(Photo: L-R)- Grace Goodrich, Reese Harlan, Madison McLaren, Madilyn Waters, Henley Coffman, Brylee Lamp, Arianna Knuth, Reese Ball, and Tessa O’Brien.
Coaches (not pictured): Emilee Harlan and Amanda Knuth.
The Atlantic 4th grade AAU Volleyball Team won the team title at the 2021 AAU State Volleyball Championships in Lake City. The Trojans came out on top of a 17 team field. Reese Harlan and Madilyn Waters were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Three people were arrested on separate charges early Saturday morning, in Mills County. At around 2:15-a.m., 33-year-old Zachary Clay Younts, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on Main Street in Malvern, on warrants for Violation of Probation, and Contempt of Court. His bond was set at $25,000.
At approximately 3:25-a.m., Saturday, 31-year-old Courtney Paige Pontow, of Malvern, was arrested following a traffic stop on I-29. She was charged with OWI/1st offense, with bond set at $1,000.
And, at around 5-a.m., Saturday, 61-year-old Thomas Oscar Anderson, of Red Oak, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance. His bond was set at $2,000.
(Radio Iowa) – The monthly Creighton University survey of business leaders shows the Midwestern economy saw its biggest-ever economic bounce during April. On the zero to 100 scale, the business conditions index hit a record 73.9 for the month, its largest in almost three decades of surveys. Creighton economist Ernie Goss says the region’s economy, which includes Iowa and eight other states, has posted growth for 11 straight months now.
Ernie Goss
“This economy is moving along but it’s constrained, if you can believe that, constrained by supply bottlenecks,” Goss says. “Four out of the ten supply managers reported they were experiencing significant bottlenecks and delays in deliveries, so that’s slowing down the growth.” Iowa’s business conditions index for April is lagging behind the region overall and rose to 67.9, up from 66.5 in March. The survey found hiring in the region sank during April, as more than one in five (22%) supply managers named finding and hiring qualified workers as the greatest 2021 challenge to their firm.
“The stimulus package that was put through by the Biden administration is having some negative impacts on the overall hiring,” Goss says, “simply because you’re paying workers more to remain unemployed rather than to get a job, and we’re going to continue seeing that be an issue going forward.” In March and April of last year, the region lost 106,000 manufacturing jobs. Since bottoming out in April of 2020, Goss says the Midwest has added 58,000 manufacturing jobs. The economic pressures of the prolonged pandemic are appearing elsewhere, too.
“We’re already seeing higher airfares, the airlines are increasing prices on tickets and that’s being reflected in family travel,” Goss says. “Business travel, still not good. We’re seeing conferences being canceled, we’re seeing conferences being held on Zoom or on remote.” Compared to pre-COVID-19 levels, Goss says Iowa manufacturing employment is down 4,300 jobs, or 1.9%, while average hourly manufacturing wages are 2.1% lower.
In an update to our earlier reports, police in Council Bluffs say a man who was shot in the parking lot of a Council Bluffs casino early Monday morning, is refusing to cooperate with investigators, so they are closing the case without any arrests. The incident took place in the parking lot of the Ameristar Casino. Authorities say at around 2-a.m., officers were dispatched to the casino at 2200 River Road, with regard to a security officer who was out with a man, who had suffered a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Officers spoke with the unidentified victim, who told them he was walking in the parking lot, when a dark colored SUV drove up to him, and someone inside fired a shot at the man. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
At 11-a.m., Monday, detectives attempted to speak with the victim of the shooting for a second time. The unidentified 29-year-old male from Russellville, Mo., was still uncooperative, but told detectives the incident “was not a random shooting.” The man had arrived at the casino in the unknown suspect’s vehicle, and when the suspect returned to pick him up, the victim was shot once in the abdomen.
In celebration of “May Beef Month,” the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Iowa Beef Industry Council are excited to announce the results of Iowa’s Best Burger contest. Bambino’s, in Ossian, has been awarded this year’s Iowa’s Best Burger honors. At first glance, Bambino’s appears to be a hole-in-the-wall, nestled between Decorah and West Union. Customers having visited the quaint Ossian establishment, before or after it had ranked among Iowa’s Best Burgers, would concur—there is more than meets the eye.
