(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund said today (Thursday), they are pleased to be a sponsor of the Southwest Iowa Fishing Team again, this year. Trevor’s mom and Foundation spokesperson Melanie Petty says fishing was a huge part of Trevor’s life and watching this program grow in the last two years is wonderful to see.  Anyone who is interested in joining should email swifishingteam@gmail.com or reach out to Bob Harris at 712-304-2015.  The club has several opportunities to fish with a Boat Series, a Kayak Series and a Virtual Series.

(Grant Petty and Bob Harris) – photo submitted

The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund raises money each year at their annual golf tournament.  This year the 14th TFred Memorial Golf Tournament will be held at the Atlantic Golf and Country Club on Saturday, June 18th.   Although the tournament is already full we are still accepting hole sponsors and items for our silent auction that will be held in the club house all day.  Stop out and have lunch with us and bid on some amazing items.  All monies raised are given back to the things that Trevor loved in a community that held a special place in his heart.

For further information call Melanie Petty at 712-249-3696.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The trial for an Atlantic man charged in connection with a stabbing incident during the late night hours on April 3rd, is set to take place June 28th at 9:30-a.m.. According to online court records, arraignment for 19-year-old Michael Gehling will be held May 2nd and a Pre-Trial Conference on June 6th. Both begin at 9-a.m. His preliminary hearing is set to take place today (April 14), at 2-p.m.

Authorities last week said Gehling faces a Class-B Felony charge of Attempted Murder, and a Class-C Felony charge of Willful Injury-Causing Serious Injury. He’s pleaded not guilty. Gehling was arrested without incident, following an investigation that began with a 9-1-1 call at around 12:03-a.m., on April 4th. The call came in from a local resident requesting medical attention for a man who had a stab wound. Officers learned the incident happened in the area of 6th and Pine Streets.

The victim (whose name was not released) was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital (Cass Health), in Atlantic, and was later transported to the UNMC in Omaha, for treatment of serious injuries.

[Updated] (Logan, Iowa) – A storm spotter/first responder was injured and several properties were damaged when severe storms swept through Harrison County, Tuesday. Harrison County Emergency Management coordinator Philip Davis said in a news release, that he found “significant damages” to two residences south of Logan while out assessing the storm damage on Wednesday. He also found “major damage” to a home in the Woodbine area. Trees and agricultural lands also sustained some damage.

Davis said also, a responder who was helping with storm spotting during the storm was injured. The extent of that person’s injuries has not yet been released. The National Weather Service issued a warning for Harrison County around 7:53 p.m. Tuesday. It warned of a line of severe thunderstorms capable of producing a tornado. The NWS has not yet confirmed a tornado touched down in that area. On Thursday, the NWS did say eight confirmed tornadoes took place elsewhere across the State, Tuesday.

The strongest twisters were rated at EF2 outside Gilmore City, in Pocahontas County, and in Humboldt County, near Bradgate. In the northeast part of the state, an EF1 hit southwest of Mason City, and an EF0 was briefly on the ground in Hancock County. Three weaker tornadoes were reported in Mitchell and Howard counties.  All but one of the twisters were packing winds in excess of 100-mph.

Harrison County officials want to know if anyone else in the county has damaged property as a result of the storm. Anyone with damage was asked to report it by clicking here or calling Harrison County Communications at 712-644-2244.

(Radio Iowa) – The third annual “Build My Future” event was held Wednesday on the grounds of the Iowa State Fair. Chuck Gassman, vice president of Iowa Skilled Trades, says recruiting young people into his line of work hasn’t been easy. “Twenty-seven years ago, if we could get 10 people here to an event like this, it was a major win,” Gasman says. “Today we have over 5100 students here and I get choked up because of that. That is awesome!”

The day is designed to give students a chance to see the opportunities there are for welders, electricians, carpenters and others in the construction and manufacturing industries. More than a dozen high school students participated in a signing ceremony, pledging that they intend to work in the skilled trades after graduating from high school. Governor Kim Reynolds signed each student’s letter of intent.

Build My Future students. (RI photo)

Governor Kim Reynolds signed each student’s letter of intent. “The world is your oyster, I’m telling you. There is such a need. Together you’re really helping and I think that’s what’s so great about this, too. Kids see so many other kids here who are excited and fired up about these careers, that they’re not alone in doing this, so thanks for helping us drive the momentum across the state,” Reynolds said. “…Congratulations! We appreciate you being here. Now we want you to stay in Iowa.”

Seventy-six Iowa high schools are working with local businesses and community colleges to set up apprenticeships for teenagers while they’re still in school, many with the promise of a full-time job after graduation.

(Radio Iowa) – The legislature has voted to add 14 new opioid compounds to the state’s list of illegal drugs that have a high potential for abuse. All 14 drugs include fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine. Senator Brad Zaun, of Urbandale, says it’s sadly become a yearly requirement to add new synthetic drugs to the state’s controlled substances list.  “This is necessary for us to make sure these illegal, despicable drug dealers can’t sell this in our communities,” Zaun says.

Representative Michael Bergen of Dorchester says all 14 substances are on the federal government’s list of illegal drugs. “Iowa’s crime lab has seen a 130% increase in different compounds over the past five years,” Bergen says. “The DEA reports seeing a new substance about every three weeks.”

