(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Cass Health in Atlantic have announced the facility was recently named one of the 2025 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. Chartis’ annual Top 100 award program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®.

Chartis Executive Director Michael Tochik says “The Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals award program elevates the very best performers and helps create a roadmap for those seeking to improve financial and operational performance while continuing to care for the communities they serve.” Tochik said also, “This is our 15th year recognizing the Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate this milestone with this year’s winners.”

The INDEX is the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Leveraging publicly available data, the INDEX is utilized nationwide by rural hospitals, health systems with rural affiliates, hospital associations, and state offices of rural health to measure and monitor performance across a variety of areas impacting hospital operations and finance.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI] — A 19-year-old who pleaded guilty to multiple crimes in a crash that killed a Des Moines couple was recently sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Kameron Wright was convicted of vehicular homicide and operating while intoxicated in the deadly 2023 crash. It happened on East University near the Iowa State Fairgrounds in November of that year. Wright was also ordered to pay $300,000 in restitution. 76-year-old Fred Lehman and his wife, 79-year-old Mary Lehman, were killed in the crash. Officials say Wright apologized during his sentencing, saying his selfishness killed the Lehmans.

Several family members of the Lehmans gave victim impact statements at sentencing, including the couple’s daughter, Michelle Vry, who said her parents would believed in second chances, but also accountability for one’s actions.

Vry said her parents would have forgiven Wright, and she does as well.

(Radio Iowa) – The sweeping federal layoffs in recent days included caretakers for thousands of poultry and herd animals at the USDA National Centers for Animal Health in Ames. The facility is at the forefront of foreign disease diagnostics and livestock vaccine research, including developing a bird flu vaccine for dairy cows. A scientist at the facility, who is identified only as “A” over concerns about their job, says 55 people were escorted off the campus last Friday. “People were pulled from every department, but especially the animal caretakers,” “A” says. “They were disproportionately affected, and they are a small team to begin with.”

The scientist says employees are trying to fill in the gaps with their own unpaid work, but there are discussions about culling animals if they cannot be cared for humanely. “A” says dozens of people have lost their jobs even though many had glowing performance reviews. “I’ve had so many sleepless nights. I mean, that’s all of us,” “A” says. “I can’t stress that enough how hard this has been on everyone mentally.”

The Ames lab also works on vaccine regulations, and does testing on milk samples for bird flu and screening of vaccines companies develop for cats and dogs. “A lot of people don’t realize just how much happens in this one facility,” “A” says.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, in a press release, says she welcomes the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce federal spending and that the USDA is aggressively “eliminating positions that are no longer necessary.”

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The driver of a pickup truck was cited late Thursday morning, following a collision at the intersection of N. 4th and E. Valley Streets, in Red Oak. No injuries were reported. According to Red Oak Police, 76-year-old Darrell Roberts, of Red Oak, was driving a 2000 Toyota Tundra pickup too fast for conditions as he was traveling westbound on Valley Street at around 10:50-a.m.  The pickup was unable to stop on the icy road surface and entered the intersection, where it was struck on the driver’s side by a 2015 Ford Mustang. The car was being driven by 42-year-old Ronald Bingham, of Red Oak.

Damage from the collision amounted to a police-estimated $9,000 altogether (Minor damage). Both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene. Police cited Roberts for Failure to Yield at the yield sign.

(Creston, Iowa) – A traffic stop in Creston, Thursday afternoon, resulted in the arrest of a man wanted on a warrant. According to the Creston Police Department, 39-year-old Shane Curtis White, of Creston, was arrested at around 4:20-p.m. and charged with Driving While Barred. White was also arrested on an outside Warrant for Driving While Barred.

He was taken to Union County Jail and later posted bond before being released.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department, Thursday, said no one was injured during a collision that happened Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Union and Elm Streets, in Creston. Authorities say a 2007 KIA Rio driven by 18-year-old Landyn Graham, of Creston, was stopped at the posted intersection, facing east on Union Street. When Graham pulled away from the stop sign and attempted to turn left onto Elm Street, his vehicle struck a 2004 Chevy Avalanche pickup that was traveling north on Elm Street, and was being driven by 52-year-old Terry McKinney, of Creston. The pickup had the right-of-way. The accident happened a little after 3-p.m. Graham told Creston Police that he looked, but didn’t see the approaching pickup. Damage from the collision amounted to $2,000 altogether. No citations were issued.

And, mid-morning, Thursday, vehicles driven by 63-year-old Gregory Weis, of Prescott, and 66-year-old Gary Kauffman, of Lorimor, collided in Creston. The damage amounted to $5,500 altogether, but no one was hurt. Creston Police report a 2024 GMC pickup driven by Gregory Weis, was traveling west on Clark Street at around 10-a.m., Thursday, when the vehicle struck a 2015 Dodge SUV driven by Kauffman. The accident happened the T-intersection of Clark and Division Streets as Weis attempted to turn onto Division Street.

