(Radio Iowa) – A large crowd gathered at the Iowa Capitol Sunday afternoon for what organizers called a “rally to resist” bills in the legislature on L-G-T-B-Q issues. Organizers like Keenan Crow of One Iowa urged rally-goers to call, email and visit with their legislators and tell them to vote no. Several students addressed the crowd. Bekah Schurz, a junior at Carlisle high school, said the bills Republicans are advancing send a message that trans and queer Iowans do not belong here.

Republican lawmakers say they’re responding to parents’ concerns by proposing a ban on elementary classroom discussions about sexual orientation and requiring students use the bathroom that matches the gender on their birth certificate. Bills that would ban puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgery for minors are also eligible for debate in the Iowa House and Senate.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County 4-H Endowment committee is hosting the annual 4-H Endowment Pancake Supper on Tuesday, March 7 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Cass County Community Center in Atlantic. The Pancake Man will be dishing up fresh pancakes while 4-H members serve sausage, milk, and coffee. Supporters can enjoy all you can eat pancakes, cost is $8/adult and $6/youth 10 & under.

There is also a silent auction going on throughout the evening. The 11 4-H clubs in Cass County, as well as additional friends of 4-H and local business supporters can donate items. If a community business is interested in supporting the Pancake Supper with a Silent Auction donation, please contact the Extension Office. Baskets need to be to the office by March 3rd by 4:30pm. “This is a fun aspect to the pancake supper that is a little different each year.” says Katie Bateman, Cass County Youth Coordinator. “We will be featuring our baskets on our Cass County 4-H and Extension social media pages the first weekend of March.”

Proceeds from the 4-H Pancake Supper directly benefit the Cass County 4-H Program. The funds raised go to the Cass County 4-H Endowment. This committee distributes money accordingly to cover the 4-H Program Development Fee for all members, financial aid for out of county events, senior scholarships, and start-up dollars for new, innovative youth programs

The 4-H Program Development Fee is $30 per youth each year to enroll. Instead of having individual 4-H’ers and families take on that expense, the Cass County Extension Council and the 4-H Endowment Committee pick up this cost. “We are very fortunate in Cass County that our 4-H Endowment covers this cost for all members. That would not be possible for us to continue without the outstanding support from our community.” stated Bateman. The Cass County 4-H Endowment also offers grants for youth to attend 4-H camps or conferences outside of Cass County, encouraging them to take their 4-H experience to the next level. They also offer scholarships to graduating seniors.

For more information on the Pancake Supper, Cass County 4-H Endowment or how to join 4-H, contact Katie Bateman, Cass County Youth Coordinator, at 243-1132 or kbateman@iastate.edu.

(Radio Iowa)- Governor Kim Reynolds is appointing a central Iowa businessman to the board that governs the three state universities. Former Governor Terry Branstad nominated Robert Cramer to the Board of Regents in 2013, but Cramer lost a confirmation vote in the state senate when Democrats held the majority. Republicans now have a super majority of 34 seats and 34 “yes” votes are what it takes to win confirmation to state boards and commissions.

Cramer, who earned a degree in construction engineering from Iowa State University, finished second in Republican congressional primary in 2014.

Cramer is being nominated to replace outgoing Board of Regents member Nancy Boettger, of Harlan, who was appointed the board in 2017.

(Hastings, Iowa) – A woman from Lincoln, Nebraska, suffered serious injuries during a single-vehicle rollover accident Thursday afternoon, in Mills County. The accident happened northwest of Hastings at around 4:08-p.m.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office said a 2003 Acura driven by 79-year-old Kay Geis rolled over near 350th Street and Highway 34. Geis was extricated from her vehicle and flown to a hospital by LifeNet helicopter.

In other news, the Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 22-year-old Austin Joseph Marsh, of Omaha, was arrested at around 12:40-a.m. Friday (Today), in Cass County, Nebraska. Marsh was wanted on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. His bond was set at $2,000.

(Radio Iowa) – Luther College is being recognized as one of the most sustainable campuses in the country, having cut its greenhouse gas emissions by more than 72% in the past 20 years. Jon Jensen, director of Luther‘s Center for Sustainable Communities, says they’re on target to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030.

“We’ve got a wind turbine right off the edge of our campus,” Jensen says. “We’ve got almost two megawatts of solar, but really sometimes it’s the little unseen things that make a big difference. Switching out to LED lights, making changes within our HVAC system, lots of little conservation behaviors as well.”

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education has named the Decorah college the fourth best baccalaureate institution in the nation for its efforts in sustainability. Jensen says every college and university, private and public, needs to show leadership.

Solar panels at Luther’s Baker Village (Luther College photo)

“All of us need to take steps to reduce our use of fossil fuels, to address climate change. That’s important for human health, it’s important for reducing some of the risks to Iowa, and really, to the world,” Jensen says. “But ultimately, I think as educational institutions, we have a role to play in educating the next generation.”

The college is setting an example in the classrooms, in labs, and across the campus, he says, demonstrating how vital it is to plan for a sustainable future. Jensen says Iowa homeowners can do their part, too.

“Looking at ways that you heat and cool your home, and heat pumps, or looking at geothermal,” Jensen says, “and just being mindful of our own actions, turning off the lights when we leave the room, being aware of only conditioning our spaces when we’re there. It’s that mindfulness and being open and exploring alternatives that I think is the most important thing.”

Luther’s wind turbine generates one-third of the college’s electricity, while several large solar arrays also impact the carbon footprint. Jensen says 53% of Luther’s electricity comes from renewable power sources — wind and solar — generated on campus.

