(Atlantic, Iowa) – Healthy Cass County invites all community members and stakeholders to its upcoming meeting, scheduled for Monday, Jan. 13th at 12 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Cass County Community Building, located at 805 W 10th St., Atlantic, IA.

The gathering is part of Healthy Cass County’s ongoing mission to promote health and wellness throughout the region. The January meeting will focus on critical topics aimed at addressing mental and physical health challenges in the community, as well as fostering collaboration among stakeholders.

Key Topics to be Discussed:

• Factors Influencing the System: Exploring ways to promote culturally appropriate mental and physical health services.
• Therapy in Schools: Addressing the integration of therapy services in schools, with a focus on accessibility, cost, and reducing stigma.
• Cost for Therapy: Examining financial barriers to accessing therapy and potential solutions.
• Stigma Surrounding Therapy in Different Cultures: Stigma and promote inclusivity in accessing mental health services.
  

  Healthy Cass County logo

Healthy Cass meetings are open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend. Whether you are a local resident, business owner, health professional, or community leader, your voice matters in shaping a healthier future for Cass County.

If you’re interested in learning more or signing up for updates, please reach out to Grace McAfee at mcage@casshealth.org or call 712-250-8170.

(Des Moines, Iowa/KCCI) — A lawsuit has been filed against the Des Moines Register for “misleading subscribers” with its final 2024 Iowa Poll that showed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris leading Republican nominee — and eventual election winner — Donald Trump among likely voters just days before the election. KCCI-TV reports the Center for American Rights, a Chicago-based nonprofit law firm, filed the suit in Polk County on behalf of a West Des Moines resident who “felt like the Register was disserving him and other readers when [the poll] ran and when its results were compared to the final outcome.”

In a news release, the center states it is seeking certification as a class action lawsuit on behalf of all Des Moines Register subscribers. The complaint filed in Polk County alleges there are approximately 40,000 Des Moines Register subscribers on Sundays, the day the results of the final poll were published. The poll showed Harris with a lead of 3 percentage points among likely Iowa voters. Trump won the state with 57% of the vote to Harris’ 43%.

The lawsuit alleges the Register “utterly failed to live up to” its mission statement of being a trustworthy news organization and says the Register and pollster J. Ann Selzer ignored red flags that should have indicated the results would be inaccurate. It cites a section of Iowa Code about consumer fraud.

President-elect Trump filed a similar lawsuit against the Register regarding consumer fraud last month.

(Menlo, Iowa/KCCI) – Authorities in Guthrie County confirm a 73-year-old woman died this (Tuesday) morning in a house fire. The blaze in Menlo was reported at around 9:35-a.m. Firefighters from Menlo and Stuart responded to the scene in the 400 block of 3rd Street. The woman’s name  has not yet been released. The fire remained under investigation.

(Clarinda, Iowa, 1/7/25) – Page County Attorney, Carl M. Sonksen, reports the following activities in the Iowa District Court for Page County for the week of December 23, 2024. The Honorable Richard H. Davidson, District Court Judge of the Fourth Judicial District presided. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Steven James Baker, age 19, of Clarinda, Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Possession of Controlled Substance – Marijuana. Baker was ordered to pay a fine of $420, surcharges, court costs and court-appointed attorney fees.

Rae Ann Huntley, age 48, of Shenandoah, Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to 2 counts of Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug. Huntley was sentenced to 90 days in jail, with all but 48 hours suspended on each charge. She was placed on probation for 9 months and ordered to complete a substance abuse evaluation. Huntley was also ordered to pay a fine of $430 on each charge, court costs and court-appointed attorney fees.

Curtis Andrew Sokolowski, age 19, of Clarinda, Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Possession of Controlled Substance – Marijuana. He was ordered to pay a fine of $430, surcharges, court costs and court-appointed attorney fees.

(Radio Iowa) – At least half of the homes in Iowa have radon gas levels above the E-P-A’s action level according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. Ben Huntley, the Environmental Health Specialist for Emmet County, says radon is a radioactive gas formed by the decay of uranium in the soil. “It’s invisible, tasteless and odorless. It works its way through the soil to the surface where it can permeate through gaps in the foundation or insulation of homes and then it becomes entrapped inside of them.” Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U-S.

