(Radio Iowa_ One of the bills to clear the Iowa legislature in its final week raises the penalty for rioting to a felony. Representative Jarad Klein, a Republican from Keota, says the bill sends a clear message. “Peaceful protesting is a great and wonderful thing, so many positive results have happened in our country as a result of peaceful protesting, but violence cannot and will not be tolerated in the state of Iowa.”

The bill also provides police qualified immunity to shield them from being held personally liable for most on-duty actions. Governor Reynolds had recommended including a ban on racial profiling in the package, too. Representative Ros Smith, a Democrat from Waterloo, says Republican lawmakers have abandoned the criminal justice effort that started a year ago.  “Just because you’ve chosen to turn your back on the hard work doesn’t mean that I will,” Smith said. “I’m naïve enough to keep pushing forward. I’m so afraid to become a Drew Edwards or a George Floyd moment that I cannot conceive stopping.”

Drew Edwards died in Maquoketa nearly two years ago after two officers knelt and sat on Edwards for about 10 minutes during an arrest. In 2020, the City of Maquoketa and Jackson County agreed to pay his family four-and-a-half MILLION dollar to settle a lawsuit alleging police used excessive force. The officers involved were cleared of criminal wrongdoing.

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Environmental Protection Agency says the chemicals on the freight train that derailed in northwest Iowa earlier this week did -not- harm the environment. Nearly four-dozen cars of the Union Pacific train jumped the tracks on Sunday in the town of Sibley, prompting evacuations of homes and businesses. E-P-A officials now say the chemicals were captured on-site and secured before any damage could be done.

The railroad confirmed the train was carrying hydrochloric acid, potassium hydroxide, asphalt and highly-explosive ammonium nitrate. Some of the acid was spilled and E-P-A officials say any impacted soils will be sampled and cleaned up in remediation efforts. Some land was also burned by the diesel fire caused in the derailment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (May 20, 2021) — Officials from Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Grand Blue Mile announced their Iowa 2021 Wellmark Set the Pace Challenge $10,000 award winner: Stanton, Iowa. The challenge encourages Iowans to develop sustainable, healthy habits, highlighted by participation in the annual Grand Blue Mile.

“We are so thankful and excited to be the recipients of the Wellmark Set the Pace Challenge $10,000 award,” said Jenny Gettler, Stanton Trail Committee Chair. “We look forward to putting this award toward continuing our trail expansion project and creating a safe and fun way to promote healthy lifestyles in the Stanton community.

Stanton had the highest percentage of its residents participating in the 2021 virtual Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark — measured by the number of registrants for a given ZIP code against the community’s total population.

“We had a record number of communities — more than 140 Iowa ZIP codes — represented this year as part of the Wellmark Set the Pace Challenge,” said Chris Verlengia, Wellmark’s senior brand marketing manager and Grand Blue Mile co-race director. “Since this year’s event was fully virtual, we saw interest in the challenge spread far beyond greater Des Moines, to communities of all sizes. We’re heartened by the way Stanton and so many others rallied their residents to make a positive, long-lasting impact on the health of future generations.”

The 13^th annual Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark is scheduled for April 26, 2022. For more information, visit GrandBlueMile.com

Creston police report two arrests on Wednesday, May 19.

Steven Michael Hildebrand, 21, of Des Moines, was arrested for Theft in the 5th. Hildebrand was cited and released on a Promise To Appear

Kayla Sue Hoffman, 32, homeless, was arrested and charged with Possession of Controlled Substance-Marijuana 1st Offense, Possession of Controlled Substance- Methamphetamine 1st Offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Interference with Official Acts and Driving While Suspended. Hoffman was taken to Union County Jail, then transferred to Adams County Jail. Bond is $2900 cash or surety

DES MOINES – Today, Gov. Reynolds signed HF 847 into law, legislation that contains several components of the governor’s Students First Act as well as provisions that prohibit K-12 schools from mandating masks as well as cities and counties from mandating masks in businesses. 

“The state of Iowa is putting parents back in control of their child’s education and taking greater steps to protect the rights of all Iowans to make their own health care decisions,” said Gov. Reynolds. “I am proud to be a governor of a state that values personal responsibility and individual liberties. I want to thank the Iowa Legislature for their quick work in bringing this bill to my desk so that it can be signed into law.”  

(Des Moines, IA) Today, Governor Reynolds signed new legislation that will allow an adopted adult whose original birth certificate was substituted with a new certificate after an adoption, to apply for and obtain a non-certified copy of the original certificate of birth, which will include biological parent information. The new
law will also allow an entitled person to apply for the adult adoptee’s original certificate prior to adoption if the adoptee is deceased.

