712 Digital Group - top

City of Atlantic recognized at a “Tree City USA” recipient

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES – Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources report, the City of Atlantic was recently honored with the 2023 Tree City USA Award at the 33rd Annual Community Forestry Awards Luncheon in Ankeny. The award was presented by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources April 4th at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. 

 

State Forester Jeff Goerndt says “The Tree City USA award is a symbol for communities who have made a commitment to the management of public trees. Your community has provided an outstanding example for other Iowa communities by enhancing our forest resources and demonstrating the great value of trees in providing multiple benefits for future generations.”

In the photo (from left to right): State Forester Jeff Goerndt, Atlantic Trees Forever representative Dolly Bergmann; and Kayla Lyon, Director of the Department of Natural Resources.

 

Atlantic was one of 74 Iowa communities to qualify for Tree City USA status. To receive the award, a city must, at a minimum, have either a city forester or an active city tree board; have a tree ordinance; spend at least $2 per capita annually for its community forestry program; and have a tree planting and maintenance plan. 

Western Iowa city hires an investigator, re: Complaints about a councilperson

News

April 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

The City of Carter Lake is hiring an investigator to look into complaints surrounding city council member Jackie Wahl, who faces a fine, suspension, or removal. According to KETV, four city employees accuse Wahl of creating a hostile work environment. Grievances allege Wahl offered a city employee’s hours to another worker, shared details about pay and workplace concerns, offered an occupied job, and contacted police in retaliation against an outspoken worker.

The council member faced accusers at the packed public meeting. The city employees who filed the complaints read prepared statements to council members and the mayor. Carter Lake city policy says council members should never express concern about the performance of a city employee in public, to the employee director, or to the employee’s supervisor. Mayor Ron Cumberledge said two other city employees quit their jobs due to the council member. Wahl was the subject of a 2022 complaint, according to the mayor, who says it resulted in an improvement plan and verbal reprimand.

Wahl, a six-year member of the council, said she is fixed on challenging the allegations. The city says it’s training employees to prevent a similar situation in the future.

Interim Principal approved for the Perry High School

News

April 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

PERRY, Iowa [KCCI] — The Perry High School has a new principal. The Perry News reports that interim Principal Brad Snowgren will succeed Dan Marburger. Marburger died days after the Jan. 4 school shooting. The online newspaper reports that the Perry School Board unanimously approved Snowgren’s hiring.

 

Biplane crashes in a crosswind at Council Bluffs Municipal Airport, Wed. afternoon; No injuries reported

News

April 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Emergency personnel responded to a small biplane crash Wednesday afternoon at the Council Bluffs Municipal Airport. The pilot was reported to be OK. The crash, reported at about 2:35 p.m. The plane involved was said to be a 1944 De Haviland Tiger Moth DH 82A. According to the FAA, the aircraft is registered to John Frederick Rued, of Bellevue, NE.

Preliminary FAA information stated the aircraft departed the airport in a crosswind, lost directional control, veered-off the runway and over a berm. The name of the pilot was not immediately released.

Additional details are currently not available.

Atlantic School Board green-lights wrestling mats & sponsorships

Sports

April 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday night, gave the green light to purchase new wrestling mats, and removable vinyl sponsorship placement stickers on the mats. Activities Director Andy Mitchell said he had previously spoken with Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnson and the District’s Director of Finance Lisa Jones, about the idea. Mitchell said also, that he and Board member Josh McLaren had a brief discussion about the matter during the Winter, after he was approached by a business who has an interest in purchasing one or two new wrestling mats, but there’s a catch.

The District bought one new wrestling mat last year, but Mitchell said they’re getting close to needing a few more. usable lifetime. New wrestling mats, Mitchell said, should last 10-to 15-years. Permanent sponsorship logos on the mat, he said, would get worn-out after years of use, but vinyl sponsorship ads would be removable and storable, thereby extending their lifetime.

Having a sponsors on the wrestling mats is a win-win for the sponsor, and the School District.

Josh McLaren left no doubt about his feelings about sponsorship advertising and the mats…

Mitchell said he’s open to having a more permanent business logo on a mat, but vinyl logo’s make more sense in the long-run.

Mitchell said also, with Spring sporting events in full gear, he gives a tip-of-the hat to District Transportation Director Steve Andersen, for being able to juggle bus schedules and drivers to get students to the various sporting events they attend.

High School Sports results from Wednesday April 10th

Sports

April 11th, 2024 by admin

Girls Tennis 

St. Albert 6, Thomas Jefferson 3

 

Girls Soccer

Omaha South 1, Lewis Central 0

 

Boys Soccer

St. Albert 10, Red Oak 1

 

Girls Golf

Sioux City East 192, Thomas Jefferson 274

Medalist: Aubrey Koch, Sioux City East, (44)

 

CAM Cougars Girls Track Season Update

Sports

April 11th, 2024 by admin

The CAM Cougars girls track team has been off to a running start to the season.

