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Elk Horn (IA) restaurant closes after just a few years in business

News

December 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – A restaurant that opened just a few years ago in Elk Horn, has closed its doors permanently. According to a social media post, the Muller family, which owns and runs Grace on Main (formerly known as The Danish Table: Hygge Kitchen) announced Sunday that “After much consideration and prayer [we[ have made the choice to permanently close our doors.”

The notice said also, “We would like to thank everyone who passed through our doors and supported us over the past four + years.” The Mullers said “As we close our doors, we are excited for the opportunities the Lord has put before us.”

Owners Ilee and Michael Muller moved to Iowa from California, where Michael had worked and gained extensive experience in fine dining and bartending. Their restaurant featured many unique offerings and hosted intimate dining experiences for 20 people at different times during the year, called the “Gathering Table,” which featured a select five-course meal.

The family weathered through the pandemic, and health issues before deciding to close their business. The lot where the restaurant resides was formerly home for many years to the Danish Inn Restaurant, before that business closed in 2015, and the building was demolished three-years later.

A new building was constructed on the site that became an instant hit loved by food critics, residents and visitors.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area: Monday, 12/2/24

Weather

December 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a steady temperature around 21. Winds North @ 10-20 mph. Wind chill values as low as 5.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 11.
Tomorrow: Sunny & breezy, with a high near 34. S/SW winds 10-25 mph. Wind chill values as low as zero.
Tom. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 24.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny & windy, with a high near 43.
Wed. Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 8. Windy.
Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 22.

Sunday’s High in Atlantic was 30. Our Low was 12. We had received slightly more than .2″ of snow overnight at KJAN. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 37 & the Low was 28. The Record High here on Dec. 2nd, was 65 in 2021, & the Record Low was -10, in 1985.

Iowa adds hundreds of higher-wage child care providers

News

December 2nd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Iowa News Service) – A new report says Iowa has created more than 200 new child-care providers in the state, which is among the nation’s leaders in working parents who need it. The jobs were created with pandemic relief funds, and bolstered by money from local businesses. Iowa set aside $3 million in COVID relief aid to create the Child Care Solutions Fund, which established more providers and is making money available to pay them.

Businesses in the seven Iowa communities that took part in the program kicked in another $1.4 million, to increase the notoriously low wages and improve health benefits. A Program Manager at Common Good Iowa, Sheila Hansen, said the investments will make a big difference on the ground. “It created around 275 child-care slots and about 105 child-care providers,” said Hansen. “And then it impacted around 1,200 child-care personnel.”

The Iowa Women’s Foundation and the Common Sense Institute of Iowa released the report. The state recently launched a website that shows parents in real-time who has child-care openings, so they can see what’s available when they need it. While the pilot program was created with pandemic relief money, the report says expanding it statewide would cost Iowa about $28 million a year. Hansen said she thinks it would be a wise investment, in a state that desperately needs more child-care services.

“Iowa leads the nation with both available parents in the workforce,” said Hansen. “The need for child care is really immense. And if they’re not in the workforce and they want to be, you know, and they struggle to find child care, then they’re not really contributing.”

The report estimates if every mother with kids had access to child care and wanted to work, at least 150,000 more women would join the Iowa labor force.

2025 District Wrestling Sites revealed by IHSAA

Sports

December 1st, 2024 by Asa Lucas

District tournaments for all three classes are currently scheduled for Saturday, February 15, 2025. The state traditional tournament features 24 qualifiers per weight class in each classification. District tournaments in Class 2A and Class 1A feature 12 sites, with the top two place-winners at each weight advancing to state. The top three place-winners from each of eight sites will advance in Class 3A.

 

Class 1A:

District #4: At I-35

AHSTW
Central Decatur
Earlham
I-35, Truro
Logan-Magnolia
Martensdale-St. Marys
Panorama
Southeast Warren-MD-LC
Wayne
Woodbine

District #8: At Riverside

Bedford
East Union
Essex
Lenox
Mt. Ayr
Nodaway Valley
Riverside
Shenandoah
Southwest Iowa
Southwest Valley
Treynor

District #10: At Underwood

CAM
Coon Rapids-Bayard
Griswold Missouri Valley
St. Albert
Tri-Center
Underwood
West Central Valley
West Monona
Woodbury Central

Class 2A:

District #3: At Bishop Heelan Catholic

Bishop, Heelan
Carroll
Cherokee
Kuemper, Catholic
OABCIG
Sergeant Bluff-Luton
Sheldon-S. O’Brien
Western Christian

District #4: At Centerville

Albia
Burlington, Notre Dame
Centerville
Columbus Community
Creston
Davis County
Fairfield
Keokuk

District #6: At Glenwood

Atlantic
Audubon
Clarinda
Clarke
Glenwood
Harlan
Red Oak
Winterset

Class 3A:

District #4: At Fort Dodge

Ankeny Centennial
Fort Dodge
LeMars
Lewis Central
Sioux City, East
Sioux City, North
Sioux City, West
Spencer

District #7: Waukee Northwest

Ames
Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln
Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson
Dallas Center-Grimes
Denison-Schleswig
Storm Lake
Urbandale
Waukee, Northwest

Iowa waits for bowl destination after 8-4 finish

Sports

December 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa will wait to see where it will be headed for a bowl game. The Hawkeyes are 8-4 after surviving an atrocious offensive effort in a 13-10 win over Nebraska. Drew Stevens connected on a 53-yard field goal as time expired and Iowa only managed five first downs in the game.

