(Atlantic, Iowa)  – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by K5 Investments on Thursday, December 7th, 2023, for a ribbon cutting ceremony for their AirBNB space on Spruce Street in Atlantic.

K5 Investments is also known as the Kennedy Family. Zak, Emily, Cassidy, Clara, and Cadence have traveled a lot throughout the years and stayed in many Air BNBs. As they traveled, they took notes on what worked well for their family and what they wished they could find in a space. When a family friend, “Cookie” Smith made the decision to sell her home, the Kennedy’s thought this would be the perfect opportunity to own their own AirBNB and make it the best space to entertain large groups.

Pictured (Left to Right): Lana Westphalen, Megan Sramek, Tori Gibson, Steve Andersen, Beth Spieker, Bill Saluk, Connie Wales, Katelyn Burnett, Jeremy Butler, Cassidy Kennedy, Colt Doherty, Clara Kennedy, Kelsey Beschorner, Zak Kennedy, Jennifer McEntaffer, Alisha Wagner, Emily Kennedy, Kathie Hockenberry, Tonya Larsen, Judy Kennedy, Sue Liston, Jim Kickland, Cadence Kennedy, Dolly Bergmann, Elaine Otte, Brian Wedemeyer, Joceyln Lawson, Angela Walton, Alden Harriman

In April of 2023, the Kennedy’s purchased the property at 911 Spruce Street and spent the next six weeks embracing the whirlwind of a remodel. From electrical and plumbing, to flooring and decorating, the home is officially open to the public for rent through the AirBNB app. This 6 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 half-bath house is equipped with anything a family could need while traveling such as, baby toys, a pack & play, air mattress, games and more. The house also features a large dining table, perfect for a sit-down meal for up to 20 people and can sleep over 15 people.

K5 Investments will be hosting a Holiday Open House on Tuesday, December 19th from 5-7PM. The family invites the public to come and enjoy holiday treats while viewing the home, which is beautifully decorated for Christmas.

The Air BNB is located at 911 Spruce Street in Atlantic. For more information about the property or to book a stay through the Kennedy Family, please call Emily Kennedy at 515-321-2005.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has announced the Iowa Youth Straw Poll will take place across the state on Tuesday, January 9. Less than one week before Iowans participate in the Iowa presidential caucuses, thousands of Iowa students will make their voices heard in the Iowa Youth Straw Poll and vote for their preferred candidates for U.S. President. The Iowa Youth Straw Poll is a hands-on educational experience designed to inspire civic engagement. Every public school, private school, homeschool student, and youth group in the state is invited to participate.

Pate says “We’ve seen Iowa’s young people become more and more civically engaged and excited about the elections process. Programs like the Iowa Youth Straw Poll not only give these students an opportunity to make their voices heard, but they get a firsthand understanding of how elections work, so they are better prepared to vote in elections once they are eligible.” Students, teachers, and organizations can register for the Iowa Youth Straw Poll by clicking here. A full list of schools that have already registered can be found here. Teachers and students are encouraged to post photos of their Youth Straw Poll activities on social media, utilizing the #BeAVoter hashtag.

The Youth Straw Poll is one component of Secretary Pate’s Elections 101 curriculum that is available for any school or civic organization to utilize. It is written by Iowa teachers for Iowa teachers. Two additional components of the curriculum include lesson plans on the history of women’s suffrage and women in politics. The curriculum is available for free at Elections101.Iowa.gov.

The Iowa Youth Straw Poll has the support of the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Council for the Social Studies and has received national recognition for outstanding leadership in voter education. Pate says “We’ll be live streaming results on January 9, and I encourage everyone to tune in, because historically, the results from these polls have been good predictors of official election and caucus results.”

The last Iowa Youth Straw Poll took place in the fall of 2022 and saw nearly 200 schools sign up to participate.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Board of Adjustment will meet 5:30-p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, 2023 in the City Council’s Chambers at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting it to hold a Public Hearing to consider an application by Dr. Erin Conrad-Schwarte, with Cass County Animal Clinic, LLC, for a property located at 2309 Whitney Street (an east 22nd parcel), that would allow for the operation of a Health and Medical Institution in an “R-2” (Low Density) Single Family Residential District, as allowed by the City’s Zoning Ordinance.

Additional information on the application and Zoning Board options can be found here: Board of Adjustment Agenda Packet 12-11-2023-min

During Wednesday’s (Dec. 6, 2023) City Council meeting, Atlantic resident Shawn Macha – who lives at 1907 E. 22nd Street – said he received a letter about the proposed permit. He expressed his opposition to it, and questioned why it would be approved to begin with.

City Administrator John Lund said the application is for a Conditional Use Permit, and does not mean the area is being rezoned.

Macha said he doubts anyone one wants to live next to dog kennel when the dogs are barking 150-feet from their home.

Brad Strouth lives near the parcel in question. He also thinks the permit shouldn’t be approved.

Macha added…

The Public may comment in person at the hearing or may submit written comments in advance to the City Clerk’s Office, at 23 East 4th Street, Atlantic, Iowa 50022. Questions may be addressed to the Zoning Administrator, John Lund, at johnlund@cityofatlantic.com, or you may call (712) 243-4810.

(Radio Iowa) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says if he’s elected president, he’ll push congress to extend the Trump era tax cuts AND set up new FEDERAL scholarships to help cover the costs of attending a private K-through-12 school. The tax plan President Trump signed into law in 2017 expires at the end of 2025 and DeSantis says that gives the person elected president in 2024 an opportunity.

