(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic City Council will meet in a regular session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in their Chambers at City Hall. On their agenda is a Public Hearing on a proposed amendment to the plan for the Atlantic Urban Revitalization Area. City Administrator John Lund says Iowa Code requires the hearing as part of the steps in updating an Urban Revitalization Plan (URP) Area. The Council passed a Resolution providing notice of the hearing on August 17th. The hearing will be followed by action on a Resolution to Adopt the URP as amended. Lund said the City’s Finance Attorney, John Danos, has prepared the proceedings so that the Council may readopt the policy, which has expired. The only change would be to remove the expiration date, as the Council has not shown an interest in ending it, and “The sunsets are proving to be a bureaucratic burden,” according to Lund.

In other business, the Council will act to pass a Resolution “Setting the date for a public hearing on [a] proposal to enter into a General Obligation Land Acquisition Loan Agreement, and to Borrow Money thereunder in a principal amount not to exceed $700,000.” The hearing is expected to occur during the Council’s regular meeting on Sept. 17th.  As part of an effort to tackle the lack of housing in Atlantic, an option to secure land from the Comes Family Trust in the area northeast of 22nd and Olive Streets, was approved, thanks to the work of Bob Camblin, who also put down $10,000 of his own funds to lock down the option. The cost of the land is $830,000. The purchase will be financed through general obligation debt, according to Lund, who said also, the actual borrowing will be much lower than the $820,000 required. The principal borrowed would be $500,000, with the remainder coming from the City’s share of ARPA (Covid) relief funds, and supplemented with excess funding provided to the CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) Downtown Facade Project, and LOST (Local Option Sales Tax) Progress funds.

The Atlantic City Council will also hold the second reading of an amended panhandling ordinance, the first reading of: an amending mowing of properties ordinance; an amended ordinance pertaining to removal of solid waste; and, an amended ordinance with regard to the removal of snow and ice accumulations. In his report to the Council, Wednesday evening, John Lund will follow-up on Beautification Committee, and Personnel and Finance Committee, meetings. He’ll also discuss the possible renewal of an agreement with “The Retail Coach.”

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission is planning a study of the state’s horse racing industry. Racing and Gaming Administrator, Brian Ohorilko says the idea came after the Commission had discussions with administrators in the thoroughbred industry, quarter horse industry, and Prairie Meadows Racetrack.

Ohorilko says the Commission members felt it was best to get some help in dealing with some of those differences of opinion.

Ohorilko says the long-term goal is to consider what is needed to promote the long-term viability of the industry. The next step is to work with the Administrative Services Agency to get someone to do the study.

Ohorilko says it will take some time to get the study completed.

The Racing and Gaming Commission approved the plan to do the study at its recent meeting.

(Radio Iowa) – When someone in Iowa calls 9-1-1, the type of response they get depends on exactly where they are in the state — and that response can be widely varied. Rebecca Neusteter, principal investigator of the Transform 9-1-1 Initiative, says the emergency telephone system is not always reliable, prompting an urgent need for financial support of 9-1-1 in Iowa — and at the national level.

There’s a perception that 9-1-1 is a unified system, but in Iowa alone, there are 113 separate 9-1-1 call centers in the 99 counties.

As in many industries, there are shortages of qualified people to work this type of job and experienced dispatchers are in high demand. Neusteter says calling the emergency number shouldn’t be a roll of the dice.

Nationwide, at least 240-million calls are made to 9-1-1 each year, but she says 75-percent of the calls don’t relate to a crime in progress and often are not responded to by a properly-trained professional.

(Radio Iowa) – The City of Ottumwa is now the owner of the train depot in downtown Ottumwa. Officials held a ribbon cutting last month to mark the purchase.

Amtrak leases the depot and in 2019 more than 10-thousand passengers either boarded or got off a train at Ottumwa’s depot. Ottumwa Mayor Rick Johnson says the site is part of a development plan for the riverfront in Ottumwa.

The historic Railroad Retirees Clubhouse has been acquired by the city, too. Tom Linehouser is president of the Wapello County Historical Society, which restored the clubhouse and opened it for tours in 2014. He says negotiations to have the city buy the depot and clubhouse lasted about a year.

