(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council, today (Wednesday), approved a request from officials with Vision Atlantic, for a letter of support. Mayor Grace Garrett said no action would be needed by the Council during the meeting, it was being done though, with unanimous consent.

Officials with the non-profit Vision Atlantic say were asking for the letter “to support and strengthen some of [their] federal funding and various grant application [they] have submitted to date.” In addition, the organization says “As our donations and pledges continue to raise, we are getting close to the threshold where [the] grant committee can start to apply for some other key grants (some have a minimum percentage of the project needed to be secured before applications can be submitted). To date, the organization has assembled approximately 139 other letters of support for future grant applications.

Jackie Sampson spoke with regard to those applications…

In other business, the Atlantic City Council acted on approving an Order to have City Administrator John Lund execute a purchase order for an ambulance from Braun Northwest. Cass EMS, the City’s ambulance service exists as a 28E Agreement with costs being split evenly between the City of Atlantic, Cass Health, and Cass County. According to John Lund, “We are in a financially unsustainable commitment with Cass EMS. Over a period of five years, expenditures have increased 1,197%. This increase has occurred even with the generous contribution of a brand-new ambulance for Cass Health.”

Atlantic City Council, 10-15-24

City Councilman Sean Sarsfield said if the order was placed immediately, the new ambulance should arrive by late January or early February, 2025. Councilperson Elaine Otte and others mentioned EMS crews were very impressed with the ambulance’s design and functions.

Councilman Brink said EMS personnel mentioned it was the “best riding one they’d ever been in.” Sean Sarsfield said also, “Cost-wise…the price is probably the best that you can get,” compared to other ambulances. The Council thanked Atlantic Firefighter/Paramedic John Johnson for his role in helping to acquire the new ambulance.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed the Second Reading of an Ordinance prohibiting previously mentioned trees from being planted, due to the specified varieties’ lack of disease infestation, and storm damage, resistance. The First Reading was passed during the Council’s meeting on October 2nd. The list of trees was approved by Trees Forever and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

And, toward the end of Wednesday’s meeting, Mayor Grace Garrett declared Halloween Trick-or Treating will take place in Atlantic on October 31st, from 5-until 7-p.m., with downtown trick-or-treating from 3:30-until 5-p.m.  Also, the next Ward Listening date will take place November 14th at the Atlantic Public Library, for residents in Ward 2, and anyone else who wishes to attend. The session begins at 5-p.m.

Other ward listening sessions are in the works. A meeting for citizens in the 4th Ward was held in June.

(Red Oak, Iowa) — Sheriff’s deputies in Montgomery County arrested man Wednesday morning for Violating the terms of his probation. Authorities says 46-year-old Chad Michael Hill, of Villisca, was arrested in the 400 block of 5th Street in Villisca,  at around 9:45 a.m.

Hill was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – A central Iowa man will spend nine years in prison on fraud and money laundering charges.  Court documents show 52-year-old William Berg of Waukee got 17 people to invest in W. Holdings of Iowa and Excel Performance Management, two companies he created and controlled. He created fake investment agreements, account statements, and a website to get their money, and then spent it on himself.

Investigators say Berg attempted to destroy documents one he learned of his federal indictment. He was given the nine-year prison sentence and ordered to pay more than one-point-six million dollars ($1.6) in restitution.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Attorney General’s Office is proposing an update to state rules that outline the standards for nurses who are certified to conduct sexual assault examinations — and those who are not certified to collect rape kit evidence would no longer be eligible for state reimbursement for conducting the exam. Susan Krisco, the Deputy Attorney General for Criminal Justice, says the goal is to ensure any evidence collected is admissible in court.

“There are a number of people out there that believe that they can do these because it seems to be a checklist. You get a box and there’s a number of things that it says you should do,” Krisko says. “…However, the standards of a sexual assault nurse examiner are far more intricate.” Krisko says an emergency room doctor typically spends between 20 and 25 minutes with a patient, while an exam to collect evidence of a sexual assault takes three to four hours.

“Because we’re treating them with trauma informed care that an emergency room doctor doesn’t have the time or the training to do,” Krisko says. Amy Campbell, a spokesperson for the Iowa Nurses Association, says the standards for nurse examiners outlined in the new rules are appropriate.

“Nurses aren’t trained in forensics,” Campbell says. “A lot of doctors aren’t trained in forensics and the importance of ensuring that the qualify of the text, information that’s collected is going to stand up in court is what’s really important.” Attorney General Brenna Bird is asking legislators to raise the reimbursement rate for nurses who are certified to conduct sexual assault exams and, for the first time, provide mileage reimbursement.

Campbell says that’s important to the Nurses Association because the current 400-dollar payment is too low. “We have nurses that do this basically because it’s the right thing to do and they’re losing money on it,” Campbell says. “…They’re not getting reimbursed for their transportation. They’re getting paid below what their rates would be for a four or five hour examination.”

To get certified as a sexual assault exam nurse, a nurse must complete 40 hours of training which can be completed online or in person.

(Harlan, Iowa) – Officials with the City of Harlan have announced the resignation of City Administrator Gene Gettys. The announcement was posted on social media Wednesday afternoon:

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans can be very generous with their donations when disaster strikes elsewhere, but they’re warned to look very closely before they leap into sending any money toward hurricane relief.

