(Atlantic FFA report) — Last Tuesday, June 11th, three members of the Atlantic FFA chapter traveled to Cedar Rapids, to compete in the Iowa FFA Horse Career Development Event. Taylor McCreedy, Aspen Niklasen, and Craig Alan Becker represented Atlantic FFA at the event. McCreedy placed 4th individually in the event. As a team, the Atlantic members placed 8th overall as well. The competition was held at the Iowa Equestrian Center, located at Kirkwood Community College. A total of 103 individuals from 33 different FFA chapters across the state competed in the event.

Photo: Left to right
Taylor Mcreedy, Craig Alan Becker, Aspen Niklasen.

The state FFA Horse Evaluation CDE was designed to test each contestant’s knowledge of agriculture and their skills in equine science. The contest itself consisted of six classes of horses that each competitor evaluated and judged. They also gave oral reasons and answered questions over the classes that they evaluated. Along with these classes, there was a written examination and a team problem solving competition.

The Iowa FFA Horse Career Development Event was made possible through the Iowa FFA Foundation. The Horse Career Development event was coordinated and conducted by Rhonda Clough of Kirkwood Community College at the Iowa Equestrian Center.

WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) — A Minneapolis man has been imprisoned for roaming a dorm at a northeast Iowa college and touching sleeping students. Bremer County District Court records say 23-year-old Bryan Malone was sentenced Monday to more than 14 years. He’d pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and other crimes. He’s also been ordered to register as a sex offender.

Investigators say Malone used his Wartburg College identification card to enter the Wartburg dorm early on Feb. 4 last year. He went into the rooms of three female students and groped them as they slept. Authorities say Malone also entered the room of a student who was gone and stole $300.

After learning about the incidents, the college installed security cameras in several new spots in addition to 30 already situated around campus. Other security measures were taken as well.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s unemployment rate remained stuck at 2.4% in May, just where it’s been for nearly a year. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday that the rate hasn’t budged since July 2018. Iowa’s rate is tied with New Hampshire for the third lowest in the U.S., behind Vermont and North Dakota.

The total number of Iowa residents with jobs in May rose by 3,200 from April. The number of unemployed residents also edged up by 400 people. Iowa’s rate compares to a national unemployment rate of 3.6% in May.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a local woman and two juveniles are facing drug charges following a traffic stop Thursday afternoon southwest of Atlantic, on Highway 6 at Memphis Avenue. Authorities say 18-year old Erin Mack, of Atlantic, and the two 16-year old males face felony charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – with Intent to Deliver and Failure to affix a Drug Tax Stamp.

Erin Mack, of Atlantic

Deputies stopped Mack for speeding and illegal passing of a tractor in a No Passing Zone, at around 5:34-p.m. During the stop Officer’s noticed the smell of Marijuana coming from the vehicle. A witness  told Deputies they saw a bag being thrown from the vehicle prior to the stop. Deputies recovered the bag, which contained 112 grams of Marijuana. Mack was transported to the Cass County Jail and held on $50,000 bond. The two male juvenile passengers were transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs.

(Radio Iowa) — Spring was no lamb, and summer was coming into Iowa this (Friday) morning like an angry, wet lion. Wide sections of the state were peppered with powerful thunderstorms, strong winds and hail, while a Flash Flood Warning was issued for several west-central Iowa counties. Meteorologist Frank Boksa, at the National Weather Service, says some areas got four inches of rain this morning with more on the way. “Each of these storms is capable of producing a quick half-inch or so of rain and the stronger storms will be producing heavier rainfall,” Boksa says. “The ground is already saturated. We’ve had a couple inches of rain already. With additional storms, we’re expecting ponding of water.”

Urban areas may see street flooding while some rural areas of Iowa have already endured months of high water across tens of thousands of acres of farmland. The ground is pretty saturated and it can’t hold as much water, so once the rain falls, the ground quickly takes what it can and the rest is all going to be runoff, and if you get repeated rounds of this, the runoff is just going to increase,” Boksa says. “Concrete isn’t going to absorb it so it’s going to run somewhere.”

Perfectly on cue, warmer weather is moving into the state on this first day of summer and it’s raising the potential for several weather this afternoon and tonight. “We’re going to get more warm air and more moisture coming in and the potential will be for larger hail, up to golfball-sized, and damaging winds,” Boksa says. “If we should get a line of thunderstorms, there might be the potential for a tornado or two.”

Foul weather will likely last much of the weekend and into Sunday night, he predicts, with clearing, more seasonal weather on Monday.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says one person was arrested at around 5-a.m. today (Friday), after Deputies were called to the area of 110th Street and F Avenue, for a report of a truck and camper parked in the middle of the traveled portion of the road. During their investigation, Deputies from Montgomery and Mills Counties located the owner of the vehicle, who became combative with Deputies. As a result, 41-year old Zachary M. Setterburg, of Shenandoah, was arrested on two counts of Interference with Official Acts, and two counts of Assault on a Peace Officer.

Setterburg was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 cash bond.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — A state workers union is criticizing what it says is the state’s lack of response to attacks on at least four employees at the state psychiatric care facility in eastern Iowa. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees says assaults over the past two weeks at the Independence Mental Health Institute include a nurse punched in the nose and three residential treatment workers who suffered head or neck injuries.

Union President Danny Homan said in a Wednesday news release that “a safety crisis taking place for the employees, and the state of Iowa is showing no urgency to address it.”
Iowa Human Services Department Matt Highland says workplace injuries at the institute are down from last year and says treatment provided to aggressive patients is often reviewed to help reduce violent incidents.

It’s the same facility from which nurse Tina Suckow was fired days after her federally entitled medical leave expired. Her request for time off without pay was denied. A patient beat Suckow with his fists last October.

Police in Creston report 37-year old Charles Edward Keeton, of Creston, was arrested Thursday morning for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Keaton was being held in the Union County Jail on a $20,000 cash-only bond.

Charles Edward Keeton (Union County S/O photo)

Authorities said also, that with regard to the shooting early Wednesday morning at 1204 N Pine Street, the case is still under investigation and there are no updates to release at this time. The incident was reported at around 2:05-a.m. Wednesday. A woman was discovered at an apartment, suffering from a gun shot wound. She was transported to a hospital in Des Moines. All parties involved were identified. Authorities said the public was not in any danger. The Iowa DCI is assisting the Creston Police Department in the investigation.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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