United Group Insurance

Grow Another Row Committee is hosting a free “Pots and Popsicles” event on August 6, 2024

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Grow Another Row Committee is hosting a free event at Mollett Park on August 6, 2024, at 6:30 pm. “Pots and Popsicles” is a free class to learn about patio gardens. Participants can plant lettuce, spinach, herbs, radishes, and/or peas to keep on their patios. This free educational gardening event will help participants learn how to plant, care for, and harvest late-season plants to enjoy this fall. Popsicles and refreshments will be provided.

Participants are welcome to bring their own pots; otherwise, pots can be provided. The Grow Another Row Committee and Thrivent Funding will provide seeds and soil. Attendees can also plant an extra pot to donate to the local food pantry.

Mollett Park is located at 1020 East 3rd Street Place, in Atlantic (off of N. Mulberry Street).

If you are interested in attending, registration is strongly encouraged by August 2, 2024. This will ensure that we have enough supplies. Please register by contacting Grace McAfee at mcage@casshealth.org or by phone at 712-250-8170.

NE Iowa woman injured in a Grundy County crash

News

July 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(rural Cedar Falls, Iowa) – One person was transported to a hospital following a collision Wednesday afternoon in eastern Iowa’s Grundy County. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a pickup driven by 37-year-old Timothy Joseph Haugh, of Waterloo, was traveling north on X Avenue at the intersection with Iowa Highway 57 in rural Cedar Falls, when he failed to stop at the posted intersection stop sign.

An SUV driven by 37-year-old Martha Jean Weber, of Aplington, was traveling east on Highway 57, and struck the pickup on its left side rear quarter panel. Both vehicles came to rest in the northeast ditch. The accident happened at around 4:15-p.m.

Weber was transported to UnityPoint/Allen Hospital by New Hartford EMS. Haugh was not injured. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts.

The crash remains under investigation. The Iowa State Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office, and New Hartford Fire/EMS.

Possible drowning incident at Lake Anita Wed. evening

News

July 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Updated 9:55-a.m.:

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office report a man from Atlantic has died after drowning while swimming at Lake Anita, Wednesday evening. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office was notified just before 6:30-p.m., of a possible drowning at the lake. Deputies and several area first responders were called to the scene. First responders arriving at the Lake Anita Beach, learned 53-year old Ysota Rekis, of Atlantic, had been under water for a significant amount of time before surfacing, face down.

Family and other bystanders were able to place him on a raft and swim him to the shore.  It was determined that he was not breathing at the time and CPR was initiated.  Anita Rescue transported the patient to Cass Health E.R. where he was pronounced deceased.

There is no foul play suspected and no formal investigation ongoing at this time.

Previous story:

(Anita, Iowa) – Rescue crews from Anita were called to a reported, possible drowning Wednesday evening, at Lake Anita. According to dispatch reports, persons on the scene pulled an adult male out of the lake and transported him by raft to the beach. CPR was being performed prior to Anita Fire and Rescue’s arrival. The incident was reported to have occurred at around 6:30-p.m.  Additional information is currently not available.

(This report will be updated – please check back)

Vehicle hits Denison HS building, Wednesday

News

July 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Denison, Iowa) – One person was transported to the Crawford County Hospital, Wednesday, after their vehicle struck the high school building, in Denison. Our sister station KDSN reports authorities suspect the driver suffered a medical emergency before the accident occurred. The incident remains under investigation. Additional details are currently unavailable.

Experts offer weapons to help Iowans in the battle of the bugs

Ag/Outdoor, News

July 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa is seeing a bumper crop of bugs this summer, with flying and biting pests aplenty that are making the great outdoors much less great for humans. The state’s had a lot of rain in recent weeks and standing water can quickly become a breeding ground for many thousands of mosquitoes. Zach Schumm, an insect specialist at Iowa State University, says there’s only so much we can do to fight off the droves of pesky insects. “A lot of different cities have mosquito control districts or just city entities or entities that will come out and spray mosquitoes that are in really problematic areas,” Schumm says, “or in areas where they’ve identified mosquitoes that are carriers of some human pathogens like West Nile virus.”

