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BOB LaFRENTZ, 90, of Elk Horn (IA) – Memorials Svc. 10/20/24

Obituaries

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

BOB LaFRENTZ, 90, of Elk Horn (IA), died Oct. 10, 2024, at the Salem Lutheran Home. A Memorial service for BOB LaFRENTZ will be held 2-p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, at the Peace United Church of Christ in Walnut. Pauley-Jones Funeral Home in Avoca has the arrangements.

The family will greet friend at the Peace United Church of Christ in Walnut, from 1-until 2-p.m., Sunday.

Burial is in the Layton Township Cemetery at Walnut.

BOB LaFRENTZ is survived by:

His daughters – Diane (Brent) Petersen, and Dona Grooms, all of Walnut, and Doreen “Sus” (Henri Day), of Boulder City, NV

9 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, his son-in-law Max Petersen, of Walnut, and his sister-in-law Mary Ann Goettsch .

Anamosa prison dentist has surrendered his license after public intox arrest

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A Waterloo dentist convicted of public intoxication after an arrest outside the state prison in Anamosa is no longer licensed to practice dentistry in Iowa. Fifty-nine-year-old Paymun Bayati was the prison dentist. The Iowa Capital Dispatch was first to report that in December of last year, Bayati performed a root canal on a inmate at the prison and was arrested by an Anamosa police officer after prison administrators called to report the dentist appeared to be intoxicated and was trying to drive away.

The Iowa Dental Board suspended his license a few weeks later. The dentist told the Iowa Capitol Dispatch he doesn’t drink and believes someone at the prison spiked his coffee. Bayati, who has also practiced dentistry in Sioux City, has voluntarily surrendered his license.

Adair County Sheriff’s report, 10/14/24

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports four arrests took place over the past week. Saturday morning, 38-year-old Kyle William Gustin, of Cedar Rapids, was arrested on an Adair County warrant for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. The warrant was with regard to a Sept. 2024 incident in Fontanelle. Gustin turned himself-in to the Adair County Jail, and was released on his Own Recognizance about an hour later.

Friday morning, an Iowa State Patrol Trooper arrested 40-year-old Samoeun An, of Beltsville, MD, following an incident at the I-80 westbound rest area, in Adair County. An was taken into custody for Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree, with regard to the alleged damage of a cell phone owned by a woman who was a co-driver of the vehicle the pair were in. The phone was damaged occurred during an argument about one of the parties getting paid. An was released from the Adair County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

Last Wednesday, 40-year-old Luke Daniel Hommes, of Fontanelle, was arrested by police in Adair, for an alleged violation of a No Contact Order. He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $5,000 cash-only bond. And, on Oct. 7th, 59-year-old Adam Duane Wright, of Boone, was arrested by Adair County Deputies at the Boone County Jail. He was wanted on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. Wright was being held without bond in the Adair County Jail pending an appearance in District Court.

Iowa Corn Collegiate Advisory Team Students Selected for 2024 – 2025 Participation

Ag/Outdoor, News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

JOHNSTON, Iowa – October 14, 2024 – Officials with Iowa Corn have announced the names of students selected to participate in the 2024-2025 school year’s Collegiate Advisory Team (CAT) program. The program focuses on increasing college students’ understanding of the corn industry. During the one-year program, students will visit the Capitol, tour industry leaders’ operations, and expand their network and knowledge outside of the classroom.

2024 – 2025 Collegiate Advisory Team Students:

  • Amanda Ostrem, Des Moines Area Community College
  • Calla Langel, Des Moines Area Community College
  • Morgan McKay, Des Moines Area Community College
  • Presley Buttler, Des Moines Area Community College
  • Tate Tentinger, Ellsworth Community College
  • Kelly Lloyd, Future Flyers of America
  • Ashlee David, Graceland University
  • Logan Evans, Graceland University
  • Adelyn Sienknecht, Hawkeye Community College
  • Raymond Franzen, Indian Hills Community College
  • Lucas Parcel, Iowa Central Community College
  • Breanna Selsor, Iowa State University
  • Brooklyn Botterman, Iowa State University
  • Chris Baer, Iowa State University
  • Elly Cain, Iowa State University
  • Emily Bray, Iowa State University
  • Lainey DeVries, Iowa State University
  • Maddilyn Klemme, Iowa State University
  • Madison Hoover, Iowa State University
  • Mallory Behnken, Iowa State University
  • Caleb Welsh, Kirkwood Community College
  • RC Hicks, Morningside University
  • Henry Rose, Muscatine Community College
  • Marshall Zeien, North Iowa Area Community College
  • Makinley Edwards, Southwestern Community College
  • Rylan Oglesbee, Southwestern Community College

