(Radio Iowa) – Requests for emergency housing and first-time homeless claims are up from last year across Waterloo, Cedar Falls and much of Black Hawk County. Grace Fee is the social ministries director for the area’s Salvation Army chapter, one of the groups that helps the homeless. Fee says more help means more denials and her agency’s shelters are already crowded.

Many Iowa communities are working to deal with a lack of affordable housing, and Fee says Black Hawk County is also struggling with the issue.

Over the past two months, the Salvation Army has sheltered about 150 individuals, and more than 30 of them were children.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson is blasting a United Nations organization for calling on citizens in the United States and other developed countries to eat less meat. The recommendation comes from the U-N’s Food and Agricultural Organization, which Hinson says it headed by a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

Hinson is co-sponsoring a resolution in the U-S House to condemn the U-N report, which also recommends that developing countries increase livestock production to improve the diets of their citizens. The report suggests reducing greenhouse gas emissions requires a reduction in excessive meat consumption in the world’s richest nations.

Hinson, a Republican from Marion, says it appears the United Nations can call on Americans to eat less meat, but they cannot condemn Hamas for atrocities in Israel.

The United Nations report suggests livestock production accounts for a third of greenhouse gas emissions and 40 percent of methane. Hinson and Nebraska Congressman Mike Flood are co-sponsoring the resolution pushing back on the U-N report. Flood and Hinson say meat is one of the most efficient ways to deliver protein and reducing meat consumption in the U-S would shatter the world’s food security.

(Audubon, Iowa) – Audubon Mayor Barb Jacobsen, today (Friday), announced that she has proclaimed Sunday, December 17th as firefighter remembrance day, in honor of firefighter Chaplain Dan Beattie and all other firefighters who dedicated their lives to protecting the community.

The Mayor said on social media, “I ask that you lower your flags at 8:00 am on Sunday, December 17 until Monday at 8:00 pm. Memorial service will be held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Audubon at 2:00 pm. Funeral service is at 10:30 am on Monday in Elsworth.”

Pastor Dan Beattie

Audubon Fire & Rescue Assoc. Facebook photo

“Pastor Dan,” as he was known, was one of five Fire Chaplains in the state of Iowa. He joined the Audubon Fire Department as a fire fighter in 2021 and achieved Fire Fighter I certification in 2023. He died as the result of injuries he suffered during a motorcycle accident on December 8th, in northwestern Dallas County.

December 15, 2023 (DES MOINES, IA) – The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Board, Friday (today) approved awards for three companies, which will assist in the creation of 192 jobs and result in nearly $82 million in new capital investment for the state. These projects are located in Council Bluffs, Iowa City and Rock Valley.

Acadia Healthcare to construct new facility in Council Bluffs
Acadia Healthcare Company, Inc. offers behavioral health services, supporting patients in 39 states with over 250 treatment facilities. The company plans to construct a new 71,000-square-foot facility to provide resident care, specialized care and outpatient programming. The project represents a $64.5 million capital investment and is expected to create 144 jobs, of which 54 are incented at a qualifying wage of $26.35 per hour. The board awarded tax benefits through the Targeted Jobs Withholding program.

Austrian company to build training facility in Iowa City
Alpla, Inc., an Austrian company subsidiary, is an international leader in plastic packaging systems and bottles with operations in 46 countries. The company plans to build a learning and development facility adjacent to the existing Iowa City plant to support their newly developed apprenticeship program. The project represents a capital investment of nearly $13 million and was awarded tax benefits through the High Quality Jobs (HQJ) program. It is expected to create 36 jobs, of which six are incented at a qualifying wage of $30.65 per hour.

Kooima Ag to expand in Rock Valley
Kooima Ag, Inc. is an independent manufacturer of replacement parts for ag equipment machinery manufacturers. The company plans to expand their Rock Valley facility to accommodate growth, including both warehouse and production space. The project is expected to create 12 jobs, of which 11 are incented at a qualifying wage of $24.77 per hour. It represents a $4.5 million capital investment and was awarded tax benefits through the HQJ program.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors visited with Jocelyn Lawson, co-owner of Atlantic Treasures, on Thursday, December 14th, 2023, to celebrate the Grand Opening of the thrift store located in Downtown Atlantic.

William Lawson, co-owner, originally moved to Atlantic in the 1980’s and moved away to attend college, and his continued education took him to California where he met his wife, Jocelyn. Jocelyn and William moved back to Atlantic in early 2023 and began shopping at the Thrift Store Downtown. The couple learned that the previous owner, Janet Jordan, had plans to close the doors in late June and the couple quickly started the process of purchasing the building and business. Since the purchase of the building and business, Jocelyn and William have been tirelessly working to make the store their own.

