The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund recently visited the Ann Wickman Center in Atlantic, bringing new toys and a $100.00 donation to the center. 

Dianna Williams, director of the center and several children of the daycare program are shown with Melanie Petty of the fund.  “Dianna and I are working on some ideas for future donations to the center.  Trevor always had a soft spot for little kids and it’s a good fit for us to help them out” said Melanie.

(Press Release)

Found in Massena– A female beagle w/faded pink flea collar. The dog has a tan/brown face w/freckles on its face and legs, and a mostly black body.

If this is your animal, call 779-3723.

w/ Ric Hanson

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s public employee pension system lost 4.3 percent in value during the stock market’s recent wild ride. The system assets dropped to an estimated $22.1 billion on Aug. 5 from $23.16 billion on June 30. By comparison, California’s main employee pension fund dropped about 7.5 percent of its value from July 1 through early August. In Kentucky, the loss was 15 percent. The Florida fund lost 7 percent.

Iowa system spokeswoman Judy Akre says the system’s relatively modest losses are a result of its conservative investment strategy, “based on a decades-long horizon, not a five-week window.” The Iowa Public Employees Retirement System has about 324,000 members.

A state legislative panel has voted to block a rule that would’ve banned the use of lead shot by dove hunters. Tuesday’s action will allow hunters to use lead shot when the inaugural dove hunting season opens September 1st. Representative Clel Baudler, a Republican from Greenfield, is not on the legislative committee but requested to testify before his colleagues. “This is nothing but an anti-hunting issue,” Baudler said. “I hope you’ll do the right thing and stop this rule from going into effect.” Baudler believes the Natural Resource Commission overstepped its authority when it approved the ban last month.

“We have a situation here in Iowa with the Department of Natural Resources…it appears, from the hunting community, to be very anti-hunting,” Baudler said. Other hunters testified that lead shot is toxic to wildlife and that using copper or steel ammunition is an easy alternative. Liz Garst of Coon Rapids is a former chair of the Natural Resource Commission.

“If we hunters persist in saying we’re exempt from the environmental problems of lead, we hunters are going to get a black mark in the public’s eye,” Garst said. She pointed to research that shows increasing lead poisoning in bald Eagles. But lawmakers say it’s up to Iowa Legislature to review the data and decide if the rule should stand. The legislature must now repeal the ban on lead shot during the next session, or it goes into effect for the 2012 dove hunting season.

(Radio Iowa)

Today was supposed to have been the first day of classes for the Corning Community School District, but at least some of the students will have an extra day to get psyched-up for school. Classes at the Corning High School will be delayed until Thursday, due to construction and construction-related inspections, slated for this morning. The Corning Junior High and Elementary will hold classes as planned for today, and, the buses will run as normal, with dismissal slated for 1-p.m.

Other area schools are also getting underway today, including classes in the Atlantic, CAM, EHK-Exira, Harlan, IKM-Manning, Red Oak & Walnut Community School Districts. AHST, Riverside & the Shenandoah Schools start tomorrow. Nodaway Valley doesn‘t start its school year until Monday, while Clarinda won‘t hold classes until next Tuesday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa is ranked No. 2 among states where more than half of graduating high school students took the ACT college entrance exam. A report issued  Wednesday says 61 percent of Iowa’s 2011 high school graduates took the ACT, compared with 72 percent in Minnesota, the state with the highest ACT score. Iowa’s average composite score was 22.3 out of a possible 36. Minnesota’s average was 22.9. The national average was 21.1.  The ACT report says 31 percent of Iowa students who took the test reached benchmark scores that suggested they are ready for college. That’s up a percentage point from 2010. Nationally, 25 percent of this year’s graduates tested as college-ready.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say 41-year old William Delee Hardy, of Red Oak, was arrested Tuesday afternoon, on an assault charge. Hardy was taken into custody in the 23-hundred block of State Highway 48, on a charge of Simple Assault.

He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 cash bond.

Three members of the same Villisca family were arrested Tuesday evening on domestic assault charges. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 46-year old David Alan Adsit, 43-year old Julie Anne Adsit, and a 16-year old male were arrested after authorities received a 9-1-1 call a little after 5-p.m., with regard to a domestic assault occurring at a residence on 170^th Street in Villisca.

David and Julie Adsit were held in the Montgomery County jail, pending a court appearance, while the juvenile was processed and released on juvenile referral.

The Iowa State Patrol reports two people were injured during a crash Monday afternoon north of Corning, in Adams County, including the County‘s Sheriff. 45-year old Alan Johannes, of Bridgewater, and 47-year old Gregory Carlson, of Corning, were transported by Adams County Rescue to Alegent Hospital in Corning, following the crash at around 4:45-p.m.

Officials say Sheriff Johannes was responding to a call while traveling eastbound on 200th Street as Carlson was traveling north on Kale Avenue. As the 2011 Ford F-150 pickup Johannes was driving topped a small hill, he saw Carlson’s 2008 Ford SUV entering the intersection. The Sheriff tried to stop, but his pickup slid on the gravel, and collided with the SUV.

Following the collision, both vehicles came to rest in a ditch. Johannes was treated for minor injuries at the hospital, and released. There was no word on Carlson’s condition.