DeSantis says it would be a disaster to have federal income tax rates go up in what could be a recession.

GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis on the Iowa Press set on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Iowa PBS)

The “National School Choice” program DeSantis envisions at the federal level would be modeled on a tax check-off program in Florida. It lets businesses send corporate income tax payments to a scholarship fund.

DeSantis says he would push to include a wide range of policies into a package to avoid the requirement that 60 senators support it — and pass with just 51 yes votes. He’d include repeal of Biden era spending and some of his own spending priorities, like funding to build more Navy ships.

DeSantis made his comments during taping of Iowa Press which airs Sunday on Iowa P-B-S.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says if he’s elected president, he’ll push congress to extend the Trump era tax cuts AND set up new FEDERAL scholarships to help cover the costs of attending a private K-through-12 school. The tax plan President Trump signed into law in 2017 expires at the end of 2025 and DeSantis says that gives the person elected president in 2024 an opportunity.

“If you’re not thinking as the candidate about how you would use that to implement policy, then you’re already behind the curve,” DeSantis says. DeSantis says it would be a disaster to have federal income tax rates go up in what could be a recession.

“You’re going in on January 20, 2025, and it’s probably not going to be all sunshine and roses, so raising taxes in that situation would be a big mistake.” The “National School Choice” program DeSantis envisions at the federal level would be modeled on a tax check-off program in Florida. It lets businesses send corporate income tax payments to a scholarship fund.

“We did a billion-dollar program between administration and scholarships. That served 100,000 kids in Florida,” DeSantis says. “…If you did just $25 or 50 billion dollars, which in this day and age is budget dust basically, you’re going to be able provide scholarships to a low of working class and low-income families.” DeSantis says he would push to include a wide range of policies into a package to avoid the requirement that 60 senators support it — and pass with just 51 yes votes. He’d include repeal of Biden era spending and some of his own spending priorities, like funding to build more Navy ships. DeSantis made his comments during taping of Iowa Press which airs tonight on Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) – Residents of Waterloo and Cedar Falls are hoping a new housing plan will end a cycle of some citizens continually returning to prison. Recent data from the Iowa Department of Corrections says that the recidivism rate for Black Hawk County is the second highest in the state at nearly 37 percent. Waterloo psychiatrist Tom Eachus (EEK-us) says finding housing is a big part of the problem.

Eachus and others have formed the Cedar Valley Housing Corporation, which has proposed a new 24-unit apartment complex in Waterloo designated for those getting out of prison.

The complex will also provide counseling services.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s largest food bank set another record during November, distributing two-point-15 million pounds of food, the most ever during a single month. It tops the previous record set during the height of the pandemic in October of 2020. Annette Hacker, spokeswoman for the Food Bank of Iowa, says the number of Iowans facing food insecurity continues to climb at an alarming rate. “More than 191,000 individuals were served, and the sobering part of that is that 42% are children,” Hacker says. “In addition to those served at our partner pantries, thousands more sought help through meal sites the Food Bank of Iowa supports to the tune of about 175,000 meals served.”

Studies find up to 36 percent of Iowa families and individuals don’t make enough money to cover the cost of basic needs. Hacker says it’s a social injustice we can’t ignore. “Most of the people we serve are working people,” Hacker says. “There’s a misnomer that people who need food assistance are sitting at home on the couch and watching television and that’s simply not the case. Many of the people we serve are working two or three jobs, sometimes with no benefits, trying to string together a living but they’re really struggling.”

Hacker says there are three things the food bank always needs: food, funds and friends. “If you can come and volunteer, if you can donate to help us buy more food, if you can have a food drive yourself and bring in that food,” Hacker says, “and most of all to advocate for our neighbors who need help with food, and help others to realize this is a real problem in our state and in our country, and this should not be a place where anybody goes to bed hungry.”

The Food Bank of Iowa and its partners serve people in 55 counties.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Fire Department say firefighters were dispatched Thursday evening to a reported home explosion in the 600 block of N. Cedar St.    Union County Sheriff’s deputies and Creston police officers arrived on the scene first and determined the location. The spoke with residents to ensure no one else was in the house. Greater Regional Medics were on hand to care for the residents and firefighters as needed. (Photos via the Creston F.D. Facebook page)

Flames were visible through the front window as the fire department arrived on scene. Crews were able to begin a transitional attack through the living room window and front door before attacking the fire offensively inside the home. Exterior crews were able to extinguish fire that had extended to the basement. Interior crews successfully extinguished the fire on the 1st floor but had to overhaul and remove almost the entire ceiling from the residence. Mutual Aid from the Afton Fire Department was also received. Union County Emergency Management was also on scene to aide the homeowners.

The Creston Fire Department thanks all of their partners who come together during this and other emergency situations.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court says a search that led to a 2020 drug charge conviction against a Texas trucker was not legal. Stephen Arrieta stopped at the Northwood weigh station on I-35 after his automatic pass device failed to work. A D-O-T officer then inspected his truck and called for a drug dog. The drug dog alerted outside the truck and Arrieta admitted to having marijuana in the cab. He appealed his conviction for possession of a controlled substance, saying the stop was illegally delayed to allow the dog to show up.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruling says the officer had no reasonable suspicion to delay the stop and improperly detained Arrieta to allow the drug dog to arrive.