There are at least 57 different species of mosquitoes found in Iowa, but Schumm says it’s not just mosquitoes that are making some of us miserable. “There’s many different types of insects that can be bothering you out and about,” Schumm says. “Typically, if we’re seeing really big clouds of insects, that swarm and hover around your head, and sometimes it seems like they’re getting close to your ears. Those tend to be things like midges, or generically just call them gnats, if you if you’d like. There’s so many different types of flies out there that can have similar behaviors.”

Katie Jensen, a wellness education specialist at Gundersen Health System, says there are tried-and-true ways to keep the insects from swarming. “Wearing thicker materials, because mosquitoes can bite through really thin materials. Wearing lighter colors, they seem to not be as attracted to lighter colors as darker colors,” Jensen says. “Making sure that you’re utilizing an EPA-registered repellent. There is a ton of information on the EPA website and they have various things if there are different ingredients that you want to maybe avoid, or maybe want to be drawn more towards.” Patrol your yard and make sure there’s no water sitting in flower pots, tires, gutters or elsewhere. “Watching just in the kiddie pools, maybe not leaving the water sit for days on end, making sure that you’re changing those out,” Jensen says. “If there are any buckets or toys or things that are left outside, just ensuring that you’re dumping the water out of them either daily or every couple days. Just really not giving the mosquitoes that invitation to come in and breed.”

If you have a bird bath, change out the water routinely, or, consider buying a battery-powered gadget that makes waves in the bowl, or a pump that circulates the water. Many Iowans love to go camping during the summer months and if you’re planning a prolonged adventure, you may want to invest in a few other precautions to avoid being bitten. “Mosquito nets are also really helpful. So head nets, they do make those for kids as well. So if you’re going to be out in the deep woods where there are a lot of different mosquitoes, having that as an option for yourself and also for your kids, too,” Jensen says. “They even make little covers for car seats or strollers, mosquito nets, so a really good investment if you’re going to be out and about.” Even though it may be less comfortable in the summer heat, long sleeves and long pants will help to cover your skin.

Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

Rep. Nunn awards Iowa Medal of Merit to Dallas County Sheriff & 911 dispatchers who responded to the Perry HS shooting

News

July 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

ADEL, IOWA — Iowa 3rd District Republican Representative Zach Nunn, Wednesday, honored the Dallas County Sheriff and 9-1-1 dispatchers who responded swiftly to the incident at Perry High School on January 4, 2024. He presented the prestigious Iowa Medal of Merit to these dedicated public servants that helped save lives.

“In January, the tragic attack at Perry High School shook our entire community. Every law enforcement officer, healthcare professional, and dispatcher helped save lives with their courageous and rapid responses,” said Rep. Nunn. “It’s a privilege to honor these men and women for their service.”

Rep. Nunn honored the following individuals with the Iowa Medal of Merit:

  • Adam Infante, Dallas County Sheriff
  • Terry McClannahan, Communications Manager
  • Jill Johansen, Supervisor
  • Bob Coffin, Dispatcher
  • Holly Smith, Dispatcher
  • Ashley Kuntz, Dispatcher*

*The family of Ashley Kuntz accepted the award on her behalf, honoring her work posthumously.

Pictured Left to Right: The Family of Dispatcher Ashley Kuntz, Sheriff Adam Infante, Rep. Nunn, Dispatch Supervisor Jill Johansen, Dispatcher Bob Coffin, Dispatcher Holly Smith, and Communications Manager Terry McClannahan

Rep. Nunn previously awarded members of the Perry Police Department with the Iowa Medal of Merit for their response to the attack.

Former Iowa star Caitlin Clark sets new WNBA record for assists

Sports

July 18th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Former Iowa star Caitlin Clark set a WNBA single game record with 19 assists in an Indiana Fever loss in Dallas. Clark also had 24 points in a 101-93 loss.

The Fever head into the Olympic break with a record of 11-15 and are in the playoff hunt.

