Home News Wednesday News, September 28th

Wednesday News, September 28th

Good Samaritan Society To Distribute Free Carbon Monoxide Detectors

(Le Mars) — Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars and area partners will giving away
50 free carbon-monoxide detectors to senior citizens. The good will gesture will
be conducted this coming Saturday, October 1st. Lindsay Carlson serves as the
Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars Marketing and Development Director. She says
the distribution of the carbon monoxide detectors is part of the “Founder’s Day
Service Project”.

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Carlson says the Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department, along with youth from Gehlen
Catholic and Le Mars Community, other volunteers, and Trident Financial of Sioux
City are partnering with Good Samaritan Society in distributing the carbon
monoxide detectors. Carlson says she posted fliers and notified area churches in
assisting with identifying the 50 senior households that would need a carbon
monoxide detector.

The Good Samaritan Society official says the free carbon monoxide detectors have a
long life, are simple to use, and easy to install.

Volunteers wanting to assist with the distribution of carbon monoxide detectors
need to contact the Good Samaritan Society of Le Mars. Carlson says the
distribution will begin at 9:00 a.m.

 

Loretta Myers Retires From Floyd Valley Healthcare

(Le Mars) — After 23 years with Floyd Valley Healthcare, and nearly 40 years
involved with nursing and other means of healthcare, Loretta Myers will be
retiring from her Director of Patient Care position on September 30th. Floyd
Valley has had a number of changes and additions during Myer’s tenure. She says
the greatest change with nursing has been the introduction of additional
technologies.

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Loretta Myers (seated) is retiring from Floyd Valley Healthcare after serving as the Director of Patient Care.  She is surrounded by members of the nursing staff.

Myers notes another major change during her years as a nurse and hospital
administration official is the length of patient stays at the local hospital.

According to Myers, the one item that has never changed is the high level of
quality patient care administered by Floyd Valley’s medical and nursing staff.
She says it is a philosophy that is shared with other hospital officials.

Myers admits she will miss associating with the people, whether that be the staff
that works with her, or the patients that seek medical attention. Myers says
upon her retirement, she hopes to leave behind a legacy of caring.

As for what is in the future for the outgoing healthcare official. Well she says
she will enjoy the job of being Grandma, adding its the best occupation ever.

Friday, September 30th will be Loretta Myers final day with Floyd Valley
Healthcare.

 
Floyd Valley Healthcare Hires Lorrie Mortensen As New Director Of Patient Care

(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Healthcare, is pleased to announce that Lorrie
Mortensen, RN, BS, MSN, MBA, has returned to Floyd Valley Healthcare as the
Director of Patient Care. Mortensen will take over the duties of the retiring
Loretta Myers. In her position, Mortensen will be in a senior management position
overseeing the nursing care services at Floyd Valley.

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Mortensen began her nearly 40-year nursing career after graduating from WITCC with
her Associates Degree in Nursing. Her first position was with Floyd Valley
Hospital from 1978 – 1983 as a staff nurse. She then spent three years with
Medical Associates as a clinic nurse and returned to Floyd Valley from 1986 – 1995
as a nursing supervisor. Mortensen and her family relocated to Ketchikan, Alaska
where she was the Vice President of Patient Care and Risk Manager when she left in
2007. Since then, Mortensen served as the chief nursing officer in a number of
facilities across the U.S. until most recently as the Chief of Patient Care
Services in Slayton, Minnesota.

Mortensen is looking forward to coming back home. Both she and her late husband,
Ron, grew up in Le Mars and have many family members still in the area.

Floyd Valley Healthcare Administrator Mike Donlin says, “In addition to her early
roots in Le Mars and Floyd Valley, Lorrie brings an excellent combination of
nursing and leadership skills, education and experience to our Senior Management
Team.”

 

Branstad Adds Four Counties To List Of Declared Emergency Areas

(Des Moines) — Gov. Branstad on Tuesday issued a proclamation of disaster
emergency for an additional four counties: Howard, Jones, Louisa and Story. That
brings the total of 20 counties that have now been added to the disaster
proclamation including: Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler,
Cedar, Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Delaware, Floyd, Franklin, Hancock, Linn, Mitchell,
Worth and Wright.

The governor’s proclamation allows State resources to be utilized to respond to
and recover from the effects of this severe flooding. The proclamation also
activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Program for residents of those four
counties. In addition, Gov. Branstad’s proclamation activates the Iowa National
Guard to assist in the response to, the mitigation of, and the recovery from the
effects of the disaster as needed.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for
households with incomes up to 200 percent of the current federal poverty level, or
a maximum annual income of $40,320, for a family of three. Grants are available
for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of
temporary housing. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement
for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and
instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website.
Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a
claim.

 

Cedar Rapids Flooding May Not Be As Bad As Earlier Expected

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – An elaborate system of temporary floodwalls is so far
protecting thousands of homes and businesses in Cedar Rapids from major flooding.
Iowa’s second-largest city says its hastily erected 9.8-mile system of Hesco
barriers and earthen berms is largely holding back the rain-swollen Cedar River,
which crested Tuesday at its second-highest level on record.
As of midday Tuesday, city officials said the barriers had prevented most
damage but that some buildings and homes near the river had water in their
basements.
City workers and contractors worked day and night to pump out water that
seeped through the barriers and that came up through the saturated ground and the
sewer system.

 

Polk County Board Of Supervisors Approve Higher Minimum Wage

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Polk County officials have given initial approval to an
increase in the minimum wage.
The Des Moines Register reports (https://dmreg.co/2d1vIKq ) supervisors
Tuesday gave the first of three approvals needed to increase the wage from the
state and federal rate of $7.25 an hour to $10.75 by January 2019.
The wage would climb to $8.75 by April, $9.75 in January 2018 and finally
$10.75.
If the increase goes through, Polk County would be Iowa’s fourth country to
raise the minimum wage, following action by Johnson, Linn and Wapello counties.
Polk County, with about 450,000 residents, has the largest population of Iowa’s 99
counties.
Minimum wage increases have come up repeatedly at the Legislature, but
proposals have failed because of opposition by Republican lawmakers.

 

Altoona Woman Sends Nude Photos To Son Of Former Boyfriend

ALTOONA, Iowa (AP) – Des Moines police say a woman sent nude photos of herself to
the teenage son of a former boyfriend.
Online court records say 46-year-old Charlotte Klisares is charged with
dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to minors. Online court records
don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment on her behalf.
Court documents say the Altoona woman used Facebook in June to provide
sexually graphic photos of herself and of herself and the 17-year-old boy’s
father, whom she had been dating off and on.
Police Sgt. Paul Parizek says the two had an unfriendly split and that each
was alleging harassment by the other.

 

Detective Accidentally Shoots Himself

NEWTON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a detective helping with an arrest in Newton
accidentally shot himself.
The Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force said in a news release that
officers approached 25-year-old Chad Coady in a restaurant parking lot about 9:30
p.m. Monday. The release says Coady drove toward the officers’ vehicles, causing
two crashes.
According to the release, the handgun of one of the officers then went off as
he was putting it back into its holster. The bullet struck the officer’s lower
right leg. The officer was later reported in good condition at a Des Moines-area
hospital. The officer’s name hasn’t been released.
Officers arrested Coady on a warrant alleging parole violation. Court records
don’t list the name of an attorney who could be contacted to comment for Coady.