(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Hy-Vee, on Thursday, January 25th, 2024. The Ambassadors welcomed Katelyn Burnett as the new Store Manager and heard about her goals for Atlantic Hy-Vee.

Katelyn began working at Hy-Vee at the age of 15 years old as a cashier and bagging items for customers. While Katelyn attended college, she continued to work at Hy-Vee in many different departments such as catering, special events, marketing, and human resources. Fast forward to the end of 2022, Katelyn began the process of becoming a store manager. In November of 2023, Katelyn received word she would be moving to Atlantic to become store manager and has since spent the last few months learning about the community while taking part in all things Christmas in Atlantic.

Ambassadors and Hy-Vee Staff (Left to Right): Krysta Hanson, Magan Sramek, Sue Liston, Kathie Hockenberry, Kelsey Beschorner, Julie Waters, Jeremy Butler, Colt Doherty, Emily Kennedy, Katelyn Burnett, DeeDee Kalny, Elaine Otte, Dr. Keith Leonard, Dolly Bergmann, Anne Quist, Rick Mericle, Andrew Martin, Bill Saluk, Scott Bennett, Jim Kickland

Katelyn shared with the Ambassadors that her favorite part of working in a small-town like Atlantic, is being involved in community partnerships and events. One of Katelyn’s goals for the Atlantic Hy-Vee is to host monthly “character weekends” such as the brunch they are hosting this Saturday from 11AM-2PM featuring Elsa and Olaf from Frozen.

Hy-Vee employs anywhere from 120-150 people with most staff working in the summer months and in the Garden Center. Hy-Vee is open daily, 6AM to 10PM, with services ranging from floral to catering and pharmacy to dietitian services.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston say two men were arrested on separate charges, Thursday. Officers arrested 31-year-old Rogelio Olivera-Martinez, of Creston, at around 7:12-a.m. He was taken into custody at his residence on charges that include Public Intoxication, Interference with Official Acts, Criminal Mischief 4th Degree, Burglary 1st Degree, and Domestic Abuse Assault – Injury or Mental Illness 1st. The cash-or-surety bond for Rogelio Olivera-Martinez was set at $27,300.

And, at around 1:40-p.m., Thursday, Creston Police arrested 25-year-old Dylan James Lawrence, of Creston. He was taken into custody at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center (LEC) and charged with OWI/1st Offense. Lawrence posted a $1,000 cash or approved surety bond, and was released.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – An Iowa City man was arrested after police said he used a shovel to hit a washing machine at a laundromat earlier this month. KCRG reports 40-year-old Nicholas Lecnar, of Iowa City, is charged with criminal mischief for the January 13 incident. Police said at around noon on that day, Lecnar used a shovel to hit a washing machine several times, causing $1,725 in damage.

The incident was captured on security cameras, with clear images of Lecnar’s face, according to a criminal complaint.

It’s the dead of winter but Iowa’s hard-core cyclists are thinking ahead to spring and getting back in the saddle. The Iowa Bike Expo, what’s billed as one of the largest one-day bike shows in the Midwest, will be held tomorrow (Saturday) in Des Moines. Luke Hoffman, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, says they’re expecting at least five-thousand people to attend the free event. Hoffman says you’ll be able to chat with representatives from local businesses, state and local government agencies, as well as vendors selling bikes, apparel and gear.

The expo will be followed by the RAGBRAI Route Announcement Party. Both are being held at the Iowa Events Center.

WOODBINE, Iowa (KETV) — No school can have eyes on every camera feed at once. But using artificial intelligence, the Woodbine Community School District believes it has the next best thing to get a head start in responding to an active shooter situation. Superintendent Justin Wagner tells KETV that they’re using AI to buy time in the event of an emergency.

An alert comes when a gun is brandished in front of a camera. When the AI sees a gun, it’s sent to a command center at the company ZeroEyes. There, someone manning a computer will confirm it’s a gun. Then, the alarm is sent to school officials and nearby law enforcement with an exact location.

ZeroEyes Chief Operation Officer Rob Huberty said that happens in seconds, often minutes before a potential active shooter decides to pull the trigger. ZeroEyes is in hundreds of schools in 40 states, including some others in Nebraska and Iowa.

The AI is constantly trained by bringing different types of guns into a green screen room, which teaches the computers what a gun will look like. Superintendent Wagner said they’re not trying to keep up with the latest in safety technology, they’re trying to LEAD it, saying they can’t affort NOT to stay ahead of threats to the district.

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) — There’s no doubt which of Iowa’s specialty license plate designs is most popular. The state’s “blackout” plates were an immediate hit with drivers when they were first released July 1, 2019. Four months later the simple design — white lettering over a black background — was the state’s most popular. Nearly 50,000 had been issued at that point, well more than the 30,000 University of Iowa plates issued.