The City of Ottumwa bought the depot and clubhouse for less than half a million dollars. Officials say Amtrak will be spending five million dollars to update the platform at the tracks and the depot’s waiting lobby. Ottumwa passengers board with tickets on the California Zephyr, which runs from Chicago to San Francisco. The first train station in Ottumwa was established by the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad in 1859. The current depot building opened in 1951.

ATLANTIC, IA – Coming off a highly successful 3-year run across all 99 Iowa counties, the State Historical Society of Iowa’s mobile museum is back on the road with a brand-new exhibit. The museum will visit Produce in the Park on Thursday, September 8 from 4:30-6:30 in the Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th St. Atlantic, IA 50022).

Housed in a custom-built Winnebago, “Iowa History 101: Iowa’s People & Places” is a 300-square-foot museum exhibit on wheels packed with 56 artifacts and videos that explore 13,000 years of Iowa history, from its earliest residents to those who call it home today. The mobile museum offers free, selfguided tours and is handicap accessible.

The History on the Move mobile museum will visit Produce in the Park on September 8. The public is invited to take free self-guided tours of the 300-square-foot exhibition

The new exhibition unpacks some of the stories of Iowa’s past with an eclectic array of artifacts. Some of the highlights on display include:

• An Election ticket from 1860.
• Knitting needles Iowa first lady Jane Kirkwood of Iowa City used to knit clothing for soldiers during the Civil War and World War I.
• A birchbark lunchbox a Cerro Gordo County boy used in the 1870s.
• A Meskwaki cradleboard from the late 1800s.
• A University of Iowa pennant from Edward Carter of Monroe County, the first African American to get a medical degree from the University of Iowa, in 1907.
• A Paper fan promoting women’s suffrage, from about 1916.
• A Menu from Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev’s visit to Des Moines in 1959.
• A Women’s track uniform from Iowa State University from 1972, the year Title IX passed.
• Boots worn by the Des Moines Water Works director during the flood of 1993.
• and a Flight suit worn by astronaut Peggy Whitson of Beaconsfield.

In addition to the mobile museum, this week’s Produce in the Park offers live music, games, nearly 20 vendors selling local food and crafts, a guest chef sharing recipes and free samples of gazpacho (a cold vegetable soup popular in Spain), and food trucks serving BBQ, Tropical Sno, and Tex-Mex.

Details for Produce in the Park September 8…
Date: Thursday, Sept. 8
Time: 4:30-6:30 PM
Location: Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th St. Atlantic, IA 50022)
Food Trucks: Little Green Trailer (Tropical Sno, BBQ, & more!), Zemog’s Cocina Taco Truck
Activities: Mobile Museum Iowa History 101; Atlantic Parks & Rec: Board games and yard games; Senior Life Solutions of Cass Health: Activities and information
Live Music: Sarah Selders
Local Products: Fresh produce: Peppers, Green Beans, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Onions, Zucchini, Shallots, Eggplant, Garlic, Potatoes and more!; Protein: Beef, Pork, Chicken, & farm-fresh eggs; Sweets and Snacks: Cupcakes, cookies, honey, Kringle, more desserts, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and popcorn
Crafts & More: Fall-scented candles, soaps, car fresheners, hair products, more bath and body products, embroidered towels and clothing, art prints, jewelry, fall plants, & more
Guest Chef: Cass County Master Gardener Marla Anstey will be sharing recipes and taste tests of Gazpacho (Gazpacho is a delicious cold soup made of raw, blended vegetables often eaten in Spain and Portugal during hot summers.)

Free drawings for Mums (from Sue’s Country Garden) and a dozen farm-fresh eggs (sponsored by the Cass County Local Food Policy Council). Anyone age 18+ can enter for free. Winner will be drawn after the market ends and pick up at the market the following week.

Payment methods accepted: All vendors accept cash. Many accept credit cards, Venmo, and Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Senior and WIC checks. All qualifying food vendors accept SNAP/EBT (also known as food stamps). All fresh produce vendors both accept and distribute Double Up Food Bucks (coupons given for SNAP/EBT purchases of fresh produce).

