(Atlantic, Iowa) – Planning to replace a tree? Have questions about tree care or diseases? Attend the Cass County Master Gardener’s Tree Care Workshop on Saturday, March 23 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at the Cass County Community Center on the fairgrounds in Atlantic (805 W. 10th St. Atlantic, IA 50022).

Iowa DNR District Forester Sarah Bell will give a presentation on native trees and current tree diseases and pest concerns, including emerald ash borer. Bell will discuss how to select appropriate trees for the area, including trees native to southwest Iowa. She will share helpful tree information and resources, as well as advise on how to select and purchase a new tree.

Following the presentation, Bell will lead a walking tour of the Cass County fairgrounds which will cover tree evaluation, pruning, and planting. Looking for symptoms of decay, weakly attached branches, splits, and root problems are examples of tree evaluation. Bell will also demonstrate tree pruning and planting a new tree as time and weather allow.

This workshop is open to the public. Cost to attend is $10. Find more information or register for the Tree Care Workshop by calling the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132 or visiting www.extension.iastate.edu/cass. Preregistration is encouraged by Thursday, March 21 to ensure materials are available. A variety of resource materials will be available for participants to take home, and light refreshments will be available.

For more information about this event and other Master Gardener activities in Cass County, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, stop by the office at 805 West 10th street in Atlantic, email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu or visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.  You are also invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening!

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Rising will be hosting the 7th Annual Trivia Night Fundraiser on Saturday, March 16th at The Venue. The organization continues to hold this event to fundraiser for the annual Christmas Box program. Kelsey Beschorner, Atlantic Rising Social Chair says “This event has been very successful in the past. In 2023, we had 10 teams register and were able to raise over $2,500 for the program. We are excited to have Ann & John McCurdy returning to emcee ‘A Night at McCurdy’s Pub.’ We can’t wait to see what questions they have in store for our teams.”

The event will include eight rounds of ten questions each. Categories range from math to music to Queens of the Decades and everything in between. There is a prize awarded to the winning team. Teams are also encouraged to dress for the St. Patrick’s Day theme to add to the fun of the evening. A prize is awarded to the best dressed team and will be chosen by the staff at The Venue.

Beschorner says “Our goal is to have everyone come out to enjoy a fun night while raising money for a project that does so much good for our community.”

For more information on Trivia Night or to register a team, contact Kelsey Beschorner at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017 or visit www.atlanticiowa.com.

(Radio Iowa) – Musicians from across the region will be playing a concert in central Iowa next month that pays tribute to the Man in Black. Growing up in the southwestern Iowa town Atlantic, Randy Burk says he had -heard- Johnny Cash, but when he hit his mid-20s, he realized that’s the kind of music he wanted to write — and play.

“I would go into a country venue, and there’s Johnny Cash. I would go into a rock and roll venue, and you heard Johnny Cash,” Burk says. “You could go into punk-metal, you could go into the theater, he transcends everything and I always thought that was amazing.”

Randy Burk

This marks the 20th year Burk has organized and performed in a Cash tribute concert in Iowa, and he says the beginnings of the long-standing tradition were relatively humble back in 2003.

In addition to the heart-felt lyrics and catchy, toe-tapping tunes, Cash had incredible memorization skills and performed songs like “I’ve Been Everywhere” that are almost-impossible for any other singer to cover.

Burk will be playing with his band, The Prisoners, along with a host of other artists on Sunday, April 7th at X-B-K Live in Des Moines.

https://xbklive.com/

(Council Bluffs, Iowa)  – With the precipitation western Iowa received this (Friday) morning, officials with Pottawattamie County Emergency Management has requested the State Fire Marshall lift the current ban in Pottawattamie County effective today.

Open burning is now allowable throughout the county EXCEPT in any municipal city limits where there is a standing ordinance prohibiting open burning on a regular basis. Before burning within any city limits, check with your local fire department or city clerk to determine whether your community has such an ordinance.

Residents are to continue using extreme caution whenever burning. The county is still experiencing abnormally dry conditions and seasonal outlooks indicate that will remain the case or even deteriorate in the upcoming months.

Emergency Management urges all residents to sign up for Alert Iowa emergency notifications at https://pcema-ia.org. During emergencies or critical events communication is key, and the Alert Iowa system is the primary method of distributing alerts and information in Pott. County.