Ron Lienau, of Fredericksburg, IA, purchased the bar in 1982. He and his girlfriend, Sue, decided to embark on this journey together, but “for a little while; not too long.” One year later, Ron and Sue wed. Soon after, the couple started their family, having four boys in five and a half years. “We were hoping to sell when our youngest was in Kindergarten,” Sue recalls. “Thirty-nine years later, and we’re still here.” The Lienau’s raised all four boys, while managing the bar and growing their business. Sue’s bar shift offered flexible hours, allowing her to attend the boys’ sporting events. As they grew older, all four boys worked for the family-owned business. Sue is proud of her boys, as they gained both cooking and social skills from their food service experience. She is now teaching her grandsons how to wash glasses and assist customers.
Bambino’s, which mimics Ron’s college nickname, was “truly a bar,” at first. However, Sue says “food became a bigger demand over time.” When the restaurant in town closed, it left townsfolk without a place to dine. Bambino’s, which did not feature a service kitchen at the time, found a way to open early and serve breakfast. Sue cooked at home, then brought her breakfast items to the bar to serve. Eventually, a new restaurant opened and Bambino’s stopped its breakfast service, but continued with its noontime meal. “Throughout it all, we have had a good noon meal,” Sue says. “My meals are always made from scratch.”
To date, Bambino’s has continued offering noon specials, including: hamburger steak on Monday, roast beef meal on Thursday, and chef’s pick on Friday. “We do more food business than bar business,” Sue shares. “Beef, all around, is our biggest seller. It’s in our goulash, meatloaf, and soups.” Aside from the daily lunch specials, “cheeseburgers and fries have been customers’ go-to.” Bambino’s keeps busy with burgers “all day and all night,” as farmers call in for a no hassle, utensil-free lunch, bowlers seek out a quick meal on their drive back from league night, and softball players round out a long evening. Bambino’s burgers are highly sought after, and “you can get them anytime.” Bino (Ron) will serve burgers from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., attracting customers all throughout the day. Bambino’s burgers feature fresh, never frozen, 80/20 fine ground beef. Ron and Sue patty the 7-ounce burgers as orders come in. The burgers are then cooked to 160 degrees, placed on a fresh KwikStar bun, and customized.
Bambino’s most requested burger is the “veggie burger,” which features a juicy, all-beef burger patty topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion. Customers can customize their burgers anyway they’d like. Popular toppings include: bacon, egg, onion rings, and hash browns. Overall, Bambino’s customers “just like beef,” Sue says. “They’re beef eaters.” Sue enjoys unleashing her creative side, when building a burger. Not only does she create flavor, but fun. Regular customers and special guests may find a creative design made out of ketchup on their burgers during special occasions, such as birthdays and holidays. In her spare time, Sue continues to chip away at her children book series, which her customers helped inspire. The Lienau’s enjoy their customers, and the hospitality shown by Sue and Ron make Bambino’s a special place to dine. “Meeting new people and welcoming new visitors” has been the highlight of their Best Burger Contest experience. Unfamiliar guests become part of the Bambino’s family well before they step foot outside. The Lienau’s know no stranger.
The flavor, creativity, and hospitality, which abounds at Bambino’s, have helped this small-town establishment secure Iowa’s 2021 Best Burger award. The designation as Iowa’s Best Burger comes after a two-phase competition, sponsored by the Iowa Beef Industry Council through the Iowa State Beef Checkoff and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. The first phase is based on votes from the public. For a month, burger lovers went online and voted for their favorite Iowa burger joint. At the end of the month, the 10 restaurants with the most votes were declared the “Top 10”. From there, three anonymous judges visited each of the restaurants, scoring the burger patties based on taste, doneness, and presentation.
Bambino’s, located at 102 N Lydia Street, Ossian, IA, 52161, is open from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday. The establishment is 10 miles south of the Decorah Municipal Airport or six miles east of Calmar, right off Highway 52 on N Lydia St.
Atlantic native, and former Northwest Missouri State Bearcat, Ryan Hawkins announced via social media on Monday that he is headed to Creighton University to finish his college basketball career. Hawkins decided last week to enter the transfer portal and use his extra year of eligibility at the Division 1 level.
Excited for this new opportunity! @BluejayMBB #GoJays pic.twitter.com/iZrDwPPDtO
— Ryan Hawkins (@RyanHawkins8) May 3, 2021
Ryan told KJAN Sports that he had Creighton in mind when he hit the transfer portal and likes the tradition they’ve developed.
