Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bailey Smith, Wednesday, presented a report to the City Council, with regard to the success of RAGBRAI. The Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa was held July 21st and 22nd, with Atlantic serving as an overnight stop.

Of the event, Smith said after all the bills were paid, RAGBRAI profits amounted to $43,200. That figure will be split into quarters, with $10,800 donated to the Chamber, Police Department, Fire Department and Booster Club.

Here are some of the background and final stats for the event:

• The event was in the planning stages (ever since the City was notified) for six-months, with a core committee of 27 people, and 20 committees formed to help in the planning and coordination.
• There were 32 food vendors in all, 14 were local, non-profit organizations. Their $100 vendor fees were returned to those organizations. There were also four, local for-profit vendors, while the rest travel with RAGBRAI from point-to-point.
• There were 190 groups of anywhere from 2 to 15 people placed with housing. The numbers showed that was a substantially higher amount than 2011, the last time the event was held in Atlantic. 98% of the housing requests were fulfilled by the Housing Committee.
• All of the hotels in town were full during the event, as was the Schildberg Campground.
• In addition to the Schildberg Campground, RAGBRAI participants stayed at one of the five other campgrounds in Atlantic. Those sites included the Sunnyside Park, the Cass County Fairgrounds, Middle School, High School and on the ground of the Heritage House.
• There were a little more than 8,100 riders who camped out. (2,200 were at Sunnyside, 2,300 at the Fairgrounds, 2,200 at the Middle School, 325 at the Heritage House, and 910 at the High School.) That does not include persons who were housed or camped out in private yards or properties with permission.
• There were about 16,000 registered riders in town for the event, and an unofficial count of around 2,000, who didn’t register but just joined-in for the ride for a certain amount of miles.
• About 12,000 people were downtown Atlantic for the concert.
• There were 14 different types of beer served out of two tents that were run by the Atlantic Fire Department. Over 1,000 cases of beer was ordered, with very little returned.
• Smith said the town was nearly spotless the morning of the ride out of town.
• And, she said the Chamber has received “An overwhelming amount of positive comments how the event went,” including mutually positive comments from residents and riders.
• According to Bailey Smith, many riders were impressed with the Christmas lights that added an extra special attraction to the downtown the night of July 21st. Those same persons said they would love to come back for Atlantic’s Lighted Parade and Christmas festivities.

A Midwest-based coffee chain is coming to Atlantic. In his report to the City Council Wednesday evening, City Administrator John Lund said Scooter’s Coffee plans to locate their business just east of Oinkers, on the grassy area in front of the Verizon Store. Lund said representatives from the company will attend the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on Tuesday. They submitted a site plan for the Commission to review. There was no immediate word on a timeline for the business to be established, but one of the first steps is for the site plan to be approved.

The company has locations in Carroll, Council Bluffs, Omaha, Bellevue, NE.  Scooter’s was founded in Bellevue, Nebraska in 1998. Their website says “Co-founders Don and Linda Eckles began an amazing journey when they opened their first drive-thru coffeehouse in Bellevue, Nebraska. Their keys to success: find a great location and stay committed to high-quality drinks, speed of service, and a BIG smile.”

The co-founder’s daughter was nicknamed “Scooter” and when naming the company, “Scooter’s” became the favorite. It fit well with their mission to keep customers happy by helping them “scoot in and scoot out” quickly.

(Radio Iowa) — A body found near Oskaloosa has been identified. The Iowa Department of Public Safety has identified the victim as 24-year-old Ashley Shafer of Oskaloosa.

She was reported missing to the Oskaloosa Police Department on Monday. Shaefer’s body was found Tuesday afternoon in the South Skunk River near the Glendale Access in Mahaska County.

The D-C-I says the cause of Shafer’s death is still pending and there is no known threat to the public.

The Council Bluffs Police Department reports that at around 12:30-p.m. today (Wednesday), the Pottawattamie County Communications Center received a call to a residence in the 200 block of Yellow Pole Road – man down/medical call.  Pottawattamie County Deputies and Council Bluffs Officers responded and discovered a deceased 51 year-old male inside the residence.  Information developed during the investigation in this case, and a pursuit/shooting by Police early this (Wednesday) morning, indicates that incident are tied together.

Due to the complexity of the investigations, the need to notify family, and to follow up on additional leads we will not be releasing any further information until 9-a.m. Thursday.

Earlier today (Wednesday), authorities said law enforcement officials were in the preliminary stages of investigating a fatal, officer-involved shooting that took place  in the 1400 block of Indian Hills Road. A about 2:15-a.m., a Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a 1997 Dodge Ram pickup, in the area of 205th Street and Juniper Road. When the driver of the pickup refused to yield, a pursuit began.

The deputy reported several gunshots were fired at him from the interior of the pickup, during the short pursuit. The vehicle eluded the deputy and drove southbound into Council Bluffs on Railroad Avenue, when Council Bluffs Police engaged in the pursuit. Shots were fired out of the pickup at the pursuing officers, with one of the marked Council Bluffs P-D SUV’s being struck by gunfire.

The pickup exited Railroad Avenue and entered onto Indian Hills Drive, where the driver lost control before the vehicle rolled onto its side. Several officers surrounded the vehicle, which was occupied by the male driver and a female passenger. Officers could see the man was armed with two firearms, one of which was pointed at the female, while the other was pointed in the direction of the officers.

Police attempted to convince the driver to put down his weapons, but he refused. An officer on the scene fired one round at the driver, striking him in the head, ending the hostage situation. The female was taken to a Council Bluffs hospital for a precautionary evaluation.

The names of the driver and passenger, as well as the officers and deputies involved, will be released at a later stage in the investigation. No officers or deputies were injured during the pursuit or hostage incident, which remains under investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Council Bluffs P-D and Pott. County Sheriff’s Office.

SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) — Prosecutors have dismissed the case against an Iowa man who was carrying a backpack full of burglary tools when he was arrested near Taylor Swift’s beachfront mansion in Rhode Island last month.

A spokesman for the Rhode Island attorney general’s office tells WJAR-TV that “Based on our review of the evidence and applicable law, we’ve declined to pursue filing charges” against 32-year-old David Page Liddle.

The Des Moines man was charged with possession of burglary tools and possession of a weapon other than a firearm after his arrest in Westerly on July 19. Liddle told police he was looking to “catch up” with the singer because he knew her personally.

Swift’s security personnel said Liddle is on their watch list and had previously been accused of stalking her.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests dating back to July 22nd. On July 22nd, officers with the Atlantic Police Department arrested 53-year old Donald Ray Wilson, of Atlantic, on two Cass County Sheriff’s Office Felony warrants for: Ongoing Criminal Conduct (B Felony), two charges of Possession with Intent to Deliver Morphine (C Felonies), and two counts of Drug Tax Stamp Violation (D Felony). Wilson was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on Pretrial Release.