(Radio Iowa) – Human smuggling of undocumented immigrants — to conceal them from law enforcement — would become a crime in Iowa if a bill that’s passed the Iowa House becomes law. Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison says the human smuggling that’s happening is horrific and inexcusable.

“Why is this legislation necessary? Never in my lifetime and likely never in the history of this country have we seen the chaos on our southern border that we are seeing today,” Holt said. “…A very real and profoundly serious crisis on our southern border demands that we stand up as a state and protect our citizens and our sovereignty and perhaps discourage human trafficking, labor trafficking, sex trafficking and all of the garbage that is happening at our southern border and transferring into our state.”

The crime of human smuggling would apply to someone who knowingly and for their own benefit transport and try to conceal illegal aliens from Iowa law enforcement agencies. “Or encourages or induces a person to enter or remain in the United States by concealing, harboring or shielding that person from detection,” Holt says.

The bill passed with the support of House Republicans. Representative Mark Thompson, a Republican from Clarion, says human smuggling is a disgusting business and the bill is needed because some of the demand comes from Iowa businesses. “They employ these people if you want to use the word ’employ’ because they’re not given any decent wage and then when they complain about it or something goes wrong, they’re thrown to the street, so their immigration status is used against them. It’s blackmail. We’re not going anyone coming across our border any fair shake, any favors by letting them come across and just come up to Iowa,” Thompson said. “…The federal government is not enforcing its own laws. We have to have our law protect these people.”

Democrats opposed the bill. Representative Lindsay James, a Democrat from Dubuque, says immigration is a federal issue. “I think we can all agree that the immigration system needs some work,” James said. “There has been bipartisan legislation on the federal level that imploded because of the politics of Donald Trump and the Republican do nothing congress.”

The bill now goes to the Iowa Senate, which already has passed a requirement that Iowa businesses check a federal database to see if their employees are U-S citizens or legal residents of the country. Employers caught hiring undocumented immigrants twice in two years would lose their license to do business in Iowa if that bill becomes law.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by the Masonic Pymosa Lodge Thursday, March 7th, 2024. The Ambassadors learned about the Annual Masonic Scholarship Fundraiser, which includes a St. Patrick’s Day Stew Feed on Sunday, March 17th.

John Bricker & Mike Blevins shared about the rich history of philanthropy of the Masonic organization and their annual fundraiser for the scholarship fund. Annual scholarships are awarded to area seniors to help offset the cost of tuition and vary in amount depending on donations the organization has received throughout the year. The Mason’s have been handing out scholarships to graduating Atlantic High School Seniors for over 30 years. The organization thanks the community for their continued generosity.

The Irish Stew Feed is the main fundraiser for the organization, but the Mason’s also collect aluminum cans to be recycled. The money made through the can redemption goes directly into the scholarship fund. The Mason’s now have three drop-off locations: The Masonic Lodge, Boes Repair Inc, and the Cass County Landfill. Community members can also contact a Mason to have cans picked up from their home or business.

Ambassadors and Masons (Left to Right): Jeff Christensen, BJ Hart, Mel Newton, Alisha Wagner, Mike Blevins, Graydon Schmidt, Krysta Hanson, John Bricker, Dr. Keith Leonard, Kathie Hockenberry, Jim Kickland, Lana Westphalen

The 8th Annual Masonic Scholarship St. Patrick’s Day Stew Feed Fundraiser will be held Sunday, March 17th from 5-7:30 PM. They will be serving Beef Stew, Vegetable Stew and Irish Soda Bread for a free will donation at the Masonic Lodge. The meal can be enjoyed inside the Lodge or via drive through lane alongside the building.

For further information about the Annual Irish Stew Feed, Scholarship Program, or to donate, please contact 402-740-1717.

The Masonic Lodge/ Pymosa Lodge #271 is located at 1010 SW 7th Street in Atlantic.

Atlantic, IA – Cass Health Med Spa is now open to patients. This new service line centers around aesthetic dermatology treatments and products in a private, elegant retreat for men and women.

Dermatology provider Lace Sindt, ARNP is the healthcare provider overseeing the Med Spa. Sindt says “Since 2009, I have worked in aesthetic dermatology, including the management of two medical spas. I absolutely love to be a part of a patient’s journey to feeling more confident in their appearance, and I’ve seen the impact it has on their total well-being, so it’s very exciting to now offer this experience here in our community.”

