be homeless and left to fend for themselves. KJAN News reached out to Willow Heights Administrator Julie Steffen for additional details on exactly when the RCF will close, but had not heard back as of the time of this post.

(Malvern) — Voters in the East Mills School District, Tuesday, approved a bond issue referendum. Unofficial results from the Mills County Auditor’s Office show the $22 million bond issue passing with 63.68% of the vote, 675 yes to 385 no for Proposition L, and 62.42% of the vote, 666 yes to 401 no for Proposition M. Proceeds from the bond issue will allow an expansion and renovation of the Malvern junior-senior high school into a pre-K-12 facility, which will include an early childhood development center, preschool rooms, daycare, and the remodeling of the junior-senior high, school.

Additional parking and renovation of the district’s athletic facilities, including an all-weather track are also in the plans. The superintendent says the projects would be carried out in phases.
Plans also call for converting the existing Hastings elementary building into a Regional Center for Career Technical Education in cooperation with Iowa Western Community College and the state’s iJAG program.

DES MOINES, Iowa — A Des Moines woman faces a child endangerment charge and two counts of assault, after witnesses captured video of her abusing her son at a gas station. KCCI say witnesses saw Rejanie Morris yelling at her young son on Sept. 12 at the Quick Trip on Hubbell Avenue. The yelling escalated to the point where the woman allegedly began hitting her. Witness cell phone video captured Morris picking up her 9-year-old son by the arms and throwing him face down on the ground.

When a man and a woman intervened, another video shows Morris punching the woman in the back of the head. Des Moines police took Morris into custody at the Quick Trip Sunday. They say the child, who has autism, is now in the care of the Iowa Department of Human Services.

If you suspect a child is in danger call the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-362-2178. It is available 24-7.

The broadcast News at 8:07-a.m., with Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Trees Forever spokesperson Dolly Bergmann reports fall tree vouchers are now available. Bergmann says tree vouchers are a great way to help with the cost of a tree to plant.  The vouchers are worth $30 off the cost of a tree, and can be obtained at Pymosa Farms, north of Atlantic.

Bergmann said there are a limited number of vouchers available.  Those at Pymosa Farms can help you determine what kind of tree would work best in the location you would like to plant a tree.  Fall is a great time to plant trees.  They do not have to be exposed to the stress of the summer heat.  It is still important to water the trees as you go into the winter.

Pymosa Farms is located at 50979 Buck Creek Road, Atlantic, but Bergmann suggests calling owner Tim Reavis, at 402-659-1213 before driving out to the farm to ensure someone is available to help you.

Police in Creston report 23-year-old Maxim Kozlov, of Shannan City, was arrested at around Noon, Tuesday. Kozlov was taken into custody at the Creston Walmart, on a charge of Indecent Exposure. He was later released from the Union County Jail, on a $300 bond. And, at around 12:22-a.m. today (Wednesday), 38-year-old Angel Valdovinos Rodriguez, of Creston, was arrested for Public Intoxication and Disorderly Conduct. Rodriguez was being held in the Adams County Jail, on a $600 bond.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man Tuesday evening, for Disorderly Conduct/Fighting, and Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree. Authorities say 37-year-old Michael Eugene Squires, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 6:18-p.m., in the 100 block of W. 2nd Street, in Red Oak. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – The owner of a northwest Iowa dairy will testify today (Wednesday) about milk prices before the U-S Senate Agriculture Committee. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the problems with government regulation of the dairy industry date back decades, perhaps as far as the 1930s. He says the trouble originates with what are known as federal milk marketing orders which set up provisions for dairy processors.

“Things that happen in Minnesota and Wisconsin might be different than how they work in California,” Grassley says, “and even in eastern Iowa, I’ve heard of instances where some dairy farmers are getting help from some government program a lot more than they are in another part of eastern Iowa.” Grassley says it’s a troubled system that varies from state to state and significant reforms are needed.

“What you might do to help Iowa people would hurt Wisconsin people or what you might do to help Minnesota and Wisconsin versus California,” Grassley says. “It’s just a terrible, muddled mess to get corrected or it would’ve been done a long time ago.” The hearing in Washington D-C is scheduled to begin at 8:30 A-M/Central. The witnesses appearing before the panel include Christina Zuiderveen of Granville, managing partner of Black Soil Dairy.  “I’m happy that we’re bringing in the Iowa dairy people to speak to us, to have a voice in the Senate,” Grassley says, “even though we’re probably 10th, 11th or 12th in the production of dairy compared to some other of the 50 states.”

The Iowa State Dairy Association says Iowa ranks 12th in total milk production nationally and 8th in milk production per cow, while Iowa’s milk production represents 2.45-percent of the total U.S. milk production. In 2018, the ISDA says Americans consumed 646 pounds per capita of milk and dairy products, while in Iowa, the average was 670 pounds.

(Radio Iowa) – Public meetings are underway this week in several Iowa cities, the first steps an Iowa-based company must follow as it seeks a state permit to build an underground pipeline for carbon through 30 counties. As we reported last month, the potential pipeline has been dubbed the Midwest Carbon Express by its developer, Summit Carbon Solutions. Jesse Harris, a spokesman for the company, says it would be the largest carbon capture and storage project in the world.

“Our project would connect 31 different ethanol plants across the Midwest, including 12 plants here in Iowa,” Harris says. “We would capture the CO2 emissions before they were emitted into the atmosphere. We would compress those emissions into a pipeline and we would transport it to North Dakota, where it would be permanently stored.” Harris says ethanol plants that feed into the pipeline would become a so-called “net zero” fuel source by the end of the decade.

“It would allow ethanol plants to be able to sell their product and sell it at a premium in low carbon fuel standard markets like California, Oregon, Washington and more,” Harris says, “and give them a real competitive, economic advantage in the years to come.” Businessman Bruce Rastetter of Alden, the former president of the Iowa Board of Regents, owns the company that ultimately hopes to get Iowa Utilities Board approval for the project.

The pipeline would stretch through more than 700 miles of Iowa and the first informational meeting about the plan was held Monday in Steamboat Rock. Meetings are scheduled today (Wednesday) in Rock Rapids and Sioux Center. Two more meetings on Thursday will be held in Le Mars and Sioux City.

(Radio Iowa) – A long-time aide to Republican Governors Terry Branstad and Kim Reynolds has been elected to the Iowa House. Unofficial results show Republican Mike Bousselot won yesterday’s (Tuesday’s) special election in House District 37, which covers parts of Ankeny and northern Polk County. Bousselot got nearly 52 percent of the vote. Democrat Andrea Phillips finished with just over 48 percent in her second run in the district.

The seat had been held by Republican John Landon of Ankeny, who died in July. Bousselot, who is an attorney, had most recently served as director of the Iowa Department of Management. He was not confirmed for the post by the Iowa Senate this past spring and resigned from the job last month. Bousselot had previously served as Governor Branstad’s top health care advisor, then as Branstad’s chief of staff.

Late yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon, Governor Reynolds set Tuesday, October 12th as the date for a special election in Iowa House District 29, which covers most of Jasper County, including the city of Newton. State Representative Wes Breckenridge, a retired Newton policeman, resigned from the seat last week. He is now the assistant director of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.