Officials with the Cass County Memorial Hospital (CCMH) in Atlantic, say the staff at the Cass County Health System (CCHS) will be hosting an Obstetrics Open House on Tuesday, January 29^th, from 5:30 – 7:00 pm.  The event will showcase the Obstetrics (OB) Department at  CCMH and obstetric care provided throughout CCHS.

The new CCMH Obstetrics Department features four labor, delivery, recovery and
postpartum (LDRP) suites, each with an in-room private bath with shower.

Diann McLaren, RN, Director of Inpatient Services says their new inpatient area includes four labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum suites, each with a private bath.

The open house will include tours of the OB department, refreshments and door prizes.  Staff will be on hand to discuss different services including surgical cares and anesthesia, breastfeeding support, nutrition education, prenatal classes, post-birth support and more.  Expectant moms, fathers-to-be, support people, and anyone interested in learning more about the services provided at CCHS are invited and encouraged to attend.  Several of the five physicians who regularly provide prenatal and delivery care at CCHS will be available during the event.

For more information about the OB Open House, call 712-243-7516.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual dinner and awards program Saturday night, at the Cass County Community Center. There were many awards presented, but one award with national recognition, was presented for the 12th year in a row. Atlantic is the only community in Iowa that sponsors the ATHENA award thanks to a more than decade long partnership with Deter Motor Company, in Atlantic. The 2012 ATHENA Award went to Dolly Bergman. The award was presented by last year’s winner, Wendy Richter, with the Family Crisis Support Network, in Atlantic.

Past recipients have included include LaVon Eblen, Judy Marnin, Leanne Pellett, Denise O’Brien, Margaret Slepsky, Glenda Farrier, Carole Schuler, Jan Kinnison, Janell Hansen, Ann Pross and Wendy Richter.

Numerous other awards were handed-out to deserving groups and individuals as well, during the Chamber’s Annual Banquet and awards program. The Distinguished Service Award was presented by Eleanor Hoover, to long-time Atlantic area residents and historians, Philip and Trina Chinitz.

The Chamber’s Community Betterment Award went to the Nishna Valley Family YMCA….The Community Service Award went to Eagle Scout Casey Ihnen….The Outstanding Committee Member Award was presented to Jim Sampson…The Outstanding Chamber Volunteer Award went to Deb and Brian Church and their family, the Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Sue Muri, with Star Ambassadors Sue Muri, Tammy Waters, Karl Aldag, Dolly Bergman and Dr. Keith Leonard also receiving Special Recognition.

The gavel of leadership was presented to Chamber President Elect Chip Hansen, who’s with 1^st Whitney Bank and Trust. Amy Jordahl, with the Atlantic Hy-Vee, was named Vice President for 2013. Departing Chamber President Debbie Leistad received an award of recognition during the ceremonies, Saturday.

Sheriff’s officials in Adams County say an investigation into a domestic situation resulted in the arrest of a Villisca man. Ronald Borem was taken into custody at around 9-p.m. Friday, on an Obstruction of Emergency Communications charge.

Authorities say the sheriff’s office received word of a verbal domestic situation taking place at 305 east 5th Street, in Villisca. During the course of their investigation, deputies determined Borem allegedly attempted to prevent a person in the residence from contacting emergency personnel for assistance.

Borem was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

An Ohio woman’s vehicle sustained about $1,800 damage Saturday afternoon, when it struck a hay bail that had fallen off of a pickup truck in Montgomery County. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department, a pickup driven by 52-year old Keith Wirthz, of Council Bluffs, was traveling west on 200th Street at around 12:55-p.m., when some hay bales fell out of the bed of the truck near the intersection with D Avenue, or about three and one-0half miles west of Red Oak.

A 2009 Ford Focus traveling east on 200th Street was unable to avoid hitting one of the bales. The driver of the car, 21-year old Tiffany Nichols, of Maineville, OH., was not injured during the mishap, and no citations were issued.

