Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle reports Cindy Axne, one of three candidates for the Democratic nomination for the Third Congressional seat currently held by David Young, will be at the Atlantic Pizza Ranch on Wednesday, May 16th, at 5:30 PM.  Her campaign says Axne “Wants to fight to rebuild Iowa’s infrastructure, grow the state’s rural economies, protect Iowa farmers and maintain the rural quality of life. She plans to stand up for Iowa’s family farms and that starts by ensuring the Farm Bill works for all farmers including new farmers and small to mid-size farms. For the rural communities to be competitive, Iowa and the nation must reinvest in a solid infrastructure. That means repairing roads and nearly 5,000 structurally deficient bridges, water and sewer systems, and finally making sure that everyone has access to cellular and broadband technology.”

Cindy Axne, Dem. candidate for Gov. in IA

She says “Not only will that fix the infrastructure, but it will create thousands of jobs in the process. Iowa can be the leader in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy.” While Axne was employed by the State of Iowa, she oversaw the Governor’s Agenda on Clean Energy and the Environment, helping bring the wind industry to scale in Iowa. In Congress, her campaign says Axne will, among other things, “Fight to increase research and development in the areas of soil health, carbon sequestration and water quality to clean up the water, improve soil for better yields and create jobs in the process. In order to protect the rural quality of life, [she] will fight to protect Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates, so Iowa’s rural hospitals can continue to operate and serve those who are at risk.” And, “She will fight for funding for Iowa public schools, so they can retain quality educators, keep up with technology, and bring in more trades programs for Iowa children.”

Toelle says “The Iowa primary is June 5th but early voting and absentee balloting began on May 7th. “The time to decide on the best candidate to serve your needs and the needs of your fellow Iowans is now. The public is invited to attend and hear Ms. Axne discuss her policy plans.”

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a man fatally injured in a fall at a Dubuque construction site. The Jones County medical examiner’s office said Thursday that he’s been identified as 57-year-old Timothy Leibold, who lived in Dubuque. Fire officials say Leibold fell Monday from an upper floor of a hotel being built. The Jones County medical examiner, Dr. Michael Weston, says Leibold died at an Anamosa hospital while in transport to an Iowa City hospital. The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — The former director of a southeast Iowa boarding school has been sentenced to nine years in prison for child abuse despite the defense’s argument that he didn’t get a fair trial. The Hawk Eye reports that 40-year-old Benjamin Trane was sentenced Thursday. Trane was convicted in December of assault with intent to commit sexual abuse, sexual exploitation of a child by a counselor and child endangerment at the now-defunct Midwest Academy. The school closed in 2016 following a federal raid to investigate abuse allegations.

Defense attorney Alfredo Parrish filed an appeal the same day to the state Supreme Court. He’s seeking to overturn the decision and have a new trial. Parrish alleged the prosecution wasn’t adequately prepared for trial and was slow to give the defense evidence needed to properly defend Trane.

East Pottawattamie sixth grade youth and home schooled youth, were invited to participate in the fourth annual Farm Safety Day, on May 8.  The event was sponsored by East Pottawattamie Farm Bureau, East Pottawattamie Soil and Water Conservation, and East Pottawattamie 4-H, with donations, and presentations from area businesses. The event featured twelve Farm Safety learning stations including Animal Safety by Perdue Farms, Emergency Weather Safety by Pottawattamie County EMT Crew, Grain Safety Tug of War by Riverside FFA, Emergency Rescue Safety by Carson Fire Rescue Team, ATV Safety by AHSTW FFA, Hearing Safety by UNMC Education Team, Basic First Aid by Visiting Nurses Association, Power Take Off Safety by Avoca Titan Machinery and Colin Applegate, Electrical Safety by Nishnabotna Valley REC, Fire Extinguisher Safety by Horizon Equipment, Sun and Skin Safety by CHI Cancer Education, and Chemical Safety by Heartland Coop.  The learning stations were hands-on, interactive, and full of information to make a lasting impression.

2018 Farm Safety Day

The event focused on sixth grade youth, because at this age many become more responsible on the family farm.  Presenters also feel it is important to teach safety to those not living on the farm, as they visit family and friends and need to learn to recognize the dangers present.  Many general topics were covered that kids can use every day. Lunch was provided to the youth and volunteers through many local donations.  Participants took home a farm hat donated by area businesses that they got to wear for the event in addition to a draw string bag donated by UNMC Education Team.  Special appreciation goes out to AHSTW FFA and Riverside FFA for providing leadership to our youth groups throughout the day.

“The impact of this great event shows the desire for a community to support its kids,” said Jamie Meek, East Pottawattamie Soil & Water Conservation Educator.  “The willingness for individuals and businesses to give their time, dollar, and knowledge to our youth is what makes an event like this, not only successful, but outstanding.”

(From the East Pott. County Extension Office)

Lots of folks ride motorcycles when they are in their 20s and 30s. Then life happens and schedules, budgets, and lifestyles change to the point that many trade life on two wheels for a vehicle better suited for shuffling family around. As time passes and the kids grow up and incomes stabilize, many of those former 20- and 30-something motorcycle riders who are now 60-something, renew an interest in bikes. National statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety show that in the early 1980s the proportion of people killed in motorcycle crashes who were 50 and older started to increase, rising from 3 percent of all rider deaths in 1982 to 13 percent in 1997 and 36 percent in 2016. In 2016, 91 percent of motorcyclists killed were male.  

What to do if you’re thinking about riding later in life.