“It’s the leading cause of cancer among non-smokers,” Huntley says, “which equates to over 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year due to radon exposure.” The rate of new cases of lung cancer IN IOWA is significantly higher than the national rate. According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, most counties in the United States have stable or declining rates of lung cancer, but in Greene, Clark, Appanoose, Van Buren, and Winnebago Counties in Iowa new lung cancer cases are still rising. “In Iowa here we are in what EPA calls ‘Zone 1’ for radon which has the highest potential to have a radon level of greater than 4p/CiL,” Huntley says. “p/Ci is a unit of measurement for radioactivity. The higher the number, the higher the radiation.” Huntley says if your home has high levels of radon, there are systems available to get the gas out.

“The primary one would be to use a vent pipe system and a fan,” Huntley says, “which would pull the radon from beneath the house and vent it out through the roof.” Starting this month — which is National Radon Action Month — the Iowa Department of Human Services and the American Lung Association are offering free radon test kits to Iowa residents while supplies last. Go to www.radioiowa.com to find a link to the American Lung Association’s website, which shows two types of test kits are available.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors held their regular weekly meeting this (Tuesday) morning. Barry Byers, with the Secondary Roads Department, spoke on behalf of Engineer Karen Albert, and provided a weekly update on department maintenance and activities.

West Central Community Action Program Director Wendy Mueller presented her annual report and request for funding, which is unchanged from last year.

Kathi Most with the Red Oak Library also spoke before the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors.

Most said the Red Oak Library held a record number of meetings (Civic groups and others) in 2024. Supervisor Bryant Amos had high praise for Kathi Most and the library staff.

In other business, the Board set the dates for FY26 Budget Work Sessions (beginning the week of Jan. 20^th), and they approved IRS Standard Mileage rates for 2025, of 67-cents per mile, retroactive to January 1^st. That’s unchanged from last year, and less than the proposed rate of 70-cents per mile. And, Auditor Jill Ozuna had some news for the Board, with regard to County Insurance rates.

The Board’s next regular meeting is Jan. 14^th at 9-a.m.

(Radio Iowa) – With Republicans holding the majority in the U-S Senate, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is again serving as senate president pro tem — making the 91-year-old senator third in the line of succession to become the nation’s commander-in-chief.  “When the subject comes up, I kind of smile, and this doesn’t mean I don’t take my job very seriously,” Grassley says. “If this happened, I would be acting president.” Grassley says he understands his responsibilities if something drastic were to happen. “But I’d be ready to serve,” Grassley says, “and it doesn’t weigh on me a whole lot.” Grassley emphasizes it’s highly unlikely he’d wind up as president.

“The issue always comes — well, if something happened to the president, the vice president and the speaker of the house, it’d almost have to happen at the same time for me to kick in,” Grassley says. “I always say: ‘Well, who would want to be president under those circumstances?'” The title of senate president pro tem goes to the longest-serving senator from the party that has a majority of seats in the Senate. Grassley’s been in the role before, in 2019 and 2020.

Sen. Grassley

“I’m glad to make Iowans, being president pro tem of the United States Senate, number one in the Senate,” Grassley said. “It puts Iowa in a good position to get what we want.” Before heading to Washington, Grassley served in the Iowa legislature. He was first elected to the Iowa House in 1958 and served 16 years. He won election the U.S. House in 1974 and served for six years, and has been a U.S. Senator since 1981.

(Radio Iowa) – John Deere has notified state officials it will lay off 75 workers from its Ottumwa plant next month. Last year, Deere offered early retirement to over 100 employees at the Ottumwa facility and, in November, Deere announced it would temporarily close the plant in December, due to reduced customer demand for its products. Hay balers and mowers have been produced in Ottumwa.

Deere is moving mower production from Ottumwa to Mexico. Monday was the last day of work for 80 employees at Deere’s Davenport facility and for 112 workers at Deere’s Waterloo factory where tractors are produced.

Deere executives have cited weak demand for farm equipment as the primary factor in several waves of layoffs over the past year.

(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM and Nodaway Valley School Districts are one-step closer to keeping their shared superintendent and services agreement. Monday night both district’s Boards of Education met at the CAM High School in Anita, and discussed the mutual sharing agreement currently in-place.

Both Boards previously met last November, after the Nodaway Valley School Board voted to terminate the contract of Superintendent Paul Croghan. Uncertainty followed as to whether or not the Districts would continue their sharing agreement.

During Monday night’s meeting, the Boards were of a consensus that the agreement would continue, minus the services of Paul Croghan, but there are also issues that need to be resolved, such as improved communications between the districts, and a defined percentage of each district’s involvement in the agreement.

The Nodaway Valley School Board will meet January 15th to interview Superintendent search firms. Following that, a joint school board meeting will be held January 22 in Massena, to either formalize a new contract for the district or dissolve the sharing agreement.