(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors tentatively approved $50,000 from the County’s ARPA (Government provided Covid Recovery) funds, for the Anita Child Care Center. Gabrielle Wahlert, Board member for the Center had requested $60,000 for safety and other improvements, security features, along with basic office supplies, etc.

The center is currently located within the Anita Elementary School.

The Director has been there for 14-years, the lead teacher has been at the facility for about 10-years, while another has served for about a year. The rest of the staff are part-time. The Supervisors were of the opinion office supplies and that sort of thing should be included under the Center’s operating expenses, just like any other business. The Board will take formal action on a Resolution for appropriating the funds during their next meeting.

Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon appeared on behalf of the Cass County Fire Association, which represents the eight fire departments in the county. He requested 15,000 per department ($120,000) from the County’s ARPA funds, for upgraded hand-held 700 megahertz radios, that will function with the ISIC’s system (Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System).

Kennon said a grant the Association received helped to pay for new mobile radios in the various pieces of apparatus. The grant did not cover the cost of paying for the radios.

The ARPA funds would be used for three radios in each of the eight fire departments in the County. The Board will formalize their approval of the funds during a Resolution in their next meeting on May 31st.

In other business, the Supervisors adopted a Resolution authorizing $65,000 for the Anita Fire Department from the ARPA funds. During their meeting last week, Anita Fire Chief Eric Steffensen requested the use of ARPA funds to purchase two new AED’s and a Stair Chair Pro totaling $65,000. Steffensen explained that fundraising is how the department raises funds for these types of items, yet the past 2 years those type of activities have not been held due to COVID.

They also adopted a Resolution allowing for the transfer of funds from one area to another on the budget. And, the Board, at the request of County Veteran’s Affairs Director Mitch Holmes, approved the re-appointment of Roger Barbero to the Veteran’s Affairs Commission.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday (today), reports 42-year-old Carolin Sue Mills,of Avoca, was arrested at around 1:25-a.m. today, on Highway 34. She was taken into custody under a Pottawattamie County warrant for three counts of Failure to Appear in court. Mills’ bond was set at $100,000. And, late Monday morning, 39-year-old Jeffrey Dale Hankins, of Malvern, was arrested at the Mills County Courthouse, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $10,000.

The Sheriff’s Office says also, officials with 10 Point Construction, of Denison, reported an incident of Theft in the 2nd Degree from their project location on Eastman Road in Mills County.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Community School District have announced the District will offer free breakfast and lunch during the summer, for students up to the age of 18. The free breakfast and lunch program will be held at the Schuler Elementary School, with breakfast served from 8-a.m. to 9-a.m., and lunch served from 11-a.m. until 12:30-p.m. The program takes place from June 1st through August 5th.

If you need more information, reach out to ACSD Food and Nutrition Director Natalie Ritter, at nritter@atlanticiaschools.org.

(Radio Iowa) – Senator Joni Ernst is the latest Iowa lawmaker who’s been permanently banned from entering Russia, but her Republican counterpart in the chamber is not on the list. Senator Chuck Grassley was asked in a conference call with Iowa reporters why he’s wasn’t singled out by Vladimir Putin, what some American legislators consider a badge of honor. “Maybe I’m not because I haven’t been so prominently displayed as people have,” Grassley says. “I think that’s very important to know that I’ve been tough on Putin, so maybe I should be on the list. I’ve said that either he’s sick or an egomaniac or both.” Grassley has condemned Russia’s continued assault on Ukraine as “inhumane” and he’s on record saying Putin is mirroring the actions of Stalin in the 1930s. “It seems to me that he’s violating the U.N. charter, killing innocent people,” Grassley says. “He’s already got Russian soldiers being prosecuted as war criminals and he could be prosecuted himself.”

