The Chairpersons of the Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations reminds residents in their respective counties, that time is growing short to submit spring grant applications, which are due no later than February 1st, 2012.  In each county, $95,000 is available to nonprofit organizations.

Detailed application procedures, fact sheets, and a link to the application form can be obtained online at http://omahafoundation.org/swiowa.  Applications will only be accepted through the online system.  Contact any board member for additional information*.  Please contact Dennis Nissen at 800-794-3458 or dennis@omahafoundation.org or Denise Cardos at denise@omahafoundation.org with grant application-specific questions.  All completed applications will be considered at the March board meeting with notification of results in early April.

Only 501(c)(3)  organizations providing charitable services in Cass or Audubon County are eligible.  Those organizations must be able to demonstrate broad community/county support.  Requests for general operational funds will not be considered.
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*Board members of the Cass County Community Foundation are: Chair, Nicholas Hunt of rural Atlantic, 243-5485; Vice Chair, Gary Maas of Anita, 762-3434; Secretary/Treasurer, Roland K. Landsness, Esq. of Atlantic, 243-4154; Royal Bierbaum of Griswold, 778-2586; Beulah Follman of Massena, 779-3457; and Mark D. Kyhnn, CPA of Atlantic, 243-1800.

*Board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Chair, Brett Irlmeier of Audubon, 712-563-2644; Vice Chair, Larry Beckendorf of Exira, 712-268-5331; Secretary/Treasurer, Thomas Nielsen of Audubon, 712-563-2742; Joanie Heuton of Kimballton, 712-773-5291; Jonnie Meislahn of Audubon, 712-563-2009; Jay Nelson of rural Brayton, 712-549-2277; and Daryl Olsen, DVM of Audubon, 712-563-2080.

The Trevor Frederickson Fund in Atlantic recently provided a boost to the Schuler and Washington Elementary Libraries, by donating $1,000 for new books to those libraries. Fund representative Melanie Petty said she was able to visit with Janice Dickerson, Atlantic School Librarian, and view a series of Major League Baseball books she was able to purchase for Schuler Elementary.

Melanie Petty visits with Janice Dickerson, Atlantic School Librarian

Melanie says her son Trevor loved the Big Leagues, especially the Chicago Cubs.  She says they were also able to contribute approximately 32 new books to Washington Elementary. It’s the second year the Fund has been able to help out the libraries.

Petty says the children of our community are our future, and as the community continues to support the Foundation through the annual T-Fred Memorial Golf Tournament, they will continue to support the community of Atlantic. The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund was established after the 21-year old Atlantic native died during a Council Bluffs house fire, in June 2009. The fund raises money by hosting the annual T-Fred Memorial Golf Tournament.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission hit the Riverside Casino with a 20-thousand dollar fine this week for allowing an underage person to get onto the gambling floor. It was the second recent violation for the facility. General manager Dan Franz spoke to the commission. “We certainly regret that this happened, we take it very seriously, we take our responsibility to maintain the integrity of the gaming floor very seriously. And quite frankly to be up here again the second time within a year regarding a violation, we’re embarrassed by that, and don’t feel good about it at all,” Franz said. Franz says this case was a simple mistake as the minor had a paper I-D and it couldn’t be scanned by the security officer.

Franz says the man looked at the I-D and immediately started looking at the height and weight listed and missed the date of the person’s birth. “There’s really not other excuse for it, other than he made a mistake,” Franz said. Riverside also paid a 20-thousand dollar fine for the first instance, and would have to pay 30-thousand dollars if there is another problem before April. The Racing and Gaming Commission also fined Harrah’s Casino and the Horseshoe Casino, both in Council Bluffs, $3,000 each for allowing someone who had banned themselves from gambling to enter the casinos. Commission administrator Jack Ketterer says the casinos have to be vigilant in preventing people who “self exclude” themselves from gambling.

“People do that all the time, and there’s not any way for the licensees to catch all these people, but what we do want them to do is when they have a taxable jackpot….that they compare that person’s name with the name on the self exclusion list and their Social Security number,” Ketterer said. He says these two casinos did not catch the self exclusions and allow the people to collect jackpots. Any jackpot over 12-hundred dollars requires identification before it can be paid out.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say one-person was arrested late Friday night on a charge of Public Intoxication. 28-year old Jared Alan Gresham, of Red Oak, was taken into custody just before midnight. Gresham was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on bond, pending an appearance before a magistrate.

Authorities in Montgomery County are asking for the public’s help in finding the person or persons responsible for a break-in and burglary at a church in Emerson. The Sheriff’s Department says members of the Wales United Presbyterian Church reported late Friday morning, someone entered the church and took several items.  The burglary happened sometime between 5-pm Thursday and 9:45-a.m. Friday.  If you were in the area and noticed any suspicious activity during that time frame, you’re asked to call Montgomery County Crime Stoppers, at 1-800-432-1001, or the Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107.