Firefighters and Cass EMS personnel were dispatched to the scene of what was initially described as a barn fire west of Atlantic this (Tuesday) evening. The call about the fire at 58935 Indian Creek Street went out at around 5:30-p.m.

Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel told KJAN the fire didn’t amount to much. “A little fire started in the back of a small goat barn. The homeowners got the goats out and started throwing buckets of water on the barn. We finished putting it out when we arrived on the scene.” Cappel said there was “Very minimal damage.”

(Radio Iowa) – A report from the Iowa Attorney General’s office finds 12 people have died from domestic violence statewide so far this year, a list that includes nine women and three bystanders. Sandi Tibbetts Murphy, director of the Crime Victim Assistance Division, says the majority of domestic violence homicides are committed with firearms.

Tibbetts Murphy says, “Until we have a better system for maintaining proper and safe firearm possession, making sure that those who should not have firearms, those who are a threat to their families have those taken away, I think we’re going to continue to see this.” The report documents eight instances of domestic violence committed in the first eight months of 2022, including high-profile shootings at the Cornerstone Church in Ames and the Taboo nightclub in Cedar Rapids.

“It points to the easy access of firearms,” Tibbetts Murphy says, “the lack of verifiable, effective means of retrieving firearms from those we know are dangerous to their partners and their families.” According to the report, 375 men, women and bystanders have been killed in Iowa as a result of domestic violence since 1995.

(reporting by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

(Des Moines, Iowa – October 4, 2022) – Kirk Tyler, the long-time leader of Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company, announced to employees yesterday (Monday), that Rob Feeney and his wife, Jessica, have become majority owners of the company. Rob will become the CEO and Kirk will remain Chairman of the Board. Tyler, who succeeded his own father, Jim, as leader of the family-owned company, is a 48-year veteran of Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company.

Feeney said “My previous position as President and COO has provided me with valuable insights and experience regarding the company and our team, so I know we are well-positioned for continued growth. Feeney has served as an executive in the company for the past seven years. He said “I am excited about the future and am confident in what we can accomplish, but I also want to thank Kirk, the board and the Tyler family for giving me the opportunity to lead the company. I am both grateful and humbled by this opportunity.”

Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company, which was originally founded by Kirk Tyler’s grandfather in 1909 in southwest Iowa, now boasts well over 100 years of success. Feeney and his wife, Jessica (Tyler) Feeney, represent the fourth generation of the family to run the business, which now has more than 800 employees and nine distribution centers that supply customers with a wide variety of products in five states.

“It is hard to believe it has been 42 years since I moved to the Des Moines area to help lead the company my grandfather started, but I am very proud of what we have accomplished, as the company has quadrupled in size and we have even bigger plans in-store,” offered Tyler. “But I know it is time for the next generation to step-up and move the company forward, just like my dad gave me the opportunity to do years ago.”

For both Tyler and Feeney, continuing to have strong family involvement in the company is important, so several members of the family currently work for or serve the company in various capacities. “I plan to continue visiting our various locations as a representative of the family. I will also stay active in industry affairs and serve on other boards, including continuing my role as Chairman of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and Chairman of Southeastern Container Corporation,” he said.

Feeney said he is focused on continued growth by reinvesting back in the business, employees and the communities which they serve. Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company will focus on growth, while maintaining the company’s position as a private, family-owned, independent bottler and distributor for all Coca-Cola products. “Succession planning is a part of every successful company, and Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company is no different. Kirk and I have been working on these long-term plans for several years and I cannot thank him enough for the confidence in me and our team,” offered Feeney.

“Kirk’s dedication and commitment to our business has led to impressive levels of growth and success, so I want to personally thank him for his many years of service and leadership and congratulate him on his career.”

(Radio Iowa) – Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich with third district congressional candidate Zach Nunn to tout the House GOP’s “Commitment to America” agenda. Nunn emphasizes the pledge to reduce government spending. “Every dollar the government spends is a dollar they’ve taken away from you,” Nunn said. Gingrich flew to Iowa to campaign with Nunn in Des Moines this (Tuesday) morning. Gingrich unveiled a similar “Contract with America” in 1994 — just before Republicans took control of the U-S House. Gingrich is predicting Republicans will easily recapture a majority of House seats this election. “I think big things are happening and…this race is a good example,” Gingrich said. “It’s a very close race. I suspect in the end we’ll win it.”

