The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Friday), approved a Proclamation request from CCHS (Cass County Health System), proclaiming the month of September as “Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month,” in Cass County.The Board’s action came after they heard from Karman Roland, R.N, Director of the new, Senior Life Solutions Program at CCHS.

Karman Roland & the Cass County Board of Supervisors

Roland says as part of National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month in Sept., CCHS, they have some things coming up at the Cass County Memorial Hospital that they will be promoting and making people more aware issues surrounding suicide, and how difficult it is to talk about.

The education aspect of the effort includes what to be aware of – the signs and symptoms to look for – to determine if someone is potentially suicidal. It’s being tied-in with Mental Health Awareness.

The Board will also gave their blessing to Lewis Mayor Jon Mosier, to proceed with the easement legalities and other steps necessary for to an ingress/egress driveway through Cass County property, for access to a “new” lagoon for the City of Lewis’ water treatment plant.

Mosier explained why the access road is needed.

He said the solution is an easement which will allow access into the lagoon system, which is also convenient for the yard pile/burn pit.

And, the Supervisors held-off on approving a partial funding from the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Fund, for a Cold Springs State Park roadway maintenance project, after they learned Cass County Conservation officials wanted to contract with Snyder and Associates for an Engineering Study prior to resurfacing the campground road at Cold Springs State Park. The Board felt those services could be performed by the Cass County Engineer, at a cost savings of $7,000. They implored Conservation Director Micah Lee to get together with County Engineer Charles Bechtold and work out the details.

In other business the Board approved a Proclamation recognizing September as “Voter Registration Month,” and Tuesday, Sept. 24th, as “National Voter Registration Day,” in Cass County.  They also discussed a long-range plan for courthouse heating & cooling system(s), as well as a long-range plan for the replacement of courthouse windows.

No action was taken, as the Board wanted to get more information from the architect, engineers, options, and cost estimates.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The former head of the Iowa Department of Human Services has filed a complaint with the state seeking $2 million for wrongful discharge. Jerry Foxhoven says in documents filed Thursday with the State Appeal Board that Gov. Kim Reynolds, her chief of staff and legal counsel fired Foxhoven on June 17 as he questioned whether it was legal for the DHS to pay the salary of a governor’s staffer who had moved from the agency to the governor’s office.

Foxhoven, known for his frequent workplace praise of the late rapper Tupac Shakur, says his firing was done to prevent him from enforcing his legal right to disclose information he believed was illegal. Reynolds has said Foxhoven never raised such concerns and never asked the staff for a legal opinion.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A former nurse who admitted diverting pain medications from residents at two northeastern Iowa nursing homes has been sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. The Courier reports that 36-year-old Lacey Staveley, of Evansdale, was sentenced Thursday in Cedar Rapids.

Staveley pleaded guilty last year to one count of acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, deception or subterfuge and another count of making false statements relating to health care matters. She was later charged with contempt after police say she stole pills from a relative after she had pleaded guilty to the nursing home thefts.

Prosecutors say she took hydrocodone intended for two chronic pain patients at Cedar Falls Health Care in November 2016, then faked medication logs to cover her tracks. Officials say she also took pain medication in 2018 from two patients at Harmony House in Waterloo and replaced them with anti-psychotic and antidepressant drugs.

Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber reports Middle School Chromebook computers will be issued to the District’s middle schoolers, on Tuesday.  The cover has a portrait of a Graduate, and they are protected by a durable cover.  The Dell 3100 computers can be used as a traditional keyboard and a touch screen.  Barber says “All of our Middle School students have had a meeting explaining operations and expectations.  During the month of September parents of middle school children will be required to attend an informational meeting on these computers.”

Cass County Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns reports Mark Harris has filed papers for Anita City Council.  Karns adds, that there are two positions open for city council in Anita and the Mayor position.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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An Adair County man was arrested Thursday evening, in Creston. Officials with the Creston Police Department report 25-year old Jeffrey Dewayne Ott, of Orient, was arrested at around 6:30-p.m. in Creston, for Disorderly Conduct. Ott was later released on a $300 bond.

A Madison County woman died during a residential fire Thursday evening. Fire officials told KCCI 62-year-old Jolene Baker was found dead in her Winterset home. The fire broke out just before 7 p.m. Thursday in the 300 block of South 7^th Avenue. The cause of the fire was being investigated by the Winterset Police Department, Winterset Fire Department and the State Fire Marshall’s office.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines medical center has announced that after three decades of operation, it will shut down its kidney and pancreas transplant operation. MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center announced in a news release Thursday that the closure is effective Oct. 1. The program had been suspended earlier this year as hospital officials questioned the need for two transplant centers in Des Moines.

MercyOne says it will work with the city’s other transplant center at Iowa Methodist Medical Center to help those in need. The release says the closure affects four MercyOne employees. The Des Moines Register reports that Iowa Methodist Medical Center handles more than twice as many kidney operations per year as MercyOne’s transplant team.