(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic met in a relatively short, regular session this (Wednesday) evening, during which they approved a request from Wild Wayne’s, for a Special Fireworks Display on Sept 14th at dusk. The private event is with regard to Duke Aerial’s Employee Appreciation event (on private property at 103 W. 29th St.). The show is expected to last about 20-minutes.

The Council then received an update from Cass County/United 1st Aid Program Coordinator Erik Johnson, who said there are currently 18 volunteers who “Dedicate their off-time to helping their neighbors, helping the community that they live in, being available when they travel between north-south, east-west of our county, to stop at a moments notice and go assist somebody in need.”

They are also equipped with Narcan and other supplies necessary to provide aid until an ambulance arrives on the scene. Johnson said between the three counties that have instituted the program (Cass, Van Buren and Calhoun), there have been 100 calls.

Erik Johnson

Erik Johnson said they hosted a First Aid station during RAGBRAI, in cooperation with Cass Health.

He said they have received an extension on the original grant for the program, which may result in the expansion of the program into a few additional counties. Ultimately, it’s hoped the program will go nationwide. Johnson said they will have a booth at the Cass County Fair in Atlantic, Thursday through Saturday, to answer any questions you may have with regard to the EMS levy that will be on the ballot for the November General Election.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed the second reading of an ordinance pertaining to the rezoning of the Camblin Hills Subdivision in Atlantic, from R-2 (Low Density/Single-Family residential) to R-4 (Multifamily residential) housing.  They also approved a Change Order for the Sunnyside Park Splashpad Project, and a related Pay Application in the amount of $316,087.41 to the Henley Group, LLC.

Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bailey Smith and Police Chief Devin Hogue updated the Council on the RAGBRAI event that was held Monday and Tuesday, in Atlantic. Smith said it was a “I think it was a great day,” and the weather cooperated.

Atlantic Police Chief Hogue said he too had no complaints about how the event unfolded.

He said the most of riders were out of town by 9-a.m., Tuesday. He thanked the officers from around the county who came in to help with traffic control, safety and other duties.

There were only two arrests, Hogue said, and those persons were residents of the community.

(Radio Iowa) – A new report shows non-profit organizations across the region are facing severe workforce shortages, and potential solutions revolve around boosting salaries and benefits. Anne Hindery is C-E-O of the Omaha-based Nonprofit Association of the Midlands which surveyed the leaders of nearly 700 nonprofits in Iowa and Nebraska. Hindery says it’s always been a challenge finding and keeping qualified people, and it’s only gotten worse since the pandemic.

“We’re still seeing shortages in things like behavioral health therapists, childcare workers, accountants that understand nonprofit accounting — those are still some of the challenges that we’re seeing,” Hindery says. “So I think the Salary and Benefits Report really helps educate nonprofits on what they need to do to attract and retain talent.” The report finds the average yearly turnover rate among nonprofits in the two states is 29-percent, while most open positions are filled in less than two months.

“We unofficially track changes in leadership as we hear about it, and I would say before the pandemic, we used to see maybe three or so a month, and now it’s anywhere between eight to 10 a month,” Hindery says. “Some people are retiring, some people are just moving around in the sector. It’s just really an interesting thing to watch.” The report finds most nonprofits match market compensation and almost all of them post salaries in job listings. Hindery says it also found that almost all nonprofits granted salary increases of three-percent or higher last year and plan do so again this year. In addition, if shows 42-percent of surveyed nonprofits offer bonuses.

“I firmly believe that if we’re going to attract smart people to the nonprofit sector, we better pay them enough to pay off their student loans, give them benefits and flexibility,” Hindery says. “That is, as a membership organization for nonprofits, we try to help our members do just that.” She confesses that some charitable organizations face the stigma that working for them means you’ll pull down a very meager salary.

“That is an urban legend, that nonprofits mean no money. It just means our profits go back into the organization and into our people to better serve our clients, as opposed to going to shareholders like it does in private corporations,” Hindery says. “It’s a meaningful mission, and so you can go to work every day and whether you’re in direct service or not, you are making a difference in your community, and I think that’s very attractive to people.”

Other findings in the report find more than two-thirds of organizations offer medical insurance and retirement options, while more than half offer dental, vision and life insurance. Also, the majority of nonprofits offer paid holidays, paid time off and sick days, while nearly all have employees that primarily work on-site or use a hybrid model.