Produce in the Park September 2022 farmers markets are sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, Cass Health, Cass County Tourism, First Whitney Bank and Trust, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, and Deter Motor Co. For updates on Produce in the Park, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/), or visit the Produce in the Park website to sign up for the e-newsletter at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com. For information on vending at the park, contact Market Manager Brigham Hoegh at produceintheparkatlanticiowa@gmail.com or 712-249-5870.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – An Adair County man found guilty by a jury on Sept. 1st, for the Felony crimes of Homicide by Vehicle and Child Endangerment, was ordered held in the Adair County Jail, pending his being sentenced. Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports 43-year-old Elijah Daniel Davis, formerly of Orient, was being held without bond in the jail. His sentencing hearing is set for 9-a.m. on Oct. 10th, at the Adair County Courthouse, in Greenfield.  The charges stem from a fatal accident that took place at around 5:08-p.m. May 8, 2020, on Highway 25, near Orient.

During the incident, an eastbound 2000 Ford Astro van driven by Davis crossed the centerline for unknown reasons and struck a westbound 1946 Ford F-100 pickup driven by 39-year old Jeremy Trichel, of Menlo. Trichel was ejected from his vehicle and died from his injuries. Davis was also injured in the crash. He was found June 10, 2021 in Fort Meyers, Florida, by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Florida/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force and extradited to Iowa to face his charges.

In other Adair County Sheriff’s news:

• 28-year-old Jacob Thomas Ferguson, of Iowa City, was arrested Saturday (9/3/22) by Police in Adair. Ferguson was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense and Open Container-Driver, 21-years of age or older. His Breath-Alcohol Content (BAC) tested at .241%, or slightly more than three-times the legal limit. Ferguson was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $1,000 bond.
• On Sept. 2nd, 51-year-old Shawn Worline, of Anita, was arrested by Adair Police,for OWI/1st offense. Worline was cited for the offense and released a little more than an hour later.
• On the 1st of September, Adair County Deputies arrested 53-year-old Kristina Lois Sherman, of Adair, at 6th and Stuart Streets, at around 2:15-a.m.. She was taken into custody for Public Intoxication and later released on a Recognizance Bond (ROR).
• On August 29th, Stuart Police arrested 37-year-old Jacob Lyle Hains, of Berthoud, CO, for OWI/1st offense. Hains was arrested at around 11:10-p.m. following a traffic stop on I-80. His Preliminary Breath Test came back at .200%. His BAC would subsequently test at .124%. Hains was released early on the 30th, after posting a $1,000 bond.
• And, on August 28th, 22-year-old Maxwell Alan Kuhns, of Greenfield, was arrested in Greenfield for OWI/1st offense. His BAC results showed .107%, or slightly above the legal limit for intoxication. Kuhns was cited and released.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Montgomery County, early Monday afternoon, arrested Robert Charles Harvey, II. Harvey was taken into custody on a warrant for Failure to Appear for his Pretrial Conference. He was picked-up by authorities in Page County, and transported to the Page-Montgomery County line, before being taken to the Montgomery County Jail in Red Oak. His bond was set at $5,000.

And, a man from Red Oak was arrested at around 11-a.m., Monday, Red Oak Police arrested 39-year-old David Allan Minard, for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. It was his second arrest on the same charge in a 12-hour period. Minard was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University Sociology professor finds a pandemic-related link between the increase in drinking among women. Susan Stewart started looking at the increase in alcohol use among women before the COVID outbreak, and then refocused to look at the pandemic impact. “The pandemic took a particularly heavy toll on women who were already facing a great deal of stress, especially balancing work and home and children, women are still the main caretakers of kids. And for, I don’t know, several decades, their alcohol use has increased. And men’s has to but women’s has increased pretty dramatically,” Stewart says.