Weis told authorities he looked, but didn’t see Kauffman’s SUV approaching as it was traveling south on Division. No citations were issued.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – An accident Thursday afternoon in Red Oak caused a police-estimated total of $2,000 damage, but no one was injured. The Red Oak Police Department reports 24-year-old Thomas Blocker, of Griswold, was traveling west on Joy Street in Red Oak at around 2:40-p.m., Thursday,when, due to slick road conditions, he lost control of the 2014 Dodge Charger he was driving. The car drove up onto the south tree border and struck a City of Red Oak No Parking sign (Valued at $500). The car sustained $1,500 (minor) damage.

Authorities say Blocker was issued a warning for Failure to Maintain Control.

(Atlantic) The Atlantic City Council, during their regular meeting Wednesday evening, approved the FY 2026 maximum property tax levy, which amounts to 60-cents per thousand dollars of property valuation, or 5.8-percent. City Administrator John Lund says there are three levies included in the tax asking: The General Levy, which will increase 16-cents/$1,000; The Liability & Property Insurance Levy, will see a three-cent/1,000 increase; the Debt Levy increase amounts to 41-cents/$1,000.

The total proposed property tax levy is $17.85 per $1,000 taxable valuation. A Public hearing on proposed maximum property tax levy for Fiscal Year 2026 will be held on March 26th, at 5:00 p.m.
The Council also set the date for a public hearing on a proposal to enter into a General Obligation Solid Waste Management Loan Agreement and to Borrow Money Thereunder in a Principal Amount not to exceed $90,000. That hearing will take place March 5th, at 5:30-p.m.

Atlantic City Hall building

John Lund explained in his Council meeting packet, that the City is part of a 28E organization managing the Cass County Landfill and must provide financial support if needed. The Landfill has implemented a $12.00 per-capita fee, totaling $85,344 for the City, payable in four equal installments over the fiscal year. The public hearing will be held on March 5th at 5:30 p.m.

And, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, set March 5th at 5:30-p.m., as the date and time for a public hearing on proposal to enter into General Obligation Loan Agreement and to Borrow Money Thereunder in a principal amount not to exceed $4,300,000 for the purpose of paying the costs, to that extent, of constructing street, water system, sanitary sewer system, sidewalk and storm water drainage improvements; acquiring and installing street lighting, signage and signalization improvements; acquiring and equipping police vehicles; and acquiring and equipping ambulances.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that would impose a new state tax on vapor cartridges for electronic cigarettes will be considered soon in an Iowa Senate Committee. The bill was the subject of a Senate subcommittee hearing yesterday. Michael Triplett, the lobbyist for a group of vapor product retailers called Iowans for Alternatives to Smoking and Tobacco, was among the first to testify. “We’re opposed to this bill because we don’t believe that there’s justification for treating a device that’s less harmful than smoking in a similar fashion to deadly cigarettes,” Triplett said, who told lawmakers it’s the smoke, not the nicotine, that makes cigarettes deadly.

Threase Harms, a lobbyist for a coalition called Clear Air for Everyone, said cigarettes and e-cigarettes are “kindred cousins” and vaping liquid has been linked to a condition called “popcorn lung” and it contains chemicals like formaldehyde. “Iowans are paying an estimated $1 billion annually for tobacco related health care costs,” Harms said, “and it’s time for vaping products to be paying their fair share because they certainly are going to be costing us a fair share.”

Senator Mike Klemish (R-Spilleville) is the sponsor of Senate Study Bill 1137. (official photo)

Other groups like the American Cancer Society applaud raising taxes on vaping products, but recommend some of the money raised go toward programs that discourage kids from vaping or smoking cigarettes. Amy Campbell, a lobbyist for the Iowa Behavioral Health Association, said school based programs are essential. “The use is just exploding among youth and you can look at the trend lines…It’s pretty startling,” Campbell said. “We have kids who have never tried a cigarette, but are addicted to these products.” Senator Mike Klemish, a Republican from Spillville, is the bill’s author.”I’m a former smoker. I still smoke once in a while myself. I’m being honest with this room. I don’t vape. I smoke cigarettes,” Klemish said. “…Nicotine is the addictive component of cigarettes that I’ve tried to wean myself off of, successfully and unsuccessfully, for the last 20 years.”

Klemish said he sees a lot of kids smoking and he worries the nicotine in the vaping liquid is the gateway to them moving on and smoking cigarettes. His bill also imposes a new tax on nicotine pouches, which are wedged inside a person’s bottom lip like smokeless tobacco.

The state sales tax is charged on vaping products and nicotine patches, but a far higher state tax is assessed on tobacco products.