Ida County’s Official Newspaper
Vol. 41, No. 17 Ida Grove, Iowa
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Wednesday,, April 27, 2016 Wednesday
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Ida County Public Safety Commission hears updates on 2016 budget, training, arrests ❚ by DEB LOGER
Ida County Sheriff Wade Harriman discussed the fiscal year 2016 budget and the possibility of amending it during the Ida County Public Safety and Communications Commission meeting in Arthur April 19. Harriman noted the problem arose last June when he was required by the union contract to have all comp time used up or paid out by June 30. Harriman said, “Unfortunately we had a lot of hours on the books that had accumulated over many years and paid out $26,000-plus to clear the books. We held many of our June bills and paid them in July, which had us starting out this fiscal year $15,000 in the hole.” Harriman said in November he and Sergeant Fred Anderson told
union employees to start using up their comp time or they would be giving them days off. “We will have miniscule hours of comp time on the books at the end of the fiscal year for deputies but it’s harder with the dispatcher/jailers as we are one short and have to cover those 24 hours,” said Harriman. Harriman told the commission he would have a better handle on the situation in May. “I won’t be increasing the tax asking, as we have $10,000 in extra revenue and could use some carryover funds.” A conditional offer has been made for the dispatcher/communication position. The individual had her psychological evaluation April 19 at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in Johnston.
Harriman will be conducting an in-depth background and fingerprint check with a possible June hire date. Ida County deputies and Sheriff Harriman participated in a two-hour Sac-Ida Peace Officers Association warrantless search training session in Sac City April 12. Pete Grady from the Attorney General’s office led the training session. According to Harriman, there were four inmates in the jail. Plans are to epoxy the jail floors April 29 and 30 with any prisoners housed in the Sac County Jail. Harriman has met with Horn Memorial Hospital CEO Chris Nichols to discuss an outstanding $12,000 bill for an inmate. Harriman gave updates on (continued on page 2)
Bunched up: The youth soccer season in Ida Grove, sponsored by the Ida Grove Kiwanis Club, is underway. Teams play Saturday mornings on the fields north of the high school. Here a group of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten children battle for the ball. (Courier photo by Amy Forbes)
Former Ida County trap shooter wins national title
Former members of the Ida County Trap Shooters, now part of the Iowa Central Sports Shooting team, Austin Tiefenthaler, along with Shelby Flammang, Jessica Gunderson and Justin Van Houten attended the 48th Annual ACUI Collegiate Clay Target Championships at the National Shooting
Complex in San Antonio, Texas on April 1-3. The three-day competition challenged the abilities of the shooters in sporting clays, American skeet and American trap. A total of 76 colleges and universities participated in the event, totaling about 715 collegiate shooters. The team brought back titles
Bridge pour: Godbersen-Smith Construction of Ida Grove used a GOMACO C-450 cylinder finisher and a 3D guidance system to pave the Fifth Street bridge in Ida Grove Friday. It is the first time a bridge deck has been paved using a 3D guidance system. Several guests were on-hand to witness the world’s first 3D deck pour, including members of the Iowa Department of Transportation, county engineers and others. After the pour, guests were invited to lunch at GOMACO University and a question and answer session about the 3D system, which was followed by a tour of GOMACO’s manufacturing facilities. (Courier photo by Mike Thornhill)
Arthur transplant recipient urges others to become organ donor ❚ by DEB LOGER
April is National Donate Life Month and Dan Ladwig of Arthur knows all too well how important it is to have people register as donors, you see, he’s had two liver transplants. According to the Donate Life Month website, 121,185 people are waiting for an organ, each day nearly 79 people receive organ transplants, another 22 people die each day waiting for an organ and one organ donor can save up to eight lives. There are many reasons why people suffer end-stage organ failure and need an organ transplant and
Dan Ladwig
why others are not accepted as organ donors. Some reasons are totally out of their control, like being born with a genetic disease or becoming sick from a virus or bacteria. Ladwig said, “I was diagnosed with cryptogenic cirrhosis of the liver and my family doctor sent me to Sioux City where three doctors told me I wasn’t a candidate for a transplant.” His family doctor retired and his new doctor decided to send him to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. After ive days of testing, two doctors determined he was a candidate for a liver transplant. Ladwig said, “Nine months later on Aug. 20, 2010 I was having a transplant. I was told there was a 30 percent chance it wouldn’t work because my donor had a heart attack. Six months later Dr. McCashland told me it was time to get another liver. I said why I feel great. Two months later I was back at the hospital in a wheelchair. The tests were done in one day and I was sent home, ive days later on May 26 2011, I got another liver.” Both calls letting Ladwig know there was a liver available came at 1 a.m. He said, “The irst time we didn’t tell anyone until morning. The second time we called all the kids; I igured if I was awake they should be too. Both times Lloyd and Carol Schramm drove us to Omaha. The irst time I was in Omaha six weeks, the second time three weeks.” Ladwig has labs done every three months and if there are any changes,
