DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Democrats are accusing Gov. Kim Reynolds of a “pay for play” arrangement by accepting campaign contributions from a company that provides Medicaid services under Iowa’s privatized health care program for poor and disabled residents.

Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price said Monday the Reynolds campaign received $1,000 in December from Anthem, the parent company of Amerigroup, months before the state renewed its Medicaid contract. Another donation of $1,500 was made Aug. 22, two days before the state announced Amerigroup and UnitedHealthCare would get a $100 million increase in state funding.

Reynolds’ staff spokeswoman Brenna Smith says Medicaid funding is based on recommendations from the Department of Human Services and its independent actuary based on expected medical costs. Selections must be approved by a federal agency.

Campaign spokesman Pat Garrett says accusations the payments were linked to the contracts are “as false as they are desperate.” The state is dealing with persistent complaints that Medicaid services deteriorated under privatization and the promised millions of dollars in savings haven’t materialized.

Officials with the Cass County Health System report Dr. Autumn Keiser will begin seeing patients at the Atlantic Medical Center on September 19th, 2018. Dr. Keiser will provide the full spectrum of family medicine care, including obstetrics.

Dr. Keiser

Dr. Keiser and her husband, Craig, are both originally from the Omaha area. She earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, and went on to the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, graduating with her medical degree in 2015.  Dr. Keiser completed her family medicine residency training in June 2018, where she served as Chief Resident. She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Keiser, call Atlantic Medical Center at 712-243-2850.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday), released a long list of arrests dating back to Sept. 8th….

• On Sunday, 26-year old Christopher Pacheco, of Omaha, NE – was arrested for OWI 2^nd offense.
• Arrested Saturday, was 33-year old Jamie Lea Petersen, of Council Bluffs, – On Warrant for Compulsory Education Violation; and 25-year old Shelby Lynn Conn, a Homeless person – for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia .
• 54-year old Michael David Longcor, of Henderson, was arrested Friday – on a Warrant for Possession of Controlled Substance 3^rd Offense.
• 41-year old Christina Marie Gustin, of Glenwood, was arrested Thursday – on Warrant for Contempt of Court.
• On Sept. 11th, 50-year old Daren Keith Brooks, of Pacific Junction  – was arrested in Mills County for Domestic Abuse Assault and Inference with Official Acts.
• On Sept. 10th, several individuals were arrested: 35-year old Andrew James Arrick, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Warrant for Burglary 3^rd Degree and Theft 2^nd Degree; 31-year old Jared Lee Pomerenke, a Homeless persons, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault and Possession of Controlled Substance; 57-year old Richard James Gardner, of Pacific Junction, was arrested on two counts of Possession/Delivery of drugs, 3 counts of Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drug and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. And, 42-year old Regina Jolene Meyers, of Pacific Junction, was arrested on three counts Possession of Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
• On Sept. 9th, Mills County Deputies arrested 22-year old Rafael Morena, Jr., of Omaha, for OWI/1st offense; and, 22-year old Ricardo Jimenez III, of Omaha, was arrested for Simple Assault.
• And on Sept. 8th, 34-year old David Michael Graham, of Silver City, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault.

Police in Council Bluffs have identified the rider of the motorcycle that collided Sunday night with a car. 55-year old Jeffrey Kellar, of Council Bluffs, was transported by Council Bluffs Fire and Rescue to Nebraska Medicine, following the collision that happened at around 8:30-p.m. at the intersection of N. 27th and W. Broadway Streets.

Authorities said earlier, the driver of the vehicle that collided with the 1996 Harley Davidson, was 18-year old Dominick Kass. He suffered minor injuries and was transported from the scene by private vehicle.

The accident happened as Kass was trying to turn south onto 27th Street, from westbound Broadway, when he struck the eastbound cycle. The crash remains under investigation by the Council Bluffs Police Traffic Unit.

FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has announced the nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) scheduled to take place this Thursday, Sept. 20th, has been postponed until Oct. 3rd due to ongoing response efforts to Hurricane Florence. The WEA portion of the test commences at 2:18 p.m. EDT, and the EAS portion follows at 2:20 p.m. EDT, on Oct. 3rd. The test will assess the operational readiness of the infrastructure for distribution of a national message and determine whether improvements are needed. All operational cell phones will receive the test.

Oct. 3 was the previously scheduled back-up date for the test. Officials say a backup date is always planned in case of widespread severe weather or other significant events on the primary test date. FEMA and the nation’s emergency management community remain committed to the life-saving activities occurring through parts of North Carolina and South Carolina.

