(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Utilities Commission heard public testimony Tuesday on proposed changes to its rules on hazardous liquid pipeline. Several of the people who commented were involved in the process for the Summit Carbon Solution’s carbon dioxide pipeline permit that was ultimately awarded despite their opposition. Sheri Webb, a landowner in Shelby County, says holding hearings during the harvest leaves people out of the process. “If they’re 24-7 and a lot of those combines are going 24-7, they just switch operators or they’ve got chores to do they didn’t make it to those meetings,” she says. “that is so wrong those people were left out in the dark in many instances.”

Webb also said many older landowners don’t use computers and trying to file things online was not easy. “I even hesitated the first time I was getting on the I-U-B site, which now is our utilities commission. I didn’t know what I was doing,” Webb says. “The website’s not super friendly. And now it’s I think it’s even worse now. But I guess the point is, is when you’ve got senior citizens that either don’t have a computer or don’t have the skills, they are left in the dark and that is wrong.” She says posting public notices in newspapers is not a good way to get information out, as many people no longer take the paper. “Most counties now have a website and a lot of them have a Facebook presence so I would suggest that they also be asked to put notifications in those areas,” Carter says.

Kathy Carter of Rockford also talked about using the Iowa Utilities Commission website. “One of the first things that I would like to bring to the attention of the commission is how very hard and frustrating it was to try to find on the I-U-B website the revised rules that showed not only the red lining but additions,” she says.

The hearing is part of the Governor’s executive order requiring all state agencies to review administrative code and an update and streamline rules and regulations. The I-U-C will consider any changes to the rules and then will host public hearings before the rules are adopted.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – AtlanticFest, presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust, will be held Saturday, August 10th, rain or shine. AtlanticFest is an annual festival that serves as a fundraiser for the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Program Director Kelsey Beschorner, says “AtlanticFest is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Chamber. Our sponsors help cover a lot of the costs of the event, allowing us to raise funds through registration fees, pop stand sales and raffle ticket sales. We use the funds from AtlanticFest to continue to grow community events while also supporting business-based programs.”

Downtown Atlantic, she says, will be filled with fun activities for the whole family to enjoy. Come early and start the day with a pancake breakfast or a run/walk in the Annual Road Race with chip timing. There will be crafters from all over Southwest Iowa, as well as some of the best food vendors to help satisfy any appetite. Kids can enjoy bounce houses, face painting, pedal pulls, and games throughout City Park. The 26th Annual Car Show and 10th Annual Motorcycle Show will be taking place once again this year. New this year, Dirt Road Divide will fill Chestnut Street will live music from 11-3PM.

The 3rd Annual Bag Tournament will return to City Park. Teams of two can enter for $50 and try their chance to win $500, $300 or $200 guaranteed. Registration begins at 10 AM at the City Park Shelter.

AtlanticFest file photos courtesy the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce.

Day-of registrations are accepted for events including: car show, motorcycle show, road race and bags tournament. Maps of the event, Atlantic merchandise and more will be available at the Chamber booth in City Park. To learn more about AtlanticFest, visit www.atlanticiowa.com.

Beschorner says the Chamber thanks their partners for making the event possible. Those partners include: First Whitney Bank & Trust; A.M. Cohron & Son; Gregg Young- Atlantic; Atlantic Municipal Utilities; Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling; Armour Insurance; Brocker, Karns & Karns; Brown’s Shoe Fit; Camblin Plumbing & Heating; The Downtowner Cafe; McAtee Tire; Nishna Valley Family YMCA; Roland Funeral Home; Rolling Hills Bank; Rush, CPA & Associates; Salute Gymnastics, and the Wiota Steakhouse.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday), agreed to hire a former custodian as a part-time custodian. Rich Wallace had retired as full-time custodian in January of this year (2024). Auditor Mandy Berg and Maintenance Director/Custodian Scott Roberts, both said Wallace has been helping out as needed since his retirement.

