The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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City leaders in Atlantic are continuing efforts to bring high-speed, fiber optic internet service to businesses in the community, in an effort to retain those businesses and bring more businesses to town. City Administrator John Lund, Wednesday, brought the City Council up-to-date on talks with internet vendors Mediacom, Century-Link and Marne Elk Horn Telephone Company. Lund said he and Mayor Dave Jones met with Mediacom officials on Tuesday.

He said the representative will put together some numbers on how much it would cost to bring fiber-optic service to Atlantic. Using those numbers, Lund will work with a consultant who will, in-turn, work with an engineer who has handled a vast majority of the municipal internet projects in Iowa. They hope to sit down with the Council to discuss the matter before the end of this month.

Lund says the consultant will help to determine the lowest cost option, “While at the same time making sure that such a critical service for our major industries is being met.” Mayor Dave Jones said last month they met with representatives from Century Link On Monday, they met with Marne-Elk Horn representatives, and Unity Point the week before that.

Jones said there are four different options, but the consultant will help to determine if the City’s current infrastructure and support a fiber optic system, or if it becomes a utility unto itself, the investment would cost millions of dollars. He said they’re trying to get something accomplished to help business and industry, but at the same time “Not bankrupt the City with it.”

Efforts to bring fiber optic internet service in Atlantic began in earnest after a bond referendum for City Hall renovations failed during a vote on Nov. 3rd. Local businessman Jim Tyler suggested the $100,000 that was already set aside for a part of the project be used instead to get the ball rolling on fiber optic lines for businesses, schools, the County and more.

The Library Director for the Atlantic Public Library made a presentation, Wednesday night before the City Council, with regard to Fiscal Year 2015 progress at the library, usage of materials, programs, and more. Natalie Struecker, who has held the position of Director for the past six-months, said the same statistical information (circulation, collection sizes, how many people use the computers and Wi-Fi, and much more) must be provided to the State Library of Iowa, and is also provided to the local Library Board.

Struecker said nationwide, 91-percent of people said libraries were important to their communities, even if they don’t use those facilities very often. 81-percent of those surveyed agreed public libraries provide many, valuable services that would otherwise not be affordable on an individual basis.

She said library users in Atlantic saved over $1-million dollars, just by checking out the facilities’ physical materials. There were 74,000 items (Physical and digital) that were checked-out. There were also nearly 35,000 visits to the library in the last Fiscal Year, with about 13,000 of those being computer sessions. There were also 2,600 Wi-Fi users.

Locally, Struecker said a community survey conducted at the library last Fall garnered 54 responses, with a majority of those respondent/users indicating they checked-out materials and/or used the library’s computers. E-books and downloadable audio books comprise most of the on-line usage at the library. She said there are also many online services people may not be aware of, that are available at the Atlantic Public Library.

There are genealogical and newspaper archive services, practice test-based services for ACT, SAT’s and more. Animated picture books for kids, a language learning program and program that lumps together several databases used for research on health, children’s issues and much, much more. She said at the end of the Fiscal Year in June, the library had a collection of 32,925 books, access to more than 20,000 E-books, and 2,700 audio books in the library. There also almost 2,200 DVD’s and VHS tapes.

Ninety-One different children’s programs were offered at the library last year. The library was open 2,574 hours last year. In October, the library started to increase its hours of operation.

Police in Red Oak arrested a woman on a Simple Assault charge, Wednesday night. 18-year old Isabella Dealanea Lewis, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at a residence in the 100 block of Oak Street, just before 8-p.m. She was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 cash bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa health officials have lowered the state’s projected savings for switching its $4.2 billion Medicaid program to private care. The Iowa Department of Human Services provided documentation to a legislative committee on Wednesday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The head of the department that oversees Iowa’s flagship history museum says the building is in serious need of repairs and will require financial help from the Legislature. Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Mary Cownie told a group of lawmakers Wednesday it’s “an absolute embarrassment” that the State Historical Museum in downtown Des Moines has water leaks that require the facility’s atrium to be littered with buckets.

WASHINGTON (AP) — For Republicans, this week’s presidential debate in Las Vegas highlighted a brewing fight to define the party’s foreign policy posture. The fault lines exposed by heated discussions between New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky about a potential U.S. imposed no fly zone clashing with Russian jets over Syria reflect a party still in flux after President George W. Bush’s unpopular Iraq war.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Hillary Clinton says she wants to build on the Obama administration’s push for higher taxes on people earning $1 million or more. Warren Buffett joined the Democratic presidential candidate Wednesday at a campaign rally in Omaha, Nebraska. The famous investor says he would be “delighted” to see Clinton take the oath of office.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Red Oak man on a Mills County warrant Wednesday.  At 3:31pm Officers arrested 22-year-old Rocky Alan James Runyan of Red Oak on a Mill County Warrant for Probation Violation.  Runyan was turned over to Mills County authorities and held on $5,000 cash bond.

MURRAY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a farm worker from Union County has died after entering a grain bin in southern Iowa. Authorities say 39-year old Eric Reasland, of Creston, was pulled out of the bin around noon after being buried inside for more than three hours.  The accident happened near an Iowa Select Farms facility in Murray. Clarke County Sheriff Bill Kerns says Reasland entered the bin Wednesday morning as he and the farm owner were trying to break up a crust that had formed on soybeans inside. The farm owner checked on the man about 10 minutes later and couldn’t see him.

Crews from at least five four departments responded to the bin near Murray, and Kerns says rescuers cut a number of holes into the structure to extract grain while they tried to reach the man. They reached his body at around noon, and tried to revive him but were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at the Clarke County Hospital.

The accident remains under investigation.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office has reported three recent arrests. Today (Wednesday), deputies arrested 25-year old Justin Dale Hardisty, of Cumberland, on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Driving While Barred. Hardisty remains held at the Cass County Jail on $2,000 bond.

On Tuesday, 36-year old Satiel Devi Nichols, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Polk County warrant. Nichols was taken to the Cass County Jail and was transferred to Polk County the following day.

And on Monday, 43-year old Todd Edward Kimpson, of Corning, was arrested on two charges of Violation of No Contact Order. Kimpson was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was later served with a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Kimpson remains held at the Cass County Jail on $12,000 bond.

MURRAY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a farm worker has died after entering a grain bin in southern Iowa. Clarke County Sheriff Bill Kerns says the worker entered the bin Wednesday morning as he and a farm owner were trying to break up a crust that had formed on soybeans inside. The farm owner checked on the man about 10 minutes later and couldn’t see him.

Crews from at least five four departments responded to the bin near Murray, and Kerns says rescuers cut a number of holes into the structure to extract grain while they tried to reach the man.

They were able to retrieve the man’s body about noon. The man, whose name wasn’t released, was from Creston.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce partnered with local businesses for Small Businesses Saturday, November 28th, 2015. New this year, the Chamber introduced “Selfies for Support,” and “Passport to Atlantic,” as part of the Shop Local Campaign.

The winners of Selfies for Support are Cheryl Manneter and Amy Faris. They shopped local at Renew Ag Supply.

“Selfies for Support” winners Cheryl Manneter & Amy Faris. (Photo provided)