The New London City Council will meet in regular session on Monday, August 18^th at 6pm. The meeting will be held at the city office, 112 W. Main Street.  Items on the agenda include fund raising for the purchase of new playground equipment, amending an agreement with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office for supplemental law enforcement, and restricting parking on some streets in New London.  A full agenda can be found on the City of New London website and this meeting is open to the public.

The Danville City Council will meet in regular session on Monday, August 18^th at 105 W. Shepherd Street. A public hearing on the authorization of a loan and disbursement agreement is scheduled first.  Immediately following the closing of the public hearing, the Council will begin the regular meeting. Both of these meetings are open to the public.  Following the regular session meeting, the Danville City Council will hold a Closed Session meeting to evaluate the professional competency of an individual.  The council may also hold a work session to wrap up the meeting schedule to discuss Wagner Park.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows Iowa is completely drought free for the first time in over a year.  Record setting rainfall in July, and continuing showers in August are the source. All 99 counties in Iowa are currently free from drought or abnormal dryness, according to the report.

The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday.

The Iowa State Patrol reports that during the final four weeks of summer last year, 45 people died on roadways in Iowa; Nearly 30% of those fatalities were caused by impaired driving*. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB) is partnering with law enforcement statewide to support enforcement efforts aimed at decreasing impaired driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement started yesterday (8/15/25) and continues through September 1^st. During this time, the public will see an increased presence of officers working together to remove impaired drivers/motorcycle riders from the road. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, 168 fatalities have occurred so far in 2025 on roadways due to crashes.

The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau works with city, county, state, and local organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce death and injury on Iowa roads using federally funded grants.

A Henry County woman is suing Jefferson County Health Center (JCHC), alleging she was paid significantly less than a male colleague while working as a surgeon there.

Dr. Beth Zielinski, who served as a general surgeon for JCHC from 2013 to 2024, filed her lawsuit July 24 in Iowa District Court for Jefferson County. She claims she was paid $105,000 less per year than another surgeon, Dr. Scott Stoeger, despite performing the same work. The suit also alleges that Stoeger received additional bonuses and benefits she was not offered.

According to documents provided to the court, attorneys for JCHC, they admit the pay difference but argue that the surgeons did not perform identical duties, citing Stoeger’s “additional skillsets” and production levels as justification. The hospital also acknowledged paying Stoeger a signing bonus, retention bonuses, and student loan assistance that Zielinski did not receive.

Zielinski further contends that her replacement, Dr. Edward Ortell, was hired at a higher base rate than she earned. She accuses JCHC of violating Iowa and federal laws prohibiting wage and sex discrimination. The lawsuit seeks a jury trial, damages, and legal costs.

The case is ongoing.

DES MOINES, Iowa – A Marshalltown woman was sentenced to six months in prison on August 14, 2025, for diverting controlled substances for her own use and falsely noting the administration of controlled substances in patient records.

According to public court documents, Amanda Nicole Manatt, 37, was employed as a registered nurse in the emergency room at Unity Point Marshalltown Hospital, Marshalltown, Iowa, where in 2023 she diverted controlled substances (fentanyl, hydromorphone, and morphine). She obtained controlled substances in patients’ names, documented them as administered to the patients, and then took them for her own use. In December 2023, Manatt’s employment ended at Unity Point Marshalltown Hospital. In January 2024, Manatt obtained employment as a nurse at the emergency room at Mary Greely Medical Center, where she again obtained controlled substances (hydromorphone) in patients’ names, recorded them as administered to the patients, and then took them for her own use until her employment ended in April 2024.

Court records reflect that in some cases patients experienced pain due to Manatt’s taking the controlled substances prescribed for them. In other cases, Manatt took controlled substances from patients in excess of what they needed. Manatt’s false statements in the medical records resulted in billing health care benefit programs for controlled substances not actually administered.

After completing her term of imprisonment, Manatt will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Manatt was also ordered to pay $5,258.20 in restitution, a $5,500 fine, and a $300 special assessment.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU), the Tama County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Insurance Fraud Bureau investigated this case.

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board has approved significant funding for projects aimed at boosting manufacturing, recreation, and innovation across the state — including a $65 million expansion in Mount Pleasant, a new sports complex in Keosauqua, and a large-scale bio-manufacturing facility in Boone.

$65 Million Expansion at ContiTech in Mount Pleasant
ContiTech USA, LLC — part of the global Continental AG family — will construct a state-of-the-art compounding center in Mount Pleasant. The new facility will include production, warehouse, and office space, supporting the company’s production of air spring and anti-vibration systems, coated fabrics, conveyor and drive belts, hoses, and more.

The expansion represents a $65 million capital investment and is expected to create 50 new jobs, each with a qualifying wage of $21.50 per hour. To support the project, the IEDA Board awarded ContiTech a $1 million forgivable loan and tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs program.

Recreation Boost for Keosauqua
The City of Keosauqua, in partnership with Engage Keosauqua, Inc., will receive $144,000 from the Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) program to create a new sports area. The $481,761 project will feature courts for tennis, pickleball, basketball, and bocce ball — revitalizing local recreation and offering new amenities for both residents and visitors.

The CAT program provides funding for projects that enhance the quality of life in Iowa by supporting the construction of recreational, cultural, educational, and entertainment facilities.

This Strategic Infrastructure Program supports large-scale projects that provide competitive advantages for Iowa’s private sector or fill infrastructure gaps that the public and private sectors have not addressed. More information can be found at opportunityiowa.gov.