In a news release on Monday, Ernst said: “I consider getting sanctioned by an autocratic, murderous thug a pretty clear sign that I’m doing something right.” During a speech on the Senate floor, Grassley urged his colleagues to support sending Ukraine any resources needed to stop what he called Putin’s mass murder. “I’ve spoken out the same way other senators have,” Grassley says. “I don’t care whether I’m on the list or not, because I’m not going to go to Russia anyway. I’ve been to Russia three times and every time it was a pleasure to go over there and interact with them, but I wouldn’t want to sit down with Putin now.”

In her news release, Ernst said: “Vladimir Putin’s lawless, unprovoked, and horrific war on Ukraine will be remembered by history as a despicable and unforgiving act. Putin can put my name at the top of his list.” In mid-April, all four members of Iowa’s Congressional delegation were sanctioned by Russia. Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson issued a release, saying: “This is badge of honor, but it is laughable that Putin thinks these sanctions will even slightly deter our efforts to defeat him and support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom. Putin is an autocratic thug and a war criminal. I’ll continue to do everything in my power to cut him and his cronies off at the knees and ensure Ukraine has the resources necessary to send Putin into retreat.”

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resource’s annual report on air emissions shows Iowa air quality has improved dramatically. Acting Air Quality Bureau Chief, Marnie Stein (stine), says the report for 2020, shows emissions of sulfur dioxide dropped more than 90 percent since 2002. And nitrogen dioxide emissions have fallen 70 percent. “The largest source of pollutants back in 2002 was electricity generating facilities and manufacturing facilities that burned coal. A lot of those have either shut down, converted to natural gas, or are relying on renewable energy now,” Stein says.

The annual report tracking six major air pollutants, is based on numbers provided by the 300 largest emission sources such as A-D-M, 3-M, Cargill, and food and ethanol producers. Smaller businesses are required to report every three years.  “For the larger facilities, we look at ones that have a big change from the previous year, either up or down in emissions. And then we select a certain number every year to do a complete, comprehensive review of,” she says.

Iowa began collecting data from large sources in 1992, and from smaller sources in 2000. Additional information on air quality in Iowa and across the country is available from the U-S E-P-A, Iowa D-N-R, and American Lung Association.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Police Department reports an Atlantic man was arrested Friday (May 20th), in connection with a fatal accident that occurred during the early morning hours of Oct. 25, 2021, in Cass County. Authorities say 27-year-old Bryce Baker was taken into custody on Cass County warrants for: Homicide by vehicle – Operating under the influence (A Class-B Felony); Driving While License denied, suspended, cancelled or revoked; and Driving on the Wrong side of a two-way highway. As previously reported, the Iowa State Patrol said a 2001 Lincoln LS driven by Bryce Baker was traveling south on 620th/Olive Street at around 5:30-a.m., Oct. 25th, when the car crossed the center line of the road and struck a northbound 2010 Chevy pickup, head-on, just south of Dallas Road. A passenger in Baker’s vehicle, 29-year-old Griffin Ferguson, of Humboldt, died at the scene. Baker, and the driver of the pickup, 64-year-old Bernard Sullivan, of Atlantic, were injured. Baker was being held without bond in the Cass County Jail. His preliminary hearing is set for 9-a.m., May 31st.

Also arrested May 20th in Atlantic, was 39-year-old Wainy Ruben, of Atlantic. Ruben was taken into custody for OWI. The A-PD says 21-year-old Josh James, of Atlantic, was arrested May 14th, for Burglary in the 2nd Degree, and Theft in the 2nd. On the 19th, 43-year-old Tina Binkley, of Des Moines, and 57-year-old Joline Reyes, of Ft. Dodge, were arrested for Theft in the 4th Degree (Shoplifting).

38-year-old Amy Jo Cameron, of Atlantic, was cited into court on May 14th, for Simple Assault. On May 23rd, 36-year-old Eric Mark, of Atlantic, was arrested for consumption of alcohol in a public place/1st offense, and disorderly conduct. And, 20-year-old Gage Mundorf, of Atlantic, was arrested on Cass County warrants for Criminal Mischief in the 4th and 5th Degrees.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report 26-year-old Ashley Kay Heston, of Clearfield, was arrested Monday night at Greater Regional Health, in Creston. Heston was charged with Driving While Barred. She was transported to the Union County Jail and later transferred to the Adams County Jail, where her cash/surety bond was set at $2,000.

