(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce Atlantic has been recognized as a Neighborhood Champion for the 11th year in a row by American Express. Atlantic will participate in the 14th Annual Small Business Saturday to support small businesses this Saturday. Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Bailey Smith says “We’re excited to partner with local businesses to create shopping incentives and activities to celebrate Small Business Saturday.”

Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday® is a day to celebrate the small businesses that help support our community. American Express created the Neighborhood Champion Program to help rally communities around Small Business Saturday and is working alongside numerous business organizations to support local Small Business Saturday celebrations throughout the country.

American Express recognizes communities that have strong participation. The on-going Shop Local Initiative, presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust, and overall community support has helped Atlantic achieve this national recognition.

Bailey Smith says “It’s a great opportunity for Atlantic to receive positive, national exposure. Atlantic is very fortunate to have the business community that we do, and this day is an added bonus for residents to remember how important their support and participation in shopping local is to keeping Atlantic a vibrant place to live.”

November 30th marks Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. On Saturday, shoppers are encouraged to take a picture of their purchases at participating retailers and post to the Chamber’s Facebook page to be entered into a drawing for $250 in AtlantiCash. For a list of participating businesses, visit www.atlanticiowa.com.

Small business owners can learn more about taking part in Small Business Saturday and download free marketing materials on www.shopsmall.com. Consumers can visit www.atlanticiowa.com to find deals and merchants to shop at on Small Business Saturday. Small Business Saturday is presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say an accident at around 11:35-a.m. today (Monday), caused a police estimated total of $10,500 damage, but no one was injured. According to the report, a 1999 Dodge pickup driven by 45-year-old Jason Carleton, of Creston, was traveling east on Highway 34. A 2019 Ford SUV driven by 66-year-old Clara Putz, of Macksburg, was westbound on the highway.

Carleton was waiting for another vehicle to turn south so his pickup could turn north. He then turned north but didn’t see the SUV. The Ford Expedition driven by Clara Putz struck the rear bumper of the pickup. The bulk of the damage was sustained by the SUV.

There were no citations issued, but the report noted Carleton failed to yield the right-of-way while making a left turn.

(Radio Iowa) – The Dallas County Auditor has announced the results of a recount in a central Iowa legislative race and the winner is claiming victory, but the second-place finisher has not conceded.

Certified results from a dozen days ago showed State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democrat from West Des Moines, had a 24 vote lead over Republican Mark Hanson. The recount found Trone Garriott’s lead was 29 votes. Hanson, the challenger, is a member of the Dallas County Board of Supervisors. Hanson told The Des Moines Register the board will meet tomorrow to review the results of the recount.

The recount in Iowa’s first district congressional race has not been completed. According to the National Republican Congressional Committee, only nine of the 20 counties in the district had completed recounts by Friday. Certified results showed Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks leading Democrat Christina Bohannan by just over 800 votes and Bohannan asked for a recount.

State Senator Sarah Trone Garriott (D-West Des Moines) (official photo)

Scott County election officials have begun recounts in that race today and in a race in Davenport for a seat in the Iowa House. The certified results from two weeks ago showed the incumbent Democrat in the district led the Republican challenger by just 45 votes.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds plans to ask the legislature to ban cellphones from classrooms in Iowa’s K-through-12 schools. Reynolds mentioned the proposal late last week during an interview at the Washington, D.C. bureau for Gray television stations.

“I think that teachers are in favor of it,” Reynolds said, “the parents, once they understand that there’s a process that if there is an issue, their kids can still be taken care of.”

A spokesman for the governor says personal electronic devices are a distraction and Reynolds believes Iowa kids should have the freedom to focus and be fully engaged in their education. Some Iowa schools have implemented cell phone restrictions for the current academic year. Advocates say it helps students be more engaged in the classroom. Officials in 10 states have taken steps to limit or ban cell phone use in schools.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds speaks during an October, 2024 news conference. (RI photo)

According to a non-profit group that monitors social media use, half of kids between the ages of 11 and 17 get nearly 240 messages or notifications on their cell phones on a typical day — and 25 percent of those messages are received during the school day.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Sheriff’s Department reports six people were arrested over the past week, while one person was cited and released. There were two arrests last Friday (11/22) in Adair County:

58-year-old James Dean Johnston, of Des Moines, was arrested at the Polk County Jail, on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation. Johnston was being held without bond, in the Adair County Jail. And, 43-year-old Kiley Marie Hannan, of Bridgewater, was arrested on an Adair County felony warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree, and Burglary in the 3rd Degree. Hannan was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

There were two arrests on Nov. 21st, also:

38-year-old Jessie Lea Jones, of Shellrock, Iowa, was arrested in Stuart on an Adair County warrant for three felony charges, following an investigation into the October 2nd theft of a motor vehicle from a grocery store in Stuart, and the use of credit cards that were in the vehicle. Jones was arrested for Theft in the 2nd Degree (for the theft of the vehicle), Unauthorized use of a credit card, and Conspiracy to Commit an Aggravated Misdemeanor. Her cash-only bond was set at $10,000. And, 49-year-old Nicole Lee Glendenning, of Des Moines, was arrested Nov. 21st at the Polk County Jail, on an Adair County warrant  for Violation of Probation. She was being held without bond in the Adair County Jail.

