(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Community School District Food Service Director Natalie Ritter provided the School Board with an annual update, Wednesday evening. In her report, Ritter said they are still participating in the Local Food for School (LFS) grant.

Ritter said produce for the food program is from FarmTable Procurement and Delivery, in Harlan. There is about $3,000 in grant funds left to use for produce.

Natalie said they ordered and installed new equipment in the kitchen, which she said makes life “easier for [her] staff.”

Ritter reminded the School Board that the District’s Thanksgiving Feast is over the noon hour on Thursday, November 16^th. They expect to serve 12-to 13-hundred students that day and around 200 guests. She says it takes the Food Service staff about 5-to 6-days to prepare for the meal. Anyone is welcome to come and help serve the traditional Thanksgiving meal.

She reminded the Board and parents about the Free and Reduced lunch applications and the negative lunch account balances.

Ritter says she “Totally understand the hardship that it takes to pay for lunch accounts and how to make ends meet, so I try to make payment plans that work for everybody. I do not want to add more stress or worries to any families than what we have to,” but she said “We are a business, and just like a business, we can’t operate [ on a negative balance].”

She says all she asks for, “really, is an effort” to make payments per month that are affordable, and they will work with you to make it as painless as possible.

(Radio Iowa) – A former Iowa National Guardsman from Des Moines is seeking next year’s Democratic nomination in Iowa’s third congressional district, for the chance to challenge Republican Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant. Democrat Lanon Baccam was born and raised in Mount Pleasant. His parents came to Iowa from Laos. Baccam got his parent’s permission to join the Iowa National Guard at the age of 17 and, in 2004, he did a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Baccam worked for former Governor Tom Vilsack at the U-S-D-A. Vilsack, a former mayor of Mount Pleasant, and his wife, Christie, who is a native of Mount Pleasant, endorsed Baccam this (Thursday) morning. Baccam says our politics is more divided than ever and Baccam says Congressman Nunn is part of the problem. Nunn will be seeking a second term in the U-S House next November.

Nunn defeated Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne last year by less than one percent.

(Corning, Iowa) – Officials with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office report an investigation into a shooting that took place Oct. 31st (2023) has resulted in an arrest. 37-year-old Lisa Marie Inman was charged with Tampering with evidence, three-counts of Child Endangerment, and Conspiracy to Commit a Forcible Felony. Inman was booked into the Adams County Jail and later released on an $18,000 cash or surety bond (w/10% acceptable).

*”Any potential criminal charges identified above are merely allegations, and any defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”*

(Corning, Iowa) – Residents of Corning, Tuesday, elected to change the way they are represented on the City Council. The 191-yes to 83-no votes, changes the current city council representation to five council members at-large without any ward residency requirements.

The Corning City Council is currently comprised of representation by two members elected At-Large, and one member from each of the three wards.

The new measure becomes effective at the beginning of the term following the next city election.

In other post-election news, the Adair and Montgomery County Auditors, Wednesday, updated their unofficial election results to include write-in nominations.

You can see the updated results on the News page at kjan.com.