Part 3 – National EMT Week: Ambulance Services Face Challenges
(Le Mars) — Today, we conclude our three-part series looking at local ambulance services during this National EMT Week. Too many times, ambulance services lose money when transporting patients that are either Medicare or Medicaid patients. Bill Rosacker, the director of the Le Mars Ambulance Service says it happens frequently.
Rosacker says several ambulance services across the country are re-defining their non-emergency calls where they will not transport a Medicare or Medicaid patient.
The Le Mars Ambulance Service Director says in the future, there may be some funding from the federal government provided to ambulance services to help offset the financial losses when transporting a Medicare or Medicaid patient.
As we indicated during our first part of this series, the state legislature has been made aware of the problems facing community ambulance services, but so far, no action has been taken. According to Rosacker, he believes lawmakers will need to address the concerns of ambulance services, and do so
fairly quickly.
The problem with available ambulance services is not limited to only small rural communities. Sioux City recently lost its contracted ambulance service, Siouxland Paramedics, due to financial reimbursement concerns.
Rosacker says there have been some positive news come from Plymouth County in terms of community ambulance services. He says Oyens is enrolling a volunteer in the EMT training course, and Merrill has had a couple of nurses step up and serve on the ambulance staff, while two other volunteers are looking into participating in an EMT training.
Democratic Governor Candidate Suspends Campaign
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A popular Democratic candidate in Iowa’s crowded race for governor is suspending his campaign, after a newspaper reported three women had accused him of sexual misconduct.
Des Moines state Sen. Nate Boulton announced Thursday that he’s leaving the race. The allegations appeared in The Des Moines Register on Wednesday.
The women have said Boulton touched them inappropriately during separate incidents.
One woman alleges Boulton repeatedly grabbed her buttocks at a bar in 2015. Two other women said he rubbed his clothed crotch against them more than a decade ago.
Boulton hasn’t denied the accusations but argues the alleged
incidents didn’t equate more serious instances of misconduct. He apologized to the women in a statement.
Boulton’s departure comes less than two weeks before the June 5 Democratic primary for governor.
Two People Charged With Murder Expected To Change Their Plea
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Two people charged in last summer’s slaying of a Des Moines high school student are expected to change their pleas.
Polk County District Court records say 19-year-old Daniel Lamay and 30-year-old Crystal Lee are due in court Wednesday for a plea hearing and sentencing. The records don’t say what charge or charges are involved. So far both have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder.
They and 20-year-old Malik Mandujano are accused in the Aug. 22 fatal shooting of 19-year-old Noah Campbell outside a Des Moines convenience store.
Mandujano also has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. He’s scheduled to begin trial July 16.
Fort Madison High School Seniors Conduct Pranks That May Eliminate Them From Graduating
FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) – Some southeast Iowa high school students may be banned from graduating next month after a senior prank that officials say crossed the line and became criminal.
The Fort Madison Police Department says 19 Fort Madison High School seniors broke into the school Sunday.
School officials on Monday discovered the school covered in toilet
paper, Vaseline and posters, some featuring obscenities. Students also threw water balloons inside the building, tied the front doors shut with rope and burned toilet paper rolls outside.
The students were identified through video surveillance and given 13 -day out-of-school suspensions.
School Board President Tim Wondra says students were warned in advance that a “senior prank” would result in losing permission to attend graduation.
Some parents say they’ll appeal the suspension decision to the board.
Child Care Director Accused of Stealing Funds
TOLEDO, Iowa (AP) – A former executive director of the Tama County day care has been accused of using thousands of its dollars to buy things for herself.
County court records say 46-year-old Kristine Daniel is charged with ongoing criminal conduct and money laundering. The records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for her. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 8.
A news release from the state auditor’s office say auditors have
identified nearly $279,000 in improper and unsupported spending, undeposited collections and forgone grant revenue involved in the finances of the day care, Kids’ Corner. The audit covered December 2009 through May 31, 2016, the time period Daniel worked for Kids’ Corner.
A criminal complaint says a search of Daniel’s residence in June 2016 recovered evidence that she’d used county credit cards to buy personal items and sell some online.