The bill passed the House in February and the Senate gave it final approval this week. The bill’s written to take effect as soon as the governor signed it into law.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department, today (Thursday), said a woman reported on Tuesday, that her vehicle had been struck in the 300 block of N. Russell Street. The damage was estimated at $8,000. And, a woman residing in the 100 block of N. Division Street, in Creston, reported Wednesday afternoon, that her vehicle keys were stolen from her residence. The loss was estimated at $50.

Police in Red Oak, Wednesday night, arrested 43-year-old David Francis Hughes, Jr., of Red Oak. Hughes was taken into custody at around 10:40-p.m., for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – Lawmakers’ decisions on the state budget and other high profile issues are apparently on hold. Governor Kim Reynolds continues to lobby for state-funded scholarships for 10-thousand kids to enroll in private schools.   “That’s where I’m focusing all of my energy right now,” Reynolds says.

The Republican-led senate has passed the governor’s plan, but Reynolds does not yet have 51 Republican “yes” votes lined up in the Iowa House. The governor told reporters she’s fighting for every vote and isn’t interested in negotiating with legislators on other issues, like the bottle bill.

“I wish they’d focus on the kids. That’s what I’d wish they’d focus on. If I want to be honest, that’s what I’m talking to legislators about. It’s not the bottle bill,” Reynolds said. “I’m talking to legislators about the students and what I’m hearing from parents and what these kids are being subjected to. Let’s get back to the basics. Let’s teach math and reading and science.”

Reynolds says the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows public school students in Iowa are falling behind their peers in other states. Sixty-eight percent of fourth graders are reading at that grade level, which Reynolds says is unacceptable. “We need to do something different and, you know, this is a pilot program to see if it works and if it doesn’t, then we need to readjust, but we should not be afraid of trying something different,” Reynolds says. “It is not about the system. It’s about the kids!”

Members of the Iowa House and Senate get a daily allowance to cover expenses during the first 100 days of the legislative session. Those payments end next Tuesday. That yearly cut-off often triggers decision-making that leads to the conclusion of the legislature. Reynolds says state-funded scholarships for private school expenses will be at the top of her 2023 legislative agenda if they aren’t approved this year.  “I’m never going to give up on that,” Reynolds says.

Republicans who are reluctant to support the governor’s private school initiative say small public schools in rural Iowa have tight budgets now and could see another drop in state funding with a shift to more state support of private schools.

(Radio Iowa) – 2020 could wind up being the last time Iowa Democrats host the first event in their party’s presidential nominating process. The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee has voted to have state parties apply to be among the first five contests in the 2024 presidential election. Applications for “early state” status are due June 3rd and Iowa Democratic Party chairman Ross Wilburn says Iowa Democrats look forward to enthusiastically making the case Iowa should host an early voting contest.

National party leaders have been encouraging states to hold primaries rather than caucuses. Having a set of early primaries in states that will be battleground or toss-up states in the General Election is a priority for key Democratic Party leaders, who say the diversity of a state’s population should also be a factor.

The Iowa Democratic Party’s chairman says there will be discussions about making the Iowa Caucuses more accessible and straightforward. A party panel assembled in 2016 to explore changes in how Iowa Democrats caucus ultimately kept the complicated system of calculating a winner in place.

Iowa Republicans essentially hold a Straw Poll on Caucus Night and Iowa G-O-P chairman Jeff Kaufmann says Republican leaders at the national level are poised to affirm the Iowa Republican Party’s Caucuses as first-in-the-nation in 2024.

[Updated] (Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber reported to the School Board during their meeting Wednesday evening, that throughout the school year, they lost a few days of instructional time, due to inclement weather, and the State Wrestling Tournament. Given all the instructional time lost, Mr. Barber said the District will still meet the required 1,080 hours.

To finish the year, he said they would make up the student day on May 26, 2022, which is one of the two days lost to weather. There would be an early dismissal time on that day. Staff, he said, will be required to make up two additional days on Friday, May 27, 2022 and Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Hopefully, he says, some of  that time can be used by Middle School Teachers to pack-up materials that will be transferred by the the Middle School.

Steve Barber said also, a former AHS graduate is donating 81, three-year old, high-quality work stations that his company, Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., no longer has a need for.

Some of the tables will be used to replace older tables and other places, where collaboration is required. He mentioned also, that with the Federal Government ceasing to provide free breakfast and lunches to all school age students to reduce the financial burden on families over the past 18 months, the policy will go away beginning with the 2022-23 school year.

Mr. Barber said this will be a change for all of our families, and with everyone receiving free breakfast and lunches over time, some families have not taken the time to fill out the free and reduced application. Over the next few months, Barber said the District will continue to inform everyone of the changes that are coming, and the importance of filling out the paperwork, to see if you qualify to free or reduced lunches.

In other school board news…Following a public hearing, they Board approved a tax levy of $13.25 per one thousand dollars of valuation. The board agreed to lower the tax levy rate from $13.95 to $13.25 to offset the financial impact on property taxpayers due to the 7.09 percent increase in property valuations. The School Board also approved a $935,000.00 debt service payment, saving taxpayers money in interest payments.