Iowa is now the second state in the nation — behind Wisconsin — to offer lay-off insurance to workers. The plans pay out a lump-sum if a person is laid-off or becomes unable to work. Mark Greene is director of Safety Net, the company that created this type of insurance. Greene says too many people don’t have enough savings to deal with a sudden disruption in their income.  “We’re meeting the reality that people find it extremely hard to save,” Greene says. “Of course, we encourage saving but this is an option that we didn’t see in the market. There weren’t a lot of options for people that run into this situation.”

Greene says interest has been high, though he declined to say how many policyholders there are. He added most states have no specific regulations for lay-off insurance. Greene says even when a job includes disability insurance, that’s often tied to the amount a worker was earning. “What we’ve done is kind of flipped that on its head and said, ‘You know what? This is meeting this a different way’,” Greene says. “We’re asking the consumer to decide how much they need, should they run into this situation.”

Greene says people choose a policy based on how much they want to receive in a lump sum if they ever have a claim. He says the company saw a need to offer workers an alternative to traditional saving. Many people aren’t able to accumulate enough savings, Greene says, to keep them afloat if they are suddenly laid off or injured.

(Radio Iowa, w/Reporting by Amy Mayer, Iowa Public Radio)

The driver of a 2007 Dodge Caravan was cited for Failure to Yield one-half of the roadway, following an accident at around 5:20-p.m. Saturday, in Union County. The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports 54-year old Melissa Renee Fils, of Creston, was talking to a passenger in her van, when it crossed the center line of Highway 25, and struck a pickup truck that was pulling a large utility trailer. The collision caused the doors to be torn off the van. Fils was transported to the hospital in Creston for what were said to be minor/non-incapacitating injuries. The driver of the pickup, 54-year old Douglas Dean Lamb, of Diagonal, was not hurt.

Lamb’s 2002 Chevy Silverado pickup sustained $5,000 damage. Damage to the van was $8,000 – a total loss.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday) released a lengthy report on recent arrests and other activity. Friday afternoon, 38-year old Charity Nicole Dresen, of Walnut, was arrested on valid warrants for Violation of a No Contact Order, and Harassment in the 3rd degree. The report said she was under the influence of narcotics at the time of her arrest. Dresen was being held without bond in the Pott. County Jail. 36-year old John Paul Menard, of Council Bluffs, who was serving time at the jail, was presented with a warrant Friday, for Violation of Probation. Menard was then returned to the custody of Corrections Staff. 54-year old Jerry L. Lentz, of Elliott, was arrested following a traffic stop Friday afternoon, for Driving While Revoked. A traffic stop Friday night, resulted in the arrest of 20-year old Dustin William Rutledge, of Council Bluffs, for Driving While Barred.

A man from Crescent was arrested Friday night in Pott. County, following a reported disturbance, in Crescent. A woman at the scene reported her boyfriend was causing the disturbance, and refused to leave the residence. 63-year old Michael Wayne Moroney was subsequently taken into custody for 1st Degree Harassment and Public Intoxication. A woman from Council Bluffs was arrested early Saturday morning, on charges of Assault on a Sheriff’s Deputy, Interference with Official Acts and OWI/1st offense. 18-year old Shaylee Lorene Udas was transported to the Pott. County Jail. The Deputy, 33-year old John Cool, of Council Bluffs, was not injured.

A man from Wisconsin was arrested Saturday morning, following a gas drive-off incident at the Casey’s Store, in Minden. After the vehicle was located, the driver, 21-year old Shaw Michael Skaife, of Lone Rock, WI., was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree. He allegedly took a little more than 10-gallons of gas from the pump before taking off.  And, a Mills County man was arrested following an accident early Sunday morning. At around 5:30-a.m., 21-year old Jeffrey Maverick Jens II, of Glenwood, was operating a motor vehicle at Wabash Avenue and Woodland Trail, when the 2006 Pontiac SUV he was driving crashed down a steep embankment and landed in a creek. When contact was made with Jens by law enforcement, he displayed numerous cues of impairment and was placed under arrest for OWI 1st offense.

