(Atlantic, Iowa) – AtlanticFest, presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust, will be held Saturday, August 14th rain or shine. AtlanticFest is an annual festival that serves as a fundraiser for the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said “After having to cancel our annual celebration last year, we are so thankful to have so many generous sponsors and community members to help make this event possible this year.

“AtlanticFest is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Chamber. Our sponsors help cover a lot of the costs of the event, allowing us to raise funds through registration fees, pop stand sales and the 50/50 raffle. We use the funds from AtlanticFest to continue to grow community events while also supporting business-based programs. We’re really pleased to bring it back this year and offer the community a day of fun activities while supporting local businesses, civic organizations and the Chamber,” Smith added.

Downtown Atlantic will be filled with fun activities for the whole family to enjoy. Come early and enjoy a pancake breakfast or start the day off with a run in the Annual Road Race. There will be crafters from all over Southwest Iowa, as well as some of the best food vendors to help satisfy any appetite. Kids can enjoy activities in the park and with free entertainment throughout the day, you can’t go wrong.

New this year, the Annual Car Show will honor Kelly Schlake, previous owner of Atlantic Motor Supply (NAPA), with the Kelly Schlake Memorial Car Show, filling Chestnut Street with new and vintage cars. “Kelly was not only a huge supporter of Atlantic, but the Annual Car Show was always his favorite event of the year, which he was also a big sponsor of. When he passed away last winter, his family wanted to do something to honor his memory and we felt hosting the Car Show in his honor was the perfect fit,” Smith mentioned.

Registrations for the Car Show, Road Race, Craft Vendor, Activity/Information Vendor and Food Vendors are open now. If you are interested in being a part of AtlanticFest, please visit www.atlanticiowa.com or call the Chamber at 712.243.3017.

(Radio Iowa) – A Solon man will spend 12 years in federal prison on a child pornography charge. Forty-three-year-old Alfredo Alexander Lujan admitted to receiving child pornography following an F-B-I investigation. That investigation found he had been trading child pornography with someone in North Carolina, and had also sent child porn to another individual. A search of Lujan’s residence turned up nearly 200 images and videos depicting child pornography.

(Des Moines, IA) This week, Test Iowa, the state’s free COVID-19 testing program will transition from offering COVID-19 testing at drive through locations throughout the state to providing Iowans access to free, self-administered test kits. Since launching in April of 2020, Test Iowa has processed over 540,000 PCR COVID-19 tests.

Through Test Iowa at-home, a partnership between the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the State Hygienic Lab (SHL), Iowans will be able to receive a free test kit, collect a saliva sample at home, return the sample by UPS and receive results through email.

Beginning Friday, July 16, Iowans may choose to pick up a test kit from a site in their community or have a kit sent to their home at no cost. Each test kit includes step-by-step instructions including how to activate the test kit, collect the test sample, return sample to SHL and when to expect results. The current Test Iowa website will be updated to facilitate the process for requesting test kits and will feature a test kit site locator tool. There are approximately 125 pick-up sites registered throughout the state.

The currently operational drive-through sites in Des Moines and Davenport and testing clinics will remain open through July 16, at 4:00 PM. Appointments for Friday July 16, can be scheduled on testiowa.com through the end of the day on Thursday, July 15.

Homebound individuals have the option to request a kit to be sent to their home, and to have UPS pick up their sample. Results will be sent via email about 24 hours from when the sample is received by SHL. These self-collected saliva test kits are authorized by the FDA under an emergency use authorization.

The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. We encourage all Iowans who have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine to reach out to their health care provider. Vaccine providers and events can be found on https://vaccinate.iowa.gov/

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – A welfare check by law enforcement at a residence in Elk Horn Monday mid-morning resulted in a stand-off and fire that caused significant damage to the home. The incident at 4116 Madison Street began at around 10:35-a.m.

All photos are courtesy of Emily Melanson.

Shelby County Sheriff Neil Gross said law enforcement responded because there was the possibility the individual wanted to harm them self by using an explosive. That information came from a person the individual inside was communicating with.

Law enforcement initially evacuated two or three houses in the area before expanding the perimeter to include the nearby Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton High School, where some employees were working, along with construction workers who were on the roof conducting repairs and upgrades. The sense of urgency came, when Firefighters saw possible propane tanks inside the residence. At the same time, authorities attempted to negotiate with the individual and diffuse the situation.

Gross said after a fire began, a person inside attempted to get out.

Once he was pulled out by law enforcement, the individual was checked out by medical staff and transported to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan. The person’s name was not released. He was reported to be in stable condition.

The person will get a physical and mental evaluation, according to the Sheriff. Gross said he was glad the situation ended peacefully and safely.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Audubon County Sheriff’s Office, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Harlan Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Elk Horn Fire, Kimballton Fire, Exira Fire, Brayton Fire, Atlantic Fire, Walnut Fire, Harlan Fire, Medivac, and Shelby County Emergency Management all responded to the call.