He said the recruitment process was pretty difficult right now because he couldn’t officially visit any campus’ due to COVID restrictions.
The fit should be a good one on the basketball floor for Hawkins because he said the system isn’t totally different from Northwest.
The Bluejays are coming off a 22-9 campaign this past season with an appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. There will be a lot of holes to fill though, with all five starters either transferring or declaring for the NBA Draft. That will give Hawkins a chance to lead right away.
Hawkins just finished a national championship season with Northwest and he leaves as the Bearcats all-time leading rebounder and second on their career scoring list.
Information about the Atlantic FFA Banquet has been released. The Banquet was held on Monday, March 29th at the Atlantic High School. There were 150 members and guests were present at the event. The banquet started with the opening ceremonies, led by the 2020-2021 chapter officers. This year the officers include President Taylor McCreedy, Vice President Alyssa Derby, Secretary Craig Alan Becker, Treasurer Gunner Kirchhoff, Reporter Aspen Niklasen, Sentinel Wyatt Redinbaugh, and Student Advisor Garrett Reynolds. 2020-21 Chapter President Taylor McCreedy said, Ti was a great year despite all of the challenges the chapter had to navigate. We accomplished a lot, learned to adapt and succeed under circumstances that were different. Overall I think we had a great year”
The opening ceremonies was followed by a welcome to members and guests, and was given by President Taylor McCreedy. A reflection was then said by Craig Alan Becker. Following the reflection, dinner was held for members and guests alike. HyVee provided the Brisket and sides for the FFA members and guests. At the conclusion of dinner, two guest speakers spoke to the audience. The first was Shelby McCreedy, the mother of FFA President Taylor McCreedy. Mrs McCreedy talked about the importance of overcoming adversity as a group and building a better chapter in the long run. McCreedy also spoke about strength, resiliency and determination of this Chapter to continue to make things happen even while adhering to COVID protocols.”
2020-21 FFA Seniors: Left to Right Back Row -Taylor McCreedy Alyssa Derby, Garrett Reynolds, Craig Becker, Gunner Kirchhoff; Left to Right Front Row – Hannah Carlson, Bethany Anderson, Caroline Pellett.
The next speaker was Atlantic FFA Alumni Representative, Tyler Comes. Comes talked about the many possibilities for people to get involved with the Alumni organization. “There are many opportunities to get involved. Some examples include helping with fundraisers, driving FFA members to events when needed, and just finding ways how to help benefit our chapter.” Craig Alan Becker gave the secretary’s report. And the treasurer’s report was given by Gunner Kirchhoff. The balance on hand stated was $18,870.19.
Following the guest speakers, awards were given out. First were those recognized for earning 10,000 FFA points throughout their time as a member. These points are earned through getting involved with our chapter. The more activities and events a member participates in, the more points they earn. Those recognized for reaching 10,000 points included Craig Alan Becker, Hannah Carlson, Alyssa Derby, Taylor McCreedy and Garrett Reynolds. The next award was the Academic Achievement Award. This award is given to those who have been a part of the Atlantic FFA chapter for three years, and have maintained a 3.5 GPA throughout all those years. Those who received the Academic Achievement Award included Bethany Anderson, Craig Alan Becker, Hannah Carlson, Alyssa Derby, Gunner Kirrchoff, Taylor McCreedy, Drey Newell, Carloine Pellett, and Garrett Reynolds.
After the Academic Achievement Award came the Star Greenhand, Star Ag Placement, Star Ag Business, and Star of Ag Production Awards. The Star Greenhand is awarded to a freshman who the chapter officers feel was the most involved with the chapter in the past year. This year there were two outstanding Greenhand members so the award was given to Claire Pellett and Colton Becker. The next award, Star Ag Placement, is an award is given to a member that has done an exceptional job in their employment, whether that be in or out of agriculture. This award was received by Gunner Kirchhoff. Next came the Star Ag Business Award, which was given to Craig Alan Becker. Craig Alan was given this award for his outstanding work at his family farm operation. Following the Star Ag Business Award, Taylor McCreedy was awarded the Star of Ag Production. This award is given to a member who does an outstanding job in their work of agriculture production, while working on their own operation.
