(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Cass Health in Atlantic, today (Tuesday), announced that Michelle Phippen, LPN is the newest recipient of The DAISY Award, which celebrates excellence in nursing. Phippen became an LPN in 2012 and began working at Cass Health in November 2023. She works at Atlantic Medical Center with Family Medicine Physician Dr. Adam Verhoef.  Phippen was nominated by her coworker Clara Hagedorn, LPN who wrote a detailed nomination about Phippen’s dedication to help a non-English speaking patient through the hardships of her pregnancy, including providing education and care related to gestational diabetes.

Hagedorn wrote, “Having gestational diabetes brings additional tests, closer monitoring, and often medication to manage. For the patient, continuous glucose monitoring was required to help Dr. Verhoef be able to best treat her diabetes, and this included a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) being placed every 10 days in office. She also had to be started on insulin, which would require injections twice a day, and non-stress tests (NST) twice a week … Michelle was always comforting to the patient and always assured she understood what she would be doing. Overall, while there were multiple hardships for this patient, both discussed and not discussed in this story, it did not prevent Michelle from providing exceptional care for the patient. It was truly humbling to work alongside Michelle in the clinic, seeing the amount of time, care, compassion, and heart she shared with the patient throughout her pregnancy, and will continue to postpartum. I know I am not the only one who has noticed her efforts, and I hope she knows how appreciated and admired they were!”

Phippen said, “I’m honored to have been nominated for the award, and it’s not something I ever thought I would be considered for. This particular patient that I got nominated for has just been through a lot of struggles, and if I can help in any way to ease any of those struggles, I would try.”

Michelle Phippen, LPN (Photo submitted by CCHS)

Nurses at Cass Health are honored twice annually with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.® The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate care nurses provide to patients and families every day. The DAISY Award committee at Cass Health thanks all nominators for their submissions. Each nurse who was nominated will be presented with a special pin and a copy of the nomination. The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

This is one initiative of The DAISY Foundation to express gratitude to the nursing profession. Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing, and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org. An online nomination form is available at https://www.casshealth.org/daisy.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department says a woman reported Monday night, someone had stolen and Wii gaming device from her residence in the 200 block of N. Oak Street. The loss was estimated at $90. And, officials said Monday, no one was injured during an accident that took place last week at the intersection of Townline and Sycamore Streets. The police report said the accident happened at around 7:36-a.m. on Dec. 2nd, when a 2003 GMC pickup driven by a 15-year-old from Clearfield, was rear-ended a 2021 SUV driven by 60-year-old Kenneth Stuckey, of Creston.

Authorities say the SUV and pickup were traveling east on Townline Street, when the pickup slowed to stop in traffic for a school bus that was attempting to turn left into the Creston High School parking lot. Due to the snow covered road, the SUV was unable to stop in-time, and struck the pickup, causing a police estimated total of $4,500 damage. Both vehicles were able to be driven from the scene.

No citations were issued, however the police report said contributing factors in the collision included the SUV driving too fast for conditions, and following too closely.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board will hold back-to-back meetings Wednesday evening in the High School Media Center. The first meeting is actually a Work Session that begins at 5:30-p.m., and will cover a review of the Request for Quotes from architectural firms, with regard to district facilities.

The Board’s regular monthly meeting begins at 6:30-p.m., and includes action on several matters:

• The purchase of a lawn mower
• Starting a Robotics Club and a request for sponsorships
• Terminating an Open Enrollment Application due to attendance.
• Submitting a request to the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC) for a modified supplemental amount of $298,170 due to an increase in certified enrollment from the prior year, and
• An application to the SBRC for Limited English proficient instruction beyond 5-years, of a modified supplemental amount ($14,791) related to the ELL program for students who have exceeded five-years of weighting that are included in the Fall 2024 certified enrollment headcount.

The Atlantic School Board will also discuss and/or act on the resignations of: Matt Mullenix, Asst. FB Coach, and Bryce Casey, Junior High FB Coach (both for the Fall of 2025), and James Pobantz, PT Custodian & PT Nutrition staff. The Board is expected to discuss and/or act on the following recommendations to hire:

• Mallory Kirchhoff, Prom & Junior Class Sponsor
• Terry Hinzmann, HS Varsity Softball Coach (Summer 2025)
• Cory Bartz, MS Girls Basketball Coach
• A New Bus driver position
• New Sponsor Position(s): Robotics Club Sponsors, Stacey Schmidt & Andy Mitchell
• HS Special Education Paraeducator: Ashley Marxen
• Preschool Spec. Ed Paraprofessional: Alex Wilson.

