Nicholas Hunt, Chair of the Cass County Community Foundation, has announced that grants amounting to a little more than $114,462 were awarded to Cass County nonprofit agencies. The following nonprofit organizations, which submitted applications to the Cass County Community Foundation by the February 1st deadline, were awarded grants by the Cass County Board of Directors:

Organization/Project/Award

• Anita Foundation: Anita Wellness Center treadmills $10,000
• Ann W. Wickman Child Development Center: Repaint and repair classrooms and bathrooms $6,000.
• Atlantic Lions Club: Refurbish historic 1875 schoolhouse located in Sunnyside Park, $3,000.
• Atlantic Parks & Recreation: Construct fishing ADA compliant fishing pier at Schildberg Recreation Area $10,715.
• Atlantic Rock Island Society: Zoned climate control in American Legion Memorial Building $8,000.
• Cass County Conservation: Stand Up Paddleboard Equipment $4,000.
• Cass County Fair Board: Replace walk-in food cooler at 4-H stand $9,000.
• Cass County Historical Society: Repairs to exterior of south wall, annex 2 $3,000.
• CASS Incorporated: Relias Learning Management Software $4,000.
• City of Anita: Hilltop Park playground equipment; $4,000.
• City of Lewis: Public Library Book Laminator & Cart $3,000.
• City of Massena: Public Library State Library Association e-book program subscription $747.
• Friends of the Griswold Public Library: Concrete pad in back, new water heater, new circuit breaker, panic bar $2,000.;
• Griswold Public Library: ADA Compliant Door $2,000.
• Griswold Rescue Department: Purchase a Stryker Power Cot $6,000.
• Griswold Volunteer Fire & Rescue: 2-Man Ice Rescue Team Kit $2,000.
• Lewis First Responders: Replace and upgrade pagers $3,000.
• Little Lambs Preschool: Playground Revitalization $3,000.
• Marne Firefighter & Rescue Association: Replace aging PPE/bunker gear
  $6,000.
• Nishna Valley Family YMCA: Building Refresh Project $10,000.
• Nishna Valley Trails: Construction to connect two existing trails between Atlantic & Audubon $15,000.

All grantees met the criteria as Cass County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions in the areas of civic, cultural, health, education and social services.  Only organizations providing services in Cass County were eligible. Cass County agency representatives received their checks on April 21st.  During brief check distribution activities, Hunt commended the nonprofit agencies for their individual efforts to provide a better quality of life for the residents of Cass County.

In a statement, Nicholas Hunt said “Our Advisory Board is pleased to direct $114,462.82 in grants to these important community efforts in Cass County. The Cass County Community Foundation is one of nine counties that are collectively known as the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa and meets or exceeds the Standards for Community Foundations as established by the Council on Foundations in Washington DC.”

The Cass County Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create permanent funds that address the changing, vital community needs and interests.  Donating to a permanently endowed fund helps your neighbors today AND you help build a stronger community tomorrow.   Not only that, you’ll be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit for each donation, in addition to any Federal tax benefits for which you may qualify.

For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact any of the Board Members, or call Dennis Nissen, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458.

A long-time Atlantic employer has announced plans to lay-off employees. Officials with Owner Revolution, Incorporated (ORI) told their employees Thursday about the expected reduction in its workforce, and in a Press Release Friday (Today) said  “A number of employees of ORI at its location in Atlantic…will experience layoffs, as a result of unforeseen business conditions due to a cancellation of its contract with a major customer.” According to some employees, the customer is YETI coolers.

ORI said in its news release, that they consider the layoffs to be permanent, and that “As part of the corporate reorganization, ORI will continue operation of its manufacturing facilities by maintaining its other customers and by obtaining additional contracts or new business.” They went on to say that “If these efforts are successful, some ORI employees may be maintained or recalled to work. However, because the success of such efforts are entirely unknown at this time, ORI has informed employees who are laid off that they should not count on being recalled to employment.”

In addition, the company said “Temporary layoffs that were previously announced on March 30th will now become permanent. Additional layoffs [were] expected to begin around April 21st (Today/Friday). The layoffs may come in stages, depending on the need for workers as the cancelled customer contract is completed. Layoffs are most likely to occur before June 30, 2017, but may be sooner or later, again depending upon the business need to maintain its workers as the full impact of the contract cancellation and the resulting corporate reorganization becomes known.”

Company officials stressed that the layoffs affect The Plastic Professionals in Atlantic, only, which produces a wide variety of rotationally molded plastic products serving the needs of many industries and customers. ORI’s other operations, including Schafer Systems, Connect-A-Dock, and Schafer Solutions, are not affected.

ORI has facilities in both Adair and Atlantic, with a combined manufacturing and office space of over 300,000 square feet. ORI was founded in 1986 and became an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) company in 1999.

The Audubon County Sheriff Todd Johnson reports his office has received numerous calls from citizens reporting they have received a phone call or had a recording left on their phone from someone claiming to be from the IRS. Johnson says with new technology, the scammers can use their number as the IRS or even the Department of Treasury.

The scam has been around for years but Johnson says it seems to be hitting Audubon County more frequently. The callers claim to be from the IRS and threaten to take legal action. Sheriff Todd Johnson would like to remind citizens that the IRS does not call to demand immediate payment over the phone, nor will the agency call about taxes without first mailing a bill.

