by:  Haley Carlson, Atlantic FFA Reporter

As April came to a close, the Atlantic FFA prepared 15 of its members for the State Leadership Conference at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The Atlantic FFA left on Sunday, April 27 for Ames. FFA members began SLC by packing Meals from the Heartland at Hilton Coliseum. Meals from the Heartland is a nonprofit organization that packs thousands of meals for starving people around the world. Each package feeds six people, and contains rice, soy protein, vitamins, minerals and dried vegetables. The Iowa FFA packed 250,000 meals this year bringing the grand total to almost 750,000 meals within the past three years! These meals will be available to local food pantries and other organizations around the world.

Front Row left to Right: Colby Sorensen, Morgan Barkley, Haylee Valeika, Marshal McDermott, Colin Petersen, Kristin Johnk. Back row left to right: Nate Moen, Clint Hansen, Chancey Richards, Tucker Sager, Wyatt Saeugling, Clayton Saeugling, Adam Freund, Paige Sorensen.

During State Leadership Conference there were multiple tours FFA members could take around the Iowa State campus. Some of the tours Atlantic FFA members took were to the Bio Century Farm, the ISU Beef Farm, Reiman Gardens, the Ag Business tour, the 450 Farm, and the 450 Shop tour. A few of the workshops that Atlantic FFA members participated in were on ATV Safety and a Leadership Workshop held by National FFA Central Region Vice President,
Steven Brockshus.

All of the 15 members were very busy during the conference. Four seniors received their Iowa Degrees. To receive an Iowa Degree a student must have received a chapter degree, be a

Chapter Program: Nate Moen, Morgan Barkley, Haylee Valeika.

member of FFA for two years and have completed two years of high school. They must have earned or productively invested at least $1,000 in their SAE or worked at least 300 hours in excess of scheduled class time or a combination of the two. Students must have 25 hours of community service, perform ten procedures of parliamentary law, give a six minute speech on a topic relating to agriculture or the FFA. They must have served as an officer, committee chairperson, or a participating member of a chapter committee and have a satisfactory scholastic record as certified by the local agricultural education instructor and the principal or superintendent. Through all of these requirements, Wyatt Saeugling, Tucker Sager, Kristin Johnk, and Chancey Richards, received their Iowa Degree on April 29, 2014.

Also, Atlantic FFA member Wyatt Saeugling was one of six selected as a Finalist in the Star of Ag Placement. Unfortunately Saeugling did not win, but it was still a great honor to be a finalist. The finalists are chosen from the 686 Iowa FFA members that earned their Iowa Degree this year.

Farm Bus Team: Adam Freund, Clayton Saeugling, Marshal McDermott, Clint Hansen

Tuesday FFA members Clint Hansen, Adam Freund, Marshal McDermott, and Clayton Saeugling, took the Farm Business Management test. The FBM is a test that analyzes agriculture, farm, and ranch business management information. It applies economic principles and concepts of farm business management to the decisionmaking process. It also evaluates agriculture business, and farm business management decisions, and it tests the members ability to work together cooperatively as a group. The Atlantic FFA team placed with a Bronze.

Three of Atlantic’s freshmen FFA members participated in the Chapter Program. Morgan Barkley, Nate Moen, and Haylee Valeika set up a display for the chapter about ATV safety. The group presented to the judges Monday morning. The Atlantic FFA received a Bronze award. Two of the Atlantic FFA members took the Greenhand test at the Scheman building Tuesday morning. Freshmen, Colin Peterson and Colby Sorensen both placed with a Bronze award.

Atlantic had three FFA members that were part of committees during the State Leadership Conference. Clayton Saeugling was a part of the Audit Committee. The committee reviewed the past year’s budget and offered some potential changes to the new budget. Marshal McDermott was a part of the Programs of Activities committee. This committee reviewed the past years activities and also offered some changes to the new year. Haley Carlson was a part of the Nominating Committee. This committee met a week before SLC. They interviewed and balloted the state officer candidates. All of these committees presented at the Business Session Monday morning.

