IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A state lawyer says Iowa athletic director Gary Barta isn’t a public official. Assistant attorney general George Carroll made that claim in a filing last week. He’s asking a judge to dismiss former senior associate athletic director Jane Meyer’s request for an injunction blocking her layoff.

Meyer has been informed that her university job is being eliminated in September. She argues she’s being punished for complaining to Barta about gender discrimination. Barta reassigned Meyer outside of athletics in 2014, noting her partner, former field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum, was planning to sue Barta over her firing.

Meyer is seeking to stop her layoff under Iowa’s Whistleblower Act, which protects employees who disclose wrongdoing to public officials. Carroll says Barta isn’t a public official since he reports to the university president.

Orthopedic Care is the topic of this month’s Healthy U presented by Edward Fisher, MD. The educational session will be held at noon on Thursday, July 28th in Conference Room 2 at the Cass County Health System. Dr. Fisher is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with over 25 years of experience.

His practice encompasses a wide variety of orthopedic care and surgeries for patients of all ages, including joint replacement (hip and knee), carpal tunnel, sports medicine, arthroscopies, rotator cuff, as well as fracture and dislocation procedures.

Dr. Edward Fisher, M.D.

The session will be on Thursday, July 28th at noon in Conference Room 2 at Cass County Health System. Healthy U is a free educational series offered by Cass County Health System that focuses on a different health topic each month. All registered attendees receive a healthy boxed meal in addition to the educational program presented by medical professionals.

For more information, or to make a reservation for Healthy U, call 712-243-7479.

Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies, Sunday, arrested a Griswold man for OWI/2nd offense. In their report issued today (Monday), authorities said 42-year old Christopher Michael Miller was brought to the Cass County Jail and released later that same day, on $2,000 bond.

And, as previously mentioned, on July 22nd, Cass County Deputies arrested 57-year old Mark Anthony Martens, of Atlantic, on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Failure to Register (Sex Offender Registry) and Residency Restriction (re: Sex Offender Registry). Martens was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day on $4,000 bond.

One person was injured during a collision late Friday morning, in Glenwood. Authorities say 42-year old Anthony Moses, of Pacific Junction, was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Creighton Medical Center, after his motorcycle was struck broadside by a van. The accident happened on 221st Street in Glenwood, at around 11-a.m., Friday.

Officials say the 2008 Chrysler Town and County van, driven by 35-year old Sandra Stanley, of Sidney, was traveling north on 221st Street and turning left into a business drive at the same time a 2014 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Anthony Moses, was traveling southbound. Stanley told investigators she thought Moses was also going to turn into the drive. Moses sped-up and tried to swerve to the right to avoid the van, but was unsuccessful.

Both vehicles were totaled in the crash, with the damage amounting to $14,500.

The Glenwood Police Department has issued a report on numerous, recent arrests. Officials say 61-year old Steven Whitmore, of Glenwood, was arrested today (Monday), on charges that include Going Armed with Intent, Domestic Abuse Assault, and Child Endangerment. Whitmore was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

Sunday, 23-year old Tyler Walter, of Webster City, and Joseph Kopiasz, of Glenwood, were arrested for Public Intoxication; 29-year old William Meredith, of Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault; and, 33-year old Brandy Hawkins, of Glenwood, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, as well as Driving While Revoked.

Saturday, Glenwood Police arrested 37-year old Wendy Meadows, of Glenwood, for Public Intoxication/2nd offense, and on Friday, 50-year old Stephen Miller, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for Driving While Revoked.

All of the individuals mentions, with the exception of Whitmore, were later released on bond.

Officials with the American Red Cross are once again putting out a plea for donations of blood and blood platelets. Anna Sanderson, Donor Recruitment Director with the Midwest Blood Services Region, says while thousands of people from across the country responded to the emergency request for blood and platelet donations issued by the American Red Cross in early July, a critical blood shortage remains. The Red Cross urges eligible donors to give now to help ensure blood is available throughout the rest of the summer to meet patient needs.

At times, blood and platelets are being distributed to hospitals faster than donations are coming in, which impacts the ability to rebuild the blood supply. Right now, the Red Cross has less than a five-day blood supply on hand. The Red Cross strives to have a five-day supply at all times to meet the needs of patients every day and be prepared for emergencies that may require significant volumes of donated blood products.

Sanderson says “The Red Cross continues to have an emergency need for blood and platelet donors to give now and help save patient lives. We are grateful for those who have already stepped up this summer to give and want to remind those who are eligible that hospital patients are still counting on them to roll up a sleeve.”

Blood and platelets are needed for many different reasons. Accident and burn victims, heart surgery patients, organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease may all need blood. Donors of all blood types are urgently needed to help restock the shelves. The Red Cross is thanking those who come in to donate blood or platelets between July 25th and Aug. 31st by emailing them a $5 Amazon.com gift card claim code.

To schedule an appointment to donate, use the free Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Donation appointments and completion of a RapidPass online health history questionnaire are encouraged to help reduce wait times.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities July 25-Aug. 15 include:

Audubon: 8/10/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., St. Patrick’s Parish Center, 2050 Hwy 71 N

Griswold: 8/11/2016: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Central Church of Christ, 1008 First St.

