(Radio Iowa) – Non-profits are having the same struggles as for-profit companies when it comes to finding workers. Recruiters have filled just a quarter of the 50 AmeriCorps assignments in Iowa that are to start in early 2022. AmeriCorps members must be between the ages of 18 and 25 and they receive health care coverage, a monthly stipend and more than 63-hundred dollars to cover student loan debt or pay college tuition. Rachel Wagner of Conservative Corps for Minnesota and Iowa says the job market is really competitive right now.

“There are so many hiring signs out there,” Wagner says. “When the job market is better, I think people are less likely to do an AmeriCorps program because it’s more of a service thing.” Most of the job openings in Iowa are for work on conservation-related projects outdoors. Wagner says the crews will be based in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Cedar Falls, but may travel outside Iowa to work in some of the National Parks in the Midwest.

“This is a really great opportunity for a young person who, whether or not they want to get into natural resources work or environmental work, they really can network, build their resume and try something new for just a year or part of a year before starting on another career path,” she says. Student loan payments are put on hold while an AmeriCorps member is on assignment, too.

A recent survey by the National Council of Non-profits found 80 percent of the organizations were finding it difficult to hire workers.

DES MOINES – Today (Friday), Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced appointments to Iowa’s boards and commissions.  They included two residents from each of Cass, Carroll and Dallas Counties, and one each from Page & Union Counties.

The following (Area) appointments are subject to Senate confirmation:

Board of Speech Pathology and Audiology
Caitlin McKenney, Dallas County

Commission on Tobacco Use Prevention and Control
Chad Jensen, Carroll County

Iowa Workforce Development Board
Mary Landhuis, Page County
Alicia Stafford, Union County

The following appointments are not subject to Senate confirmation:

Council on Agricultural Education
Ben Booth, Carroll County

Southwest Regional STEM Advisory Board
Misty Gray, Cass County
Katherine Somers, Cass County

State Historical Records Advisory
Joseph (Andy) Swanson, Dallas

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Friday (today) said there were three arrests over the past week, and one accident. On Friday (Dec. 10th), 43-year-old Anthony Karns, of Wiota, was arrested on a warrant for violation of a protective order. Karns was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held, pending release by bond or on his own recognizance.

Wednesday (Dec. 8), Cass County Deputies arrested 67-year-old Terry Bahney, of Austin, TX, for OWI 1st Offense. Bahney was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and later released after posting bond. And, on Tuesday, Dec. 7th, deputies arrested 34-year-old Lisa Sivard, of Council Bluffs, on a warrant for controlled substance violations. Sivard was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and later released with time served.

Authorities said also, a non-injury accident took place December 5th, in Cass County. Deputies were notified at around 6:50-a.m. about the accident on Main Street / Highway 92, in Griswold. A 2019 Chevrolet Spark driven by Randall Myers, of Griswold, was traveling West on Main Street / Highway 92. When he leaned over to pick up something, his actions caused the vehicle to veer rightward. The car struck a legally parked 2009 Ford F150 owned by Ross Baier, of Atlantic.

Damage from the collision amounted to $12,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A recount of the November 30th run-off election for Mayor in the City of Atlantic, resulted in no change in the winner. The recount was requested by candidate Tim Teig, after election night results showed he lost by just four votes. A committee of three people gathered in the Cass County Board of Supervisor’s Board Room Friday morning. They included Bert Hoeck, representing candidate Tim Teig, Leanne Pellett, representing candidate Grace Garrett, and Tammy Wickman, who served a non-partisan role. Election night results had shown there were a total of 1,174 votes cast during the race, including two write-in votes for Kathy Somers.

Dorene South, Assistant to the Cass County Auditor, oversees the recount process.

All ballots were counted separately for each of three precincts: Absentee; Atlantic Wards 1,2,&3; and Atlantic Wards 4&5. The number of ballots matched the number counted electronically on November 30th. The committee then went through and separated in each precinct, the ballots for each candidate. Afterward, they went through a three-stage process for counting each ballot as a means of confirming the tallies.

In the end, there were no disputed ballots, and there no change in any of the total precinct numbers. The vote remains 588 for Garrett and 584 for Teig. Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns acknowledge the results are official, and Garrett is the winner. Karns said also, Precinct 3 (Atlantic Wards 4 & 5), was chosen by the Secretary of State’s Office to be audited, as part of the election validity process every county goes through. The State found no discrepancies during the audit.

The recount was overseen by Dorene South, Assistant to the Cass County Auditor. The recount lasted just under 2 ½ hours.