In addition, the law allows biological parents to file contact preference and medical history forms with the Bureau of Health Statistics in the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). If completed by biological parents, these forms will be released to an adult adoptee or entitled person upon proper application.

The law will immediately apply to those who were born before 1971. Beginning January 1, 2022, anyone over the age of 18 can request the same document.

Application processing will take approximately six weeks. Contact preference forms and medical history forms may already be on file for the biological parent(s) named
on the record. If the contact preference forms and medical history forms are on file, the forms will be released to the adult adoptee with the noncertified original certificate of birth. Biological parents may choose to release their identity and contact information to the adoptee, they may also choose not to disclose their
identity and contact information.

Those wishing to apply or learn more about the application process should visit the IDPH website

The Atlantic City Council held a fairly brief meeting on Wednesday at City Hall. The council passed a resolutions amending the FY 2021 Budget.

The board also approved awarding a contract to Henningsen Construction of Atlantic for the West 22nd Street Sidewalk Project. Snyder and Associates’ Dave Sturm said he was very pleased with the bids that came in with the volatility of material costs right now. The cost of the contract to Henningsen’s is $103, 904. The project came about after a petition was submitted to the Council with 94 signatures requesting a walking path on the south side of West 22nd Street.

In the Mayor’s Report Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones confirmed that he will definitely not be running for reelection this upcoming cycle. He said he is very proud of everything that the Council has accomplished during his 24 years of work with the City. He said he had previously indicated that he probably wouldn’t run but wanted to confirm that he will not.

In the meetings report portion of the meeting it was reported that AMU received some money back for prepaid usage from the Ethanol plant due to a weeklong shutdown that occurred during a cold spell. The AMU board also unanimously rejected a proposition from Alliant Energy to buy the Utility. In other reports the downtown facade project is moving along well and should finish up by the end of June as scheduled. The Atlantic Public Library has signed up for a new language learning program that they have been very pleased with.

The council finished up in a closed session to discuss legal issues with one of Atlantic’s blighted properties.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that makes it easier to form publicly-funded charter schools in Iowa. “Iowa needs schools as diverse as the needs of its students and that’s exactly what this law aims to deliver,” Reynolds says. There are two charter schools in Iowa today.

Under the new law, groups that hope to start a charter school may apply to the State Board of Education. If state officials grant the charter, taxpayer funding for Iowa students in public districts who enroll in the charter would shift over.  “Creating an environment in Iowa that encourages alternative educational opportunities for those who need them and it doesn’t undermine the traditional public school system,” Reynolds said. “It strives to improve the entire educational system.”

Under current law, school districts must sign off on creation of a charter school in their area. That’s not required in the new law and critics say there will not be enough oversight of how tax dollars are spent in charter schools. Reynolds held a bill signing ceremony at Starts Right Here in Des Moines, a youth program started by rapped Will Keeps. He supports creation of public charter schools. “We see that things are not working well for the kids, so what’s wrong with giving them another opportunity, another chance?” he asked. “I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

Three Des Moines students who’re in the Starts Right Here program say traditional school hasn’t worked well for them, particularly during the pandemic. As the governor finished signing the official copy of the bill, making it law, another student leaned over the microphone to kick off the celebration. “It starts right here!” she said, and the crowd cheered and applauded.

This charter school bill was among the governor’s priority issues for the 2021 legislative session. Other elements of her education agenda have become law, but a plan to provide state scholarships to students in struggling public schools who enroll in a private school stalled in the House.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help in locating a missing teenager. Authorities say 16-year-old Victoria Rose Williams has been missing since May 18, 2021. Victoria has black hair and brown eyes. She weighs 116 lbs., and was wearing orange stretch pants and blue t-shirt.

Victoria Rose Williams

She was last seen at a residence north of Atlantic. If you have seen her or have any information on her whereabouts, please contact the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 712-243-2206.

The Atlantic Police Department reports three arrests in the past week.

On Monday, May 17th Officers arrested Cole Benton on a Shelby County Warrant and for Driving While License Barred. He was booked in to the Cass County Jail.

On May 16th Atlantic Police arrested 33-year-old Krysta Hanson of Atlantic for OWI 1st Offense. She was taken to the Cass County Jail and booked in.

On May 11th 20-year-old Kyle Gehling of Atlantic was arrested on a Cass County Warrant for Violation of Probation. He was booked in to the Cass County Jail.