The Board agreed to make Wallace’ pay of $22.58/hour retroactive to May 21st. He’ll be asked to help out as needed. In other business, the Adair County Supervisors acknowledged the receipt of two Manure Management Plans, Rose Acres Winterset Egg Farm and Prestige Farms in Anita (Nichols’ Hog Farm). The Board approved two appointments to the Compensation Board, pending their being willing to hold those seats again. Both appointments were of former Comp Board members. Auditor Mandy Berg…

The Supervisors accepted a bid from Murphy Heavy Contracting out of Anita, in the amount of $92,610 for the County Road G-61 pipe repair/revetment project. Hungry Canyons Alliance will pay for a portion of that amount. There were two bidders out six requested quotes for the work. And, the Board authorized Chairman Jerry Walker to sign the final voucher for an FY25 Farm-to-Market road rock contract with Schildberg’s, in the amount of $251,436.95.

Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman updated the Board on some of the various county road projects that are currently underway.

Kauffman said they’re still waiting on culvert liners for one of the projects, and they’ll be using a grinder to work out some bumps in certain roads to smooth them out.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports officers detained, and then released on a citation, a man who allegedly allowed an animal to run at-large. 48-year-old Mustafa Bin Beyyette, of Creston, was detained at his residence in the 500 block of S. Vine St. at around 1:18-p.m., Tuesday, in Creston, until he was issued his citation on a Promise to Appear in Court.

(Adair, Iowa) – An accident early this (Wednesday) morning, north of Adair, has resulted in the death of numerous hogs. Authorities said the accident happened on White Pole Road near the intersection with Frontier Road. A semi tractor-trailer loaded with hogs overturned into a ditch. Authorities and others remained on the scene as of 8:10-a.m.

Additional details are currently not available.

DES MOINES, Iowa – State Treasurer Roby Smith is recognizing National Purple Heart Day by asking for Iowans’ help to reunite a Purple Heart held in Great Iowa Treasure Hunt, the State’s program for returning lost and unclaimed property. “I don’t think I can adequately put into words the magnitude of emotions I felt holding a Purple Heart for the first time,” said Smith. “Those same emotions inspire me to reunite Garold Hayes’ family with the Purple Heart found in his abandoned safe deposit box. I call out to Iowans to help us return this medal to the care of his family.” Hayes died in Sept. 2015 at the age of 76.

National Purple Heart Day is celebrated on August 7 each year to honor recipients of a Purple Heart, one of the oldest military decorations. The men and women who receive these decorations were injured or killed in service to our country. “It is unclear if Garold was the Purple Heart recipient or was safekeeping it for a loved one, but nonetheless, it deserves to be in the hands of the rightful owner,” Smith said. “If you recognize this name, please tell the family to contact my office.”

A Purple Heart – The Purple Heart medal is presented to service members who have been wounded or killed as a result of enemy action while serving in the U.S. military.

Each year, millions of dollars and hundreds of safe deposit boxes are turned over after financial institutions and businesses lose contact with the owner. In addition to tangible items like safe deposit box contents, monetary items like forgotten checking and savings accounts, stocks, uncashed checks, life insurance policies and utility refunds are also turned over to the State as unclaimed.

Anyone can search for their name at GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov. It’s secure, free and easy to use. Connect with the Treasurer on Facebook, Instagram and X  to stay up-to-date on all areas of the office.

(Radio  Iowa) – The Iowa Lottery now has the numbers for the final month of the fiscal year and sales hit a record of nearly 489-point-nine million dollars. Lottery spokesperson Mary Neubauer says they also set a record for payouts to players of nearly 313 million dollars. “Iowa Lottery players claimed 14 prizes of at least 500-thousand during fiscal year 2024, including three prizes of two million dollars,” she says. The Lottery sales for the fiscal year that ended June 30th were one-point-seven percent above last year. Proceeds to the state were more than 100 million dollars. “That ended up being the Lottery’s second best number ever in that category so the lottery raised almost 107 million dollars this year for state causes,” Neubauer says.

Neubauer says the proceeds to the state fell short of a record as scratch tickets were the top seller and they have a smaller margin than other games. Powerball jackpots were a big factor in the record sales. “That game saw its jackpot atop the one billion dollar mark three different times in the year, and that combined with the addition of the new double play option in that game drove Powerball sales up almost 18 percent over the last year,” she says. Two Hy-Vee stores in Cedar Rapids led the top ten list for sales, with each topping the one million dollar mark. “They’ve been at the top of the lotteries list for a few years now they just take great pride in their lottery sales, they know they’re at the top of the game and they want to stay there,” Neubauer says. “And so we love to see that, like the competition even that they have within their own company.”

Another Hy-Vee in Council Bluffs was third on the list and The Albia Road BP station in Ottumwa was fourth in sales.