DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A federal official says 122 children who entered the country illegally were sent to Iowa in the first half of the year. According to a report Tuesday in the Omaha World Herald, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Kenneth Wolfe said the children were placed with relatives or sponsors.

Gov. Terry Branstad has been opposed to hosting any immigrant children in Iowa. Branstad spokesman Jimmy Centers said Tuesday the state hasn’t been notified about the children entering Iowa. On Monday, Branstad said such children should be returned to their home countries. He contends federal officials must improve border security.

More than 57,000 youths, mostly from Central America, have crossed into the U.S. illegally since October.

The American Red Cross is facing a looming blood shortage, leading to an urgent need for donors of all blood types to roll up a sleeve and give.Donations through the Red Cross are down approximately 8 percent over the last 11 weeks, resulting in about 80,000 fewer donations than expected. The number of donors continues to decline, and the shortfall is significant enough that the Red Cross could experience an emergency situation in the coming weeks.

In addition, the Independence Day holiday falling on Friday reduced the number of blood drives scheduled in early July. Many sponsors did not host drives because people took vacations either over the long weekend or for the entire week. In an average summer week, about 4,400 Red Cross blood drives are scheduled, compared to Independence Day week when only 3,450 drives occurred.

Eligible donors with types O negative, B negative and A negative blood are especially needed at this time. Type O negative is the universal blood type and can be transfused to anyone who needs blood. Types A negative and B negative can be transfused to Rh positive or negative patients.

There is also an urgent need for platelet donations. Platelets – a key clotting component of blood often needed by cancer patients, burn victims and bone marrow recipients – must be transfused within five days of donation, so it’s important to have a steady supply of platelets on hand. Individuals who donated blood earlier this summer may now be eligible to donate again and help patients such as accident victims, heart surgery patients and children with blood disorders.

To Donate Blood, simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information.

Upcoming Blood Donation Opportunities:

Carroll County
July 31 from noon to 6 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church, 1204 Center St. in Manning
Aug. 4 from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at American Legion Hall, 210 Head St. in Arcadia

Cass County
July 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Cass County Memorial Hospital, 1501 E. 10th St. in Atlantic

Crawford County
Aug. 4 from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 537 3rd Ave.nue in Manilla
Aug. 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 113 S. 14th St. in Denison
Aug. 8 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Community Building, 106 Franklin St. in Dow City

Harrison County
July 24 from noon to 6 p.m. at Community Center, 108 W. 4th St. in Logan
Aug. 7 from noon to 6 p.m. at Rand Community/Senior Center, 100 S. 4th St in Missouri Valley

Mills County
July 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Glenwood Resource Visitor’s Center, 711 S. Vine in Glenwood
July 31 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Glenwood High School, 504 E. Sharp St. in Glenwood
Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at East Mills High School, 1501 E. 15th St. in Malvern

Montgomery County
July 23 from noon to 6 p.m. at Community Center, 201 S. 3rd Ave. in Villisca

Page County
July 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Shenandoah K-8 School, 601 Drive Creighton Circle in Shenandoah
Aug. 8 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Shenandoah Medical Center, 300 Pershing Ave. in Shenandoah

Pottawattamie County
July 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at American Red Cross, 705 N. 16th St. in Council Bluffs
July 23 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Mercy Professional Center, 801 Harmony St. in Council Bluffs
July 25 from noon to 6 p.m. at Bass Pro Shop, 2901 Bass Pro Drive in Council Bluffs
July 26 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at American Legion, 309 1/2 Elm in Avoca
July 26 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at United Church of Christ, 106 Lincoln St. in Minden
July 27 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at East Side Christian Church, 331 W. Bennett Ave. in Council Bluffs
July 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 406 Antique City Drive in Walnut
July 28 from 12:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. at American Red Cross, 705 N. 16th St. in Council Bluffs
July 29 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at American Red Cross, 705 N. 16th St. in Council Bluffs
Aug. 2 from 8 a.m. to noon at Fire Station, 102 W. Florence in Crescent
Aug. 4 from 12:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. at American Red Cross, 705 N. 16th St. in Council Bluffs
Aug. 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at American Red Cross, 705 N. 16th St. in Council Bluffs
Aug. 6 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Dewitt Community Building, 404 Potter St. in Macedonia
Aug. 8 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Council Bluffs Senior Center, 714 Main St. in Council Bluffs