She says drinking — especially for white and college-educated women – has increased more to cope with stress, move up at work, feel confident, and to have fun or be perceived as having fun. Stewart says not all the perceptions about women drinking have changed. “The women I spoke with for my book, they still identified a lot of areas of stigma having to do with women and drinking,”Stewart says. “For example, the kinds of alcohol that they see themselves allowed to consume, meaning like wine and girly drinks, as opposed to like taking a shot of whiskey.”

Stewart says women still seem to be watched for the circumstances and who they are with and how many drinks they have. “Whereas men, I have found just can drink, they’re not challenged on that behavior, it’s just much more acceptable,” according to Stewart. “For women, you look at women who are drinking you might think, well, she’s out for fun or she’s had a stressful day, not just drinking, because it’s pleasurable.” Stewart says alcohol appears to be the choice for a stress reducer because it is easiest to use.

“The issue for a lot of women — especially busy women with children — is that alcohol is widely available. It doesn’t take very much time. You know, you can have a glass of wine at home you don’t have to leave the house to go out to the gym or for running something like that,” Stewart says.

Stewart says death certificate data from 1999 to 2016 show alcohol-related mortalities shot up 120 percent among non-Hispanic white women aged 25 to 64, followed by 72 percent among American Indians/Alaskan Natives and 39 percent among Hispanic women. African American women experienced a 19 percent decline in deaths.

(Radio Iowa) – Before farmland covered nearly 90-percent of Iowa, the vast majority of the state was prairie. Only a small fraction of that natural habitat remains, making Iowa one of the most biologically altered states in the nation. Some Iowans are working to resurrect the state’s natural habitats and the wildlife that comes with it. Kelly Madigan, who lives in Monona County along the Loess Hills, says Iowa’s natural areas have become very fragmented.

“We have made those strips of where plants and insects and a variety of animals can live, we’ve made them so narrow, and in some places, they’ve disappeared altogether,” Madigan says. “Those remnants to me are super important to preserve, they’re like a little lifeboat of what’s left.” Only a tiny sliver of Iowa prairie land, around one-tenth of one-percent, remains untouched by agriculture and the development that surrounds it.

Graham McGaffin, with the Iowa Nature Conservancy, points to the birds and the bison that populate the Loess Hills. McGaffin says it’s one of the state’s most biodiverse areas because it holds 75-percent of Iowa’s grassland prairies. “You’ve got ornate box turtles that exist in the hills, plains pocket mouse, the Great Plains spink,” McGaffin says, “you’ve just got a ton of species and the hills are so unique.”

Since 1963, the organization has been collaborating with landowners to bring back wildlife and he says they do so by connecting the fragmented natural spaces. The lack of protected natural land isn’t sustainable for Iowa’s wildlife, according to biology professor David Hoferer (HOE-fur-er) at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City. Hoferer says the destruction of the ecosystem is part of what has led to 47 animals and 64 plants being listed as endangered within the state.

“We’re at crisis point,” Hoferer says. “Either we do something this decade, or we’re gonna see massive, massive extinctions over the rest of the century.” Hoferer says it will take thousands of individual landowners stepping up to implement conservation practices to reverse the process. He says the state should focus on giving farmers incentives to reintroduce natural habitats on steep or flood-prone lands. Farmer Lee Tesdell planted strips of prairie across his 76 acres in Story County a few years ago and now has patches of purple and yellow wild vegetation interwoven in his soybean fields.

Tesdell says the biodiversity on his farm is blooming. “I saw a coyote coming by and a raccoon came by and a skunk came by then the badger came out to check everything out,” Tesdell says, “so there’s a lot of critters down there.” Tesdell says the strips can reduce sediment movement by 95-percent, significantly reducing water pollution.

(by Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)

A member of the Anita High School Class of ’79 recently had a heart transplant, and now some of his classmates are trying to raise money to help with his medical expenses. Doug Masker is also diabetic and needs a new pump costing $1,000 that he cannot afford. He is hospitalized in Omaha and the class is trying to raise funds to help him.

Doug Masker (photo submitted)

Donations can be sent to 52817 700th Street, Anita, IA 50020 c/o Judy Masker or Jeff Anderson. Anything helps. Thanks!