The Atlantic Food Pantry will have a new home by the end of the year. The Atlantic Food Pantry Board announced that they have made arrangements for a move to 704 West 7th Street, the former “After 5 Somewhere” liquor store, in September.

The board said the new location will give them more storage space and allow for the continued drive-through distribution format it has utilized since 2020.

After discussion with city officials, the pantry has received permission to set up cones and barricades to route vehicles by the facility for a two-hour period on Thursdays. Vehicles will approach from the north down Palm Street, then turn west on the access road in front of the new building for delivery. They will then exit to the north down the alley towards 6th street. Vehicles will be prevented from entering from or exiting to Highway 6 for safety reasons.

The Pantry Board, volunteers, and clients wish to acknowledge and thank Dr. Chet Meneely and Dr. Tim Kriefels before him, for graciously allowing the pantry to use its current space for over 30 years at an affordable rent. The board said it has truly been a generous gift to the community.

The University of Iowa unveiled a new mobile medical training truck today (Tuesday) at the Iowa State Capitol. U-I program advisor, Cormac O’Sullivan says it allows medical professionals to get trained at home.

He cites one example where they would stage a car accident with mannequins for the local fire department.

They would then take them through training in the emergency room. O’Sullivan says there’s already staff shortages — and it’s tough for small towns to take everyone to a training session.

O’Sullivan is an associate professor in the College of Nursing where this first truck will be based in Iowa City. Two more trucks will be coming.

The goal is to reach every single facility, provider, and county in the state at least once a year with some continuing education training with simulation. Sioux City E-M-T Trainer, Terry Regaller, was on hand for the announcement.

He says the training is very important to the success of first responders.

The start-up of the program is funded with an eight-million-dollar grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust. Trustee Walter Panzirer (Pan-seer), says Iowa is the fifth state to get these types of trucks.

The funding will gradually drop down over four years, and then the University of Iowa has to find money to keep the program going.

ATLANTIC, IOWA – Affordable housing in southwest Iowa recently got a boost from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. A grant administered by Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) will provide $300,000 to renovate and add four upper-story housing units in the City of Atlantic.

The project will include a complete interior overhaul of the second level of the building at 300 Chestnut Street in Atlantic. The renovation will add four new one and two-bedroom rental units in the heart of downtown. The Whitney Development Corporation of Atlantic owns the building. The group, which has completed other projects such as the Whitney Hotel restoration, was formed in 2018 for the purpose of funding community development projects in Atlantic and Cass County.

Other communities approved for SWIPCO grants include:

• $200,000 to renovate and update two upper-story housing units in the City of Clarinda. The Downtown Housing Grant is funded with State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The project will include a complete interior overhaul of the second story space at 115 E Main Street, and will provide two of the only quality, updated rental units near the city center. Transforming this underutilized space into residential units will help to highlight the potential for improved quality of affordable living in downtown Clarinda.
• (SWIPCO) will provide $200,000 to renovate and add two upper-story housing units in the City of Glenwood.  The project will include a complete interior overhaul of the second and third stories of the historic Hinchman Building on the Glenwood city square. The renovation will include two fully furnished two-bedroom, two-bath residential units. Major components of the project will include bringing electrical and plumbing services up to code as well as installing high efficiency HVAC and updated duct work.
• (SWIPCO) will provide $100,000 to renovate and update two upper-story housing units in the City of Stanton. The project will include an interior overhaul of unfinished second story space in the property at 312 Broad Avenue, along with exterior improvements such as brick tuckpointing, the addition of concrete parking stalls, and deck construction to add outdoor living space.
• (SWIPCO) will provide $178,984 to renovate and add two upper-story housing units in the City of Logan. The project will include a complete interior overhaul of the second level of the building at 307 E 7^th Street in Logan. Boarded windows will be reopened, and a new stairwell built to provide a secure, main street entrance to the residential units. In addition to two more one-bedroom, one-bath housing units, the renovation brings new economic activity in town. While the upper story has been vacant for many years, the building’s main level will soon house an expansion of Logan Flours, an existing local bakery. The project’s total cost is estimated to be just under $240,000 with $60,000 in private dollars in addition to the Downtown Housing Grant. The grant is funded with State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds authorized under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

SWIPCO routinely provides grant writing and administration services to its member communities in Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby Counties and has brought over $100 million in grants to the region in the last two years alone.

(Radio Iowa) – A bipartisan advisory panel has recommended that the House Ethics Committee dismiss its review of third district Congresswoman Cindy Axne’s stock trades. Last year a watchdog group called the Campaign Legal Center accused seven House members — including Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines — of failing to report stock trades. The purchases and sales of stock were related to retirement accounts for Axne and her husband as well as 529 investment accounts for their children’s college expenses.

Axne says she and her husband left the investment decisions to account managers and didn’t execute or direct any stock trades themselves — and Axne didn’t realize she was to file public reports about any account activity. After the watchdog group’s accusation, Axne hired a lawyer to review the accounts and submit her financial disclosure reports. The bipartisan board that reviews ethics complaints has unanimously voted to recommend that all allegations against Axne be dismissed.

The Office of Congressional Ethics is an independent board that’s primarily made up of former members of congress. The board reviews allegations of misconduct and refers complaints to the House Ethics Committee. Axne says the group has asked her how the reporting system can be updated so that good actors don’t get tripped up and bad actors can’t skate by and she’s working with other members of congress to develop new guidelines for stock trade reporting.