Shelby County
July 28 from noon to 6 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Hall, 118 Main St. in Earling
Aug. 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at CDS, 3107 Shelby St. in Harlan

Taylor County
July 29 from noon to 6 p.m. at American Legion Hall, 106 W. Ohio in Lenox
Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at New Life Missionary Church, 301 Pollack in Bedford
Aug. 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at American Legion Hall, 301 Main St. in Bedford

Union County
July 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at East Union High School, 1916 High School Drive in Afton
July 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Creston High School, 601 W. Townline in Creston

The Harlan Community School District Board of Educators heard an update on the Merrill Field Construction Project. In a board meeting Monday, Superintendent Justin Wagner told the board the construction is on schedule. “At this point, overall the project is on schedule with the completion date of August 22nd. I talked to Joe down on the field and he said it could be as early as the 18th which for us is significant because we are trying to get to the 21st for the soap scrimmage and give the community a chance for celebration down on the field.”

The all new scoreboard has been installed and the bleachers are to be completed in the next ten days. Wagner says there was one issue during the construction. “Nemaha did some testing of the rock and it was not draining as they hoped. They brought in some cleaner rock which makes it filter and add a few more inches of rock to help the field drain.” The school district is working with the city of Harlan to make sure the field drains properly. Wagner says other than that, the project has been going smooth.

“Obviously lights are in. Safety lane is all the way around. Sidewalks will start being poured all the way around. The surfacing of the track will be the last thing done. When we say August 22nd substantial completion, we hope that includes the track. That might be a little bit aggressive and might be a little later. But it definitely will be done before the first home game. So the entire project will be done before the first home game.”

In other action items, the school board approved the new handbooks for the upcoming school year, a girls swimming shared agreement with Lewis Central and a bowling stipend for head coach David Tyrrel.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

GRAETTINGER, Iowa (AP) – A participant in an annual bicycle ride across Iowa has died due to a medical condition. Bob Libby, medical director for The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, told The Des Moines Register the 63-year-old man died Monday while riding near Graettinger, a small northern Iowa city in Palo Alto County. His name wasn’t released.

Libby says he didn’t know the cause of death, but that is was due to a medical condition and not a traumatic injury. A trauma surgeon, nurse and others cared for the man, who was taken to Palo Alto County Hospital in Emmetsburg, where he died.

It’s the first time a RAGBRAI rider has died since 2010. About 8,500 riders make the weeklong trip across Iowa, plus others who ride on single days.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce report the United States Postal Service office in Atlantic has received a Community Improvement Award. The Image Builders Committee presented the Community Improvement award to Atlantic’s Post Office for its improvement to the front of its building.

Pictured: Bert Rose, employee, and Sharon Worthen, Post Master,
Also pictured: Image Building Committee: John Krogman, Ouida Wymer, Rich Perry, Gerald Brink, and Bill Saluk.

The Community Improvement Award is given to a business that has shown that it takes pride in making Atlantic a welcoming and beautiful community. Bert Rose, a USPS employee, found old materials in the post office basement and created the scene you see out front today.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report four people were arrested Friday. 44-year old Damon Patrick Doty, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. His bond was set at $5,000. 20-year old Eric Joseph Carlson, of Nebraska City, NE, and Nadine Gail Yoesel, of Auburn, NE, were arrested Friday following a traffic stop. The pair face Possession of drug paraphernalia charges. Bonds were set at $300 each.

And, 20-year old Jacob Kyle Rash, of Herriman, UT, was arrested last Friday following a traffic stop on I-29 in Mills County, for OWI/2nd offense. His bond was set at $2,000.

Officials with the Atlantic Community School District (ACSD) have announced information with regard to registration for the 2014-2015 school year is available online at http://www.atlanticiaschools.org/

In the letter, Superintendent Mike Amstein says “For the 2014-15 school year, Atlantic Community School District will continue to utilize the “rollover” registration process with JMC, the district’s student information system. By using the “rollover” registration process it will alleviate the long lines for school registration at the high school each August. The “rollover” registration process assumes that every student enrolled in the ACSD at the end of this school year will be attending school in the fall of the next school year. This means that you will not have to register student(s) for the upcoming school year, if they attended ACSD this school year (2013-14) and were still in attendance as of the last day of school for this past school year (May 27, 2014).”