In addition to her medical dermatology practice, Sindt will now offer exclusive services in the Med Spa such as Botox, dermal fillers, chemical peels, and facial resurfacing treatments. Also on the team at the Med Spa are registered nurses Maddy Peppers and Brenna Irlmeier; both will provide treatments such as peels and microneedling.

The Med Spa also carries high-quality skincare products from Skin Medica and EltaMD. For patients interested in the treatments and services, the Med Spa offers free consultations.

Lace Sindt

The Med Spa is open every-other Thursday, and appointments are required. Appointments can be made by calling 712-243-7500 or through the patient portal found at casshealth.org/medspa.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Friday), released a report detailing 15 arrests that occurred February 23rd through March 7th. In order from most recent to the earliest arrests….

On March 7th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested John Nelson, 36, of Griswold, on the charge of OWI 2nd Offense. Nelson was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On March 6th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested David Thomas, 43, of Atlantic, on a warrant for another agency. Thomas was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his transfer to another County.

On March 4th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Nicole Anaya, 43, of Atlantic, on the charges of OWI 2nd Offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Anaya was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On March 3rd, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Tylor Thompson, 26, of Lewis, on the charge of OWI 1st Offense. Thompson was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On March 3rd, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Logan Nielsen, 27, of Atlantic, on the charge of OWI 2nd Offense. Nielsen was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On March 2nd, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jason Frederiksen, 42, of Marne, on the charge of OWI 1st Offense. Frederiksen was transported to the Cass County jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On March 1st, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Sam Sinatro, 20, of Atlantic, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. Sinatro was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release.

On February 27th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Shawn Sowder, 30, of Goldfield, IA, on a warrant for Failure to Appear. Sowder was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held.

On February 27th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Robin Grieshaber, 38, of Cumberland, on the charges of Harassment 1st Degree, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Grieshaber was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On February 26th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Zachary Jones, 32, of Council Bluffs, on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Jones was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On February 25th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Tochiro Kovac, 52, of Atlantic, on the charges of OWI 1st Offense and Child Endangerment. Kovac was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On February 25th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jeanna Kramer, 19, of Atlantic, for OWI 1st Offense. Kramer was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on her own recognizance.

On February 24th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Zander Luft, 20, of Red Oak, for OWI 1st Offense. Luft was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On February 24th, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jesse Kinser, 21, of Griswold, for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Kinser was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on bond.

On February 23rd, 2024, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office arrested Harry Wood Jr., 72, of Massena, for OWI 1st Offense. Wood was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court rules a Boone County man who posted a sex video online to get back at his former girlfriend does not have to register as a sex offender. Kadin Miller recorded himself having consensual sex with his girlfriend and then posted the video to an online porn site several months later, saying it was revenge after the relationship ended badly He was found guilty of harassment and the district court ruled the posting of the video was sexually motivated and Miller was ordered to register as a sex offender.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled the prosecution failed to present evidence that Miller’s harassment was sexually motivated. The ruling says that just because a sex act was performed for sexual gratification, that doesn’t mean the posting of the video was also for sexual gratification.

Chief Justice Susan Christensen wrote a dissenting opinion, saying so-called “revenge porn” has many motives other than personal vindictiveness, such as “greed, voyeurism, and self-aggrandizement.”

(Radio Iowa) – A bill being considered in the legislature would eliminate the state sales tax on Iowa beehives. Beyond honey production, hives are often sold or rented so the bees can pollinate fields or orchards. Representative Megan Jones of Sioux Rapids guided the bill through the House this week. “It treats bees as we treat any other livestock,” Jones said. The bill passed the House unanimously — after Representative Chuck Isenhart of Dubuque rattled off some puns.

“This is a sweet bill, I have to say. It’s creating a lot of buzz around the capitol and I promise you if you vote for the bill you won’t get stung,” Isenhart said. “In fact, your constituents will swarm around you with adultation.”

According to the state apiarist, there are around half a million beehives in Iowa and about a dozen beekeepers raise bees on a commercial scale, with thousands and thousands of hives. Iowa currently ranks 16th in honey production.