Atlantic Rising could be seen in Atlantic City Park giving out green bags on Thursday, August 27th. Educators from all over Cass County were invited to come to the park and receive theses bags of classroom supplies and treats.

“These projects have been something we have done for a few years now and we always look forward to helping get everyone back to school,” mentioned Atlantic Rising’s Social Chair, Kelsey Beschorner.

“This year has been extremely challenging, and we know there is a lot of unknowns as everyone heads back to school. We want our community to know that we support the educators and students as they begin to navigate these unprecedented times,” mentioned Beschorner.

This year, Atlantic Rising was able to facilitate a school supply drive along with the educator appreciation bags.

“We recognized that this year has been particularly hard on everyone and we knew that we may not be able to collect as many school supplies and donations as in the past. We are so grateful for the continued generosity of this great community,” Beschorner stated.

We would like to send a special thanks to the Cass County ISU Extension Office and Great Western Bank for their parts in these projects. We could not have had the success we did without their help.

If you are interested in joining Atlantic Rising and what they are involved in throughout the year, you can contact Kelsey at 712-243-3017 or kelsey@atlanticiowa.com. The membership application can also be found at www.atlanticiowa.com. Atlantic Rising is sponsored by Cass County Health System and Atlantic Dental Center.

By DAVID PITT Associated Press
Iowa’s surge in coronavirus cases continues as more than 2,600 more positive cases have been reported but state officials say the rise is partly due to adding results of a new testing method. The state currently shows more than 62,000 people have tested positive in Iowa. There have also been 1,091 deaths, including 12 in the last day. Gov. Kim Reynolds says much of the state’s surge is due to college-age adults gathering without masks or distancing. The University of Iowa on Friday reported 500 new cases among students during the first week of classes.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say three people were stabbed after a fight over food and alcohol erupted at the party. Officers were called to the scene north of downtown Des Moines early Friday. First responders transported a 24-year-old woman and a 26-year-old woman to hospitals. The 26-year-old remains hospitalized in serious condition, while the 24-year-old was treated and released. A third woman was taken by private vehicle and was treated for minor injuries. Twenty-one-year-old Danitia Keona Rene Hayes, of Des Moines, is charged with two counts of willful injury.

Montgomery County Public Health released their weekly COVID-19 testing numbers on Friday. The Department reports 7 new positive cases in the past week. The age breakdown of cases is one child age 0-17, 4 adults age 18-40, and 2 older adults 61-80.

Mongtomery County was up to 73 cases confirmed through the pandemic with 61 recovered and 4 deaths.

Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer and we celebrate with barbecues and road trips. But be aware as you hit the highways that the Labor Day holiday weekend is one of the deadliest times of the year in terms of drunk-driving fatalities. The Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS)/Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB), says during the 2018 Labor Day holiday period (August 31 – September 4), there were 439 traffic fatalities nationwide. Forty-three percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking and more than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were over the legal limit. Ultimately, drinking and driving is a choice, and it is a choice that puts all road users at risk.

Authorities say it is imperative that we all do our part to end drunk and drugged driving. Remember that it is never okay to drink/drug and drive. Even if you plan to have only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or use a ride serve to get home safely. If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement. Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive? Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely. These are small tasks that can make a BIG difference to save lives.

Last year, in Iowa, there were six fatalities over the three-day Labor Day weekend. Three of these fatalities involved a drunk driver. To help keep people safe on our roadways and put an end to drunk driving, extra law enforcement will be out, both locally and nationally, in support of the 2020 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign. From August 21 through September 7, 2020, officers will be out there keeping our roads safe by removing impaired drivers and addressing other serious traffic violations.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau reminds you: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.