Amstein goes on to say “Students, who are NEW to the school district and are planning to enroll for the 2014-15 school year will need to register for school at our school buildings,which are open during the summer or access the school registration forms located online at the district’s website, www.atlanticiaschools.org. All of the necessary registration forms are posted on the right hand side of district’s website or are available at each school building.”

Other information in the letter pertains to student fees which need to be paid for the upcoming school year. The district is now utilizing RevTrak instead of PaySchools to collect fees and to pay for lunch. By using RevTrak, there will NO longer be a $2.00 transaction fee for online credit card payments.  The free and reduced application can be found on the Registration website.

If you want more detailed instructions on how to register online, please follow the instructions provided to you on the ACSD website If you don’t have access to a computer, please stop by your student’s school.

The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA)is reminding small, non-farm businesses in 70 Iowa counties and neighboring counties in Illinois and Missouri that they have until August 11th, 2014, to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). These loans are to offset economic losses because of reduced revenues to farmers and ranchers caused by drought that occurred from August 27 – October 28, 2013, in the following primary counties.

Primary Iowa counties in this area include: Adair, Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Dallas, Guthrie, Madison, Sac, Shelby, and Union. Neighboring area counties eligible to apply for an EIDL include: Adams, Cass, Harrison, Pottawattamie, Ringgold and Taylor.

Small, nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private, nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred. Businesses primarily engaged in farming or ranching are not eligible for SBA disaster assistance.

Agricultural enterprises should contact the Farm Services Agency (FSA) about the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assistance made available by the Secretary’s declaration. However, in drought disasters nurseries are eligible for SBA disaster assistance. Applicants may apply online using the Electronic Loan Application (ELA) via SBA’s secure Web site at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela.
For owners of impacted small businesses, disaster loan information and application forms are also available from SBA’s Customer Service Center by calling toll-free at (800) 659-2955 or e-mailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. For more information about SBA’s disaster assistance programs, visit http://www.sba.gov/disaster.

The deadline to apply for these loans is August 11, 2014.

Iowa Western Community College’s Board of Trustees held their regular monthly meeting in Atlantic, Monday afternoon.

Iowa Western President Dr. Dan Kinney (Center, tan sport jacket) speaks at the meeting held in Atlantic.

During the 75-minute meeting, which was held at the Atlantic Center of IWCC, College President Dr. Dan Kinney introduced the newest member of the Board, Marge Welch, who officials came on board June 30th, and has been putting together some new initiatives for the college. Welch is originally from Afton, in Union County. She started her career in higher education at Southwestern Community College, where she served for 11-years, before working at the university level (Buena Vista University) for the past eight years.  She said she’s wanted to get back to get back to the community college scene, which is where she says more emotionally grounded.

In his report to the Board, Dr. Kinney said Summer Graduation is set for 7-p.m. this Friday (July 25th). Approximately 80 students are set to receive their diplomas. Fall classes at Iowa Western begin August 18th. Kinney was also pleased to report he received a letter recently indicating the college will be receiving another Iowa Great Lakes Grant for IWCC’s innovative program designed to keep more students enrolled and on track academically, socially, and financially for program completion. The program is called “Intrusive Advising.” Kinney says he thinks it’s making a difference in student proficiency.

The latest grant amounts to $197, 340. Last year, the college received a grant amounting to $214, 790 to helping 150 students navigate their first year of studies through weekly advising meetings, supplemental instruction, and tutoring.

IWCC Cass County Center Director Ann Pross speaks to the college Board of Trustees.

And, Iowa Western/Cass County Center Director Ann Pross reported to the Board of Trustees on the status of construction projects and enrollment. She said the new Student Activity Center which is currently under construction should be finished by the beginning of the Fall semester, and ready for occupancy by the start of the Spring semester.

Pross also reported there are now five full-time faculty members at the Cass County Center, and the enrollment numbers have held steady, with a small amount of growth. She said also the Design Technology Program continues to grow. 13 students graduated from the program in May. Another dozen students are involved in internships this summer. All of the students who take internships and graduate have received multiple job offers, with starting salaries of $35,000-45,000.

w/ Ric Hanson

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