Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports two people were arrested this past week, on Theft charges. On Tuesday, 62-year old Ronald Allen Siedelmann, of Audubon, was arrested for Theft in the 5^th degree.  Siedelmann was cited and released on promise to appear in court

And, on Thursday, Audubon Police arrested 37-year old Angel Marie Siepker, of Audubon.  She was charged with Felony Theft in the 2^nd degree, Fraud, and Ongoing Criminal Conduct.  The Iowa State Lottery assisted in the investigation.  Siepker appeared before a magistrate and was released on promise to appear in court.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Unregulated sales of cannabis oil have been ramping up in Iowa even as state officials work to set up a tightly regulated distribution system. The Des Moines Register reports that several Iowa businesses are openly selling the oils, known as cannabidiol, despite warnings from the state that it’s illegal to do so in unregulated stores. The regulatory system won’t go into effect until next year.

The new system will have one state-licensed production facility and up to five authorized dispensaries. Only patients with state permits certifying conditions such as epilepsy, cancer or Parkinson’s will be allowed to buy the products. Carroll police recently seized cannabidiol products from two businesses.

Police Chief Brad Burke acknowledges the law is confusing. He says his agency conferred with the Iowa attorney general’s office before making the seizures.

FOREST CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police in north-central Iowa say no children where hurt when a window of their moving school bus was shot out. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that the incident happened in Forest City on Friday morning, when the window shattered after being hit by a shot from a pellet gun.

A statement from the Forest City School District said all children were safe and that no injuries resulted from the shooting or flying glass. Police say they know who is responsible for the shooting and believe it was an isolated incident.

Police did not name who they think is responsible and did not announce any arrests, but said a criminal investigation into the incident is ongoing.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new report says Iowa’s controversial shift to privately managed Medicaid will save the state 80 percent less money this year than originally predicted.

The Des Moines Register reported Saturday that a quarterly report prepared by Iowa Department of Human Services staff members says the state now stands to save $47.1 million this fiscal year by having private companies manage the $4 billion program.

Former Gov. Terry Branstad, who ordered the privatization that began in 2016, had declared the move would save the state $232 million in fiscal year 2018.

A spokeswoman for Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican who succeeded Branstad and supports the shift to privately run Medicaid, says Reynolds’ new Medicaid director believes his staff miscalculated the 2018 savings estimate.

The Adams county Sheriff’s office reports the arrest of a Creston man after a traffic stop on Friday at 3:51 p.m. Deputies initiated the traffic stop at Highway 34 and Orange Avenue and eventually arrested 38-year-old Justin J. Kline of Creston, as he had a small bag of marijuana and a blue marijuana grinder on his person. Klein was taken to the Adams County Jail and held on $1000 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a longstanding right to privacy by throwing out the marijuana possession conviction of a woman whose purse was searched during a drug raid at a house she was visiting.

Danielle Brown was smoking methamphetamine with several other people at a Des Moines home in October 2015 when a SWAT team burst in with a search warrant. Brown was not named on the warrant but police searched her purse and found pot. She appealed her conviction saying the purse search violated her constitutional right against unreasonable search and seizure.

A majority of four justices on Friday agreed saying since she was only a visitor in the house and wasn’t named in the warrant she had an expectation of privacy. Three members of the court disagreed saying Brown wasn’t an innocent bystander and police had ample authority to search her purse.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa is still analyzing the full impact of the federal tax overhaul law on state revenues, but some provisions are expected to create a windfall.

The Iowa Department of Revenue provided preliminary data Friday showing the state expects to collect about $16 million more in individual income taxes for the current budget year because of changes to how residents will deduct federal taxes. That’s estimated to increase to about $106 million in the budget year that goes into effect next summer and by $138 million the following budget year.

