KJAN News has learned Cass County Verizon customers without service, poor service, dropped calls, or those who are not able to hear incoming calls, should call Verizon and report the problems. Law enforcement says multiple customers in the Cass County area, including law enforcement agencies, are experiencing difficulties, having received little or no phone service overnight. The issues have also affected computers that rely on Verizon services.

Verizon has informed local authorities that the problems would need to be reported individually, by calling 908-559-4899.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The LCS Foundation, a Des Moines based not-for-profit organization, established a $100,000 endowment at Georgetown University to support the university’s recently inaugurated concentration in senior living administration, within the Master of Science in Aging and Health degree program. The Foundation supports the education and professional development of students pursuing careers in the field of senior living. The Georgetown University curriculum represents the only known graduate concentration dedicated exclusively to preparing the next generation of leaders for careers in the rapidly growing senior living industry.

The goal for the curriculum is to attract professionals with high levels of both education and experience, who can move more quickly into executive positions. The university’s inaugural class of students is completing a course in Senior Living Management & Operations during the Fall 2019 semester. The degree and concentration offer additional coursework in topics including aging populations, policy and research, health economics, and senior living sales and marketing, followed by a capstone practicum or community-based internship.

The senior living industry, including 55+ Active Adult, Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Life Plan Communities has grown exponentially in the past 30 years, to an estimated 40,000 communities housing more than 2 million seniors nationwide. As the Boomer population ages, the industry is expected to as much as double in size by 2050.

(More information can be found at lcsfoundationLCS.org.)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmers and biofuel industry officials are reacting angrily to a rule released by the Environmental Protection Agency that they say doesn’t uphold a promise President Donald Trump made to fulfill the intent of an ethanol law Congress passed. The EPA on Tuesday released a rule requiring oil refineries to replace the ethanol gallons lost through exemptions granted to small oil refineries. Farmers say it doesn’t do enough.

BAGLEY, Iowa (AP) — Blood may be thicker than water, but it’ll still flood your basement. Nick Lestina found this out the hard way two weeks ago when he discovered 5 inches of blood, fat and other animal tissue flooding his basement in Bagley, Iowa. He told the Des Moines Register that he hasn’t been able to clean it up because it’s still seeping into his home. The waste is coming from a neighboring meat locker, where blood and tissue from slaughtered animals was washed down a drain.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Federal officials in Iowa say two men have been sentenced to prison in a child pornography case. Federal prosecutors for Iowa say 39-year-old Brian Lee Rhodes was sentenced to 30 years in prison on each of three counts of coercion and enticement of a minor and 20 years in prison for distribution of child pornography. Also sentenced Wednesday was 46-year-old Jeremy Eugene Jameson, who received nearly three years for access with intent to view child pornography.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge in Lincoln has sentenced a former Santee Community Schools superintendent and Iowa resident to two years in prison for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funds. Federal prosecutors say 63-year-old Paul Sellon, of Hamburg, was sentenced Wednesday and ordered to pay $314,121 in restitution. Prosecutors say he demanded a kickback of federal grant money he awarded to an educational consulting business.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says a man wanted on a Probation Violation warrant on an original charge of OWI/1st offense, has turned himself-in. 44-year old Marshall Larry Adams was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and later posted a cash bond of $2,000 before being released.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, paid recognition to two of the City’s Police Officers. Officers Christin Vavricek and Caleb Smith, have served the City for 10 years. Vavricek joined the force on July 8, 2009. Officer Smith began his service to the City Oct. 29, 2009.

Left to right: Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones presented awards to Officers Caleb Smith and Christin Vavricek. (Ric Hanson/photo)

Mayor Dave Jones presented both Officers with plaques in honor of their outstanding service, and thanked them for helping to keep the community one of the safest in the State.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, heard an earful from residents who live along Bull Creek, north of 14th to Ed Podolak Drive. Property owners urged the Council to do something about erosion along Bull Creek that is eating into their back yards. Parks and Recreation Department Director Bryant Rassmussen told the Council he has calculated that based on the velocity and density of the water passing through Bull Creek, the bank has eroded 3.91-inches. The problem was exacerbated by recent heavy rains that caused extensive run-off and flooding.

Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm said the last study of Bull Creek he’s aware of, was done in the 1990’s. Rasmussen said he personally met with City Administrator John Lund and showed him the damage that’s being done. Some of the damage include to the Bull Creek Pathway, where holes have developed that could be a major liability to the City.