(View the full agenda here: PUBLIC AGENDA 12112024 )

BONDURANT, Iowa — [KCCI] – A Polk County man is suing a local homebuilder and several subcontractors, including his former employer, after a trench collapse incident in June of last year left him buried alive under the dirt. Trevor Kilgore was working in a 12-foot deep trench in a Bondurant neighborhood when the walls caved in. Body camera footage from Polk County Sheriff deputies captured Kilgore describing the rapidity of the incident.

The lawsuit names Gregg Edwards, President of Edwards Enterprises of Altoona, Kilgore’s employer at the time, as a defendant. In an interview captured by deputies, Edwards acknowledged the dangers. Kilgore’s attorneys argue that the trench was not dug to OSHA standards, stating that a 12-foot trench should be 39 feet wide at the surface level, whereas the trench that collapsed was only 10 feet wide.

The petition says Kilgore was buried for a total of 20 minutes, suffering injuries to his head, shoulder, arm, abdomen, lower back, and pelvis. Additionally, Kilgore is reported to suffer from PTSD, experiencing anxiety, nightmares, and “difficulty sleeping as all he sees is dirt.”

Kilgore is suing Jerry’s Homes Inc. and R&D Plumbing.

(Radio Iowa) – Thanks to a new partnership, Des Moines University’s medical programs may soon have more students from Voorhees University in South Carolina. In DMU’s first collaboration with a historically-black university, Voorhees students who apply and meet admissions requirements will be guaranteed interviews in eligible masters and professional doctorate programs. Molly Moeller, DMU’s senior director of admissions and recruitment, says the medical school began looking for partnerships in 2017 to support long-term growth — and Iowa’s workforce. “We’ve been open to that more recently, and we have a handful of agreements out there with other institutions,” Moeller says, “and so when this organically came up with Voorhees, it was very, very natural.”

The list of programs includes doctorates in osteopathic medicine, podiatry, and physical therapy, as well as master’s programs in biomedical sciences and physician assistant studies. Moeller says the partnership supports the university’s mission to produce competent and compassionate healthcare providers. Providing culturally competent care is critical,” she says, “and so that cultural competency, one of the best ways is to have a class that is diverse so they can learn from one another directly.”

DMU also has three graduate programs where Vorhees students can earn credits towards their undergraduate and graduate degrees at the same time.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds returned to northwest Iowa Monday to check on the progress of disaster recovery after historic flooding hit early this summer.

She first toured Correctionville in Woodbury County with Mayor Ken Bauer. It was her first visit to the town since it was flooded by the Little Sioux River. “The recovery, I think, is off to a good start,” Reynolds said. “Good Start. Good Start,” Bauer responded. “But still things that we need to look at, we’re talking about bringing the team down and maybe setting down and looking at ways that we can really collaboratively think about how we can rebuild restructure and hopefully grow,” Reynolds said.

Mayor Bauer is still trying to calculate the total cost to his community. “I still get emotional about it. Our recovery is going to take time. The people of the town just have to understand that we’re doing the best we can. We’re moving as fast as we can, we’re moving as fast as the government lets us,” Bauer says.

Reynolds also stopped in Rock Valley, where city leaders say more than 140 homes are beyond repair. Reynolds says the state asked FEMA to cover 100% of the cost of the flood but is only going to get 75%. State and local governments will have to cover the rest.

A new report analyzed nearly 200 manure spills into Iowa waterways from 2013 to 2023 and found the majority occurred in counties with the highest concentrations of animal feeding operations. The Iowa Capital Dispatch says the report, released Monday by Food and Water Watch, builds on an earlier report from the environment-focused nonprofit that found livestock operations in Iowa produce more than 100 billion pounds of manure each year, the most out of any state in the country.