CAM Cougars track coach Luke Symonds says he has been impressed  on how well the track team has been doing so far on the early part of the season.

Even though the Cougars are over a month into the season, coach Symonds commented on what the team can improve on the rest of the year.

Coach Symonds talked about what events are the strengths of his team this year.

Coach Symonds talked about what Cougar’s fans can expect out of his group of track athletes this season.

The Cougars next track meet will be Thursday April 11th at the Charger Relays in Guthrie Center. That Relay event will get underway at 4:30 p.m.

Tick season is becoming a year-round threat in Iowa

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Midwest is seeing a rise in cases of Lyme disease and other health problems associated with ticks, and experts say the trouble is, millions of the tiny insects are now surviving our warmer winters. Megan Meller, an infection preventionist at Gundersen Health System, says now that spring is here, Iowans should start doing tick checks on a regular basis. “Tick season essentially now is moving year-round. I think we previously would think that we would have started looking for ticks once the weather turned warmer in April and May, when we’re spending more time outside,” Meller says, “but this year, we were seeing warm weather back in really from December through January and currently, and even those brief cold spells didn’t kill the ticks.”

The experts say there are more than a dozen species of ticks in Iowa, the three most common are deer ticks, dog ticks and lone star ticks. Meller says some are easier to spot than others. “If we’re lucky, they’re large and we can find them right away but some of them are really tiny, the size of a dot at the end of a sentence, and if you overlook those, they can also cause an infection,” Meller says. “It’s really important to not just do a thorough tick check on yourself and on your pets and children, but to also take additional preventative measures.” Those measures include wearing long pants and long sleeves.

“Wearing bug spray when you’re outside that repels ticks. It’s closing up your sock line. That’s an easy way for ticks to get up, too. It’s wearing long socks over your pants,” she says. “It’s just being really mindful that as we spend more and more time outside, there are also hidden dangers lurking out there.” Along with the rise in tick-borne diseases in the region, there’s a silver lining to the story.

“We’re seeing a greater push for vaccine development to prevent Lyme disease. So right now, there is a vaccine in Stage-3 clinical trials that has some promising results, so we’re keeping an eye on that,” Meller says. “Hopefully, at some point in the near future, there’ll be a vaccine that helps prevent Lyme disease, so we don’t have to keep worrying about this potential added fear in the woods.”

There’s another tick to be watchful for, especially if you raise cattle or horses in Iowa. The Asian longhorned tick has been found in at least 19 states, including Missouri, but it’s not yet been spotted here. Gundersen Health System has clinics in Calmar, Decorah, Fayette, Lansing, Postville and Waukon, and a hospital in West Union.

AC/GC Chargers boys golf season preview

Sports

April 11th, 2024 by admin

The AC/GC Chargers boys golf season is underway. The Chargers have 13 high school participants out and are coached by Lori McGivney.

Coach McGivney says the team graduated six seniors from last years team and will have to try to find a way replace them.

Coach McGivney commented on how the squad has been doing so far on the early season.

Coach McGivney elaborated on what the team has been focusing on in practice.

Coach McGivney talked about what her team’s goals and expectations are for the season.

The Chargers next golf meet will be April 13th for a High School Boys Golf Invite at Manning Manilla Golf Course, where they will take on Boyer Valley, IKM-Manning, Underwood & Coon-Rapids-Bayard. That golf invite will start at 9:00 a.m.

 

Sierra Club asks EPA to investigate Montgomery County fish kill

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 11th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Sierra Club Iowa is asking the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the large fertilizer spill on the East Nishnabotna River that killed thousands of fish. Chapter Director Pam Mackey-Taylor says they sent a letter with the request. “We’re asking that the Environmental Protection Agency which is federal government agency pick up the investigation of what happened and initiate criminal and serious civil charges related to the spill,” she says. Mackey-Taylor says if the issue only goes through the state civil process there would be a maximum 10-thousand dollar penalty and the cost of the dead fish.

“It’s a little bit of a long drawn out process. We feel that this is serious enough given that it’s 60 mile stretch of the river. It’s in two states, massive amount of fertilizer,” Macky-Taylor says. “And we think that it needs to be stepped up and gone through the civil as well as the criminal courts to get resolution.” The D-N- R reports more than 749-thousand fish were killed from the fertilizer spill at the NEW Cooperative near Red Oak in Montgomery County March 11th. The spill killed nearly all the fish in an almost 50-mile stretch of the East Nishnabotna River into Missouri. “They said that this is one of the largest kills of fish in Iowa. There are a few spills that are larger, but no we haven’t heard of anything this large for some time,” she says. She says the company should be held responsible.

New Cooperative spill

“Obviously, there was nobody around doing any kind of surveillance or survey, or monitoring of what was happening. No monitors on the equipment to notify what spills are happening. No guards. And so this is just a flagrant violation that just needs to be fixed. And it’s more than just a simple little accident,” Mackey-Taylor says. She says Missouri wildlife officials believe some 40-thousand fish were killed in their state.