Manning: 7/29/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Sacred Heart Church, 203 Sue St.

Denison: 8/2/2016: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., United Methodist Church, 113 South 14th St.

Manilla: 8/1/2016: 12:30 p.m. – 6 p.m., Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 537 3rd Ave.

Hamburg: 8/12/2016: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Grape Community Hospital, 2959 US Hwy 275

Logan: 7/28/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Community Center, 108 West 4th St.

Missouri Valley: 8/4/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Rand Community/Senior Center, 100 S. 4th St

Glenwood: 7/27/2016: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Glenwood High School, 504 East Sharp St.; 8/15/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, 512 2nd St.

Malvern: 8/10/2016: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., East Mills High School, 1505 E. 15th St.

Red Oak: 7/25/2016: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1101 East Summit

Stanton: 7/29/2016: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Stanton Firestation, 205 Broad Ave.

Council Bluffs: 7/25/2016: 12:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street; 7/26/2016: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street; 8/1/2016: 12:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street; 8/2/2016: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street; 8/7/2016: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Queen of Apostles Campus, 3304 3rd Avenue; 8/7/2016: 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Community of Christ, 140 Kanesville Blvd; 8/8/2016: 12:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street; 8/9/2016: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street; 8/10/2016: 7:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Pottawattamie County Courthouse, 227 S. 6th St.; 8/12/2016: 6 a.m. – 12 p.m., Mid-America Center, One Arena Way; 8/12/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Mid-America Center, One Arena Way; 8/15/2016: 12:30 p.m. – 6:15 p.m., Loess Hills Chapter Donation Center, 705 North 16 Street.

Crescent: 8/13/2016: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., Fire Station, 102 West Florence

Shelby: 8/13/2016: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Shelby Community Building, 500 East St.

Walnut: 7/28/2016: 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 406 Antique City Dr.

Earling: 7/25/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., St. Joseph’s Hall, 118 Main St.

Harlan: 7/28/2016: 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Conductix, 1417 Industrial Parkway; 8/2/2016: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., CDS, 3107 Shelby St.; 8/2/2016: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m., CDS, 3107 Shelby St.

Bedford: 8/2/2016: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., American Legion Hall, 301 Main St.

Lenox: 7/26/2016: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., American Legion Hall, 106 W. Ohio

DES MOINES—Recent rains have improved groundwater levels across Iowa, while the National Drought Monitor shows about a third of the state still rated as abnormally dry. Heavy rains that fell on July 19 will be reflected in the next update.

Substantial rainfall during July has improved shallow groundwater conditions in central Iowa and most of southeast Iowa from slight drought to normal.  A small region of southeast Iowa continues to be in slight drought conditions.  Shallow groundwater levels in most of northwest, southwest and northeast Iowa continue to be above normal for July.

In the past two weeks, the average statewide rainfall has been about 4.02 inches, nearly double the normal amount for this period. Two-week rain totals varied from a 1.56 inches at Akron up to 9.01 inches near Red Oak.

Temperatures across Iowa have averaged near normal for the period, just 0.4 degrees lower than typical July readings. Streamflow conditions remain above normal for most of the state. For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, go to www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green said today (Monday), Federal and State Inspectors are set to arrive in Atlantic by around mid-day, to look at The Octopus amusement ride on the Cass County Fairgrounds. The ride was the scene of an accident Sunday evening that sent five people to the Cass County Memorial Hospital. One of the injured, a teenage male, was later transferred to a hospital in Omaha for further evaluation and treatment. (Click on the individual pictures to open a separate page, and click again to enlarge the image)

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green said a pin that holds the bulb/support rod section of the ride apparently sheared-off prior to the accident. You can see the apparatus at the center of this photo by KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

The accident happened at around 7:30-p.m., when a pin on top of the ride sheared-off, causing some of the buckets carrying passengers to slam into the ground.

Divots dug into the ground by the impact of the rides’ buckets.

Marks could be seen on the grass where the bottom of the buckets dug into the ground.

If you look closely, you can see grass hanging from the bottom of the bucket in the top center of this pic. The bucket had impacted the ground.

Green said the Inspectors are coming from the Iowa Department of Labor and U-S Consumer Product Safety Commission. Green said it’s unusual for this type of accident to happen, here. He said “We’ve been fortunate. We haven’t had anything like this at the Cass County Fair in my memory, and I’ve been coming to this fair since I was a kid. It’s just one of those things, I guess.”

The names of those injured have not been officially released, but early reports from law enforcement said the injured included an adult female and four teens (two females and two males). Green says two of the teens walked home following the accident. Their mother took them to the hospital.The ride is officially shut down on this, the last full day of the fair.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports two men were arrested on warrants last week. On July 18th, 30-year old Stephen Wallace Jones, of Stuart, was arrested by Stuart Police on an Adair County warrant for Failure to Appear for arraignment, on an original charge of Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Jones was being held in the Adair County Jail on $2,000 cash only bond.

And, 30-year old Adam Thomas Harris, of West Des Moines, was arrested July 20th at the Polk County Jail, on an Adair County warrant for felony drug charges. Harris was later released after posting a $500 cash only bond.