(Radio Iowa) – U-S Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, says Vice President Kamala Harris had an obligation to be in Washington, D.C. today (1-p.m., Wednesday) for Israeli Prime Minsiter Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to congress. “Not having the vice president presiding over a joint session of congress with our closest ally in the Middle East present — that’s a disgrace,” Ernst said. The vice president’s appearance at a historically black sorority’s annual convention was announced several weeks ago, before Joe Biden dropped out of the race and Harris appears to have the Democratic Party’s 2024 presidential nomination secured. Ernst suggests Harris should have cancelled the trip to Indianapolis today (Wednesday) once the Netanyahu speech was scheduled.

“She’s abdicating her duties now as vice president. What is she going to do — and this will never happen — but should she become hypothetically President of the United States, what is she going to abdicate them?” Ernst said. “…Whether she likes the prime minister of Israel or not, whether she respects him or not, she should be here.” Harris is scheduled to meet with Netanyahu tomorrow (Thursday). The Israeli leader’s visit to the U-S includes a separate meeting with President Joe Biden tomorrow (Thursday) and on Friday he’s to meet with former President Donald Trump in Florida. Reports indicate pro-Palestinian activists released maggots and crickets into the hotel where Netanyahu and other Israelis are staying in Washington. Ernst says whatever the goal of those protesters might be, that is not constructive.

“To treat a friend and ally like that in that manner…is not helpful,”Ernst said. “…As a mom, I’d be swatting my daughter on the rear end if she had done something like that.” The senator’s daughter, Libby, is a graduate of the U-S Military Academy at West Point. Senator Ernst has made two trips to Israel for meetings with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The first was just hours after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th. Ernst has often met in the U-S with the American families of Israeli hostages and she did so again earlier today (Wednesday).

(Radio Iowa) – There’s a new level of interest in an Iowa Democratic Party banquet this weekend. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear — booked weeks ago to headline a party fundraiser in Des Moines this Saturday — has emerged as one of the people Kamala Harris is considering as a running mate. Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart says the event is sold out. “We were excited about him coming just in general because of who he is and his success there in Kentucky,” Hart says. “To have him spotlight right now for vice presidential contention is very lucky timing on our part.”

Beshear is one of only three Democrats from Kentucky serving in statewide or federal office. He won a second term as governor last year after steering his state through a series of tragic natural disasters. Hart says Iowa Democratic Party activists are generally more jazzed about the party’s prospects in the 2024 election now that Harris is the party’s presumptive presidential nominee. “To have an opportunity to get together as Democrats on Sunday to celebrate that and to hear from a possible vice presidential contender, that’s really got people fired up,” Hart says.

Donald Trump easily won Iowa’s electoral college votes in 2016 and 2020. Polling for 2024 — prior to Joe Biden’s exit from the race — has indicated Iowa to be firmly in Trump’s column again. Hart says enthusiasm for Harris may help Democrats who are also on the Iowa ballot this year, running for congress and for state and local offices. “If this is an opportunity for people to pay more attention, to feel more positive, have the notion that it’s really important that they show up to vote, that’s when Democrats to better,” Hart says.

Hart and the rest of the delegates to the Democratic National Convention met Monday night and unanimously endorsed Harris.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says police often classify cases of human trafficking as some other type of offense, like a drug crime, but hotlines are fielding more reports about people being forced into all types of labor.  “People are calling it in now and either saying: ‘I’m a victim and I need help,’ or ‘We saw something you need to be aware of,'” Pate says. “Those numbers are going up significantly every year and a lot of that I think is attributed to what we’re doing and others are doing to put more awareness out there.”

On Tuesday, Pate and a manager of the federal government anti-human trafficking campaign hosted a seminar for more than 100 people — mostly Iowans — to discuss the warning signs. Tom Ruck of the U-S Department of Homeland Security says an estimated 750-thousand predators are online. “They’re looking for that vulnerable person. They’re looking for somebody they can easily groom or they can become a boyfriend to or a girlfriend to,” Ruck said. “…The indicators could be just simply if it doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t.”

Iowa’s secretary of state launched an anti-human trafficking campaign in 2022, encouraging Iowa businesses to train employees to recognize the signs of human trafficking. Pate’s office is in charge of Iowa’s “Safe at Home” program which provides confidential addresses that survivors of human trafficking and other types of abuse, like stalking, can use to make it harder for their abusers to find them.

(Left) Tom Ruck from U.S. Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign., & Iowa Sec. of State Paul Pate. (Photo from the Sec. of State Facebook page)

July 30 is World Day Against Trafficking. Pate says you can ‘Do Something’ and help use the day of action to raise awareness about this crime and ways to prevent it. If you’re passionate about making a difference, join us at ibat.iowa.gov