Tuesday April 8, 2014
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Union County maintains low unemployment By JAKE WADDINGHAM
CNA associate editor jwaddingham@crestonnews.com
The state of Iowa came in below the nation’s average for unemployment and Union County is keeping pace with a majority of Iowa’s 99 counties. In February, the nation averaged a 6.7 percent unemployment rate. Iowa came in at 4.4 percent. A majority of Iowa’s counties range from 4.1 to 6 percent unemployment based on February’s results. Chamber of Commerce Director Ellen Gerharz said
Union County was up a little, coming in at 5.6 percent. “It reflects what has been happening at Gits and the transition with Gerharz seasonal employment,” Gerharz said. But overall, Union County is seeing a large flux of jobs in the area that need to be filled. Several area companies are planning additions and will need to hire additional staff to accommodate
for the increases in capacity. “Anything we can do to bring jobs into this area that keeps people from leaving to go to Des Moines only adds to our quality of life,” Gerharz said. “Plus, it brings people into the community to buy homes, buy goods and provide services.” Prairie View Construction is complete and residents are expected within the next month for the new memory care unit at Prairie View. Administrator Amy Edmonson-Bonebrake said the addition will more than double their re-
quired nursing staff that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “The memory care unit requires a higher staffing rotation than our general assisted living,” Edmonson-Bonebrake said. When the memory care Edmonsonunit is full — Bonebrake with 12 total residents — Prairie View will have 10-15 additional staff to plug into the ro-
TAKING the PLUNGE Several dozen people in the Creston News Advertiser coverage area took the “Plunge for Landon” at Green Valley Lake Monday evening to help raise funds for a 5-monthold boy named Landon Shaw from Tarkio, Mo. who has cancer. ■
CNA photos by KYLE WILSON
Above, from left, Rachael Green, Lindsay Kinney and Jennifer Fels sprint toward the beach after taking the “Plunge for Landon” at Green Valley Lake Monday. Hundreds of people across southwest Iowa are plunging this week to help raise money for 5-month-old Landon Shaw from Tarkio, Mo., who has cancer. Right, sixth-grader Eli Loudon of Creston also takes the “Plunge for Landon” Monday.
This fundraising event for Landon has reached all across the U.S. How does it work? It calls on people to take a video of yourself taking a polar plunge, then challenge friends and family to take the plunge. If they meet the challenge, donations for each person can be sent to the Shaw family’s donation fund: Landon Shaw, Flower Mill, 606 Main Street Tarkio, Mo, 64491. See full story, right. ■
CNA photos by JAKE WADDINGHAM
Above left, Kruz Adamson of Creston rushes back to the shoreline after taking the “Plunge for Landon” challenge at Green Valley Lake Monday afternoon. Above right, Brittany McAlexander leads the charge into the chilly water at Green Valley Lake Monday to support “Plunge for Landon,” a challenge-based fundraiser for Landon Shaw of Tarkio, Mo., who is fighting cancer.
VIDEO: To view a short video clip of CNA editors Jake Waddingham and Kyle Wilson taking the “Plunge for Landon,” visit www.crestonnews.com and click on the video tab located at the top of the website.
tation. Edmonson-Bonebrake said Prairie View has already added a supervisor position and a parttime registered nurse to accommodate the needs of their residents. Creston Nursing and Rehab Today is the groundbreaking ceremony for a $2.3 million building expansion project at Creston Nursing and Rehab Center. Administrator Lori Harvey said this new addition will offer Please see UNEMPLOYMENT, Page 2
Community takes dive for young cancer patient KANSAS CITY, Mo. — An effort to help the family of a 5-month-old Missouri boy with cancer has inspired thousands of people across the U.S. and even abroad to take a plunge into cold bodies of water. Organizers of the Facebook-based Plunge for Landon fundraiser said they have lost count of how many people have posted videos of themselves taking a dive for Landon Shaw, an infant from Tarkio, Missouri, who was diagnosed in late February with a rare form of cancer. People are jumping in, from chilly farm ponds north of Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico and the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. “I can’t believe how viral this is ■ Facebookgoing,” said Alys- based “Plunge sa Shaw, Landon’s for Landon” mom. “My son has been such an in- fundraiser had spiration to every- raised more body and opened than $30,000 by up people’s eyes that you can’t take Friday evening. life for granted.” Before they jump into the water, participants record themselves challenging three other people to do the same, with monetary pledges for each person who completes the challenge. The effort had raised more than $30,000 by Friday evening, only five days after notice of the fundraiser was first posted on the popular social networking site. Entire schools, police departments and businesses around the region have posted videos of participants taking the plunge. Landon was 4 months old on Feb. 23 when his parents took him to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City to find out why he was vomiting and losing weight. Doctors found a tumor on his left kidney, which they removed, and later discovered a large mass on his brain. Landon’s heart stopped during an operation to remove the brain tumor, his mother said, and he lost so much blood that doctors gave the family little hope their baby would survive. “The surgeons came into the room and said they would be surprised if he made it through the night,” Shaw said. Landon did make it through, and his condition improved enough that on April 1, Shaw Please see LANDON, Page 2
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Volume 130 No. 211 Copyright 2014
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Wednesday weather High 71 Low 51 Full weather report, 3A