Northwest Iowa had “particular spill concentration” according to the report, which coincides with findings from the Factory Farm Nation report that found the same region was home to “extreme factory farm concentration.” The report analyzes discharge enforcement reports from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which over the 10-year period reported 179 instances of manure discharge in amounts ranging from 500 gallons to 1 million gallons, though not all instances listed an amount.  The interactive map associated with the report shows 10 “repeat violators” or farming operations that had multiple spills recorded over the period. Four of the repeat violators are in the northwest region.

Food and Water Watch estimates the actual number of spills is much higher, since the producers themselves are required to report spills, which the report calls a “clear conflict of interest.”

“This is NOT a comprehensive map of factory farm spills that occurred in Iowa over the study period,” the report said. “For this reason, this map and accompanying report almost certainly undercount the true cost of factory farm spills into Iowa waterways.”

The report also noted more than 4,000 animal feeding operations in Iowa do not have National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. These permits, which regulate entities that discharge pollutants into U.S. waters, are only required on animal feeding operations of a certain size, or with other specific conditions, per the federal Clean Water Act.

Food and Water Watch Iowa Organizer Michaelyn Mankel urged the state to implement more stringent regulations. “Corporate polluters must be held accountable for soiling our water — Iowa legislators must pass the Clean Water for Iowa Act to boost pollution monitoring and ensure accurate fines at factory farms,” Mankel said in a statement.

According to the report, farm operations with recorded spills have been fined less than $730,000 cumulatively, over the 10-year reporting period, despite a reported nearly 2 million fish killed. Mankel called the enforcement penalties “barely a slap on the wrist.”

Eldon McAfee, on behalf of Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Pork Producers Association, said the organizations “need more time to review the information used in the analysis,” but plan to review the report.

(Radio Iowa) – Senator Joni Ernst — facing a fierce backlash from Trump supporters — has issued a positive statement about Trump’s pick to head the Pentagon. Ernst had previously said Pete Hegseth would have to answer tough questions about alleged sexual indiscretions as well as financial irregularities at non-profit veterans groups he led. Ernst noted this weekend that as Defense Secretary, Hegseth would be managing a 877 BILLION dollar budget.

Now, after a third meeting with Hegseth, Ernst says the two have had encouraging conversations. Ernst says she supports Pete through the confirmation process and looks forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.

Ernst’s current term as a U-S Senator expires at the end of 2026 and she has not announced whether she’ll seek reelection. Some prominent Trump supporters have posted statements online, saying they would support a candidate who’d challenge Ernst in a Republican Primary.

(Radio Iowa) – The project to restore a historic Iowa train depot will include new exhibits to show the influence of railroads on population growth and tourism. The 140-year-old depot in Spirit Lake has been home to the Dickinson County Historical Museum for five decades. Mary Drier, the museum’s curator, says the first rail line to reach the shore of Big Spirit Lake was the Burlington-Cedar Rapids-Northern Railway and it began bringing tourists to the Great Lakes region.

“That railroad also built the magnificent Orleans Hotel and the original ‘Queen’ steamboat,” she says. A different rail line then connected Spirit Lake and Spencer. The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Depot opened in Spirit Lake in 1884. “Our first depot agent was a 16-year-old girl named Eva Ballou. Her father started out as the depot agent, but he was in ill health, so she took over,” Drier says. “She actually lived in a shack on the grounds while the depot was being built.” Eva’s story, along with others, will be featured in the new exhibits.

“What we’ve learned from kids visiting the depot and the museum is that kids of today don’t understand how important and vital railroads were to the early communities,” Drier says. “If a community had a railroad going through it, it would thrive. If it did not have a railroad going through it, it probably became non-existent.” A brick addition was built onto the depot in 1995 because the depot had no heat or air conditioning and could not be used year-round. Drier says the depot is now properly insulated, with a new H-VAC system in place. There’s been a 10-fold increase in visitors to the museum since 2021 and Drier credits new programming.

“That brings people in through the door and then once they’re in through that door, they come back,” Drier says. “We’ve spent the last year improving our exhibits in our exhibit hall, really focusing on the stories of the area, more than the stuff and the artifacts of the area. We make sure we all tell stories that help bring people and visitors into relationship with the history of the county.”A quarter of a million dollars has been raised so far to finance the upgrades to the museum.