The week was a huge success for the Atlantic FFA! Also the chapter would like to thank LeVon Sager for donating her time to chaperone the Atlantic FFA on this trip!

Iowa Degree: Kirstin Johnk, Wyatt Saeugling, Tucker Sager, Chancey Richards

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Greyhound breeders, casino operators and others are awaiting word on whether Gov. Terry Branstad will sign a bill approved by the Legislature that would end racing in Council Bluffs and limit the sport in Dubuque. Earlier this week, Branstad was noncommittal about signing the legislation. He must make a decision by June 1.

The uncertainty has been difficult for breeders such as Melissa Schmidt, of Bellevue. She wonders what will happen to her dogs and her business. The Legislature overwhelmingly approved the bill, which requires casinos in Council Bluffs and Dubuque to pay $72 million. Half the money would go toward a fund for breeders, trainers and shelters. The rest would finance continued racing in Dubuque by the Iowa Greyhound Association.

Large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes are possible across much of Iowa today. National Weather Service Meteorologist Kevin Skow says virtually the entire state is under the gun. “The greatest threat for severe weather extends across most of the central third of Iowa, with the greatest threat for tornadoes and large hail across northern Iowa, and then primarily large hail and some damaging winds across southern Iowa,” Skow says.

The storms are expected to pop up this afternoon. “It looks like the bulk of the severe weather…will be developing around 2 to 3 p.m. across west-central Iowa and then shifting to the east as the afternoon and evening progress onward,” Skow says.

Storms that rumbled through western and northwest Iowa Wednesday night dropped one-inch diameter hail 8-miles south of Logan in Harrison County, at around 8:53-p.m., and featured winds of up to 55-miles per hour. The storms moved into Carroll County, where winds along Highway 30 were clocked at 64-miles per hour (by the Iowa DOT’s weather station), at around 10:30-p.m.. And, in Sac County, golf ball-sized hail fell just north/northwest of Lytton at around 10-p.m.

High temperatures today are forecast to be between 75 and 85 degrees. Skow says it’ll cool off more tomorrow (Friday). “We’re looking at generally cooler temperatures with a dry start to the weekend, but it looks like showers and thunderstorms return to the forecast on Sunday,” Skow says.

High temperatures on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are expected to be mainly in the 60s and 70s.

(Radio Iowa)

Academy-award nominated actress Mariel Hemingway will visit Iowa one week from today (Thursday) to speak at an event on mental health awareness. Hemingway is the granddaughter Nobel Prize-winning writer Ernest Hemingway. In an interview with Radio Iowa she says it took her awhile to decide to speak out about mental illness in her family.  “You know, I wish that there was like one epiphany that I had on the mountain top, or I fell down or something,” Hemingway says, “I’m unfortunately not the girl that learns things kind of quickly. It’s been a lifetime process of really understanding why I made the choices that I’ve made.”

Mariel Hemingway

She says she had been working on suicide prevention, but a friend encouraged her to tell her family’s story. Hemingway says she found the right director and that led to the documentary “Running From Crazy,” written from her perspective, about her family’s struggles with suicide, depression, alcoholism and more. From that she realized she had a a passion to share the story with everybody. “I can because I think people really want help with mental illness because there’s just still too much stigma surrounding the issue. And people are scared and people want help.” Hemingway sees progress in changing attitudes after speaking recently a the Council on Mental Health in Washington, D-C.

“And they are very focused on the real fact of lifestyle being a big component, meditation having a huge affect on brain balance and wellness — so that’s really exciting,” Hemingway says. She says mental health has gotten more attention recently in connection with the shootings nationwide. “People are starting to understand that…the different shootings with these kids have more to do with medication…it’s not a gun issue, it’s a really mental health issue. So it’s all of that, all of that is coming to light now,” she says. Hemingway says she’ll tell her story in her appearance in Des Moines and talk about how people can find a way to deal with their mental illness using a holistic approach.

“And that doesn’t mean that you don’t get help. It doesn’t mean anything specifically,” Hemingway says. “but it means we do have answers for our own balance and well being or family members if we take the time to really discover what those are. And it’s a journey, it’s like giving people permission to figure this stuff out on their own given tools — given the right tools.” Hemingway says she also will let people know that they are not alone in dealing with the problem and more positive things are ahead.