That’s Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz. The Hawkeyes won despite having only 164 yards of total offense.

The Hawkeyes finished conference play with a record of 6-3 and finished toed for fifth in the new 18-team Big Ten.

Iowa State ranked 16th heading in the Big 12 title contest

Sports

December 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Iowa State is up a spot to 16th in the latest AP Top 25 as they prepare for Saturday’s Big-12 Championship Game in Dallas against 12th ranked Arizona State. The Cyclones beat Kansas State 29-21 to close the regular season. It is ISU’s first 10-win season in program history.

That’s ISU coach Matt Campbell. Iowa State’s ticket was punched after BYU beat Houston. The Cyclones were part of a four-way tie for first and will make their first appearance in the title game since a 27-21 loss to Oklahoma in 2020.

Campbell says senior leadership has been a big part of their success.

 

The Cyclones are 10-2 and have a shot at a spot in the college football playoffs.

Arizona State is also 10-2 and the Sun Devils were picked to finish 16th in the Big 12 preseason poll.

Montgomery County Supervisors meeting set for Dec. 3rd (2024)

News

December 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County will hold their regular weekly meeting beginning at 8:30-a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3rd, in their Boardroom at the courthouse in Red Oak. The only action item on their agenda, is to approve or disapprove of Homestead and Military Credit Applications.

Other business includes regular Board committee and Secondary Roads Department, reports.

Atlantic City Council to act on approving AMU budget, 2nd snowmobile/ATV ord. reading & URP matters

News

December 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council is set to meet 5:30-p.m. Wednesday (Dec. 4, 2024), in their Chambers at City Hall. Action items on their agenda include:

  • An order to approve pay application number three to the Henley Group, LLC, for the Sunnyside Park Splashpad Project.
  • The passing a resolution approving the Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Budget for Atlantic Municipal Utilities.
  • And, the Second Reading of an ordinance amending the City’s Code of Ordinance, with regard to ATV and Snowmobile use in the City.

The Council will hold a Public Hearing, Wednesday, on a proposed amendment to the Urban Renewal Plan (URP) for the Southeast Urban Renewal District (URD), followed by action on a resolution to approve the amendment as presented. During their meeting on Aug. 3rd, the Council held a public hearing an passed a resolution adopting the original Prairie Hills Subdivision Project to the Southeast URD.

City Administrator John Lund notes “Amending the Urban Renewal Area to include the new Urban Renewal Project, is a prerequisite to formal debt being incurred and eligible for TIF (Tax Increment Financing) capture under a development agreement, as proposed in a resolution setting the public hearing and date for, approval of a development agreement with Vision Atlantic, which includes an annual appropriation for TIF payments. The council will act on that resolution during their meeting Wednesday.

The final order of business for the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, is to act on an Order approving the Annual Urban Renewal Report, as required under the Code of Iowa.

November 2024 Weather Data for Atlantic, Iowa

Weather

December 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa – KJAN) – Weather data for the month of November, 2024, in Atlantic, shows we were warmer and wetter than normal. The average High for the month was 51-degrees, thanks to six days that were in the 60’s. The normal (average high is 46). The average Low for November was 29, which was just two-degrees warmer than normal. Rainfall for the month amounted to 3.91 inches, which was a little more than two-inches above the norm (1.85″). There was a dusting of snow the last couple of days of the month. The data was compiled at KJAN, the official National Weather Service reporting site for Atlantic.

Looking ahead, we find the High temperature for the month of December in Atlantic, is 33 degrees, while the average Low is 14. Precipitation typically amounts to 1.1 inches.

Check back with us during the first week of January, 2025, to see how our actual weather data compared to the historical averages.

Iowa business groups seek reform in process for setting electric rates

News

December 1st, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – Four different business groups are calling on state utility regulators to adopt a series of reforms to address both the cost and the supply of power for Iowa consumers. Bob Rafferty represents Iowa Business for Clean Energy, one the groups that participated in a recent study that asked a basic question:  “How do we evolve the way we regulate this electric grid so we can have the most reliable, lowest cost and cleanest electric grid 10 and 20 years from now?” Rafferty says the study has four major recommendations that would allow the state-regulated utilities to make infrastructure improvements, while ensuring rate increases in the electric bills businesses and individuals pay are reasonable.

“The business community is united, big and small, on this issue,” Rafferty says. “We need reform.” The Iowa Utilities Commission recently issued an order that increased Alliant Energy’s rates for Iowa businesses by 15 percent. Residential rates went up six percent. Rafferty says that should be an eye opener because Alliant’s Iowa customers now pay electric rates that are higher than the average residential and commercial rates in 37 other states.

“For those communities to have the ability to compete economically, we need to find a way to start addressing that disparity so they can have a strong economic future,” Rafferty says. “Electric prices are only going to become more and more important as the economy becomes more and more dependent on electricity as opposed to gas.”

The business groups are asking that the Iowa Utilities Commission use what’s called “Integrated Resource Planning” when evaluating future electric rate increases. Rafferty says it’s a method that analyzes both the expected demand and supply of electricity in the future, with the goal of considering all options for arriving at the most affordable rates.