Authorities in Lenox said Saturday, a Lenox man was arrested this past Wednesday afternoon, (Jan. 16th), on a charge of Animal Neglect resulting in the death of an animal, a Serious Misdemeanor.

Lance Brandon (Photo courtesy Lenox P-D)

21-year old Lance Brandon was arrested after Lenox Police investigated a report of a dead dog chained in a yard in the 400 Block of West Illinois Street. Brandon was later released on his own recognizance.

A Colorado man was being held in the Adams County Jail on numerous drug-related charges, following a traffic stop Friday night. The Adams County Sheriff’s Department reports 35-year old Quentin J. Shehan, of BlackHawk, CO,  faces Possession of a Controlled Substance (Marijuana) with the Intent to Deliver,  Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Failure to affix a Drug Tax Stamp charges, in addition to not having a valid license, and No insurance.

Officials say an Adams County deputy stopped Shehan at 250th and Elm Streets near Nodaway, at around 8:35-p.m., Friday.  The deputy requested assistance from the Adams County K-9 Unit. During a perimeter search of the vehicle, the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics.  Further investigation revealed Shehan to allegedly be in possession of a large amount of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and a large amount of cash. Details on the quantity and sum of the haul were not released.

Shehan was transported to the Adams County Jail and held pending  a court appearance.

Police in  Red Oak are warning area business owners to be on the lookout for persons who may be possessing fake, out-of-state identification cards, which are being used to pass bad checks. The alert was issued Friday, after officers investigated an incident at the Red Oak Hy-Vee store, where two unidentified men, with ID’s indicating they were from North Carolina and Michigan, allegedly tried to pass fraudulent pay checks.

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It turns out four were people arrested and more than 470-pounds of marijuana with a combined street value of $1.13-million was seized during two separate traffic stops on Interstate 80 in Cass County, on Wednesday. Iowa State Patrol Sergeant Scott Bright confirms information provided to KJAN by the Cass County Sheriff’s Department, that two men from New Mexico and two from Connecticut were arrested.  Earlier, Bright had said just one person was arrested.

28-year old Mario Carmono, and 33-year old Oscar Salinas-Olivas, both of Albuquerque, NM, were arrested soon after the vehicle they were in was pulled over for speeding on I-80, at around 10-a.m. Wednesday. Bright says an Iowa State Patrol Trooper stopped a vehicle traveling east on I-80. After talking with the driver, the Trooper believed criminal activity was underway. A search of the vehicle was conducted using a K-9 unit. After the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle, authorities located 363-pounds of marijuana.

Sgt. Bright says the pot, which was packaged in a “brick-style,”  has an estimated street value in excess of $871,200. Bright said the driver told the Trooper he was enroute to Minnesota via I-80 and I-35. Carmono and Salinas-Olivas were arrested for Possession of a controlled substance/marijuana with the Intent to Deliver, Prohibited Acts, and failure to affix a drug tax stamp. Both men were brought to the Cass County Jail in Atlantic.

During the second traffic stop, 110-pounds of marijuana, valued at around $264,000, was seized. Officials say 20-year old Warren Thomas LaPorte, of Jewett City, CT, and 26-year old Richard Rose, of Chaplin, CT, were arrested on two felony counts each of Possession with the Intent to Deliver/Marijuana, two-counts of Drug Tax Stamp Violation, and one count each of Prohibited Acts.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – While state officials complete changes to Iowa’s mental health system, some who oversee county programs fear they must make drastic cuts during this transition period. The Legislature approved changes to Iowa’s system last May, shifting from a county-based system to a regional approach in which counties pool their money.

The new approach should minimize differences between urban and rural areas, but county officials say until the regional system is fully implemented in 2014, they may be able to reach fewer of the estimated 150,000 Iowa residents with mental health issues.  That’s because before the redesign, counties used 50 percent of their budgets to provide the local match for Medicaid. Now that the state provides the local match to Medicaid, local governments see mental health as an area to reduce spending.