Mayor Dave Jones said the matter would have to be turned over to the Community Development Committee, working in conjunction with Snyder and Associates, to come up with an official engineer’s report, and a possible solution. Rasmussen said his education and experience should be taken into consideration when it comes to taking action on the matter. He said he’s been in contact with the Army Corps of Engineers, talking about how the Bull Creek area can be fixed, and that they have given him a verbal commitment to move forward, but he just needs to fill out a joint application.

Mayor Jones said the City has talked with the Corps before, and some ideas (such as a covered culvert) were “shot down.” One resident asked the Mayor how much of her back yard has to flow down Bull Creek before the City takes action instead of running in circles. Jones said “Sometimes it takes a while to get studies done…we’ve been working on things for years. There are some things we can do and some things we can’t do.” Another resident who has lived in the area for 25-years, said he has seen five-feet of his back yard erode into the creek.

Councilman Chris Jimerson suggested the City could use rip-rap as a temporary fix. Rasmussen said one of the solutions is to install native plants that allow the water to percolate into the soil, rather than create run-off. Another solution that has been presented before but not acted on, is to remove some of the dead trees in order to stabilize the bank and shape of the creek.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A federal judge in Lincoln, Nebraska, has sentenced a former Santee Community Schools superintendent and Iowa resident to two years in prison for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funds.

Federal prosecutors say 63-year-old Paul Sellon, of Hamburg, was sentenced Wednesday and ordered to pay $314,121 in restitution. Sellon had earlier pleaded guilty to theft of government money. Sellon contracted with an educational consulting business, paying it $683,000 in funds from an annual school improvement grant. But prosecutors say he demanded a kickback of nearly half of the grant money as a pre-condition to being hired in Santee.

Sellon was the superintendent of Santee Community Schools from 2010 to 2014.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a Nebraska man was cited following a collision that occurred at around 10:40-a.m., Wednesday. No injuries were reported. Authorities say the accident happened at 1732 K Avenue, where two semi’s collided and were blocking the roadway.

An investigation determined a 1994 International 9300 semi-tractor trailer pulling a tanker of manure, struck a 2007 Peterbilt Conventional semi that was pulling a feed trailer. The Peterbilt is registered to Koliha Trucking, LLC. Officials say the rig was traveling northbound. The driver Robert P. Ebel, of Shelby, Nebraska, stopped northbound in the southbound lane, in order to back into a farm drive on the east side of road. He got out of the semi tractor to examine the roadway in order to confirm the trailer would fit into the opening of the driveway.

The other semi, registered to Cory Kiddoo Trucking, was southbound on K Avenue, and was unable to stop after seeing the road way blocked. The driver, Kiel S. Davis, of Creston, tried to avoid hitting the trailer of the stopped semi, and entered the northbound lane while traveling southbound, but was unable to avoid the collision. Damage from the crash amounted to $27,000. Ebel was cited for stopping on the traveled portion of an unpaved highway.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Farmers and biofuel industry officials are reacting angrily to a rule released by the Environmental Protection Agency that they say doesn’t uphold a promise President Donald Trump made to fulfill the intent of an ethanol law passed by Congress.

The Trump administration announced Oct. 4 plans to implement a rule requiring oil refineries to replace the ethanol gallons lost through exemptions the EPA has granted to small oil refineries.

The deal farmers say Trump agreed to would add about 1.3 billion gallons (2.5 billion imperial gallons) of waived ethanol back into the fuel supply next year. On Tuesday, the EPA released the proposed rule that would use a different calculation biofuels groups say would replace only 770 million gallons (641 million imperial gallons).

An EPA spokesman says the rule reflects the negotiated agreement.

BAGLEY, Iowa (AP) — Blood may be thicker than water, but it’ll still flood your basement. Nick Lestina found this out the hard way two weeks ago when he discovered 5 inches of blood, fat and other animal tissue flooding his family’s basement in Bagley, which is about 45 miles northwest of Des Moines. He told the Des Moines Register that he hasn’t been able to clean it up because it’s still seeping in.

The waste is coming from a neighboring meat locker, where blood and tissue from slaughtered animals was washed down a drain. Officials say a clog or break in the pipe sent the waste into Lestina’s basement through a floor drain.

A state environmental specialist traced the waste to Dahl’s Custom Meat Locker and says the company is now pumping its into a large tank. The Lestina family has temporarily moved in with a relative.