Now, almost five years later, 585,772 of the state’s 4,605,643 total plates, about 12%, are blackout, according to Iowa DOT data from the 2023 calendar year. And other states have taken notice. Blackout plates with the regular number-letter combination are $35, plus an annual $10 fee. Personalized versions cost $60, with a $15 annual fee.

Black and gold University of Iowa plates are still the second most popular specialty plates in the state, with nearly 27,000 in circulation, more than 92% of which are personalized. Iowa State is third, with more than 19,000 cardinal and gold plates issued, 92% of which are personalized.

Other colleges with plates include Briar Cliff, Buena Vista, Central, Clarke, Coe, Cornell, Des Moines University, Dordt, Drake, Dubuque, Graceland, Grand View, Grinnell, Iowa Wesleyan, Loras, Luther, Morningside, Mount Mercy, Northern Iowa, Northwestern, Palmer, Simpson, St. Ambrose, Upper Iowa, Wartburg and William Penn.

The three most popular Iowa Department of Natural Resources specialty plates, of which a portion of the cost goes to the Wildlife Diversity Program and Resource Enhancement and Protection, feature birds. The most popular DNR plate features a goldfinch, the state bird, with more than 13,000 in circulation. Eagles are next on the list (5,236 total plates), and pheasants are third (4,414).

Other DNR options include deer (4,281) and trout (1,937).

CLIVE, Iowa (KCCI) — Authorities used Stop Sticks to flatten the tires of a woman who was allegedly drunk while driving the wrong way on Interstate 80/35 in Polk County late Wednesday night. There was an active dense fog advisory when Courtney Allen, of Huxley, drove the wrong way on the interstate for miles, prompting multiple 911 calls from other drivers, according to court documents.

Allen was traveling north/eastbound in the south/westbound lanes of I80/35. A Clive police officer traveling in the correct direction activated their lights and sirens when they caught up with Allen, but said she did not stop. Responding officers eventually deployed the Stop Sticks, which popped the wrong-way driver’s tires and forcing her to stop.

Allen is charged with second-offense operating while intoxicated, driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway, reckless driving, failing to yield to an emergency vehicle and not wearing a seatbelt.

The annual Okoboji Winter Games are underway in northwest Iowa. Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce director, Blain Andera, says the games are on despite the warmer weather. He says they did move a few of the events off of the ice, but this is much nicer than last year when they had temperatures at ten below and a stiff northwest wind. He says they get between 30 and 40-thosuand people who attend the games. Several businesses and restaurants open up just for the weekend that are seasonal and are typically closed in the wintertime. The games run through Sunday and you can find a complete listing of the events at uofowintergames.com.

Iowa is one of three states that does not have an official state fish. A northwest Iowa legislator’s proposal could change that. State Representative John Wills of Spirit Lake says the nomination came from a constituent who told Wills the Iowa Darter is the only fish that has Iowa in its name and that would make it a great state fish. Wills expects to hear other names floated for state fish, like the blue gill or the channel cat, but he is casting his lot with his constituent. The Iowa Darter is small — under four inches — and its scales and fins are covered in rainbow colors. Iowa has just a handful of state symbols. The last one was done in 1967 when the legislature declared the geode (JEE-ohd) as the state rock.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds and two dozen other Republican governors are siding with the governor of Texas in his border dispute with the Biden Administration. The statement from the governors comes after the U-S Supreme Court ruled federal agents can remove razor wire Texans installed at Eagle Pass, along the U-S-Mexico border.

“Poor Governor Abbott,” Reynolds told Radio Iowa. “…You have your own administration and then the Supreme Court rule that when you’re trying to protect the sovereignty of your country and your citizens rule against you, it’s scary times that we’re in right now.” Reynolds says the State of Texas should be able to use every tool necessary to defend itself from the tide of mass migration across the border.

“There’s not a country out there that can withstand what we’re seeing, so it’s just a matter to time where something happens,” Reynolds says. “We’re seeing guns and drugs and terrorists come across. There’s no accountability. Our Border Patrol people are just processing people, giving them an airplane ticket and a phone and money and dispersing them throughout the country. It makes me sick to my stomach.”

Reynolds and the other Republican governors say the U-S Constitution gives states the right of self-defense in times like this. Neighboring G-O-P governors in Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota signed onto the statement in support of Texas. A spokesman for the U-S Departnent of Homeland Security says enforcement of immigration law is a federal responsibility and the razor wire, fences and gates stalled by the State of Texas have only made it harder for federal agents to do their jobs.