On Nov. 20th, Adair County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 49-year-old Richard Edward Larabee, of Fontanelle, on an Adair County warrant for Burglary in the 3rd Degree. He was later released on a $5,000 bond.

On Nov. 17th, 45-year-old Tanya Lynn Funke, of Stuart, was arrested in Casey, on an Adair County warrant for Violation of probation. She was being held on a $300 cash-only bond. And, on Nov. 22nd, 41-year old James Edwin Lee, Jr., of Fontanelle, was arrested in Orient, following a traffic stop. Lee was booked into the Adair County Jail for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was cited and released from the jail.

DES MOINES, Iowa, Nov. 25, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield today announced that the Agency is investing $2,788,324 in 12 projects in Iowa that promote rural housing, communities, small businesses, cooperatives, and public safety. In the KJAN listening area the following are grant recipients:

–Region XII Council of Governments received a $129,972 grant through the Housing Preservation Grants program to rehabilitate housing that is owned and occupied by very-low income people. This project will make necessary repairs to help eliminate health and safety hazards in homes and will improve the living conditions of 16 homeowners in rural Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, and Sac counties, in Iowa.

-City of Grant in Montgomery County received a $46,800 grant through the Community Facilities Direct Loans and Grants program to purchase a vehicle. This project will provide the city’s fire department with a grass-fire truck to replace a 20-year old model which needs frequent repairs. This project will improve fire protection services and promote the safety of townspeople, fire-fighting personnel, and residents of surrounding townships supported by the city’s fire department.

Among the five Economic Impact Initiative Grants program award recipients was….

-City of Marne received a $30,800 grant through the Economic Impact Initiative Grants program to purchase equipment. This project will provide updated personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus packs for the city’s fire department. This project will promote the health and safety of firefighting personnel and better protect residents of this rural Cass County community.

Director Greenfield says “To ensure that Iowans in small towns and rural neighborhoods have good job opportunities and diverse paths to prosperity, USDA is removing barriers to economic growth by advancing locally driven plans and projects,” said Director Greenfield. “USDA is here with programs designed to help rural communities obtain essential services such as fire trucks, emergency sirens, and affordable housing. For co-ops and small businesses in rural areas, USDA may be one more resource to turn to get a project off the ground, up and running.”

(Radio Iowa) – Friday (November 29th) will mark the one-year anniversary since a fire gutted the inside of the Webster Theater in downtown Webster City. Kay Ross of Webster City serves on the committee that’s working to get the theater back open and says they are making progress and are grateful for the donations to help in the renovation. “Most people realize what a massive undertaking it is. I mean, basically they had to tear out all of the systems. It pretty much was torn down to the studs, especially in the auditorium,” Ross says. The original goal was to have the Webster Theater back open in time for Webster City’s Christmas celebration on December 7th, but a problem was found with one of the walls that has delayed the work.

Ross says the donations are part of several sources of money being raised. “Hotel, motel, tax grants, I had two incredibly generous donors within the last month or two who gave 30-thousand dollars each,” she says. “We had an awful lot of people say to us, well, ‘Didn’t you have insurance? Weren’t you fully covered?’ Folks, we had one-point-two million dollars worth of coverage on the building and an additional three-hundred thousand dollars on the contents,” Ross says. “So yes, we felt that we were adequately covered. And those were the suggestions that the insurance company suggested that we be insured for however, there were expenses that weren’t covered by the policy.”

Ross says the problem with the building wall was not covered by insurance and added to the expense. The plan now is to reopen the Webster Theater by next spring. Webster City’s movie fans have been driving out of town to watch movies since the fire last year. If you would like to make a contribution to the effort, go to webstertheater.org

(Radio Iowa) – A member of the Arnolds Park City Council and the owner of two prominent businesses in the Iowa Great Lakes region has died. Jim Jensen began racing sailboats on West Lake Okoboji when he was five and started a sailboat business when he was 13. Jensen was a sales manager, then owner of Okoboji Boats. He sold in 2001 and soon after became one of the captains of the Queen II, a 75-foot-long excursion boat that cruises West Lake Okoboji. He also founded Jensen Realty with his son, Michael. Jensen died November 14th at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester after a long illness. He was 74.

The Arnolds Park City Council intends to appoint someone to replace Jensen, whose term on the council ran through the end of 2027. After a new council member is appointed, Iowa law says citizens have 14 days to collect petition signatures if they favor a special election to fill the vacancy.