Also, never give any personal or financial information.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports that at around 10:30-a.m. today (Friday) officers with the Clarinda Police Department and deputies from the Page County Sheriff’s Department, executed a felony fugitive from justice warrant from the State of Florida. 35-year old Liberty Joy Holland, of Clarinda, was subsequently arrested in the 200 block of N. 19th St.

Holland was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant from the Osceola County, Florida, for failing to appear for arraignment connected to the alleged assault and battery of a law enforcement officer.

Holland is currently in custody at the Page County Jail and is being held without bond, pending extradition to Florida.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of a Red Oak man for Domestic Assault Friday morning. At 11:45am Officers arrested 53-year-old Robert Wade Abraham of Red Oak at 6th and Maple Streets in Red Oak.  Abraham was charged with Domestic Assault 2nd Offense and taken to the Montgomery County Jail. He is being held on no bond pending an appearance before a Magistrate.

The top government lawyers from 19 states, including Iowa, are telling President Donald Trump and the Republican leaders of Congress not to cut federal money for drug treatment programs. A group of Democratic state attorneys general sent a letter Friday to federal officials saying the government “cannot abandon this commitment to our communities.” It’s the latest of several actions from Democratic attorneys general objecting to Trump policies.

In this case, it’s a pre-emptive argument that comes as Trump says Republican lawmakers are closing in on an agreement on how to replace former President Barack Obama’s health insurance overhaul. It’s not clear what any new plan would mean for drug treatment, which has become a major issue amid an epidemic of addiction to opioid drugs.

WAPELLO, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say several thousand turkeys have perished in a southeast Iowa fire. The blaze was reported around 11:10 a.m. Thursday at a turkey farm southwest of Wapello in Louisa County.

Davenport television station KWQC reports that several fire departments responded to calls for extra help. Firefighters say the fire burned rapidly because of high winds and fresh sawdust bedding for the birds. Damage was estimated at $300,000 with the loss of nearly 10,700 turkeys.

The fire cause is being investigated.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) – Workers have had to move 24,000 items from a library in a small city in western Iowa before beginning a $350,000 renovation on the building.
Le Mars library director, Shirley Taylor, tells the Sioux City Journal that library staff and volunteers from various city departments helped move the items from its downtown building to a temporary home across the street.

The library closed earlier this month to allow staff to prepare to move its inventory to the Eagles Club building across the street. It’ll serve as the temporary library until late fall. The Eagles Club is scheduled to open for business as the town’s library on May 1st. Taylor says the library renovation will include a new entrance and shelves as well as a redesign of the building’s interior.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld a warrant used to search a suspected drug dealer’s residence even though a deputy failed to sign the application. Friday’s 4-3 ruling exposed differences among justices on whether officers and judges should be held to exacting standards when authorizing searches or if seemingly minor bureaucratic oversights can be excused.

At issue was an application that Scott County deputy Dan Furlong prepared to authorize the search of a Davenport home where a suspected drug dealer was staying.

Furlong didn’t sign the application spelling out why he believed there was cause for the search. But he verbally swore under oath to the information before Judge Henry Latham, who signed the warrant but failed to circle words in two spots indicating he found probable cause. The majority says the warrant is valid.

DES MOINES, IOWA – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased slightly to 3.1 percent in March. The state’s jobless rate was 3.8 percent one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent in March. Beth Townsend, Director of Iowa Workforce Development, says “Unemployed Iowans continued to leave the labor force in March. The reduction in Iowa’s total labor force represents a smaller pool of qualified applicants and is making it difficult for businesses to fill positions. Total nonfarm employment showed little hiring among Iowa businesses this month resulting in a net decline in jobs.”

The number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 51,900 in March from 53,800 in February. The current estimate is 12,100 lower than the year ago level of 64,000. The total number of working Iowans increased to 1,640,200 in March. That figure was 500 higher than February and 2,900 higher than one year ago.

Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Employment
Iowa businesses pared jobs for the first time since November, lowering total nonfarm employment down to 1,580,600 jobs. This month’s decline was small in magnitude (-500), and generally due to losses in the private services sector. Government also contributed to this month’s drop with 500 jobs lost this month. Public sectors now lag behind last year’s mark by 700 jobs, whereas the state combined is up 8,100 jobs versus last March.

Within private sectors, leisure and hospitality posted the largest decline this month (-2,000). All of the losses in this sector this month were posted in arts, entertainment, and recreation. Accommodations and food services were unchanged since February. Most other sector declines this month were minor and included losses of 200 jobs in trade, transportation, and warehousing. This sector was hampered by larger than expected cutbacks in retail trade. Information services and professional and business services each shed 100 jobs in March. Job gains were led by construction (+1,100). This sector has added 2,700 jobs since January. Education and health services increased this month (+700) and have added jobs for four-consecutive months. Several sectors experienced incremental gains including manufacturing, finance, mining, and other services.

Annually, six of the ten private sectors have added jobs, led by professional and business services (+4,400). These gains have been fueled by increased staffing in administrative support and waste management services (+2,700). Education and health services have advanced steadily (+3,500), and finance has added jobs consistently since August and is up 3,100 jobs. Alternatively, losses continue to be led by manufacturing (-3,600) and primarily the result of cutbacks in durable goods factories (-3,100). Construction regressed slightly from last year’s historic highs and actually trails last year’s mark (-2,000). Information continues to reorganize and streamline services and is down 1,300

Visit www.iowalmi.gov for more information about current and historical data, labor force data, nonfarm employment, hours and earnings, and jobless benefits by county.