Honorary Chapter Farmer: Left to right – Shelby McCreedy, Abby and John Becker.
This year, the new officers for the 2020-2021 term elected four members to receive the Atlantic FFA Leadership Award, which is given in appreciation to those who have shown leadership through their years in FFA. These 7 members who received the award include Taylor McCreedy, Graig Alan Becker, Alyssa Derby, Hannah Carlson, Garrett Reynolds, Caroline Pellett and Garrett Reynolds Officers also elected 3 families and individuals to receive the Honorary Chapter Farmer award, which is given to people who have played a large role in helping the Atlantic FFA chapter and the activities they do. Those that accepted this award include Marty and Shelby McCreedy, John and Abby Becker, and Steve Barber Superintendent of Atlantic .
To finish the award recognitions, Taylor McCreedy and Bryan York were recognized for winning their state proficiency awards. Taylor competed in Diversified Livestock and Bryan competed in Vegetable Production. Four other Atlantic FFA members also competed in State Proficiency Awards: Gunner Kirchhoff placed 3rd in the state in his proficiency award area of Ag Mechanics, Caroline Pellett placed 3rd in Beef Entrepreneurship. Garrett Reynolds placed 4th in Ag Sales for his job at Fareway and Hannah Carlson placed 5th with her Goat entrepreneurship. These proficiency awards are given to members who have an outstanding Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE) project.
This year, 14 members were given the Discovery Degree. The Discovery Degree is awarded to members who are finishing their 8th grade year of schooling, and have been involved in FFA for one year. Those that have been involved for one year of high school Ag, received the Greenhand Degree, which was given to 16 members. Next came 11 members who were Chapter FFA degrees, which are given to members who have been involved in FFA for 2 years since being in high school, or members who have been in FFA for three years including their 8th grade year.
The banquet concluded with the installation of new chapter officers. For the upcoming 2019-2020 year, the new officers include the following: Wyatt Redinbaugh as President, Cooper Jipsen as Vice President, Bryan York as Secretary, Dylan Comes as Treasurer, Aspen Niklasen as Reporter, Logan Eilts as Sentinel, and Malena Woodward as Student Advisor. Chapter President Wyatt Redinbaugh said “The 2021 FFA Banquet was a strange experience for me, it marked the end of the seniors leadership and time for our class to step up. This senior class has influenced me in so many different ways. I am excited to see what I can do to help build this FFA chapter for the future.“
(Story credit: Aspen Niklasen, Atlantic FFA Reporter)
Atlantic FFA Advisor Eric Miller reports, that on Monday, April 26th and Tuesday April 27th, Atlantic FFA members Malena Woodward and Bryan York participated in the 10th annual Virtual Iowa Youth Institute (IYI) hosted by the World Food Prize Foundation. Woodward and York were part of the 264 students and 110 teachers from 93 Iowa high schools. This virtual, 2 day-long event was the first of its kind for the IYI supported by over 90 experts from across Iowa.
Each year, the World Food Prize Youth Institutes convene high school students, teachers and experts to explore and solve local, national and global hunger and food security issues. In order to be a part of the Iowa Youth Institute, students research and write a paper on a global challenge related to hunger and food insecurity. Currently, 25 states, the Netherlands and Honduras host Youth Institutes, where students can be selected to serve as delegates at the Global Youth Institute as part of October’s Borlaug International Dialogue.
Woodward’s paper was on the malnutrition problem occurring in Guatemala. Woodward said, “I had fun researching and learning more information about Guatemala. After learning that over half of their population is malnourished I feel it is important to educate the local population on nutrition and producing their own food.” York’s paper focused on Sustainable Agriculture in Tanzania and how this affects the food insecurity problem. “I was interested in soil health and Sustainability overseas. After Doing a bit of research, I decided to write my paper about Tanzania, a country who has been on the raise in recent years, but has had trouble with its malnutrition and infrastructure.” York stated, “I found, in my research, that Tanzania can produce almost 95 percent of its own food. But, many Tanzanians have trouble accessing this food inside its borders.”