“I talk about how everybody is so really ready for this, because I really think this issue is on the tipping point, you know I think it’s about to explode. I think it’s no longer going to be so stigmatized,” Hemingway says. Hemingway will be the keynote speaker at the event which is part of what’s called the “Me-series” put on by Broadlawns Hospital. The event featuring Hemmingway will be held 7-p.m. May 15th at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center at the Iowa Events Center. Tickets start at 27 dollars 50-cents and proceeds go toward increasing mental healthcare services in the community. Tickets may be purchased online at www.BroadlawnsAdvocateCircle.org, or by calling the Iowa Events Center Ticket Office at 515-564-8300.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Wellmark Foundation today (Thursday) announced 19 recipients of its 2014 Healthy Communities small grant program. The Healthy Communities small grant program supports projects of $25,000 or less with the goal of being a catalyst in bringing groups together within a community to impact health improvement. A total of 112 applications were received for this year’s Healthy Communities small grant program.

Among the 15 communities selected to receive funding in Iowa, was:

• The City of Atlantic, which received $25,000 for the Bull Creek Trail Reconstruction Project.
• The City of Manning, $25,000 for the City Park Connector Trail.
• and Mills County Public Health, $25,000 for “Eat Healthy Mills County.”

Stephanie Perry with the Wellmark Foundation, said “We are pleased to support these 19 community-focused projects in Iowa and South Dakota. These grants provide communities support to help implement or enhance childhood obesity prevention initiatives and/or community-based wellness and prevention programs.”

The 19 Wellmark Foundation awards amount to more than $404,000. To view a summary of each recipient’s Healthy Communities small grant, visit the Wellmark Foundation website: www.wellmark.com/foundation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa congressional candidate says he sometimes carries a handgun into the Senate chamber while working there. State Sen. Brad Zaun is an Urbandale Republican, and he told The Des Moines Register during a meeting with its editorial board that he’s concerned about Capitol security. Zaun says other Iowa House and Senate members have carried handguns into their chambers, but he didn’t name them.

Secretary of the Senate Michael Marshall told the Register that administrative code bars people from carrying dangerous weapons in Capitol complex buildings. Zaun said in response to Marshall’s statement that he will stop taking a gun into the Capitol.

Zaun is seeking the Republican nomination in the June 3 primary for the 3rd District congressional seat being left vacant by the retiring Tom Latham.

The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund has donated $1,000 to the Nishna Valley Family YMCA’s 2014 annual Partnership with Youth Campaign, as Chairman’s Roundtable Members.

Pictured are Trevor’s siblings, Grant Petty and Laena Frederickson.

Fund spokesperson Melanie Petty says “The YMCA has been a large part of our lives for many years and we are proud to support them in their “The Y. So Much More” Campaign.”

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Authorities in Montgomery County say a traffic stop early this (Thursday) morning near the intersection of Highways 34 and 48 in Red Oak, resulted in an arrest. 26-year old Skyler Lee Baker, of Red Oak, was arrested for Operating a motor vehicle While Revoked/OWI related, and Failure to Provide Proof of Insurance. Baker was brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held on $1,000 cash bond.

An argument between two men Wednesday evening in Fremont County resulted in one person being transported to the hospital after being hit by a car. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office says 25-year old Jeffrey Fuller, of Sidney, was transported by Sidney Rescue to the hospital, for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Officials report deputies were called to 2755 Knox Road, near Sidney, at around 7:40-p.m. after they received word a pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle. An investigation determined an argument had taken place between Jeffrey Fuller, and 19-year old Alexander Fuller, of Sidney. During the argument, Alexander Fuller allegedly hit Jeffrey Fuller with his vehicle before fleeing the scene. Alexander contacted law enforcement shortly after the initial call about the incident was received.

The investigation showed Alexander was NOT under the influence of alcohol. Charges are pending completion of the investigation. Sheriff’s officials were assisted at the scene by officers with the Sidney Police Dept. and Sidney Fire and Rescue.