An event 6-p.m. Wednesday in Atlantic at Sunnyside Park, will serve as an opportunity for the community to show its support of law enforcement, for the healing of our country, and, for those protesting for justice, in light of the death over one-week ago in Minneapolis, of George Floyd. Event organizer, Ali Pieken, whose husband Dustin is with the Iowa State Patrol (& formerly the Atlantic Police Dept.), said she was approached by a local photographer with interest or an idea for our local law enforcement to do something in show of our support for what is going on in the US right now. The plan she and others came up with, is a program all local law enforcement officers can partake in. The Atlantic Fire Department will be there as well, and free hot dogs will be served.

Officers, Deputies and others will gather in the Camblin Addition for the event. They will form a large (socially distant) circle, and be asked to “take a knee,” if they feel comfortable. Local pastor Ben Winford will be in the middle of the circle to recite a prayer. Ali Pieken says “If you are not religious and would not like to be apart of the prayer, we understand but would love for you to see come and be apart of the event. I encourage you to invite your family and friends to be apart of this as well. It’s a beautiful thing when we can all come together. And it delivers a powerful message to our amazing community.”

Pieken says the event has a two-fold purpose:

1. To show support to the black community and everything that are feeling and facing right now
2. To show our support for all our blue family (law enforcement), and what they are facing right now all over the country.

The public is invited to attend. The event is NOT designed to be a protest rally or to reason to spark a riot. It is a time for the community to come together and draw strength for each other and our law enforcement community. Ali says “Although we do not anticipate riots breaking out in our community, we know some people are hurting and we want them to see the human behind the badge. We want them to be able to come out and support the badge, process their feelings, or simply be apart of the community coming together in these amazing United States of America.”

(Updated) The Mills County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in identifying the person or persons who vandalized the “Malvern” entrance sign. The sign, located at 315th Street and U-S Highway 34, was damaged sometime overnight Sunday, May 31st. The Malvern Bank is offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.

If you have information about the incident, please call Sgt. Ryan Pittman, at 712-527-4871.

Cass County Health System officials report the Anita Medical Center will close at noon today, Monday, June 1, 2020. There was no indication of the reason, or for how long the center will be closed.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports several recent arrests and/or incidents took place over the past four days. Most recently, at around 9-a.m. Sunday, a traffic stop on a vehicle whose registered owner had an invalid license, resulted in the arrest of 33-year old Joseph Edward Grimes, for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender. Grimes was issued a criminal citation at the scene, and released. At around 11:05-p.m. Saturday., four 17-year old juveniles were cited at a residence in Underwood, for Possession and/or purchase of alcohol by a person under the age of 18. The citations were issued to one female and three males, whose names were not released.

Saturday evening, 36-year old Dustin Martin Thomas was arrested in Crescent, after a Pott. County Deputy recognized Thomas’ vehicle, and knew him to be wanted for Driving While Barred/ Habitual Offender.

At around 12:40-a.m. Saturday, 32-year old Justin Carl Donaldson was arrested following a traffic stop on I-80 eastbound near Council Bluffs. Donaldson was taken into custody for Violation of Probation and Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. He was also charged with Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender. Friday afternoon, 37-year old Andrew Michael Hasbrouck was arrested in Council Bluffs, for Violation of Probation. And, at around 2:50-p.m. Thursday, 24-year old Tristan Galenlee Fast was arrested at a location in Macedonia, on a warrant from another Iowa agency.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new survey suggests business leaders are optimistic the economy will start to recover later this year in a nine-state region of the Midwest and Plains despite the ongoing impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The region’s overall economic index improved in May to 43.5 from April’s 35.1. The confidence index in the survey released Monday improved to suggest that businesses are optimistic the economy will begin to rebound within the next six months. That index improved to 56.6 in May from April’s weak 45.5 reading.

Any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while scores below 50 suggest decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Iowa Republican Representative Tom Moore, from Griswold, spoke about with KJAN News today (Monday), about several matters, including the protests and riots over the death of George Floyd, the upcoming primary and legislative session. With regard to the protests over the death of George Floyd, Moore said “Very simply, we need to separate the difference between protest and rioting. We have both going on.” He said also, “It’s an unusual situation for law enforcement to handle.”

Moore says the overwhelming peaceful message he’s heard from protestors (and from Floyd’s family), is, that the riots are unacceptable.

With regard to the Primary Election on Tuesday, Moore – who is running unopposed on the Republican ticket – said it’ll be important to see how people respond to the Secretary of State’s efforts to mail absentee ballot request forms to all registered Iowa voters in an effort to provide for their safety, as an alternative go showing up at the polls (in response to COVID-19).

Tom Moore says the Legislature and Governor have been working over the past three or four years, to make sure “We have a legitimate, legal, accessible ability to vote.” The Legislative session begins June 3^rd. Moore says they will pick up where they left off before the COVID-19 pandemic sidetracked the process. He says there will be safety precautions in-place when the chamber doors open again.

And, the legislature, he says will have unprecedented transparency measures in place

He says the new procedures will make it more difficult for the lobbyists, in that they will have to submit written public comments, e-mails and phone call information on various issues to come before the legislative body. The legislature he says, will be working on policy issues, and the budget, when they reconvene, Wednesday morning. The includes a focused list of priorities as the “Second funnel week” begins.

Many of the priorities include child care, EMS (Emergency Medical Services), and broadband internet expansion. Other, less essential bills to the time frame, will be taken up as time allows. Moore says the budget will definitely be a “huge issue as well.”