(Greenfield) – In honor of Memorial Day, Ray “Bubba” Sorensen is repainting a 12-foot tall, approximately 60-ton boulder located south of Interstate 80 and just east of Highway 25, in Adair County. The boulder is painted each year in order to pay tribute to our military men and women. Sorensen started painting the original Freedom Rock® the first week of May and plans to be finished by Memorial Day 2021.

Ray “Bubba” Sorensen works on the 2021 rendition of the “Freedom Rock,” in northern Adair County.

According to Sorensen, “This year’s front side features an up-close look at the grief of losing a loved one in service. A lady sits at the base of her loved one’s headstone at Arlington, while the ghosts of those who made the ultimate sacrifice come to console her. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is in the distance, with a folded American flag faintly visible in the sky, with a portion of the Mrs. Bixby letter, that President Lincoln wrote. On the south side, the Twin Towers and a fireman (in honor of the 20th anniversary) paired with Pat Tillman, who was inspired to forgo his 3.6-million-dollar NFL contract to join the Army Airborne Rangers.

On the east side is Major General John Clem, who joined the Army at the ripe old age of 9. Making him the youngest non-commissioned officer in Army history. On the Northeast side is Oscar Austin, a Marine who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for throwing his, already injured, self between his fellow soldier and an enemy’s attack. The north side features the Huey Helicopter in which the paint contains the cremains of over 120 Vietnam Veterans from around the country. On the northwest side is Bud Schultz, a local WWII Veteran
who was a MIA and a POW until the end of the war.”

Sorensen is not commissioned for his work on the original Freedom Rock® near Menlo, but works as an independent mural artist on the Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour. Sorensen is only able to complete about ten rocks per year, due to scheduling and weather. Sorensen says “I always say I have three goals with ‘The Freedom Rock® Tour’ and that is to honor America’s Veterans,
promote Iowa tourism and provide for my family.”

“The Freedom Rock® Tour in Iowa will be concluding soon and the Sorensens will be auctioning off the 100th Iowa Freedom Rock to cap the end of the Tour soon,” Sorensen and his wife, Maria said. Until then, the Freedom Rock®Foundation, a non-profit to care for and upkeep and create the Freedom Rocks® and Veteran’s memorials across the state and country, is up and
running at www.FreedomRock.Foundation. For a list of complete counties booked for the Tour and locations of already existing Freedom Rocks®, please visit www.thefreedomrock.com.

Although it is Sorensen’s 23rd year of painting the original Freedom Rock®, this is Sorensen’s eighth year on the Freedom Rock® Tour across Iowa. This also marked the fourth year since Sorensen began the 50 State Freedom Rock® Tour with rocks already painted in Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Washington. Freedom Rocks® have been booked for the states of North Dakota Nebraska. Sorensen plans to be at The Freedom Rock® over Memorial Day weekend, including Memorial Day to meet with visitors. Calendars as well as other merchandise are also available to help offset costs for the project. Social distancing practices will be implemented.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports, a deputy dispatched at around 9:35-a.m. Sunday to a disturbance at residence in Avoca, arrested 20-year-old Martin William Wayne Turner, of Avoca, for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. He allegedly punched a window on the entry door of the residence, breaking out the glass. The incident happened after Turner was locked out of the house by his mother following an argument. His bond was set at $300.

Saturday night, 22-year-old Gage Alan Eggum, of Council Bluffs, was arrested after a deputy was dispatched to the Old Mormon Bridge for a welfare check in Crescent. Eggum was taken into custody for Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug. His bond was set at $1,000.

Saturday evening, 36-year-old Cory Ross Smith was arrested following a traffic stop, in Treynor. Smith was charged with Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender. And, late Friday night, 41-year-old Lori Beth Bristol was arrested following a traffic stop in the Underwood area. She was charged with OWI/1st offense.

(Atlantic) – Officials with Cass County Health System report, effective today (Monday, May 24, 2021), CCHS has changed its operations in several areas, in response to decreasing COVID-19 cases and increasing vaccination rates:
Test Iowa
Patients will continue to complete the online assessment and make an appointment, but the drive-thru service will no longer be available. Beginning Monday, patients with a Test Iowa appointment should park in Lot C and enter through the Emergency Department.

Visitor Policy
All visitors must be in good health and pass entrance screening. Masks are always required to be worn over the nose and mouth. Inpatients will be allowed open visitation; visitors of all ages are welcome. Visitor policies for COVID isolation patients will remain in place; special exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.
Whenever possible, Cass Health recommends that all outpatients have only one visitor with them during an appointment.

Entrance Screening
All patients and visitors will be briefly screened at all entrances. Every patient and visitor will receive a dated sticker that must be worn while in the facility. Masks are required for all patients and visitors and must always be worn over the nose and mouth.

