The Cass County Health System has begun screening patients for Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever indicators. In the ongoing effort to contain this virus, the Centers for Disease Control has recommended all healthcare providers implement this screening process in areas where patients could present with symptoms of Ebola. According to Todd Hudspeth, Chief Executive Officer, the screening is precautionary, as there have been no cases of Ebola diagnosed in the state of Iowa, and only three in the entire United States.

Hudspeth said “It’s a simple thing we can do to ensure the health and safety of our patients and community. On the off chance that someone local would contract a case of Ebola, early diagnosis allows us to ensure the proper infection control procedures and equipment would be used, thus limiting the spread of the virus.” The screening involves asking patients coming into Atlantic Medical Center, or the CCMH Outpatient Clinic, hospital inpatient areas and the Emergency Department four questions (see below).

Another precaution CCHS officials have taken is to assign an in-house Ebola coordinator, as recommended by the CDC. Dr. Patricia Goodemote, CCHS Chief Medical Officer, has been designated for this local role. “Dr. Goodemote is one of our Emergency Department physicians. Prior to coming to CCHS, she served for 24 years in the United States Air Force, where she received extensive disaster preparedness training,” Hudspeth explained. “She is monitoring CDC and Iowa Department of Public Health updates on a daily basis and will serve as our local expert with regard to Ebola updates and protocols.”

Dr. Goodemote states, “Although the risk for Ebola is low in Iowa, we want to be prepared. Fortunately, people coming from countries with Ebola patients are being screened on arrival in the United States and being followed closely by Public Health for 21 days to ensure they do not develop symptoms. In addition, if they have had any exposure to individuals with Ebola while in these countries, they are also being quarantined in their homes for 21 days. These measures are limiting the risk to all Americans. Realize if the person does not have symptoms they are not contagious.”

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, if an individual has been exposed to Ebola and begins to experience symptoms, they should self-isolate at home and immediately contact their healthcare provider or an emergency room by telephone. Then the appropriate infection control procedures can be implemented before the patient transfers for medical care to limit the risk to the community, but still allow for care of the individual.

Up-to-date information on the Ebola outbreak can be found on the Centers for Disease Control website, http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola.

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Ebola Hemoraghic Fever Screening Questions:

1. Have you (patient) traveled to West Africa (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, or Sierra Leone) in the past 21 days? (Circle one)

Yes No

2. If yes to Question #1, do you (patient) have any of the following symptoms? (Check all that apply)

___Fever more than 38.6 Celsius or 101.5 Fahrenheit AND

___Severe headache
___Muscle pain
___Vomiting
___Diarrhea
___Abdominal pain
___Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding)

3. Has anyone with the patient today traveled to West Africa (Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, or Sierra Leone) in the past 21 days? (Circle one)

Yes No

4. If yes to Question #3, does this person(s) have any of the following symptoms? (Check all that apply)

___Fever more than 38.6 Celsius or 101.5 Fahrenheit AND

___Severe headache
___Muscle pain
___Vomiting
___Diarrhea
___Abdominal pain
___Unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords says that “dangerous people with guns are a threat to women.” She appeared in Iowa on Tuesday to rally female voters and inject gun control into one of the nation’s marquee Senate contests two weeks before Election Day. Giffords is nearing the end of a two-week national tour that includes stops in Minnesota, Oregon and Washington State this week.

The Arizona Democrat has become the reluctant face of the gun control movement. She was shot while meeting with constituents almost four years ago. The attacker killed six and left Giffords with permanent brain damage.

Giffords has pushed Congress unsuccessfully to expand background checks for all gun purchases. As the midterm elections approach, she’s fighting to ensure gun violence isn’t forgotten.

WINTERSET, Iowa (AP) – A Winterset woman has been charged with vehicular homicide following a car crash in May that killed two people. Court records show 21-year-old Mari Silliman faces two counts of vehicular homicide. Des Moines television station KCCI reports she turned herself in earlier this month and is out after posting bond.

The single-vehicle crash in May killed 20-year-old Logan Waltz, of Winterset, and 21-year-old Taylor Aleman, of West Des Moines. Matthew Thomas Lindholm, an attorney for Silliman, says his client plans to plead not guilty to the charges. He says alcohol and drugs were not a factor in the crash, and there will be an investigation into road conditions prior to the crash.

