After concluding its investigation into the Ottumwa Fire Department, the city of Ottumwa has fired three firefighters. Firefighters Derek Fye, Dillon McPherson, along with Captain Bill Keith have all been relieved of their responsibilities.

The city reports that McPherson has chosen to resign rather than be fired. His and Fye’s dismissal was the result of their actions and behaviors that violated department rules, safe practices, and the values and standards of the City of Ottumwa.

Keith was fired for what the city describes as his “failure to adequately lead those under his command and displaying an attitude of indifference toward holding employees accountable to the values and standards of the department and the city of Ottumwa.”

The city says it would try to temporarily divide the duties among the remaining employees as it searches for long-term replacements for the three departing workers.

Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced the awardees of Iowa’s Centers of Excellence Program grant totaling more than $2.2 million in funding to support and improve health care delivery in rural Iowa.

Centers of Excellence increase access to specialized multi-disciplinary care and are devoted to tackling the major health needs and disparities confronting rural Iowans. The awarded funds will help regional and local health systems build and enhance systems to ensure rural Iowans have the same access to specialized care as those living in metro areas.

“The Centers of Excellence grants not only support health care providers in improving access to specialty care in rural communities, but sustaining it long term,” stated Governor Reynolds. “I’m thrilled that this program will help three more regional health systems address the specific needs of their surrounding communities, and I’m committed to growing legislative support for these efforts.”

Iowa was recently ranked second in the nation among all states for the best health systems based on cost, access, and outcomes.

The awardees are:

Cass Health

Cass Health’s Centers of Excellence will offer services in Adams, Adair, Audubon, Cass, and Montgomery counties. Their program aims to improve rural maternal health services in southwest Iowa. This regional partnership will provide women in these communities with maternal health services, including prenatal and postnatal care that they would not have access to otherwise. Sustaining and growing OB outreach clinics in this rural region aims to reduce transportation and financial resource barriers. This will increase routine access to prenatal and postnatal care.

Mahaska Health

Mahaska Health’s Centers of Excellence will offer services in the fourteen-county region of Jefferson, Appanoose, Davis, Iowa, Jasper, Keokuk, Lucas, Mahaska, Marion, Monroe, Poweshiek, Van Buren, Wapello, and Washington. This project aims to improve access to high quality, specialty health care by creating regional hubs of medical expertise. Regional alliances exist in maternal care, obstetrics, and general surgery. This project will build upon these partnerships and expand them to cardiology and oncology.

Van Buren County Hospital

Van Buren County Hospital’s Centers of Excellence will offer services in Van Buren, Davis, Jefferson and Lee counties. Local partners came together to form the Southeast Iowa Complex Care Network, which will focus on the needs of geriatric patients and will offer an innovative system of collaboration and managed care that will guide patients with complex care needs to all available resources, while simplifying access to services and delivering improved health outcomes.

Each awardee will receive up to $250,000 per year for three years. Contracts will be established with each awardee later this month to begin this work.

Thursday morning following the county department head meeting, 9 residents joined the party requesting rezoning of the North 8 acres in the Southeast of Southeast section 7, township 71, range 6.

The Henry County Supervisors previously denied the request for conditional rezoning after concern was raised at the July 25^th Henry County Supervisor meeting. Ebeling’s attorney requested the opportunity to bring the rezoning request to a second hearing due to procedural questions as well as the lack of a written objection before the meeting on July 25^th. Henry County Assistant Attorney Steven Giebelhausen acted as advising council for the county to the supervisors where he agreed Ebeling’s request was valid. The supervisors voted to resend the denial and set a second public hearing for Tuesday, August 15^th at 9:30.

Chad Ebeling purchased the 24-acre property January 20^th, 2023 with the hopes to build a concrete plant in the very northeast corner of the property. The proposed site plan given to the Henry County Supervisors show the batch plant 400 feet from Hickory Avenue, and 270 feet from the edge of Gregory Knight’s property. This would place the batch plant a little over 400 feet from Knight’s home.

A work session followed the vote to resend the original denial where the supervisors, Ebeling, Ebeling’s attorney, as well as the Henry County Assistant Attorney Steven Giebelhausen went over the proposed Land Use Agreement. A land use agreement is a legal document that governs the terms and conditions of a property owner leasing out their property for use by a tenant or development by a company. The county has decided to move forward with a Land Use Agreement in this instance to attempt to find even ground for all parties involved.

Supervisor Lindeen requested interior dust control for all travel ways on the property be added to the Land Use Agreement, which was accepted by Ebeling. Ebeling also provided more information about his site plan and the process he underwent to choose the property for his project. When asked why the plant could not be located further from the road Ebeling answered the cost to run utilities to the batch plant would double. Ebeling also explained the function of the bag house that will be located on the property to ensure as little dust as possible is created. There will also be about 400 feet of trees planted between the concrete plant and the neighboring property which will help with noise and dust control as well. The other 18 acres to the south and west of the concrete company also owned by Ebeling will be rented to farmers to continue crop rotations. The point was also raised that the land directly across the street from the property Ebeling purchased is already zoned industrial, but the owner was unable to sell the land at the time Ebeling was looking for property.