The key to riding safely in the latter stages of life relies on your understanding that things have changed, both in our own physical abilities and in the equipment. Be realistic about your own body. It’s natural that as we age, reaction times are slower and our equilibrium may not be as stable as it used to be, making balancing on a bike more challenging.  Changes in strength and flexibility may influence your ability to handle a 500-pound machine. “The first thing I would advise someone to do who wants to renew riding after some time off is to take a rider safety course,” said Kala Shipley, the Iowa Department of Transportation’s motorcycle safety program coordinator. “These courses are designed to help you assess your skills, learn new things, and help you test your riding limits in a more controlled environment.”

There’s always something new to learn. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers two levels of courses, the Basic Rider Course and the Advanced Rider Course. In the basic rider course, you’ll receive both classroom and controlled riding experiences. This course level is a great refresher, even if you rode quite a lot in your younger years. Laws have changed and so has the equipment available to motorcyclists. The advanced rider course is just a half-day and will help you hone your riding skills and assess your mental readiness to ride in traffic.

For more information on rider courses – https://iowadot.gov/mvd/motorcycle/motorcycle-rider-education

About six-thousand students who’ve been living in University of Iowa dorms are moving out this week and an effort is underway to keep them from filling the dumpsters with perfectly good stuff. Beth MacKenzie, the U-I’s recycling coordinator, says she’s urging students to think of the environment and the less fortunate before they start tossing everything out, from clothes to furniture to food. MacKenzie says, “I’ve been talking to students and there’s some who just don’t want it anymore, some want to take it with them but just don’t have the room, and some are traveling for the summer or they’re moving into a small apartment and they’re having to downsize.”

The 9th annual effort is called “Don’t Dump, Donate,” and last year collected 25-thousand pounds of items from students as they departed the Iowa City campus. “We’re working with Goodwill as well as the Salvation Army and they’re taking household goods,” MacKenzie says. “We’re also working with Johnson County Crisis Center and they’re taking food donations as well as toiletry items and cleaning products.” There’s also a Bike Library taking bicycles students no longer want and yet another program to “recycle” clothes. “Students this year started up a program called the Clothing Closet where they collect business clothing for students in need of clothing for interviews, so we’ll be collecting donations for that,” MacKenzie says, “as well as textbooks and a little bit of food for our student food pantry.”

Donation trucks from the various agencies will be staged through tomorrow (Saturday) at four dorms: Burge, Catlett, Hillcrest and Mayflower. A similar effort is underway at Iowa State University, partnering with Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa, the United Way of Story County and Student Wellness. Also, U-N-I’s Panther Pickup is working with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity to recycle and reuse.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Thursday, arrested a man on Burglary and Theft charges. 27-year old Keith James Land, who is formerly of Clarinda, was taken into custody following a brief foot pursuit that began after a search warrant was executed at 3160 Oak Avenue in rural Page County, or about 3 miles east of Braddyville.  Land was arrested on District Court warrants for Felony Burglary in the 3^rd Degree and Felony Theft in the 2^nd Degree. He was transported to the Page County Jail and held on a $5,000 cash only bond. Additional charges are pending.

Keith James Land

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa is tweaking its new state-funded family planning program that excludes abortion providers like Planned Parenthood by restoring some eligibility to a large hospital system that performs abortions in some cases. UnityPoint Health could soon participate again in the family planning program under a budget bill passed this month. It needs approval from Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.
UnityPoint performs abortions in cases where a fetus is not expected to be viable. After Iowa Republicans passed legislation to launch a state-funded family planning program last July, UnityPoint representatives argued some of its health care providers should still participate in the program because those stand-alone facilities don’t perform abortions.

Republican Sen. Mark Costello says the change comes because some within his caucus initially believed the new law wouldn’t impact UnityPoint affiliates. State documents show Republican lawmakers were warned last spring it would. Planned Parenthood says it’s all legislative backpedaling that highlights GOP lawmakers’ intention to defund its organization.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say the clinic serving veterans in Dubuque will be moved from Mercy Medical Center to a former Kmart store. The owners of the Plaza 20 center said Thursday that construction will begin immediately to transform part of the former retail space. The store closed in spring 2017. The Department of Veterans Affairs clinic is expected to offer X-rays, audiology, mental health and physical therapy services and a primary care team. It will have more than four times the space of the hospital-based clinic.

Clinic manager Ann Fessler says it serves about 5,000 veterans a year from seven counties that are home to an estimated 25,000 veterans. Fessler says the number served annually is going up.

Atlantic, IA – Officials with the Cass County Health System report Jessica Jackson, Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, Certified Nurse Practitioner,  will present on “The Mind/Body Connection” at the next session of Healthy U, scheduled for noon on May 17th at Cass County Health System. Jackson says “Your mind can have a really profound effect on your overall health. And vice versa. When you are dealing with illness, it can take a toll on your mental well being.”

Jessica Jackson, ARNP, FNP-C

Jackson has worked as a family nurse practitioner at the Atlantic Medical Cente,r since March 2017. She provides the full scope of family medicine care for patients of all ages. Jessica grew up in Griswold and has worked at Cass County Memorial Hospital previously as a nurse. She received her Family Nurse Practitioner master’s degree from Frontier Nursing University. She is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and Iowa Nurse Practitioner Society.

Healthy U is a free educational lunch series at Cass County Health System held monthly in Conference Room 2. The public is invited and welcome to attend, but reservations are required as lunch is provided for all attendees. Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat.