An accident in Mills County early this (Wednesday) morning, resulted in a woman from Missouri being transported to a hospital in Council Bluffs. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says 80-year old Audrey Brooks, of Kansas City, MO., was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital by Pacific Junction Rescue, following the accident that happened at around 3:30-a.m. on Interstate 29 at about mile marker 33.

Brooks was traveling northbound in the SOUTHbound lane of I-29 in a 2017 Honda. 25-year old Marcos Bautista-Ramirez, of Canton, GA., was traveling southbound on I-29 in a 2009 Toyota, when he noticed the wrong-way Honda. Bautista-Ramirez attempted to miss Brooks’ car, by swerving. In doing so, the left front side of his vehicle struck the left front of the Honda.

The Honda became disabled on the road during the collision, while the Toyota ended-up in the median.

In other news, the Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 36-year old Nicole Jean Cronland, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Sarpy County, NE., on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear in court. Her bond was set at $10,000. And, at around 8:45-a.m. today (Wed.), 42-year old Steven Wayne Thompson, of Omaha, was arrested at the Douglas County, NE. Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. His bond was set at $6,000.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) — A former friend of an Iowa father whose infant son was found dead and maggot-infested in a baby swing last year has testified he wasn’t even aware the man had a baby. The Courier reports that Jordan Clark testified Wednesday at the trial of 29-year-old Zachary Paul Koehn, who’s charged with murder and child endangerment in the August 2017 death of 4-month-old Sterling Koehn.

Clark testified that he was aware Koehn had a young daughter, but said he didn’t know Koehn had an infant son, despite having visited Koehn’s Alta Vista apartment. Clark also testified that he, Koehn and the baby’s mother smoked meth, and that Koehn bought $20 to $40 worth of meth from him weekly.

A coroner’s report showed the baby died of malnutrition, dehydration and an infection caused after he was left in a soiled diaper for up to two weeks.

The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum will host a Veterans Tribute Celebration on Saturday, Nov. 10th, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The celebration includes a musical performance, vendor tables, luncheon and comments from retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Larry Spencer who spent nearly seven years as an American prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Spencer was born in Wichita, Kansas and grew up in Earlham, Iowa graduating from Earlham High School in 1958. He entered the U.S. Navy in February 1963, completing aviation officer candidate school at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. During Vietnam, Spencer had two deployments to Southeast Asia serving aboard the USS Ranger and USS Enterprise from 1964-1966.

On Feb. 18, 1966, while flying an F-4B Phantom II on reconnaissance escort mission over North Vietnam he was shot down and captured near Thanh Hoa. Spencer spent six days shy of seven years in captivity as POW, for a total of 2,551 days. Spencer was one of the first 20 American POWs to return from North Vietnam, arriving back in the United States on Feb. 14, 1973. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1985 after 22 years of service.

During the celebration the museum will host a supply drive for veterans with a collection point sponsored by Operation Barnabas of Des Moines. All donations will go to benefit veterans in central Iowa. Some examples of what to bring include coffee, canned goods, chewing gum, bath soap, and cleaning supplies. For a complete list go to www.iowamilitarysupport.org

The lecture will take place in the Col. Al Rolfes Education Center at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum on Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa. Admission to the museum is free.

(Radio Iowa) — Republican Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa needs more LEGAL immigrants to fill job openings and she “strongly disagrees” with some of the comments Congressman Steve King has made about the danger immigrants from places like Central America and Mexico pose to western civilization. “We are a country of immigrants and we celebrate that,” Reynolds says. “I disagree with what he said. I’ve said that before.”

Hundreds of Democrats cheered loudly last (Tuesday) night in Cedar Rapids as Reynolds’ rival Fred Hubbell called on Reynolds to remove King as a co-chairman of her campaign. “His reprehensible actions don’t represent Iowa values,” Hubbell said, to more cheers. Reynolds says King is “one of thousands” of campaign co-chairs who endorsed her bid for a full, four-year term as governor.

“I can’t be held responsible for everyone’s comments,” Reynolds says. “I can be held responsible for myself and I’m out there running for governor and focusing on building on the progress that we’ve seen.” Reynolds made her comments after a mid-morning campaign stop in Pella. “Double-down and do everything we can to make sure we that elect Republicans up and down the ticket,” Reynolds said to the crowd.

Other Republicans on the 2018 ballot are appearing at the governor’s bus tour events. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, the two Republicans who represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate, have joined Reynolds for stops today (Wednesday) in Pella, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa and Columbus Junction. Hubbell is campaigning today (Wednesday) in Spencer, Estherville and Emmetsburg.

(Radio Iowa) — U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley has been out campaigning with many of the Iowa Republicans who’re on this November’s ballot, including Governor Kim Reynolds.  “I want you to remember two words about this campaign and this great governor. Those two words are: She cares!” said during a recent rally with Reynolds. Grassley’s been campaigning with two of Iowa’s Republican Congressmen David Young and Rod Blum AND some legislative candidates as well.

Grassley’s current term ends in 2022 and he’s undecided about seeking another six-year stint in the U.S. Senate. Grassley says there are a couple of things that keep his energy level high. “At 65 I started running, although now at age 85 I think I’d better say I shuffle, but I still try to exercise well and I enjoy my work,” Grassley says. “I think if you enjoy your work, it makes a difference.” *IF* Grassley seeks an eighth term in the senate, he’ll launch that campaign at the age of 89.

Grassley has repeatedly said he’ll run again if he feels healthy enough, however Grassley this month has acknowledged his health may fail before his current term ends — and Grassley has tied that to an argument for reelecting the Republican governor. “Just in case there’s ever a vacancy in the position of US Senator, I don’t want a Democrat appointing a Democrat,” Grassley said October 13 at Reynolds’ Harvest Festival Fundraiser.

Grassley has been in elected office for the past 59 years. He served 16 years in the Iowa House and then six years in the U.S. House of Representatives before winning a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1980.

The Atlantic Rotary Club will hold its 36^th annual Auction November 17th, at the Cass County Community Center.  Proceeds from the auction have been used to fund local projects, scholarships and a number of other community needs.

Over the history of the Auction Club officials said the funds raised were put back into the community in many different ways. Investments in the past have included restoration of Santa’s Cabin in City Park,  in the construction of the Cass County Community Center, Iowa Western and Atlantic School District scholarships, to name a few. Requests for funds are reviewed and awarded by the Rotary Board.

This year’s Auction will follow the traditional format according to Rotary President, Ted Robinson. A formal dinner with wine will kick off the evening and bidding opened on several “silent auction” items. This will be followed by an open-bidding auction of several packages of items put together by the Committee headed by Dolly Bergmann. “Such items include hosted dinners, trips, hunting adventures, mountain condominium use, just to name a few,” said Robinson. “Dolly and her crew do a great job of putting together some unique and fun items to bid on. It’s always a fun evening.”

Rotary members will also be selling raffle tickets for prizes of $500, $1000 and $1500, with drawings for those prizes held throughout the evening. This year’s net raffle proceeds will fund the Cass County Fairgrounds Food Stand – Kitchen Air Conditioning project. Rotarians and the Cass County Extension have raffle tickets for sale for $20 per chance, six for $100.

The Auction is open to the public. Tickets ($30 per person) may be purchased from any Rotarian.  Those tables can be reserved by contacting Robinson at First Whitney Bank and Trust.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Department of Public Health reports preliminary data shows the number of deaths involving opioids fell from 137 to 89 in the first eight months of this year compared to the same time period last year. The director of the department’s Opioid Initiatives, Kevin Gabbert, says several factors are involved in the drop. “Expanded access to Naloxone — which is the opioid reversal drug — and it’s also been things like expansion of medication assisted treatment. We’ve had great legislative support in creating new legislation to address the issue. We’ve had expanded use of the Prescription Monitoring Program,” Gabbert says.

While the opioid-related deaths have dropped, Gabbert says it is only a start on addressing the problem. “It’s difficult for us to hang our hat on that fact that we are down to 89 — because 89 is still too many. One is too many,” according to Gabbert. “And when you think about the family member of friends who have been affected by an opioid overdose — to tell them that things are better, I really don’t think provides enough support.”

The second National Drug Take Back day was Saturday, as Iowans turned in thousands of unneeded prescription drugs. Gabbert says that is another effort that can help cut opioid deaths. “Where we’re seeing the most significant increase in the number of overdoses is among the elicit substances. So things like fentanyl,carfentanil,” Gabbert explains. “What we know is that four out of five individuals who first used heroin started with a prescription painkiller. The problem is, the majority of those individuals that prescription painkiller wasn’t one that was prescribed to them. That means it was a surplus of somebody else’s supply that was made available to them.”

The number of opioid-related deaths started climbing in 2000 when there were 23, and rose steadily to a high of 206 in 2017. Gabbert says state, local and federal officials have worked together on the various programs to address the rise. He says those efforts are still continuing. Gabbert says last week President Trump signed the Support for Patients and Communities act, which he says further expands efforts for treatment, recovery and prevention and fighting fentanyl.

He says this is preliminary data and all the numbers aren’t finalized until four to six months after the year ends. That means the effort is far from done. Gabbert says there’s lots of help available Get help at Your-Life-Iowa-dot org (YourLifeIowa.org). There’s a variety of resources available there in addition to live individuals that they can talk with about their issues and also receive referral information for treatment services.”