he is contacted and his meds are adjusted. He also goes to Omaha for a yearly checkup. “I will take anti-rejection medication for the rest of my life. If it weren’t for donors I wouldn’t have a life. Kathy and I have made lots of friends at the hospital from doctors and nurses to Mary who parks the cars. Whenever we go to Omaha, I like to stop on the ifth loor and say hi. You know the staff loves that. We also enjoy attending the annual transplant reunion where we can meet others who’ve been through what we have,” said Ladwig. According to Ladwig, transplant recipients can write letters to their donor’s family through the hospital. He has done that, but doesn’t know anything about his donor. How do you become a donor? The most important thing to do is to sign up as an organ and tissue donor in your state’s donor registry. To cover all bases, it’s also helpful to: designate your decision on your driver’s license, tell your family about your donation decision, tell your physician, faith leader and friends and include donation in your advance directives, will and living will. Anyone, regardless of age or medical history, can sign up to be donor; most major religions in the United States support organ donation and consider donation as the inal act of love and generosity to others. There is no cost to donors or their families for organ or tissue donation.
National champion: Jessica Gunderson, 2015 O-A/BC-IG graduate, was named national champion in Ladies American Trap at the 48th annual ACUI Collegiate Clay Target Championships in San Antonio, Texas April 1-3. Gunderson is the daughter of Tim and Mary Gunderson of Kiron and a freshman at Iowa Central Community College. (Photo submitted)
including second place out of 16 teams in Division 2 in American Trap and freshman Jessica Gunderson was named national champion in Ladies American Trap. The team shot 491 out of 500 birds. This score was contributed by Zach Klimesh and Jessica Gunderson, both with 99 out of 100, Grant Helle and Dylan Shepers, both with 98 out of 100 and Kolton Manning with 97 out of 100. Along with contributing to the team’s overall score, Gunderson shot 99 out of 100 targets in American Trap, which included her irst 75 straight. This score tied with competitor Carolee Schwarzer of the United States Military Academy. The two had a shoot off for irst place in American Trap for ladies, Gunderson winning by one with a score of 24 out of 25. Gunderson said, “This was truly an amazing experience for me. It’s just so much to take in. I am happy I shot as well as I did and how great the team did too. I have accomplished a lot for myself ,but it was great to help the rest of my team.” The team is expecting an exceptional rest of their season. They participated in a meet Saturday, April 23 at Webster City and will participate in one Saturday, April 30, in Stockdale.
IG Council hires summer help, approves rec center receptionist ❚ by BETHANY JONES Outdoor pool summer hires were approved April 18 at the Ida Grove City Council meeting. Resolution 2016-5, setting salaries and wages for outdoor pool employees was approved, with councilman Doug Clough abstaining. The following were approved: Whitney FrancisSimonson (assistant manager); Braden Gebel, Garrett Rohlk, Elle McCormick and Seth Wheeler (head guards); Arielle Wolterman, Isaiah Salmon, Elyssa Freese, Olivia Devitt, Riley Snyder, Eliot Clough, Miles Gebel, Jordyn Fredericks, Sydney Bauer, Madison Schiernbeck, Alyssa Mason, Brittany Hamann, Taylor Young
and Chase Devitt (guards). The council also approved hiring Chancey Wilcke at $7.25 per hour as a receptionist for the rec center. City clerk Edie Ball noted there isn’t anything to report on the trailer park issues, the council asked Ball to check with county attorney Laurel Boerner on the progress made with the citations. “After having everyone here at the last meeting, we need to stay on top of this situation,” said councilman Scott Tomlinson. Clough gave an update on the King Theatre board. The group has recently taken memorabilia out of the theatre and will be working on a possible fund-raiser with some of those items. Ball was asked to
check on the grant application before the next council meeting. Ryan Goodman updated the council on the website and branding development. There will be a meeting on May 2 with Spireworks to get a irst look at the new website. They will be working to inalize details of the page, including adding photos of each city employee to add to the website. The council noted it would like irm deadlines to have the website completed. Marcia Cates was present to discuss the 2016 Whitey Thompson Hike Bike-a-thon. The event should begin around 1:45 p.m. on May 4. Due to bridge (continued on page 3)