Police Department Releases Report On Monday Afternoon Accident
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars Police Department has released its report following the accident that happened Monday afternoon at the intersection of Highway 75 and County road C-38. 56 year old Frank Distefano of Omaha, Nebraska, was
traveling westbound on County Road C-38 when it failed to see an on-coming car heading northbound on Highway 75, being driven by 23-year old Alison Schnepf of Le Mars. The vehicles collided in the northbound lanes of Highway 75. Schnepf was at the time driving on the inside lane. Distefano was transported by Le Mars Ambulance to the Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars.
He was cited for failure to stop at a stop sign and to yield to oncoming traffic.
Floyd Valley Healthcare Ranks High In Survey
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Community Health (FVCH) was recently recognized as a 2018 Premier Performer by SHPBest. This is the third consecutive year that FVCH has received this honor and was one of just four programs to receive recognition this year.
The annual SHPBest™ program was created to acknowledge home health agencies that consistently provide high quality service to their patients. With the largest Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HHCAHPS®) benchmark in the nation, SHP is in a unique position to identify
and recognize organizations that have made patient satisfaction a priority and have been rewarded for their efforts with high marks on the HHCAHPS survey.
SHPBest award recipients are determined by ranking the overall score for all SHP HHCAHPS clients. The providers that rank in the top 5% receive the Premier Performer award. In addition, all award recipients must have scored better than or equal to the SHP national average for the period for each of the 5 publicly reported domains.
Tara Geddes, Community Health Manager adds, “This recognition is a direct reflection of the care and compassion Floyd Valley Home Health staff demonstrate to our patients each and every day. Our staff is committed to ensuring our patients meet their individual goals while in the comfort of their own home. We are very proud to have received the Premier Performer award for patient experience for the third consecutive year and are grateful
to have the privilege to provide high quality home health services to our community.”
Director Resigns From Iowa Department Of Human Services
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The director of the Iowa Department of Human Services says he resigned at the request of Gov. Kim Reynolds.
Jerry Foxhoven released a statement Monday afternoon saying he’d submitted his resignation at the request of the governor and that it was an honor to serve as director of the agency.
His statement came about two hours after Reynolds issued a news release stating that she’d appointed Gerd Clabaugh as interim director for the Department of Human Services. The release included a quote from Reynolds complimenting the job Clabaugh has done as director of the state Public Health Department and outlining his work and education before noting he will replace Foxhoven, who resigned effectively immediately.
Neither Reynolds nor Foxhoven gave a reason for the change.
Foxhoven led the department for two years.
Health Coach Accused Of Fraud
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa health coach accused of defrauding dozens of people who lost more than $6.5 million by investing in a gym program has taken a plea deal.
U.S. District Court records say 49-year-old Mark Blankespoor pleaded guilty Friday to one count of wire fraud. Prosecutors dropped 23 more counts in return for his plea. His sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 24.
Prosecutors say Blankespoor told investors from at least May 2013 through this past January that the medically oriented program would be licensed to fitness clinics nationwide and that investors could earn a 40 percent return on their money.
But prosecutors say Blankespoor instead used their money for himself and to pay other investors.
Boil Advisory For Stockton Now Lifted
STOCKTON—The boil advisory in Stockton was lifted June 17 after tests from water samples showed the water was safe to drink. The advisory went into effect June 13 following a water main break. Breaks in water lines or losses in pressure can allow bacteria and other pollutants to enter the water supply.
Police Determine Family Shooting Was A Homicide/Suicide Incident
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Police investigating the shooting deaths of four family members in a Des Moines suburb are classifying three of the deaths as homicides and one as a suicide.
West Des Moines police said Monday that autopsies showed 44-year-old Chandrasekhar Sunkara’s death was a suicide. The deaths of his wife, 41-year-old Lavanya Sunkara, and two of their children, boys aged 15 and 10, were homicides.
Other family members who were staying as guests at the home
discovered the bodies Saturday.
Police didn’t release details about the deaths and haven’t named the boys who were killed.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety says Chandrasekhar Sunkara had worked for 11 years in the department’s information technology unit. He wasn’t a sworn officer.
Portions Of Interstate 29 Are Open Again
CRESCENT, Iowa (AP) – A 10-mile stretch of Interstate 29 in western Iowa has reopened after being closed due to Missouri River flooding.
The Omaha World-Herald reports the freeway from Interstate 680 near Crescent north to Loveland opened to traffic Monday afternoon. The road had been closed since late May for a second time because of flooding.
The freeway remains closed from south of Council Bluffs to the
Missouri border. Stretches of other roads also are still closed because of flooding, including parts of U.S. Highway 34 and Iowa Highways 2, 275 and 333.
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Pipe Company To Lay Off Workers
CAMANCHE, Iowa (AP) – A pipe company is planning to lay off more than 100 workers from its eastern Iowa plant in Camanche.
TMK Ipsco spokeswoman Donna Smith said Monday that the company’s notified 101 workers of the closing. The remaining 18 workers will run the plant on a limited basis.
Smith says the Houston-based company is taking the step because of a “downturn in the business and the demand for our products.” The pipes are used in oil production.
