(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber Ambassadors, Thursday (March 31st), were hosted by Angie Johnson, owner of Gracefully Groomed, LLC.  The Ambassadors joined Angie in celebrating the opening of her pet grooming business in Atlantic.

Angie Johnson, a life-long resident of Cass County, has spent most of her adult life as a registered nurse, always having a passion for helping others. In her down time, she said her other passion was spending time with her animals and loved grooming them herself. A friend suggested she open her own grooming business, but Johnson never felt like the timing was quite right. Fast forward to late summer 2021 when a storefront became available downtown with the retirement of “Mike the Barber”. Johnson said everything began falling into place and she decided to take the leap and open her dream business.

Photo courtesy of the Atlantic Chamber.

Gracefully Groomed, LLC. specializes in the grooming of dogs and cats, with each pet being treated with care and respect. Gracefully Groomed, LLC. is open Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM and by appointment on Saturday’s. To book an appointment, call 712-249-5483. Gracefully Groomed is located at 9 East 4th Street in Atlantic.

Find them on Facebook at GracefullyGroomedLLC.

(Creston, Iowa) – Two people from Creston were arrested on separate Assault charges. Creston Police reports 37-year-old Santos Olivera-Martinez was arrested at his home in the 600 block of S. Elm Street in Creston, at around 12:50-a.m. Friday (Today). He was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault Strangulation with Bodily Injury. Olivera-Martinez was being held without bond in the Union County Jail until seen by a Judge. And, at around 4:07-p.m. Thursday, Creston Police arrested 56-year-old Rickie Allen Foster in the 300 block of N. Pine Street. Foster was charged with Assault. He was cited and released with a Summons to Appear in court.

Also arrested Thursday afternoon, was 32-year-old Chelsie Nicole Liesener, of Creston. She was charged with Driving While Suspended, cited at the scene, and also released on a Summons to Appear.

Nearly four years after a massive tornado hit the community of Marshalltown, work is getting underway to demolish and clean up damaged buildings that lie within the main downtown business district. Marshalltown city administrator, Jessica Kinser (formerly of Griswold), says this is the first phase.

If all goes according to plan, the demolition should be finished in two weeks. The city then hopes to start rebuilding.

(Radio Iowa) – Disconnection notices will start going out to thousands of Iowa residents behind on their bills for electricity and natural gas as the winter moratorium on utility disconnections ends today (Friday).

Figures from the Iowa Utilities Board show as of February more than 179-thousand accounts were past due, up from 165-thousand last year. The Iowa Department of Human Rights Energy Assistance Program Manager, Christine Taylor, says that has led to more interest in the state assistance program. “This year we have seen about a 21 percent increase in families coming to Community Action to apply for assistance,” Taylor says.

The moratorium on disconnection begins in November and is designed to help the state’s most vulnerable households. “Most of the time low income households do not live in energy efficient homes. So what that means is their homes tend to be leakier and colder and so they have to use more natural gas or electric to heat their homes than some of the other households have to,” according to Taylor.

Taylor says anyone now facing disconnection should contact their utility and their Community Action agency for help.