The college also has a program called “Caf to Community,” keeping excess cafeteria food out of the landfill and putting it onto the tables of those who need it.

(Radio Iowa) – Fourteen Iowans have been honored today for their actions in life-threatening situations.

Two groups received the Sullivan Brothers Award of Valor for rescuing people from burning or submerged vehicles involved in traffic accidents. Two state troopers based in Oelwein were recognized for rescuing two people from a burning car in rural Black Hawk County on July 1, 2021. On the last day of 2021, an off-duty Marshall County Deputy Sheriff, his wife who is a former Marshalltown police sergeant and another driver saw two cars slide off Highway 330, strike a cement culvert and overturn into an icy creek.

“Please join me in a big round of applause for these heroic Iowans,” Iowa Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephen Bayens said during a ceremony in the Iowa Capitol rotunda. “Their efforts not only impacted the lives they saved, but will have an indelible mark on their families for years to come. Thank you.”

A series of other state awards were given to a handful of other Iowans, including a central Iowa utility worker who alerted a sleeping family their home was on fire and a man who rescued a deer hunter critically injured after falling out of a tree stand in rural Guthrie County. An employee at a Fort Dodge retirement community received a Lifesaving Award for performing the Heimlich Maneuver on a resident who was choking. Governor Kim Reynolds praised the 14 Iowans for springing into action.

“Their calmness in crisis and spirit of self-sacrifice represents the very best of our great state,” she said.

Here’s the list of today’s award recipients.

Three people were honored for their efforts at the scene of an accident near Bloomfield. And a man who suffered burns as he pulled a driver and a passenger from a burning vehicle near Council Bluffs received the Governor’s Lifesaving with Valor Award.

Pictured at left is the group involved in Highway 330 rescue effort, along with state officials and a granddaughter of one of the Sullivan Brothers.

(Radio Iowa) – Walgreens has announced it will not distribute abortion pills in 20 U.S. states, including Iowa.

The move comes after Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and other Republican attorneys general around the country threatened to sue Walgreens if the company sold abortion pills in their states. Medication abortion now accounts for more than half of all U.S. abortions.

According to a Politico story, Walgreens has notified Bird and other attorneys general that it will not sell abortion pills from its stores in their states or mail them into Iowa and those states either.

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration announced it would allow pharmacies to apply to fill prescriptions for abortion pills.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Forest City man was sentenced in Council Bluffs U-S District Court, Monday (February 28, 2023), on charges related to the possession of child pornography. A judge sentenced 53-year-old Gerald Lawrence Von Ruden to 120 months (10-years) in prison, following his plea of guilty to possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, on April 28, 2021, an Iowa State Trooper pulled Von Ruden over during a traffic stop. Von Ruden had an outstanding arrest warrant. Based on the nature of the warrant, the Trooper seized Van Ruden’s electronic devices. A forensic analysis of those devices revealed that Von Ruden received and possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Childhood” initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children.

For more information about Internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa high school girls’ basketball tournament isn’t the ONLY tournament underway in Des Moines this weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday, the Iowa State Fairgrounds is the setting for the state archery tournament. It’s gathering some 22-hundred students from more than 125 schools across Iowa. It’s the largest youth archery tournament in the state. Participation in the program has bounded since its start in 2006, drawing more than 45-hundred students this year.

Students with the Atlantic Middle-and High Schools will be competing.

Organizers say archery is a great youth sport because there are no limitations and students of all physical and athletic abilities can take part — and succeed. Students will be aiming for thousands of dollars in college scholarships, as well as thousands of dollars in archery equipment for their schools.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Elvis Haas, State Farm, on Thursday, March 2nd, 2023. The Ambassadors joined Elvis and his family in celebrating the opening of his new location in Atlantic with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Elvis graduated high school in 2003 and immediately joined the Air Force where he served for 6 years. After basic training and bootcamp, Elvis attended college and studied Marketing Management and Sales. After graduation, Elvis went into automobile sales where he spent 14 years with Deter Motor Company. Through his career in Car Sales, Elvis had the opportunity to build lasting relationships with community members and their families.

In January of 2022, Elvis began the year long process of onboarding with State Farm which included licensing, training, product knowledge and much more. Elvis spoke about the importance of customer satisfaction, hard work and effort in building a business.

Atlantic Area Chamber Ambassadors Celebrate with State Farm

Elvis and his team opened the doors on February 1st and is ready to serve the community by helping “Managing everyday life, recovering from the unexpected, and helping people realize their dreams.” Elvis Hass, State Farm offers Auto, home, life, health, investment planning and is open Monday – Friday 8-5PM. State Farm is available 24-hours, 7 days a week.

Elvis Hass, State Farm is located at 204 W 7th Street in Atlantic.

Appointments can be made by stopping in or calling the office at 712-243-4824 or visiting https://www.myagentelvis.com/?cmpid=vaessp_blm_0001

Ambassadors Left to Right: Kelsey Beschorner, Colt Doherty, Alisha Hass, Josh Hass, Braeleigh Hass, Braxton Hass, Wyatt Adderton, Elvis Haas, Kim Helper, Kathie Hockenberry, McKenna Nelson, Krysta Hanson, Jeremy Butler, Dolly Bergmann, Calley Hansen, Bailey Smith, Rick Mericle, Anne Quist, Adriana Mendez, Megan Sramek, Scott Bennett, Angie Bitting, Jim Kickland, Ruth Sears, Julie Waters, Graydon Schmidt, Brian Ruge and Chelsie Maddsen.