For further information on the test, go to https://www.fema.gov/emergency-alert-test.

Two men from Nebraska were arrested late Saturday night, following a pursuit in Pottawattamie County. The Sheriff’s Office reports a deputy responded at around 11-p.m. to assist a fellow officer, after Pott. County Communications advised Omaha Police were in pursuit of a stolen, silver Chevy Impala,  that was eastbound on Interstate 680, heading into Iowa. Omaha Police helicopter Able 1 was also following the pursued vehicle. The vehicle traveled north on I-29 before going out of control at the DeSoto Avenue Exit. The vehicle sustained $5,000 damage.

Two men ran from the scene. One of them was identified as 27-year old Branden A. Anstey, of Plattsmouth, NE. A records check indicated Anstey was wanted on two Pott. County warrants for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unauthorized Use of Credit Cards.  The other subject, 30-year old Ronald S. Hoschar, of Omaha, was arrested for Theft in the 2nd Degree.

And, the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office reports 20-year old Erick Alan Bazemore, of Omaha, was picked-up from authorities in Shelby County, Saturday. Bazemore was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for Violation of Probation. He was transported to Council Bluffs and booked into the Pott. County Jail.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports three arrests took place over the past week. Last Wednesday, 18-year old Koy Alan Brandt, of Greenfield, was arrested by Greenfield Police, for: Disorderly Conduct (yelling, screaming and punching a table in a public place in an outdoor area of an apartment complex); Possession of Alcohol under the legal age/1st offense; Possession of a Controlled Substance (marijuana), and manufacturing/sale of imitation drugs (A white, powdery substance which was actually baking soda).  Brandt was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $2,000 cash or surety bond.

Last Friday, Greenfield Police arrested 27-year old Joshua Lee Jones, of Creston, for Violation of a No Contact Order, and Assault with Injury. A complaint alleges Jones punched his female victim several times in the face, and was knowingly in a vehicle with her, against a court order. Jones was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $1,500 cash or surety bond.

And, on Saturday, an Iowa State Patrol Trooper arrested 41-year old Dejuan Dontell Smith, of Milwaukee, WI., on an outstanding warrant out of Adair County for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense. Smith was arrested after being pulled over for speeding and illegal window tint. The traffic stop occurred on Interstate 80, at mile marker 72. Smith was being held without bond in the Adair County Jail, pending an appearance before the Magistrate.

In an update to our reports over the weekend, officials with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday), said 22-year old Marcus Pierce, of Glenwood, faces three felony charges associated with an incident in Tabor that was shown on social media. On Sept. 12th, deputies received information about a viral video that appears to show a domestic assault that occurred in Tabor, in August, and recently published on Facebook. Authorities alleged while at the residence in Tabor, Pierce held his victim captive, committed a sexual assault, threatened the woman with a knife, and then forced her to drive him to another location. Pierce currently faces a Class-A felony charge of 1st Degree Kidnapping, a Class-B felony charge of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree, Domestic Abuse 3rd offense – a Class-D felony, and Violation of a No Contact Order. Additional charges are pending.

Marcus Pierce

Pierce was located at a residence in Omaha on Saturday, taken into custody. He is being held at the Douglas County, NE. jail, while awaiting extradition back to Iowa. The Tabor Police Department, Glenwood Police Department, and Omaha Police Department assisted the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation.

A man arrested in connection with the Aug. 27th, assault of his grandmother in Council Bluffs, now faces a charge of Murder in the 1st Degree, after the woman died from her injuries last Friday. 29-year old Jacob C. Heyer, of Council Bluffs, was served with the warrant today (Monday), at the Pottawattamie County Jail, where he was being held for Willful Injury and Violation of a Restraining order. At around 9:45-p.m.  Aug. 27th,  Council Bluffs Police were called to 2119 Ave. K to investigate an assault that had taken place involving the victim, 71-year old Karen Fort and her grandson Jacob Heyer. Officers found Fort in her residence and called medics.

Jacob C. Heyer

She was transported to the UNMC for treatment of several injuries to her face. Heyer was found across the street and refused to talk to officers at the time of the incident. A Violation of Restraining order charge was originally issued because Heyer was not allowed to have contact with his grandfather, Ron Fort, who was in the residence at the time of the assault. An autopsy was performed Sept. 16th on Karen Fort. The preliminary findings show that the cause of death was Blunt Force Trauma to the head.

Detectives in charge of the case, working with the County Attorney’s Office subsequently amended charges against Heyer.