Arrested at around 7:15-a.m. Sunday, in Pottawattamie County, was 33-year old Tetevi Tete, of Omaha. He was arrested for OWI/1st Offense, and Driving on the wrong side of the road. And, at around 2:40-a.m. today (Monday), a Pott. County Deputy was conducting stationary vehicle patrol in the 36000 block of Highway 6, when he saw a vehicle driving too fast. He initiated a traffic stop for speeding, and while at the passenger side door, smelled the odor of burning marijuana. During a probable cause search of the vehicle the Deputy located drug paraphernalia and about 24.5-grams of a controlled substance (Marijuana). The driver, 20-year old Hailey Nicole Carson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for possession of controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

SIDNEY, Iowa (AP) — A man who led officers on a chase from eastern Nebraska into western Iowa has been sentenced to 30 years in prison on several Iowa charges. Fremont County District Court records show 28-year-old William Stanfill III pleaded guilty July 2 to two counts of assault on an officer, eluding, criminal mischief and two weapons charges. Prosecutors dropped two counts of attempted murder in exchange for Stanfill’s pleas.

Authorities say Stanfill fired at officers while he and 37-year-old Jacqueline Streich were being chased April 25 in connection with a road rage shooting the day before in Bellevue, Nebraska. The chase ended with a crash near the Iowa-Missouri state line. Streich’s trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 17.

Officials with the Audubon and Cass County Community Foundations (ACCF & CCCF), both countywide community foundations, announced that the fall grant program is now beginning for Audubon and Cass County nonprofit organizations. The deadline to apply for funds through an online grant application process is September 1st.  In Audubon County, $44,400 was allocated for this fall grant cycle.  In Cass County, $32,000 is available. The deadline to apply for funds through the online grant application process is September 1st.

In Cass County, $3,000 out of the $32,000, is from the Griswold Community Development Endowed Fund and $500 is from the Triumph Endowed Fund for Cass County. In Audubon County, approximately $2,500 is available for the Exira area from the Leon and Iva Milliman Endowed Fund, $2,500 from the Charles T. and Kathleen K. Manatt Endowed Fund, $900 from the Audubon State Bank/Stephen Garst Endowed Fund, $1,000 is available for the City of Audubon area from the Audubon Masonic Association Endowed Fund, $450 is available for the City of Audubon from the Fred and Evelyn Nissen Endowed Fund for Audubon, and $450 for the City of Audubon from the Merle and Norma Petersen Endowed Fund.  The Audubon and Cass County Community Foundation grant dollars are awarded for a single year.

The ACCF and CCCF’s grants and program’ Mission is to participate in funding community betterment projects and nonprofit organizations that have similar objectives: to improve the quality of life in the counties by supporting needs that are not being met in the areas of civic, cultural, health, education and social service. Only organizations providing services in Audubon and Cass Counties, respectively, are eligible in their respective counties, only. . They must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support and be an IRS approved 501(c)(3) Public Charity. Requests for general operational funds will not be considered.

After July 13th, detailed application procedures, fact sheets, and a link to the application form can be obtained online at http://omahafoundation.org/swiowa. Under “Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa”, click on your appropriate County and scroll down to the green “Application Information” box for the link. Applications will only be accepted through the online system. The grant funds are made possible by the generosity of the Audubon and Cass County Community Foundation donors.  Community Foundations in Southwest Iowa donations may be eligible for a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

Please contact Stacey Goodman at 800-794-3458 or dennis@omahafoundation.org or Denise Cardos at denise@omahafoundation.org with grant application specific questions. All completed applications will be considered at the October board meeting with notification of results the end of October.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A nurse has been accused of stealing medications from patients at a nursing home in Dubuque. Dubuque County Court records say 37-year-old Jenny Tjaden has pleaded not guilty to unlawfully obtaining prescription drugs and to records tampering.  Court records say Tjaden was working as a nurse at Stonehill Franciscan Services in October when she stole prescription drugs from three patients.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports a man from Clarke County was arrested Friday for felony Criminal Mischief/2nd degree, following an incident at Bank Iowa. Officers responded to investigate a complaint of a large plate glass window being broken at the bank, located at the northeast corner of 15th & Main. Upon arrival officers located 25-year old George William Douglas, of Osceola, walking in the 200 block of East Main Street, with blood on his hands and arms. Douglas appeared to be incoherent and in distress.

He was transported to Clarinda Regional Health Center for treatment of his injuries and was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation. Douglas was released from the hospital Saturday morning and taken into custody by officers on the felony offense that resulted in approximately $2,000 property damage to the Bank Iowa building. Douglas was being held in the Page County Jail on $5,000 bail.