Nunn is running against Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines who is seeking a third term in the U.S. House. Gingrich advised Nunn to emphasize economic issues to reach independent voters. “I say to every candidate of every background: ‘You start with prices,'” Gingrich said. “High prices affect every person in Iowa. They affect every Latino. They affect every African American. They affect every Native American. They affect young people. They affect old people. They affect small towns. They affect Des Moines.”

Former Iowa Congressman Greg Ganske was at the event, too. Ganske showed the crowd a poster of the 1994 “Contract with America” he campaigned with before defeating a 36 year Democratic incumbent.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa D-N-R deer research specialist says several factors are causing deer to be more active this time of year and motorists should be on the lookout. The first bowhunting season is underway and Jace Elliott says that is one thing that will increase movements. “It certainly will. You know, as more hunters enter the woods, it will slightly disrupt your movements. And yeah, we will see deer maybe change their habits a bit due to hunting pressure,” Elliott says.

He says changes in habitat or food availability — like the acorns falling — are going to move deer into areas with mature oaks. The start of the harvest will also push deer. “That’s going to move deer — you know transition them mostly from agricultural fields into the timber,” he says. Dropping temperatures with chilly mornings can also have an impact. “And we’re certainly going to see a lot more movement during morning and evening time,” Elliott says.

He says you should be on the lookout for deer during the dawn and dusk times of the day to avoid any collisions.

(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has issued a report on arrests covering September 16th through the 27th.

• On Sept. 27th, 24-year-old Jacob Austin Wingert, of Panama, was arrested after a call for service in Panama. Wingert was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with OWI 1st and Domestic Abuse Assault.
• On the 23rd of September, Deputies in Shelby County arrested 20-year-old Maria Rosa Salazar, of Council Bluffs, on an active Shelby County warrant for Violation of Probation.
• On the 22nd, 33-year-old Lacy Jean Christensen, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant for Violation of Probation.
• There were two arrests on Sept. 21st in Shelby County:
  • 32-year-old Sara Elizabeth Koester, of Harlan, was arrested on a Forgery charge, following an ongoing investigation.
  • 21-year-old Isela Jasmin Mendoza, of Denison, was arrested following a traffic stop on Highway 59. She was charged with Driving while License is Suspended, and Speeding.
• On Sept. 18th, Deputies in Shelby County arrested 35-year-old Ashley Joe Cibic, of Harlan, on two counts of supplying alcohol to persons under the legal age. Her arrest was the result of an ongoing investigation.
• One the 17th, 29-year-old Robert Douglas Fauteux, of Shelby, was arrested for Driving While License Revoked or Denied.
• And on the 16th, 33-year-old Guillermo Perez Sanchez, of Harlan, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, No Valid Driver’s License, Failure to provide proof of insurance, Open Container, and Failure to Maintain Control.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County met in a regular session this (Tuesday) morning, in Red Oak and held considerable (continued) discussion, with regard to an ordinance for a proposed carbon transfer pipeline. During the Public Comment portion of the meeting, the Supervisors heard from several people who are in support of the ordinance, including Jan Norris from West Township in southwestern Montgomery County. She praised some members of the Board for actions they have already taken in support of an ordinance to regulate pipelines. Norris acknowledged there are multiple misconceptions about pipeline safety and permitting, as well as several questions that need to be asked still, before any such ordinance is set into the County’s Code of Ordinances.

She said she called the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) last week, asking that they consider putting out a fact sheet for the public to review for consideration when it comes to pipeline placement on their properties.

Jan Norris

Maggie McQuown, a Board of Adjustment member who resides west of Red Oak, said she supports a carbon pipeline ordinance. She mentioned two BOA members would have a pipeline on their property if it becomes constructed.

Two residents of a home in the far southwest corner of Montgomery County, said the pipeline will come too close for comfort to their residence. Lori Johnson spoke on behalf of special needs resident Sarah Johnson, whom she lives with in the home.