Lisa Schiller, spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau, says it’s wise to work with established agencies like the Red Cross which can be trusted to deliver help to places like Florida and North Carolina.

“See if the disaster relief charity that you are interested in has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas,” Schiller says. “Unless they already have staff there, honestly, it may be difficult to provide quick assistance.”

Schiller says the best way to help most organizations is often with money, since it can be hard to transport in-kind gifts to areas with ruined roads and no infrastructure. That’s especially true after the widespread and severe damage caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

“A lot of people in times like this want to donate clothing or food or other types of donations,” she says, “and this may not actually be the best way to help unless the charity has the ability to properly distribute this type of aid.”

Criminals will try to prey on people’s good will during disasters, so Schiller says to be very cautious if you get a random phone call or social media message seeking donations.

“Go to their website, make sure that they’re legitimate,” she says. “A lot of times we see charities that pop up that have very similar names to legitimate charities and there can be a lot of confusion.”

Schiller says a good way to find a reputable charity is on the BBB’s charity tracker, Give.org.

(Radio Iowa) – The C-E-O of the Casey’s Convenience store chain says customers are continuing to weather the economy with a few changes in spending. C-E-O Darin Rebelez says 75 percent of their customers are upper income, or make 50-thousand dollars or more a year. “We’re in a very affordable geography so that 50-thousand dollars goes a lot further in our footprint than it might in some other geographies,” he says. “So all that being said, in the upper end, we’re not seeing much change with the consumer. They’re visiting the store as frequently buying as they have historically bought.” Rebelez says those on the lower end of the economics have made some changes.

“We’re not seeing a change in frequency of visits, but we are seeing a change in decisions that they are making. In some cases, that basket is shrinking a little bit, so they may forego that one extra item that they might have bought,” Rebelez says. He says candy seems to be one area where customers are looking for more of a bargain.”One of the things I thought was interesting when we dug into this is that consumers have been trading out of candy because candy’s been a lot more expensive, particularly chocolate, with a rise in cocoa prices and shifting over to our fresh bakery products, like cookies and brownies, that sort of thing,” Rebelez says.”

It’s still a sweet indulgence, but about half of the cost on the prepared side, as it is on the candy side.” Rebelez says the candy trade off helps the customer and the company. “Those guests are looking for that indulgence. They still want to get it. They’re just finding a more affordable way to do that,” he says, “and we’ll take that trade all day long because the penny profit is better on our prepared side and the margins higher.”

Rebelez spoke at the company’s “Analyst Day” on Tuesday at their headquarters in Ankeny. Casey’s operates around 26-hundred stores in 17 states, with most of the stores in the Midwest.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak say no one was injured during a collision Tuesday morning at N. 4th Street and E. Sunset Avenue. Authorities report a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven  by 63-year-old Judith Hardy, of Red Oak, was traveling south on N. 4th Street and approaching E. Sunset Avenue, at around 9:35-a.m.  A 2020 Ford EcoSport SUV driven by 84-year-old Karen Blue, of Red Oak, was stopped at the intersection yield sign, waiting for Hardy to turn.

When Hardy turned too soon and cut the corner short, her vehicle struck the Ford on the left front side. Both vehicles were driveable afterward. Damage from the collision amounted to a police estimated $4,000 altogether. Red Oak Police cited Hardy for making an improper turn.

[Council Bluffs, Iowa] – Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency officials today (Wednesday), said Pottawattamie County residents affected by severe storms, tornadoes and flooding on June 16 through July 23, 2024, have until next Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, to apply for FEMA assistance (Disaster #4796). If you have flood or severe weather-related damage or storm-caused expenses or are self-employed and live in Pottawattamie County, FEMA assistance may provide grants to help cover temporary housing, home repairs and other disaster related needs. U.S. Small Business Administration provides may also loans to help cover home repairs and other disaster-related needs along with business impacts.

How to apply with FEMA:
• Visiting DisasterAssistance.gov
• Calling FEMA directly at 800-621-FEMA (3362)
• Downloading and use the FEMA app.

Ongoing and Unmet Needs:

Residents impacted by any of the 2024 disasters who need ongoing recovery assistance, provide documentation for their FEMA applications, have unmet needs, or need to speak with a FEMA or SBA representative can do so at the Pottawattamie County Long-term Disaster Recovery Center (LT-DRC).

Long-term Disaster Recovery Center:

Pottawattamie County Emergency Management
205 South Main St., Council Bluffs, IA 51503
Open: Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm (closed holidays)

Disaster survivors can meet with a Disaster Case Advocate who can help guide them through the recovery process, assist in developing a recovery plan, and help source and make contact with assistance programs to help survivors fill gaps in their recovery. A representative from the U.S. Small Business Administration is also on-site to assist. If you need to meet directly with a FEMA representative, a disaster case advocate or emergency management staff member can help you get in contact with FEMA to get assistance or set up a face-to-face appointment. You will need your FEMA registration ID number.

Disaster survivors from Pottawattamie County with ongoing or unmet needs can also get connected to assistance by completing the online Pottawattamie County Needs Assessment Survey. You can find more information on the emergency management agency’s website.