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(Radio Iowa) – A coalition of churches in the Carroll area is hosting its annual “Blue Christmas” service this weekend. Reverend Terry Plocher is pastor of the United Methodist Church in Carroll, where the event will be held Saturday, December 11th. “Anyone might find themselves in a place where they’re grieving during the holiday season, where they find that they’re sad or blue and this is for everybody,” he says. “It’s not just for people of a particular church or people of a particular denomination.” Plocher says the service aims to provide a quiet time of reflection for people experiencing a loss.

“It is a difficult time for people who have lost someone they love or I like to emphasize other losses as well — losing a job, losing the opportunity to do some of the things they wanted to do. losing a dream,” he says. “Those things are all hard on us come the holidays.” Plocher says the holiday season can be difficult for people who are grieving or have been diagnosed with a mental illness. “All around them are these lights and people having fun and the parties and people smiling and cards and they just don’t feel it,” Plocher says. “It’s just not there for them and whatever the reason for that is, whether it’s a biological cause or if it’s a situational cause after the death of a loved one or the loss of a job or something, we want to let them know that it’s o.k. to feel however you feel at Christmas time, during the holidays.”

The Carroll County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and two funeral homes in Carroll are co-sponsors of what has become an annual event. This year’s “Blue Christmas” service in Carroll will begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 11th.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  At its first annual grant celebration event, the Cass County Community Foundation honored 32 nonprofit organizations and community projects that received grants throughout the past year. These honorees included both spring and fall grant recipients, who were awarded a collective sum of over $137,000.
Spring 2021 Grant Recipients:

Throughout 2021, the Foundation received a total of 48 grant applications from community
organizations, with over $280,000 requested. As a part of its two grant cycles, the Cass County
Community Foundation awarded $137,525 to 46 of these 48 applications. “In 2021, we’ve been able to fund a wide array of projects and programs,” said Board Chair Kristi Burg. “Grants were awarded to
support a variety of recreational opportunities and building renovations, as well as many more projects that will have a positive effect on our community members—both young and old. We’re proud of the impact of the Foundation, and we’re glad to have this opportunity to celebrate the important work of these organizations throughout Cass County.”

Each year, the Cass County Community Foundation holds two grant cycles with an objective to fund projects that will have a lasting impact in the county. “Since the Foundation was established in 1998, it has distributed over $2.4 million in grants and scholarships,” said Iowa Foundations Director Stacey Goodman. “Through the generosity of donors and charitable funds allocated through the community foundation, along with our participation in the County Endowment Fund Program, we are able to continue to invest valuable resources back into communities across Cass County.”

The Cass County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation, which meets National Standards for Community Foundations, and is one of nine county members of the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa. It annually receives funds from the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program for endowment building and grantmaking throughout the county. The spring grant cycle is made possible through the County Endowment Fund Program and is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license.

The Foundation’s fall grant cycle is made possible through the generosity of donors to the Cass County Community Foundation. The Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent and expendable funds that address changing, vital community needs and interests. Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Cass County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.

The Cass County Advisory Board Members are Chair, Kristi Burg of Massena; Vice Chair, Mark D. Kyhnn, CPA of Atlantic; Secretary/Treasurer, Sue Hunt of Atlantic; Sandy Bierbaum of Griswold; and Gaylord Schelling of Atlantic. For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Stacey Goodman, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458 or stacey@omahafoundation.org.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A Christmas tradition that dates back nearly 50-years in rural Montgomery County, continues this weekend, much to the delight of those near and far. The Baird family Christmas light display between Red Oak and Elliott will be switched-on each evening at dusk for a few hours, beginning Saturday, Dec.11^th, and continuing through the end of the year. The lights are shut-off each night at 10. The elaborate display of illuminated structures, characters and machines can be viewed at Baird farm, located at 1233 E. Avenue. Jack Baird started the tradition about five decades ago. He says family members have taken advantage of the good weather since Oct. 1^st, to set-up numerous displays, the glow from which is visible for miles.

He said some new elements have been added to this year’s display.

The airplane will appear to be landing in a field. Each year, new attractions are added to the display. Jack Baird’s 90th birthday is Sunday.

Baird Christmas display (2020 image)

He said while illness has kept him from getting out and helping to set up the lights and the related framework, his family stepped-up to take over, leaving him in a supervisory position. Jack said he appreciates their efforts, and the “Get well” and “Happy Birthday” cards and letters he’s received.

You can drop-off a card when you come to see the display, if you like. And, your free-will donation helps to defray the cost of keeping the displays lit during the season.

More information is available on Facebook by searching for “Baird’s Christimas Lights.” (Listen for the full “Heartbeat Today” interview w/Jack Baird, on the Programs page at kjan.com)

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