Almost one in five Iowans smoke and a program to help them quit is getting new accolades. A survey of Iowans who smoke finds 83-percent wish they could quit. From that figure, Operation 83 was launched. Lori Mein, a nurse practitioner at the Mercy Clinic in Des Moines, says they work with Quitline Iowa to give smokers the necessary tools.

Smokers who come to the clinic can get one-on-one counseling, while those on Title 19 Medicaid may qualify for three months of medication that can ease the transition to a smoke-free lifestyle. Operation 83 is being featured in a new publication, “Staying Well,” from the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network. Seven months after completing the program, up to 24-percent of clients weren’t using tobacco. Only about four-percent of smokers without support could say the same. While she’s a lifelong non-smoker, Mein says she’s lost several family members to smoking, though it wasn’t to lung disease or cancer, but heart disease.

The latest figures from the CDC find just about 19-percent of Iowans smoke, or 429-thousand people. That’s slightly above the national average. Tobacco use is blamed for killing more than 44-thousand Iowans every year. Learn more at “www.quitlineiowa.org” or call 800-Quit-Now.

(Radio Iowa)

A Council Bluffs woman was arrested in Montgomery County Monday afternoon.  The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says at about 2:40, 30-year-old Catherine Hausen of Council Bluffs was arrested for violation of probation.  Hausen was held in the Montgomery County Jail on $800 bond.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests over the weekend. Saturday night, 27-year old Nicholas John Horgdal, of Henderson, was arrested on a warrant for Failure to Appear. His bond was set at $2,000. Earlier that same day, 32-year old Timothy Eugene Truhlicka, of Malvern, was arrested on 2nd degree theft, Possession of a Controlled Substance (Meth), and Interference with Official Acts charges. His bond for those offenses was set at $8,000. In addition, Truhlicka was wanted on a warrant out of Pottawattamie County, for violation of his probation, which carries a $10,000 bond.

The Page County Sheriff’s office is investigating numerous reports of thefts. Friday morning, officials with the Windstream Company called to report customers in the Hawleyville area were without phone service. An investigation determined that about 300-feet of telephone wire had been stolen from a conduit which runs along the railing of a bridge at Hawleyville. The incident remains under investigation. A dollar amount of the loss is currently not available.

That same day, deputies responded to Mount Arbor Nurseries, in Shenandoah, where representatives with the Nursery reported a break-in. Entry to the building was made through a window. Property removed from the building was found outside the structure, but nothing appeared to have been missing.

Friday evening, a Shambaugh resident reported to Sheriff’s officials in Page County, that someone had tried to gain entry to a garage on West Street. Persons unknown tried to pry on the door to get inside, but their efforts failed. Damage to the building was estimated at $200.  Another Shambaugh resident reported the theft of a pocket knife from his 2005 Chevy Impala, sometime on July 31st or early August 1st. The loss was estimated at $10. Two knives were also reported stolen from a 2003 Chevy S-10 pickup in Shambaugh, during the same time frame. The loss was estimated at $100.

And, on August 2nd, a total of 17 twine-wrapped round bales of hay were reported stolen from an area along Highway 2, between O and P Avenues in Page County. The loss was estimated at $1,200. The following day, the complaintant’s father reported that someone took about 100-gallons of fuel stored in a fuel barrel on a trailer parked in a ditch along Highway 2. The trailer was located about one-mile west of Yorktown. The owner said he would offer a substantial reward for the arrest and conviction of the person or person responsible for the thefts.

A Page County Sheriff’s Deputy is credited for helping to extinguish a house fire early Friday morning. According to Sheriff Lyle Palmer, deputies responded to a report of a fire at 711 Oberlin Street in College Springs at around 12:55-a.m., Friday. A sheriff’s deputy who saw flames on the west side of the unoccupied structure used his patrol vehicles’ fire extinguisher to knock down the flames. The College Springs Fire Department arrived shortly thereafter and finished extinguishing the flames. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Palmer says the State Fire Marshal’s Office has been called in to conduct a further investigation.

The Cass County Sheriff’s office reports four people were arrested over the course of the past few days. This (Monday) morning, 27-year old Frazer A J Werts, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. Werts was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was later released on his own recognizance. On Sunday, 32-year old Matthew Bernard Steffens, of Wiota, was arrested  on a charge of Aggravated Child Endangerment. Steffens was brought to the Cass County Jail where he posted $2000 bond and was released later that day.

Saturday, deputies arrested 24-year old Jesse Cavin Meier,  of Lewis, on Sheriff’s Office warrants for Disorderly Conduct and Simple Assault. Meier was taken to the Cass County Jail where he pled guilty and was released the following day. And, last Friday, officers with the Atlantic Police Department arrested 33-year old Randall Craig Larson II, of Atlantic, on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Criminal Trespass. Larson was taken to the Cass County Jail where he pled not guilty and was released the following day.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following a two-vehicle accident in Griswold, Friday. Officials says the accident happened at the intersection of Highways 92 and 48.  According to the Sheriff’s report, a 2001 Subaru owned and driven by 53-year old Joy Anada Rubenking, of Norwalk, was traveling east on Highway 92,  when a 2007 Chevy HHR owned and driven by 49-year old Raymond Gene Ficek, of Griswold pulled away from the stop sign southbound, into Rubenking’s path.

The Subaru hit the HHR on the rear passenger side, causing a total of $3,900 damage.  Authorities say Ficek was given a warning for Failure to Yield.

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds at their weekly news conference today (Monday) announced that they will host the Governor’s Bullying Prevention Summit this fall, and encouraged all Iowans to engage on the important issue of bullying prevention. The summit will be held on Nov. 27th, at Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines, and will feature a number of speakers from Iowa communities who will present their strategies at the summit. Also featured will be state and national experts about how to combat bullying, both offline and online.

Dr. Paul Gausman, superintendent of Sioux City Schools, joined Branstad and Reynolds at the news conference. He will talk about community involvement and efforts his community has taken to combat bullying. The luncheon speaker will be Rosalind Wiseman, whose book became the basis of the movie, “Mean Girls.” Registration will begin in September, and further details will be announced as that date gets closer.

In the most recent Iowa Youth Survey of students in grades six, eight and 11, half of those surveyed reported being bullied in some way, and most youngsters witness the bullying of their peers sooner or later.

The summit will be paid for with funding from the Iowa Department of Education, registration fees ($30 for adults older than age 22 and $20 for students) and generous support from the private sector. For more information go to: https://preventbullying.iowa.gov.