The Collegiate Advisory Team will meet four times over the course of the 2024 – 2025 school year, providing experience and training by Iowa Corn in areas such as leadership, effective communication, policy, and industry relations. For more information on the program, visit https://www.iowacorn.org/CAT

It’s time once again for the “Scrooge” contest to benefit the Atlantic Food Pantry

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa)  – The 2024 “Scrooge” Contest, sponsored by the Atlantic Chamber, benefits the Atlantic Food Pantry and those they serve. Food Pantry leader Brad Osborne says food insecurity in our community is on the rise and the need continues to be great-as the statistics illustrate.  In 2019, Osborne says, the Pantry averaged 24 households per week and 53 individuals per week being served. Today they are averaging 72 households and 216 individuals.” Over a 400% increase in our community and support like the Scrooge campaign has never been more important, according to Osborne, who says “That is the plain and simple truth.”

The contest was started in 2001 and was organized yearly by Eleanor Hoover (“Big E”). Eleanor’s daughter, Jackie Sampson, says “It is a vital part of the yearly work our Food Pantry and their committee members do and helps them fill in some of the gaps they encounter in trying to help meet the rising needs.”Sampson says financial records for the last eight-years, show during that time, over $154,150 and 29,230 food items have been raised for the food pantry. “The need continues to be very great in our community to help combat food insecurity.”

2024-09-30 GRAPH – Households per Week

2024-09-30 GRAPH – Individuals per Week

In honor of their mother, her daughters (Billie, Lori, Jackie and honorary daughter Karen), have pledged $1,000 to kick-off the contest—with each Scrooge candidate getting a jump-start toward their total. 

2024 candidates for the title of “Scrooge” include:

– Randy & Michelle Roy (Randy’s Computer)

– Graydon Schmidt (Schmidt Family Funeral Homes)

– Jeremiah Thompson (Landus/Atlantic Fire Dept)

– Ben Winford (New Life Church)

The campaign begins November 1st. The food barrel drop-off locations will be announced soon. The candidates will turn-in funds collected and non-perishable goods they have obtained, on November 26th at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce office on N. Chestnut Street. The results will be tabulated and the winner announced.  The winner will serve as the Grand Marshall for the Lighted Christmas Parade in Atlantic, in December.

Atlantic Food Pantry Donated Food Suggestions for 2024:
*canned soup (chicken noodle, tomato, cream of chicken, cream of mushroom,
vegetable beef,….)
*canned fruit (peaches, pears, applesauce, cocktail)
*beef ravioli (cans) or SpaghettiOs
*cereal (boxes) or Quick Oats (no milk needed)
*crackers (saltine)
*tuna or chicken (cans)
*macaroni and cheese
*canned corn, green beans, peas (12-15 oz. cans)
*“complete” pancake & waffle mix (no milk)
*Pancake/waffle syrup
*spaghetti and pasta sauce
*Manwich or Sloppy Joe cans

Food Items to be collected will be limited to only what is on the Food Pantry list this year as storage space is limited and food distribution to families is different due to Post-Covid.

  • Food Items: 1 item = 1 point
  • Monetary Donations are preferred – $1 = 5 points—checks made out to Atlantic Food Pantry

4th district’s Feenstra and Melton talk Farm Bill policies

Ag/Outdoor, News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra says the prospects for passage of a five-year Farm Bill are positive — after the election.  “We have great hope that we can come together, that all four corners — meaning Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate can come together and pass a Farm Bill,” Feenstra says. If no action is taken before the end of the year, the federal farm policies in place decades ago will go into effect — meaning farmers will not get federal crop insurance subsidies, for example. “We have been meeting over the last few months, trying to get this done,” Feenstra says. “We as House Republicans passed it bipartisanly out of the (House) Ag Committee. We could take it to the floor, but we don’t want to negotiate against ourselves.”

The Senate Ag Committee has not passed its own version of the Farm Bill and Democrats who are in the majority in the Senate say the House G-O-P’s proposed 30 BILLION dollar cut in federal food assistance is unacceptable. Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a stumbling block. “SNAP is one of the challenges,” Feenstra says. “SNAP is the nutritional program that’s 85% of the cost of the Farm Bill. We want a responsible SNAP program. That’s very important.”