A department spokeswoman cautioned other aspects of the $1.5 trillion law, like changes to property tax deductions, could reduce state revenue. Republicans with majorities in the Iowa Legislature want to change the state tax code this year, including through cuts. Details have not been shared publicly.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s top auditor says she found no evidence of irregularities in Iowa’s budgeting when tax revenues came in higher than expected last year. Auditor Mary Mosiman provided the information in a letter made public Friday, after Democratic Rep. Chris Hall requested a review of the state’s books for the budget year that ended in June.

Data at one point showed incoming revenue for Iowa’s roughly $7.2 billion state budget could end up below projections by about $100 million, requiring a special session. Revenue officials later said final tax collections greatly reduced the estimated shortfall. Hall challenged those figures.

Gov. Kim Reynolds later transferred $13 million from an emergency fund and avoided a special session. Hall has separately challenged the legality of the transfer in a lawsuit, which Reynolds says is politically motivated. Hall says he’s reviewing Mosiman’s analysis.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The winning ticket in the latest Mega Millions drawing was sold in Florida. One ticket matched all six numbers in Friday night’s drawing and will claim a $450 million grand prize. The Florida Lottery says the winning ticket was bought at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Port Richey. The winning numbers to claim the nation’s 10th-largest jackpot were 28-30-39-59-70-10.

Lottery officials also increased the jackpot of Powerball, the other national lottery game, to $570 million. That drawing is tonight (Saturday night). The jackpots refer to the annuity options for both games, in which payments are made over 29 years. Most winners opt for cash options, which would be $281 million for Mega Millions and $358.5 million for Powerball.

The odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot are one in 302.5 million. Powerball odds are one in 292.2 million.

Cass County Health System officials said Friday, that there have been multiple cases of influenza (flu) positively identified in community members over the last few days, bringing the total to 34 cases of Influenza A and two cases of Influenza B identified over the past two weeks. Affected patients range from 0 to 99 years of age. CCHS staff are encouraging everyone to exercise precautions to avoid contracting influenza and to contact their medical provider immediately if they experience symptoms.

Dr. Todd Bean, Chief Medical Officer with CCHS, says “Influenza is a serious respiratory illness that can progress rapidly. It is important to use good hygiene practices to avoid contracting influenza if possible, and to seek medical treatment if you think you may have the flu.”

People most at risk to develop complications from influenza include children under age 2, those over age 65, pregnant women and people with multiple health conditions or suppressed immune systems. Dr. Bean notes that true influenza is different than what people often refer to as stomach flu. Influenza is a respiratory illness caused by a virus. Antibiotics will be ineffective unless a secondary infection such as pneumonia develops as a consequence of contracting influenza. Influenza symptoms usually come on very quickly and may include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion, and body aches.

Dr. Bean notes that it is important to seek medical treatment quickly if you experience a sudden onset of influenza symptoms. He said “The good news is that we have medications that can reduce both the symptoms and the length of an influenza illness. However, it is most effective if the medications are started with 48 hours from when a patient begins to feel ill.”

Of course, prevention is always the best medicine. Flu vaccine is available at Atlantic Medical Center, and there is still time for it to be effective this year. No appointment is necessary. The vaccine is available in the Atlantic Medical Center Immunization Room from 8:30 – 11:00 am and 1:30 – 4 pm Monday – Friday, and 8:30 am – 11:00 am Saturday. Vaccination helps to protect not just those who are vaccinated, but also the babies under 6 months of age and others who are medically unable to receive the vaccine.

People with the flu or flu-like symptoms should not go to work, school, or other public places, including visiting hospitals and nursing homes. Everyone should practice good health habits: wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer; cover coughs and sneezes; avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with your hands; and avoid close contact with people that are sick.

Cass County Health System limits visitors to inpatients during flu season, asking anyone with flu-like symptoms to stay home. Parents are asked to not bring young children and infants to visit hospital patients throughout the flu season, typically until the end of March.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, there were four influenza-related deaths in Iowa reported on January 5, making a total of six deaths since October 2017. The average age of those individuals was 86; three were reported to have had underlying conditions or other contributing factors.