Atlantic Treasures is currently accepting clean and lightly used donations such as clothing, décor, kitchen items, toys, etc. The store cannot accept mattresses, cribs, tube TVs, and various other items. Jocelyn shared that seasonal items sell quickly, especially Christmas items. The store is in need of gently used coats, blankets, and towels as they head into the winter months. The couple has adopted the motto of “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.” The couple wants to save as many items as they can from being disposed of in the landfill.

Pictured (Left to Right): Jim Kickland, Jeremy Butler, Steve Andersen, Bill Saluk, BJ Hart, Tori Gibson, Keith Leonard, Stephanie Steffens, Arlene Drennan, Elaine Otte, Jocelyn Lawson, Alisha Wagner, Dolly Bergmann, Krysta Hanson, Angela Walton, Colt Doherty, DeeDee Kalny, Sue Liston, Tonya Larsen, Connie Wailes, Steve, Donnie Drennan, Lana Westphalen, Jeff Christensen, Emily Kennedy, Megan Sramek, Rick Miricle, Kathie Hockenberry, Kelsey Beschorner, Anne Quist

Jocelyn has enjoyed visiting with shoppers stop into the store multiple times a month from all around the county. Jocelyn shared that many visitors have come to town for community Christmas events and have stopped and shopped at the store while they are in town. Jocelyn shared that it has been very beneficial to join the Chamber to learn about the community and be a part of the beautiful Downtown community.

Atlantic Treasures is open Monday through Saturday10AM-6PM. The couple is enjoying the holiday shopping season and plans to take some much-needed time off this winter to spend time with family.

Atlantic Treasures is located at 418 Chestnut Street in Atlantic. To learn more about Atlantic Treasures, call 712-326-5660 or visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two men were sentenced Thursday, for their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl which resulted in serious bodily injury to two victims.

According to public court documents, 23-year-old Curclund Jackson VanAernam, of Atlantic, and 31-year-old Luis Alberto Hernandez, of Omaha, distributed fentanyl pills in Omaha and the surrounding areas, including Atlantic, Iowa. At least two victims overdosed after ingesting pills containing fentanyl that VanAernam and Hernandez distributed. Both victims survived after receiving doses of Narcan.

VanAernam was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison and will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release following his prison term. Hernandez was sentenced to 22 years in prison, to be followed by a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (SWINE) Task Force, Atlantic Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Omaha Police Department investigated the case.

Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website to learn more about One Pill Can Kill.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced Thursday, to five years in federal prison for possession of a firearm a felon and possession of cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute it.

According to public court documents, 58-year-old Terrance Tethur Yager was on probation when probation officers visited his home and found cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, mushrooms, and prescription pills in his garage and a loaded pistol in his truck. After completing his prison term, Yager will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Council Bluffs Police Department investigated the case.

(Radio Iowa) – Triple-A reports the price of a gallon of unleaded gas in the state dropped five cents in the last week and sits at two-dollars, 82 cents a gallon. Triple-A Iowa spokesman, Brian Ortner, says the current gas price trend will see prices at or below what they were last year as people hit the roads for the holiday. “Across Iowa last year on Christmas Day, we were looking at two-dollars 86, cents on an average across the state, on New Year’s about three-oh-two,” he says.

He says the drop in the cost of oil is a big reason for the drop in gas prices. “Over 50 percent of that cost when you’re filling up at the pump is the cost of what a barrel of crude oil cost,” Ortner says. “And right now that’s trading around 70 dollars per barrel today. You look at a couple of months ago, we were trading at that 90 dollars a barrel. So seeing those numbers go down is a great thing. ” He says prices could even drop a little more.

“As we look towards the Christmas holiday and New Year’s holiday, we expect that you’ll see numbers stay flat, or maybe even decrease a little bit as we move into the holiday travel period, those 10 days of the 23rd through the through January 1st,” Ortner says. Ortner says the drop in gas prices is important as most Iowans who are traveling during the holiday will be driving.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie Center Community School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday evening (Dec. 13,2023), activated the District’s Licensed Employee Early Retirement Policy. Superintendent Josh Rasmussen explains the incentive is being offered to those teachers who are at least 55 years of age with 10-years of experience.

He said “The Board is using [the incentive] as a tool to reduce some expenses in the General Fund.” Applications for the Early Retirement Program are due-in by January 3rd (2024). Rasmussen said there is a limit on the number of applicants who will be selected for the benefit, based on the availability of replacement teachers .

Superintendent Rasmussen said also, the Guthrie Center School Board approved the submission of an application to the SBRC (School Budget Review Committee) for a modified supplemental amount, with regard to the district’s enrollment numbers.

The Board also approved the resignations of High School Custodian Tom Bates, and High School Night Custodian Renee Baier, along with contract recommendations for High School Cheer Sponsor Christina Wilson, and HS Cheer Volunteer, Beck Wahl.