(Radio Iowa) – A New Mexico man has been fined five-thousand dollars and sentenced to two years probation for flying a plane without a pilot’s license — and making an emergency landing in Waterloo. Court records show 44-year-old Keith Alexander Thomas flew from New Mexico to Wisconsin with a friend in June of 2018. The friend bought a Cessna and Thomas — who did not have a pilot’s license — agreed to fly it back to New Mexico.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, the Cessna was not air-worthy, the engine failed and the landing gear didn’t work. Thomas was able to do an emergency landing in Waterloo and no one was hurt, but he didn’t establish radio contact to warn crews on the ground.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A man from Taylor County was arrested Wednesday night on a drug charge, in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, 22-year-old Konner Ray Martin, of New Market, was arrested at around 7:42-p.m., for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense. Martin was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Children account for 29 percent of the positive Covid-19 test results in Iowa this past week and seven percent of the Covid patients in Iowa hospitals are under the age of 18. For the tenth straight week, the total number of Iowa hospital patients with Covid has grown, to a total of 578 patients on Wednesday night. That’s a 10 percent since the middle of last week. Eighty-eight percent of the patients who’re being treated for Covid in an Iowa hospital’s intensive care unit have not been fully vaccinated.

The Iowa Department of Public Health’s latest update indicates 58-and-a-half percent of Iowans 12 and older have received the Johnson and Johnson single dose or both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

(Radio Iowa/KCRG) – Governor Kim Reynolds is directing 100 million dollars in federal pandemic relief money be spent on housing projects.  “A transformative investment that promises to build approximately 36,450 new housing units,” she says.

K-C-R-G T-V broadcast the governor’s comments last (Wednesday) night. Sixty-five million from this allotment will go toward tax credit programs for housing developers. Twenty million will be awarded as grants for projects in Iowa cities with fewer than 30-thousand residents that convert downtown buildings into housing units. The rest will be used to finance home repairs, to help minority home buyers make down payments and to expand the number of homes inmates at the state prison in Newton are building.

These funds are in addition to the 230 million dollars for housing the Iowa legislature approved spending over the next five years. Reynolds says the combined 330-million dollars is a down payment on Iowa’s future prosperity. K-C-R-G T-V covered the governor’s speech at the HousingIowa Conference in Cedar Rapids yesterday (Wednesday).  “We’ve seen a growing mismatch between where the job opportunities are thriving and where people can find affordable places to live,” the governor says.

According to the Iowa Finance Authority, 40 percent of the housing units in Iowa were built before 1950. The agency’s latest report concludes the most common housing problem in Iowa is a lack of affordable housing.

(Updated w/audio) (Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board met Wednesday evening during a regular session, during which they learned from Superintendent Steve Barber, that the enrollment numbers are up.

Barber said he’s confident to say certified enrollment is up 25+, and the net open enrollment will probably be 20 students. Perhaps the most interesting tidbit of information, was the number of students who are entirely new to the district, or who have returned since the pandemic began.

The district’s official, certified enrollment – the numbers submitted to the State -won’t be available until October 1st. In other news, the Atlantic School Board, Wednesday evening, gave its initial blessing to renaming the Trojan High School Track Invitational, as the Bruce Henderson Invitational. Mark Worth, Missy Goergen and Matt Mullenix spoke about a committee of people who approached Superintendent Steve Barber about a month ago, wanting to recognize Bruce Henderson, who Atlantic Athletic Director Andy Mitchell said has “meant a lot to our school district.” Mark Worth said he’s known Bruce Henderson for 40 years. He choked-up when he spoke about the Coach.

Missy Goergen ran Cross County and Track under Coach Henderson.

She said he has a proven record of success and is a “numbers genius,” meaning he knew exactly how fast a person on the team needed to run, and where to place runners in order to win the meet.

Matt Mullenix said Henderson laid the foundation for the girl’s track program in 1974, and is very well known in the sport of track and field, both here and abroad.

Andy Mitchell said the group believes Henderson is worthy of having an Invitational Meet named in his honor. The Board agreed, and that it would be effective with the 2022 track season. The home event will be known as the “Bruce Henderson Invitational Relay.” The first event will held on the new track, with Bruce’s former athletes over his extended career, in attendance. The name change will not be official until the Board’s meeting next month. At that time, Superintendent Barber will recommend approval.

On a separate note, Superintendent Steve Barber mentioned that the District’s “Joy Crew” is holding a tailgate prior to this Friday night’s varsity football game, to pay special recognition to First Responders, Firefighters and Law Enforcement. The event takes place between 5:30- and 5:45-p.m. Barber said they’re also extending the invitation to Shenandoah First Responders, since they are the Trojan’s opponents that night.

They’ll be treated to a pork sandwich and other goodies. At half-time of the game, those who helped battle the fire will be recognized, along with their colleagues, especially in light of the 20th Anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks. It’s also a time for Atlantic’s 1970 Undefeated Football Team to be recognized.