Ryan Melton of Webster City, the Democrat who’s running against Feenstra, says the Farm Bill needs to address water quality. “I certainly agree that we need to subsidize ag, but we have choice over how we do that,” Melton says. “I’ve talked to plenty of farmers on the ground that know — farmers themselves who know that the status quo is not working…that so many of folks cannot recreate in our rivers and lakes and our streams.” Melton says federal farm policy has to respond to the significant increase in large-scale livestock operations.  “You’re adding so much more manure to the landscape and yet you have not added more and more mitigation strategies to protect our waterways,” Melton says. “We need to sinc up the increase with increased protections for public health and for water.”

Melton suggests it’s time to consider federal regulations on how much manure and other farm chemicals can be applied to cropland.  “We need to be more responsible when we have a ramp up in industrial ag to also recognize the downstream implications, which are many,” Melton says, “to public health, to home values, to the hollowing out of our communities, to the fact that they are driving more and more small and mid-scale farmers off the land.”

Melton made his comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S.

SUSAN MARIE [Thompson] HILL, 75, of Carlisle (formerly of Audubon County) – Svcs. 10/18/24

Obituaries

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

SUSAN MARIE [Thompson] HILL, 75, of Carlisle (formerly of Audubon County), died September 24, 2024, at the Carlisle Care Center. Funeral services for SUSAN HILL will be held 11-a.m. Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, at the Schmidt Funeral Home in Audubon.

Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Friday, October 18, 2024, at one hour before the funeral.

Interment will follow at Arlington Heights Cemetery in Audubon. A luncheon meal will be provided following interment for friends and family at the Old Park Hotel, 423 South Park Place, adjacent to the city park in Audubon.

Memorials may be directed to Samaritan’s Purse, or Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, or Save the Children in memory of Sue. They may be mailed to Schmidt Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 201, Audubon, IA, 50025.

SUSAN HILL is survived by:

Her brother – Paul (Becky) Thompson, of Woodbridge, VA.

Nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Exira-EHK School Board set to meet Tue. evening

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Elk Horn, Iowa) –  The Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board’s regular monthly meeting takes place in the High School Conference Room, beginning at 5:30-p.m., Tuesday (Oct. 16). Action items on their agenda include:

A. HEART Therapeutic School Agreement Attachment
B. The Stalk – DOT Physical Agreement Stalk
B. The Stalk Chiropractic will bill the school directly for $10 discount vs. the driver paying and getting reimbursed by the school.
C. Sale of Bus
D. Personnel Resignations, Hires, & Transfers
i. Hires
Michael Miller – Transportation
Daniel Turpin- Transportation – pending background check

Cass County Supervisors to act on RTS agreement w/SWIPCO, an agreement w/Bluebird Hill, & possibly establishing a Compensation Board

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet in a regular session beginning at 9-a.m. Tuesday (Oct. 15), in their Atlantic Courthouse Board Room. The Board expects to receive a Monthly report from Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health Executive Director Jotham Arber, and a Quarterly report from Cass Co. Conservation Exec. Director Micah Lee, in addition to a regular report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken.

Action items on the Board’s agenda include:

  • Approve the Rural Transit System (RTS) Joint Participation agreement with Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) for Fiscal Year 2024-2025.
  • Discuss/approve waiving the deadline and continuing to operate under the terms of the Agreement for Private Development by and Between Cass County and KLC Comes, LLC (D/B/A Bluebird Hill Event Venue.
  • Discuss/approve re-establishing the compensation board.
  • Discus/approve the commercial lease with Fourth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services for the premises located at 601 Walnut Street, Suite 1, Atlantic, IA.

The Board’s next regular meeting will be held Nov. 12th.

Montgomery County Supervisors to act on HC Alliance project agreement

News

October 14th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors regular weekly meeting begins at 8:30-a.m. Tuesday (Oct. 15th) in their Red Oak Courthouse Boardroom. The Board is expected to approve a Hungry Canyons Alliance project agreement in the amount of $58,830, for a portion of grade control pertaining to a project on G Avenue, north of 190th Street.

In other business, the Board will hear from Jenna Ramsey, with regard to an IEDA (Iowa Economic Development Authority) grant, and they will discuss a RenewGov support services agreement, with action on both topics as necessary.

Discussion items on their agenda include: Rescheduling the Supervisor’s regular meeting in light of the upcoming election on November 5th, as well as scheduling the General Election Canvass of votes. The Montgomery County Supervisors remind interested persons about a Summit Carbon Solutions open house on Nov. 6th, to learn more about safety, as it pertains to CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) transportation. The event takes place at McCalpin Place in Red Oak, from Noon until 2-p.m.

And Auditor Jill Ozuna will remind Montgomery County residents the First Day of early voting in the Auditor’s Office is this Wednesday, Oct. 16th, beginning at 8-a.m.