Both parties affected by the rezoning will have the chance to voice their concerns at the public hearing set for Tuesday, August 15^th at 9:30 a.m. in the Henry County Supervisors’ meeting room on the 1^st floor of the Henry County Courthouse.

Iowa State Senator Adrian Dickey is being sued by a group of people including his daughter, who are alleging that he committed fraud when he transferred the title of a vehicle in her name to his own.

The case was filed in Jefferson County on July 5 and is between Adrian Dickey and his daughter Korynn Dickey, along with Shawna Husted and Allen Husted. The petitioning parties allege that Adrian Dickey purchased a vehicle for Korynn with “no strings attached” in July of 2020 while Korynn was attending school in California.

The petitioners claim that Adrian obtained the title from Korynn, and promised to register the vehicle for her in Iowa, but they claimed that he never obtained her consent to place a lien on the vehicle. They claim that when Adrian took out a lien application, he presented a certificate of title for Korynn’s vehicle, which bore her signature. The petitioners claim that this was not her signature, and that Adrian signed the title.

On May 15, 2023, Korynn’s vehicle was totaled in an accident. However, the petitioners claim that the insurance company is refusing to pay on its policy because of the lien taken out on the vehicle.

The petitioners also allege that the Jefferson County Treasurer’s Office engaged in a civil conspiracy, since the treasurer “knew or should have known that Adrian was not authorized to sign the documents on Korynn’s behalf and that the signatures were therefore forged.”

The defendants in the case, Adrian Dickey and Jefferson County Treasurer Mark Myers, are denying the charges.

Adrian Dickey’s attorney Paul Miller of Fairfield submitted a reply to the petitioners on July 31, and detailed the portions of the allegation that they disagreed with. For instance, Dickey denied the petitioners’ claim that the vehicle was given with “no strings attached,” as they phrased it. Dickey denied the claim that he “never obtained Korynn’s consent to place a lien on her vehicle” as the petitioners said.

On the allegation that the lien application was not signed by Korynn but instead was Adrian printing Korynn’s name, Miller writes in his response that “Plaintiff [Korynn] had acquiesced or consented/gave her permission to the Defendant [Adrian] to sign Plaintiff’s name to the document. Plaintiff also provides this as an affirmative defense to the allegation of forgery.”

Miller asked the court to dismiss the case with costs charged to the plaintiff. He also requested the court to order the petitioners to sign over the insurance check to Adrian.

Regarding the Treasurer’s Office role in the matter, Jefferson County Attorney Chauncey Moulding is representing the treasurer, and asked the court to dismiss the charge of civil conspiracy. Moulding wrote in his response that Iowa law does not require the treasurer to complete the “action taken” section of the lien application as the petitioners are alleging.

“The County Treasurer does not have the legal duty or ability to investigate the validity of a signature on a lien application,” Moulding wrote in his response. “Plaintiff’s allegations presuppose a legal duty that does not exist. The County Treasurer would not know, nor could he know that the signature was forged, as alleged by the Plaintiffs.”

District Court Judge Lucy Gamon ordered a hearing for the matter for 9:30 a.m. Aug. 28 at the Jefferson County Courthouse.

The Henry County Supervisors met this morning at 9 a.m. for the monthly department head meeting.

Rodger Pitzenbarger gave an update on behalf of the Henry County Veteran’s Affairs. Pitzenbarger mentioned there was amazing turnout at their monthly veteran’s breakfast held the third Friday of the month at the Moose Lodge in Mount Pleasant. Pitzenbarger also gave an update on changes headed down the pipeline for the PACT Act. The PACT Act is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. KILJ will bring more information as it is received on the cancers under consideration for addition.

Caleb Waters gave an update on behalf of the Henry County Conservation Department. Waters reported campgrounds are already completely reserved for Labor Day weekend. The conservation department is happy to welcome the new Head Naturalist Kendall Prehn and are looking to hire a part time tech position to help with maintenance in Henry County parks, as well as an open position on the board for the conservation department. The Henry County Conservation Department is also working to build a new dump station to replace the out of commission previous dump station, with permitting and data collection estimated at around $27,000.

Lynnae Buffington updated the board of supervisors on behalf of the Recorder’s Office, stating deer tags will be available August 19^th and that trapping and hunting guides are available outside of the recorder’s office in the Henry County Courthouse.

Sarah Berndt gave an update on behalf of the Southeast Iowa Link (SEIL) Access Office about the new mobile crisis response service now available in Henry County. For more information on this great service in our area read the full article HERE.

Rich McNamee gave his monthly update for the Henry County Sherriff’s Office. There is a jailer opening, as well as a couple of ongoing fundraisers. Axel stuffed animal look alike dogs are available for $20, and the golf tournament set for September 22^nd is already sold out.

Jake Hotchkiss the Henry County Engineer updated construction continues on Lowell Hill South of the bridge. Major grading is now complete, and the contractor is finishing modified subbase, asphalt will begin application late next week depending on weather. Ash Avenue South of Hillsboro is now open to traffic as of last Friday.

Shelly Barber, Henry County Auditor, reported property taxes are one step closer to being sent to residents. Auditor staff are currently being trained on the new voting system that will be used in the September 12^th special election for the Mount Pleasant Community School District as well as subsequent elections.