The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce’ Image Committee has presented the Mailander Law Office with a “Community Improvement Award.” The award recognizes the successful efforts to improve a property in the Atlantic Area, and leave a positive impression on both their clients and the community.

The Mailander Law Office has been in existence since 1982 with an office in Anita. In November of 2012, they opened an office in Atlantic at 104 E. 5th Street. The Atlantic office is staffed by Attorney Jonathan “Jack” Mailander and staff Andrea Steffen and Emily Soper. Serving both the Atlantic and Anita offices are Attorneys James W. Mailander and Karen L. Mailander, with the assistance of the Anita staff of Brandi Sargent and Mona Christensen.

Pictured: Gene Fischer, Bill Saluk, Rich Perry, Gerald Brink, Ouida Hargens, Jim Mailander, Jack Mailander and Andrea Steffen.

The Community Improvement Award is given to a business that takes pride in making Atlantic a welcoming and beautiful community by continuing to improve its appearance. If you would like to nominate a business or community member for a Community Improvement Award please contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce: 712-243-3017 or chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

A child found wandering the streets late Thursday evening in Atlantic, was at least temporarily turned over to officials with the Department of Human Services (DHS) for protective custody. Atlantic Police Lt. Jon Parsons told KJAN News the search for the boys’ parents began at around 8:35-p.m., after he was spotted by an off-duty dispatcher with Cass County Communications.

The child, who was estimated to be somewhere between 3-and 5-years of age, was apparently unable to tell police who he was, or who his parents were. That prompted authorities put out a plea for help through the local media and social media, to try and find his parents. Authorities finally made contact with family members, just before 10-p.m.

Parsons said it appears the child’s grandmother was watching him and she may have fallen asleep. She thought the child had been picked up by the parents. When officers found the child, he was placed in protective custody and the parents were eventually reached and informed of his status. Parsons wasn’t sure if the child was still with the DHS as of this [Friday] morning.

Officials with the DHS will likely conduct an investigation into the matter, according to Lt. Parsons, and it will be up to them to determine if any child neglect charges will be filed. Parsons declined to release the name of the boy, his parents or grandmother, while the case remains under investigation.

The school board for the Lenox Community School District spent about 45-minutes to an hour Thursday evening discussing how they wish to proceed with a possible Superintendent sharing agreement between the Lenox and Griswold Community School Districts. Lenox High School Principal Mike Still told KJAN News the Lenox School Board voted unanimously (5-0), to continue pursuing sharing with Griswold.

The Griswold School Board voted earlier this week to continue with discussions, as well. Still says there’s a number of things that need to take place before anything is set in stone. He says Superintendent Dave Henrichs will likely go to Griswold and meet with the Griswold School District’s Board and staff, and then hold a community forum. The Griswold Board will then determine the next steps.

If Henrichs ultimately becomes the shared Superintendent for both districts, it’ll be a bit of a commute for him, but it’s better than the alternatives. Still says an hour’s drive is better than a two-hour drive.

Lenox Community School District serves the counties of Adams, Ringgold, Taylor, and Union in southern Iowa.

A traffic stop Wednesday afternoon in Shelby County resulted in the arrest of two people on drug and weapon charges. Sheriff Mark Hervey reports deputies initiated a traffic stop at around 5-p.m. at the intersection of Highways 44 and 59. A 1996 Ford Escort, occupied by a man and woman, was searched, during which a handgun was discovered.

Further investigation revealed a controlled substance in the vehicle, believed to be methamphetamine. The occupants of the car, 37-year old Benjamin Allmon, of Harlan, and 20-year old Hannah Krogh, of Otho, were taken into custody.

Allmon faces felony charges that include: Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver; and Failure to Affix a drug tax stamp. He also faces a simple misdemeanor charge of drug paraphernalia possession.

Krogh faces felony charges of Possession with the Intent to distribute, and Failure to affix a drug tax stamp, along an aggravated misdemeanor charge of Carrying a concealed weapon, and a simple misdemeanor Possession of drug paraphernalia, charge.

Both were being held in the Shelby County Jail on $100,000 bond, each. Shelby County Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted at the scene by the Harlan Police Department and their K9 unit.