Authorities said also, a woman residing in the 100 block of W. Ringgold Street in Creston, reported to Police Monday night, that someone had entered her vehicle parked outside her residence. An envelope of receipt was reported missing. There was no immediate dollar loss estimate available.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop by Red Oak Police today (Tuesday) at around 1:36-a.m., resulted in the arrest of a man on warrants out of Missouri. Red Oak Police took 45-year-old Jason Richard Berendes, of Red Oak, into custody at Highway 48 and 222nd Street, on warrants out of Dallas County, MO., for: Domestic Assault-2nd degree/2nd offense-domestic assault-2nd degree/3rd offense; harassment – 1st degree/4th offense-4th degree-1st of 2nd offense/5th offense-domestic assault-4th degree-1st or 2nd offense.

Berendes was being held in the Montgomery County Jail while awaiting extradition to Missouri.

(Radio Iowa) – Ninety-five legislators have voted to put the brakes on a proposed casino in Cedar Rapids and the proposal is headed to Governor Kim Reynolds for her signature. The bill would create an immediate moratorium, to prevent the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission from considering any casino license applications over the next two years. Linn County voters approved a gambling referendum in November. Representative Kirsten Running-Marquardt of Cedar Rapids says that means her community is being singled out.

“This is incredibly unfair,” Running-Marquardt says. “People have been navigating and working with the Gaming Commission and then all of a sudden we see a moratorium pop up.” Representative Shannon Lundgren of Peosta says a moratorium on new state casino licenses is a good idea amid all the gambling activity happening in surrounding states. “It gives us an opportunity to look at what’s happening in our competitive states and then make a decision from there if we want to expand the land based casinos in the state,” Lundgren says.

Lundgren says legislators have a responsibility to ensure new casinos don’t siphon customers away from existing casinos — and she suggests lawmakers may set new limits on gambling regulators’ authority in the future. “I think this moratorium just allows us to step back and take a breather and see how we want to move forward — if we want to make any changes in how and why the commission would act going forward,” Lundgren says.

Representative Steve Hansen of Sioux City says as casino construction starts in Nebraska, a moratorium on new casinos in Iowa is short sighted. “The western Iowa casinos from Sioux City down to Council Bluffs, we will be impacted by Nebraska gambling, as will the whole state of Iowa,” Hansen says, “and I think we are going to end up wanting to increase licenses elsewhere in the state of Iowa to pick up that revenue that we’re going to lose.”

Senators considered and approved the moratorium for the first time Monday morning and the House approved it a few hours later. The bill that includes the moratorium on new casino licenses also would let Iowa casinos simulcast out-of-state horse races like the Kentucky Derby and take bets. An earlier version of the bill would have allowed Iowans to bet on video game competitions, but references to E-sports were removed from the bill.

(Radio Iowa) – A western Iowa legislator cast his final vote in the Iowa House, then announced late last (Monday) night that he was leaving for basic training for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Jon Jacobsen of Council Bluffs says members of the group are unpaid volunteers. “An enormous amount during my youth was involved in endurance swimming and aquatics lifesaving BSA activities. I was a preverbal fish who was always happiest on water,” Jacobsen says.

Jacobsen, who is 62, says for the past eight months he’s been getting fit and losing weight in order to qualify for basic training. He’s joining about 21-thousand other Americans who are volunteers in the Coast Guard Auxilary. Jacobsen says it will give him a new perspective on protecting Iowa’s waterways and flood prevention.

“Instead of serving my constituents in the House, I will be serving them on the Missouri and the Nishnabotna,” Jacobsen said. Jacobsen is not seeking reelection to the House, but is considering a run for the state senate in 2024. Jacobsen is an attorney and a trust officer in a bank.