In September, members of the Montgomery County Planning and Zoning Commission met and voted to recommend the Board of Supervisors adopt an ordinance for the proposed Summit Solutions Pipeline project. The Commission’s recommendation was based on a similar Ordinance adopted by the Shelby County Board of Supervisors.

In related news, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors discussed, and unanimously agreed to sign a letter engaging the Ahlers & Cooney Law Firm if it should become necessary for legal action. Shelby, Bremer and Palo Alto Counties have taken similar action. Ahlers & Cooney Special Counsel Tim Whipple explained what the next steps might be, with regard to costs and a possible pool to share those costs.

Ahlers & Cooney Special Counsel Tim Whipple & the Montgomery County BOS (10/4/22)

Whipple said he’s set to hold a conversation with officials from ISAC (Iowa State Association of Counties), to possibly work with them with regard to representating the member counties as a whole, instead of separately. He was asked if Montgomery County passes an ordinance, “is it enforceable?” In a long-winded answer, he said the IUB can impose conditions on permits, so in essence, there is some teeth in a local ordinance.

“The answer,” he said, “is yes, if you do it right.” But he advised the County not to attempt to “dictate” terms to the pipeline company about its operations and engineering aspects, because they are likely not enforceable and would be preempted by federal law. The Iowa Utilities Board–not the county–will make the ultimate decision on the pipeline’s fate. The Board opted to wait on yet more information before approving any ordinance that may be drafted.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that aims to help college campuses stop sexual assaults before they happen while helping survivors to recover is being introduced in the U-S Senate today (Tuesday), co-sponsored by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. He says the Campus Accountability and Safety Act is a bipartisan, bicameral effort. Grassley says the bill is designed to reform the process of investigating sexual assaults to both better shield victims and to prosecute offenders. “Our bill seeks to protect college students by providing them with resources,” Grassley says, “and especially by strengthening colleges’ accountability and transparency standards.”

Grassley, a Republican, has joined with Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, in moving the legislation forward. Grassley says he and Gillibrand recently worked together on a similar measure targeting sexual assaults in the military. With the new bill focused on higher education institutions, Grassley says weak enforcement of the laws on the books only encourages perpetrators. “It would establish a uniform process of adjudicating sexual assault cases and also promote training for on-campus personnel,” Grassley says. “This will ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, and I think it will help survivors begin to recover from a life-altering trauma.”

This is the reintroduction of a bill that was first offered in 2015 but it failed to go to a floor vote in either chamber. Past critics said the measure encouraged colleges to expel students who were accused of sexual assault even when there was little or no evidence.
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After being blocked in a procedural move by a Democrat last week, Republican Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he will try again to move forward with a bill that would permanently schedule all knock-offs of the drug fentanyl. Grassley says 200 Iowans died of fentanyl overdoses last year, while it killed 70-thousand people nationwide. “The reason for scheduling it is, it’s really easy to change the chemical makeup of fentanyl knock-offs,” Grassley says, “and then when you do that, that’s a way of getting around the law and selling things legally.”

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey opposed the measure, according to Grassley, because it includes mandatory sentencing. Grassley says he hopes to work out a compromise with Booker and get the bill passed before year’s end, when the current scheduling expires.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two accident took place last Friday. Authorities say a 2018 Hyundai driven by 65-year-old Debora Olerich, of Malvern, was traveling east on East 3rd Street at around 11:10-p.m., when her vehicle struck a 2014 Dodge, driven by 66-year-old Robert Muellner, of Randolph, after he failed to yield the right-of-way at the uncontrolled intersection with Prospect Avenue. Olerich was transported to Mercy Hospital by Malvern Rescue. Authorities cited Muellner for Failure to Yield.

And, at around 8:33-a.m., Friday, a 2020 Mack truck driven by 28-year-old Cody Lyons, of LaVista, NE., was traveling east on Highway 34 in a construction zone, and passed several construction zone signs indicating a maximum load width limit of 10-feet. The bulldozer he was hauling with a blade attached, scraped the concrete barricade all the way on the south side of the Highway 34 railroad bridge, which was closed to one lane because of the construction. The bulldozer blade also pushed the moveable concrete barricades along the construction zone.

Lyons told Deputies he saw the width restriction signs too late, and made an error in judgement, believing he could make it through the construction zone.