A complaint from a citizen in Mongomery County has resulted in charges of Animal Neglect being filed against a Villisca woman. The Sheriff’s Office reports 20-year old Cheyanne Nicole Welcher faces two-counts of animal neglect, after an investigation.

Officials from the City of Villisca seized two puppies belonging to Welcher from the 100 block of west 5th Street, in Villisca. The puppies were placed in the care of the Southern Hills Vet Clinic, in Villisca.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The harvest remains behind schedule in Iowa but weather conditions are favorable for allowing farmers to try to catch up.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Iowa is about 18 days behind the normal corn harvest pace with 19 percent harvested while typically at this time more than half of the crop is in. Nationally, only a third of the crop is in when normally half is finished by now. The Iowa soybean harvest is nine days behind schedule with 61 percent harvested, less than the 77 percent average. Nationally, just over half the crop is in. The average is 66 percent.

The USDA says in its weekly update released Monday 93 percent of the corn crop and 94 percent of soybeans nationally are in fair, good or excellent condition.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Department of Human Services caseworkers are taking a new approach in child welfare cases that emphasizes helping families deal with their problems. The idea, called differential response, is to not launch formal investigations into parents when there are questions about a child’s well-being but no signs of abuse or imminent danger. Instead, caseworkers connect families with assistance to help them get their lives back on track.

The Des Moines Register reports examples of minor concerns include a messy house or a child who wanders off and is later found by a neighbor. The department said that social workers have used this approach almost 40 percent of the time during the first half of 2014 when looking into cases about a child’s welfare.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A woman has been injured in a fire at a house in eastern Council Bluffs. The fire was reported today (Tuesday), at about 6:15 a.m.  Authorities say the woman was taken to an Omaha, Nebraska, hospital for treatment. Her name hasn’t been released.

The fire cause is being investigated.

The Iowa Workforce Development agency is reporting the state’s unemployment rate rose to 4.6 percent in September from 4.5 percent in August. IWD spokesperson Kerry Koonce isn’t surprised.
“You’re seeing transition between summer and fall employment, so we’ll frequently see a little bit of bump this time of year,” Koonce says.

The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 5.9 percent in September compared to 6.1 percent in August. The number of unemployed Iowans increased to 77,900 in September from 76,500 in August. There are roughly 3,000 more unemployed Iowans compared to a year ago. Koonce says there was also an increase in the total number of working Iowans. “It jumped from 1,626,400 (in August) up to 1,629,700 (in September),” Koonce says. “That’s 33,000 higher than it was this time last year, so that’s still very strong improvement for the economy.”

Iowa’s construction sector added 1,600 jobs in September, following an “unexpected” loss of 1,200 jobs in August. Construction has added jobs in five of the last six months. Education and health services also added 1,300 jobs last month.  “We did see some losses in trade and transportation (-1,000 jobs), with most of that in the transportation area,” Koonce says. “We also saw losses in leisure and hospitality (-1,600), which does tend to trend down this time of year.”

Employment in Iowa’s construction, health care, and finance sectors are at or near record levels, according to Koonce. Manufacturing trimmed 100 jobs last month, marking the fourth straight month that sector has cut employment in Iowa. “We saw large growth (in manufacturing) last year, so that’s just kind of leveling off,” Koonce says.

Compared to one year ago, there are around 400 fewer jobs in Iowa’s manufacturing sector.

(Radio Iowa)

Atlantic Police report two arrests. On Monday, 38-year old Mandy Bolin, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear in court. And, last Friday, 48-year old Daniel Green, of The Dalles, OR., was arrested for 5th degree Theft (shoplifting).

Both were booked into the Cass County Jail.

ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa man who wouldn’t pull over for police while racing to get his pregnant wife to a hospital has been charged with speeding. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that 41-year-old Ben Kohnen also is charged with failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.

Last Tuesday Kohnen refused to halt for pursuing officers as he sped from his home in Pomeroy toward a hospital in Fort Dodge so his wife, Rachel, could safely deliver their fourth child. Officers eventually deployed stop sticks that punctured one of his vehicle’s tires, so Kohnen stopped.

When officers realized Rachel Kohnen was in labor, they took her to the hospital while her husband stayed to talk to other officers. Tiny Hazel Kohnen was born about an hour later, after her dad arrived.