Respiratory Care Clinic Closes
The dedicated Respiratory Care Clinic will close. All patients with respiratory symptoms can now be seen at AMC Rapid Care or by appointment with a provider at the Atlantic, Anita, Griswold, or Massena Medical Center.

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) has announced her office will be holding traveling office hours in all 99 counties across Iowa at different times during the month of June to provide assistance with casework for constituents. It should be noted, that the Senator will not be at the traveling office hours. Representatives from Senator Ernst’s office will be available in every county throughout the state to assist Iowans with problems or questions about issues involving Social Security, veterans’ benefits, military affairs, passports, immigration issues, and other federal programs.

FILE – In this May 19, 2020, file photo, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, speaks with reporters after a Senate Republican weekly luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington. Four relatively unknown Iowa Democrats are competing in a primary Tuesday to take on Ernst. The endeavor was once viewed as a long shot. But Ernst’s slip in approval and the rallying of Iowa and national Democrats behind one of the four has the race receiving a second look. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

Those who are seeking assistance with federal agencies but who are unable to attend the traveling office hours can contact one of the Senator’s offices directly or submit a casework request online at www.Ernst.Senate.Gov.

A list of all upcoming dates and area locations can be found below (in alphabetical order).

Adair County: Monday, June 7, 2021; 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM; Farmers Merchant State Bank 114 S. Broad Street, Orient.

Adams County: Thursday, June 10, 2021; 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM; Corning Public Library 603 9th Street, Corning.

Audubon County: Tuesday, June 15, 2021; 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM; Audubon Public Library 401 North Park Place, Audubon.

Carroll County: Wednesday, June 23, 2021; 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM; Carroll Chamber of Commerce 407 W 5th St., Carroll,

Cass County: Tuesday, June 8, 2021; 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM; Atlantic Public Library Meeting Room B 507 Poplar Street, Atlantic.

Crawford County: Wednesday, June 23, 2021; 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM; Schleswig City Hall 111 2nd Street, Schleswig.

Dallas County: Tuesday, June 8, 2021; 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM; Adel Public Library Meeting Room 303 S 10th Street, Adel.

Fremont County: Thursday, June 10, 2021; 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM; Hamburg City Hall 1201 Main Street, Hamburg.

Guthrie County: Wednesday, June 9, 2021; 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM; Guthrie County Courthouse Public Meeting Room 200 North 5th Street, Guthrie Center.

Harrison County: Tuesday, June 15, 2021; 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM; Missouri Valley Public Library 420 East Huron Street, Missouri Valley.

Madison County: Thursday, June 24, 2021; 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM; Madison County Annex Conference Room 201 W Court Avenue, Winterset.

Mills County: Tuesday, June 8, 2021; 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM; Glenwood City Hall 5 North Vine Street, Glenwood.

Monona County: Wednesday, June 23, 2021; 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM; Onawa Public Library Small Meeting Room 707 Iowa Avenue, Onawa.

Montgomery County: Tuesday, June 8, 2021; 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM; Red Oak Chamber of Commerce Board Room 307 East Reed Street, Red Oak.

Page County: Thursday, June 10, 2021; 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM; Clarinda Public Library 100 East Garfield Street, Clarinda.

Pottawattamie County: Tuesday, June 8, 2021; 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM; Walnut City Hall 229 Antique City Drive, Walnut.

Ringgold County: Tuesday, June 15, 2021; 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM; Ringgold County Courthouse Conference Room 109 West Madison Street, Mount Ayr.

Shelby County: Thursday, June 15, 2021; 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM; Harlan Chamber of Commerce 1901 Hawkeye Avenue, Harlan.

Taylor County: Thursday, June 10, 2021;11:15 AM – 12:15 PM; Bedford Public Library 507 Jefferson Street, Bedford.

Union County: Monday, June 7, 2021; 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM; Union County Courthouse Law Enforcement Center Room 300 N Pine St, Creston.

(Greenfield) – Officials with the Adair County Health System, an affiliate of MercyOne, have announced Catherine Hillestad will join ACHS as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 7, 2021. Hillestad is a native of Des Moines. Officials say she brings experience in community and rural health care systems to her new position, including serving in an interim CEO role at the Davis County Hospital in Bloomfield, and most recently, as Practice Administrator at the Iowa Clinic, in Des Moines.

Catherine Hillestad

Hillestad says she’s excited to join the Adair County Health System. “I look forward,” she said, “to building relationships with everyone at the hospital and in the community of Greenfield. I hope to create a center of excellence for rural healthcare for people in Adair County.” Willard Olesen, Chair of the Adair County Health System Board of Trustees, said Hillestad “Knows what is needed to continue to deliver quality care in Adair County, which is vital to our community.”