High School Baseball Scores from Wednesday

Sports

July 18th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Class 3A

Substate 2 

North Polk 4, Algona 3

Substate 6

Marion 3, Gilbert 0

Substate 8 

Harlan 10, Lewis Central 0

Connections Area Agency on Aging conducts community Bed Bug Survey

News

July 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Connections Area Agency on Aging works every day to Build Strong Support for Older Iowans, their Family Caregivers and community.  Throughout the year they partner with local organizations and agencies to better serve Older Iowans, their caregivers, and communities. Connections Area Agency on Aging has partnered with other community partners to gain awareness of the impact Bed Bugs have on our community members to begin to explore ways to help eradicate the bugs and create a healthier environment for all.

Connections AAA had partnered with the SWIA Mental Health and Disability Region previously to test a pilot program to learn the cost of eradication and creating a healthy home. They learned the average cost is $6000 for necessary prep work and treatment of bugs. Beg bugs are more than a common bedtime saying, “Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.” They impact families more than financially, there are mental wellness effects such as anxiety, sleep deprivation, depression and lack of access to needed support in the home or community due to the presence of bed bugs. However, unlike most public health pests, bed bugs are not known to transmit or spread disease.

Beg bugs are a nuisance bug that can impact multiple areas of our community (i.e.: Doctor’s offices, movie theaters, shopping centers, hotels, hospitals and even grocery stores). Bed bugs do not jump but can catch clothing items when passing by, having clothing/luggage on the floor in an affected area or sitting on furniture where bugs may be present. Bed bugs are smaller and hard to detect and are no respecter of person and can affect individuals of all income levels and areas of town not just certain areas as many may think.

Connections AAA and the Caring for Our Community Partners have created a survey to gather the impact of bed bugs on area communities, to be able to explore funding to help create healthy homes for all. If you or someone you know is currently experiencing an impact with bed bugs, please consider completing this confidential survey (listed below) to give Connections an idea of the need for support in area communities to explore funding and support for future program.

To access the survey, you can follow this link https://tinyurl.com/BBSurveyCB or contact Connections AAA at 800-432-9209 and be connected to a confidential extension to leave a message and staff will contact you to answer questions and complete the survey. Connections will host the survey until August 31, 2024.

Some proactive ways to prevent bed bugs are:

  • Reduce the number of hiding places — Clean up the clutter.
  • Regularly wash and heat-dry your bed sheets, blankets, bedspreads and any clothing that touches the floor.
  • Check secondhand furniture, beds and couches for any signs of bed bug infestation before bringing them home.
  • Be watchful when using shared laundry facilities. Transport items to be washed in plastic bags (if you have an active infestation, use a new bag for the journey home). Remove from dryer directly into bag and fold at home. (A dryer on high heat can kill bed bugs.)
  • Use a protective cover that encases mattresses and box springs to eliminate many hiding spots.
  • When traveling look at hotel reviews or check https://www.bedbugreports.com/ for any reports made
  • When traveling inspect your room and bed for any signs of bed bugs and place luggage on non-upholstery areas such the tile floor or luggage rack

Get more information about how to make a complete the Bed Bug Community Impact Survey or information about bed bugs call 1-800-432-9209 or email info@connectionsaaa.org to explore local community services and supports.

************

Connections Area Agency is one of six Area Agencies on Aging in Iowa, and part of a nationwide network. With a mission of enhancing the quality of life for elders in 20 counties through education, planning and coordination of services, Connections Area Agency on Aging is the premier agency for assisting elders, caregivers, and their families to access the information and services needed for independence and life transitions. Offices are located in Council Bluffs, Creston and Sioux City. For more information, contact Connections AAA at 800-432-9209 or at www.connectionsaaa.org

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Thursday, July 18, 2024

Weather

July 18th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Sunny, with a high near 77. East wind around 5 mph.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 56. .
Tomorrow: Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tom. Night: A 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Low around 60. .
Saturday: A 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 74.
Sat. Night: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. Low around 58.
Sunday: A 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. High near 76.
Monday (RAGBRAI): A 30% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. High near 78.

Wednesday’s High in Atlantic was 82. Our Low this morning, 52. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 79 and the Low was 59. The All-Time Record High in Atlantic on July 18th, was 107 in 1936. The Record Low was 44 in 1953. Sunrise: 6:01; Sunset: 8:50.