Malena Woodward
Bryan York (Photos submitted)
The day began with remarks from Kelsey Tyrell, Organizer for the Iowa Youth Institute and Wendy Wintersteen, President of Iowa State University. The keynote address was provided by Kim Reynolds, Governor of Iowa. Once the opening session was complete Woodward and York began Roundtable Discussions. Students presented their research in a roundtable fashion to ISU faculty and industry professionals by using Zoom Meetings. Students were also supportive of their peers and asked questions to provide a diverse array of perspectives to the discussion. During the afternoon session students and teachers participated in virtual Immersion Discussions with World Food Prize Partners.
At the end of the second day, Woodward and York were declared Bourlag Scholars and awarded a $1,000 scholarship to Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Both Woodward and York are going to be Seniors next year and have the opportunity to participate again. When talking about her experiences Woodward said, “I really enjoyed the presentation. I thought it was interesting hearing the ideas of other students and experts trying to solve world hunger as well as hearing their input and giving me more ideas about my topic.”
This one-day event is offered at no cost to teachers or students. More details are available at www.worldfoodprize.org/iowayouth.
A longtime investment advisor in Treynor is accused of running a Ponzi scheme with his clients’ money. According to various reports and charging documents, Jeffrey Carley, owner of Carley Financial Group, had allegedly been advising clients since at least 2013 to move money out of their traditional individual retirement accounts, to so-called “self-directed” IRA’s, which grant the owner greater control over their investments. Carley would then direct the client toward investments he had an interest in through the other two companies, without disclosing that conflict.
Carley would then create fraudulent “annual statements of earnings” to share with his clients. In fact, prosecutors say, Carley used the money invested in Prosperity Partners or Main Street Solutions for personal business, and made only minimal interest payments back into his clients’ accounts, using funds invested by new clients to pay supposed returns to prior investors. His agency has been registered since 1993.
According to charging documents made public Thursday, Carley also owned all or part of two other companies — Prosperity Partners and Main Street Solutions — all of which he operated from Treynor. Court records show he was charged in a sealed indictment, in February, and arrested Thursday after Federal authorities announced they had executed a search warrant at his residence in Treynor, as KJAN mentioned previously. Carley has been indicted on six counts of wire fraud involving at least five victims in Colorado and Nebraska and a total of at least $109,000.
He appeared in court Thursday and was granted pretrial release, with conditions including that he not engage in financial advising while the case proceeds.
Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce report a modern-day expedition into Western Iowa, the T-Bone Trail Tour, will be one of the beefiest missions of the year, and The Iowa Gallivant is ready to take it on! Some of Iowa’s greatest communities will be showcased May – August, with Cass County being the first stop this Friday. Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, says “This will be JayJay Goodvin and The Iowa Gallivant’s second trip to our community and we’re excited to welcome him back and show him even more of the area. The idea of the T-Bone Trail Tour is to showcase what travelers can do outdoors and highlight restaurants serving Iowa raised beef.”
Goodvin will make stops at Schildberg Recreation Area with highlights of walking & biking trails in Atlantic, Baxter Cycle in Marne, Cold Springs Park in Lewis, The Outdoor Classroom in Massena, Lake Anita State Park and end with a steak dinner at the Wiota Steakhouse. He will post videos and blogs of his adventures to his Facebook page, The Iowa Gallivant, and encourages everyone to follow along!
JayJay Goodvin photo via The Iowa Gallivant Facebook page
JayJay Goodvin, creator of The Iowa Gallivant says “What if I told you that a juicy steak could be paired with the beautiful Loess Hills, rural roller-coaster like blacktops, vibrant Main Streets, tranquil off the beaten path wonders, historic landmarks unique to Iowa, hundreds of miles of hiking/biking trails and unbelievable lakesides you can’t believe you’ve overlooked before. People have a favorite steak night go-to in Des Moines, Omaha, Kansas City, etc. It’s time to expand that sense of adventure and find another juicy, perfectly cooked beefy masterpiece in Western Iowa and experience one of the greatest areas in the world.”
The next stop on the tour will be a visit to Audubon County Saturday, May 8th. Goodvin will visit a local beef producer, Albert the Bull, T-Bone Trail, a trip to the golf course and the Nathaniel Hamlin Park. He’ll end his visit with a steak dinner at the Barn Burner in Brayton.
For more information about The Iowa Gallivant, visit their website at www.theiowagallivant.com, on Facebook at The Iowa Gallivant, or contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017. The T-Bone Trail Tour kicks off this Friday, May 7th in Cass County.
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