ATLANTIC, IOWA – Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) recently helped the city of Atlantic obtain a grant for funds that will help the Atlantic Food Pantry, a nonprofit that provides grocery items for area residents in need, deliver on its mission for the year. The funding comes from an Iowa Economic Development Authority award of federal COVID-19 dollars and requires matching funds from the community to meet a growing need facing the community. To receive the entire grant amount, however, the Atlantic Food Pantry must raise a matching amount of $25,000 to bolster the impact of the award. For every $1 raised by the pantry, an additional $4 becomes available from the grant for food purchases by the pantry, which makes local financial support extremely important.

Alexsis Fleener, SWIPCO Community Development Director, says “Grants are rarely, if ever, intended to replace an organization’s local fundraising. Especially for an organization with an ongoing mission like the Atlantic Food Pantry, the need is greater than any single grant can meet, and that’s why it is crucial to partner with members of the community on a continuing basis.”

The Atlantic Food Pantry has distributed an increasing amount of food to Cass County residents experiencing food insecurity. Since 2019, the number served annually has tripled and the cost has increased by an even larger amount.

“Food sits ready to be bagged and distributed at the Atlantic Food Pantry.” (Photo courtesy CJ Petersen, SWIPCO Communications Coordinator.

The increased need for service was exacerbated due to the COVID-19 pandemic when the community saw increased food insecurity. As the public health emergency ends, the need for food assistance remains but assistance programs are returning largely to pre-pandemic levels. Ken Burkhart, a volunteer leader with the Atlantic Food Pantry, says “With costs up across the board, particularly for food, we’ve actually seen the need and the client numbers increase in the past 2 months. In line at the pantry, you can feel that.”

Burkhart added, “We feel the pantry assistance is getting to the right population. Income surveys done to qualify for the grant show that the annual incomes of 82% of our client households are at or below the U.S. poverty level, and the rest are well below median family income for Cass County. The average annual income for all households is about $13,500 and well over half the households are seniors.”

The Atlantic Food Pantry has been serving the community since 1982. To become a community partner, send cash or check to “Atlantic Food Pantry” at 19 W 4th Street, Atlantic, IA 50022. Donations to the Atlantic Food Pantry are tax deductible. For more information, call 712-243-5019 during pantry hours on Mondays and Thursdays from 9-11.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Updated press release, Mr. Aken has been found in good health and reunited with family.  Thank you for your assistance.

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Authorities in Pottawattamie County are asking for your help in locating a missing man. According to the Council Bluffs Police Department, officers were called to the Horseshoe Casino (2701 23rd Ave.) at around 5:40-a.m. today (Monday), for a man who went missing from that location. His family said 66-year-old Mark Aken from Omaha has dementia, and wandered away from the Casino at around 5:30-a.m. As of this report, officers had not been able to locate him.

Mark Aken

Aken was last seen wearing a maroon jacket, white shirt, blue jeans and black shoes. Anyone who may have seen or come into contact with Mark Aken, should call 712-328-5737 to report his location.

(Ames, Iowa) –  Officials with the Ames Police Department say a man was found shot to death outside of an apartment complex early this (Monday) morning. KCCI reports that at around 4:39 a.m., dispatchers received several calls about hearing gunshots east of Wheeler Street. Just minutes later, police said officers found the body of a man with multiple gunshot wounds outside of 3021 Regency Court.

The name of the man is being withheld pending family notification. Police did not release any information on a suspect in the case. They said they do not believe there is any ongoing threat to the public.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ames Police Department at 515-239-5133 or the anonymous tip line, 515-239-5533. People can also contact Crime Stoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400. Online anonymous tips can be submitted to www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com. To text a tip, send “PCCS” plus the message to 274637 (CRIMES).

(Creston, Iowa) –  The Creston Police Department reports two arrests and the theft of tools. Yesterday (Sunday), 18-year-old Jonathan Dean Williams, of Creston, was arrested at his residence  on a Union County Warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance Marijuana 1^st Offense. Williams was transported to the Union County Jail and later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

Last Wednesday (May 4), Creston Police arrested 57-year-old James Chandler Sash, of Creston, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Public Intoxication 1^st Offense. Sash was transported to the Union County Jail later released on bond.

Tuesday night (May 2nd), a Creston resident reported the theft of tools valued at about $4,000, from a residence in the 500 block of W. Montgomery Street. The victim told police, that sometime between Dec. 8, 2021 and Dec. 13, 2021, the following items were taken: 3 Air Horns; 2 Submersible Pumps; 2 Drones; 4 sets of Magnetic Flashing Lights; Brothers P Touch Machine; a Milwaukee Flashlight; Dog Harnesses; Stihl Chainsaw; 1” Drive 36”, 1” Drive Ratchet 8mm; and a 14k Yellow Gold Mens Diamond-Cut Rope Chain Necklace.

(Radio Iowa) – The murder trial opens today (Monday) in Webster City for the man accused of killing an Iowa State Patrol trooper in a standoff last year. Forty-two-year-old Michael Lang is accused of shooting Sgt. Jim Smith in Lang’s Grundy Center home in a confrontation on April 9, 2021. Lang, who himself was shot several times after police used an armored vehicle to breach his residence, is charged with murder, attempted murder and assaulting a police officer. Smith was a 27-year member of the Iowa State Patrol at the time of his death last year.

ISP Sgt. Jim Smith

The trial was moved to Hamilton County in January on a change of venue due to extensive media coverage and public interest in the case. Jury selection will begin today followed by opening statements from attorneys. Several witnesses will take the stand during the trial that will likely continue into next week.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest at around 8-p.m. Sunday, of 48-year-old Tom Oren Murphy. He was taken into custody in the 200 Block of W. Oak Street, in Red Oak, for Driving While License Suspended (a simple misdemeanor). Murphy was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on slightly more than $491 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Four weeks before the Primary Election, Iowa Republicans have established a campaign office in central Iowa in preparation for the General Election. Governor Kim Reynolds spoke to a crowd at the West Des Moines location this weekend, listing the G-O-P candidates for statewide office who’ll be on the November ballot.

“And, it’s important that not only do you start at the top, but you go all the way down because our local officials need your help, too,” Reynolds said. “That is our bench.” Reynolds had raised four-point-eight million dollars for her reelection by the end of 2021 and this weekend she was focused on turnout for what she described as a pivotal election in November.

“I think we’re going to see a good turnout,” Reynolds says, “but I’m going to help make that happen.” Reynolds is unopposed in the June 7th Primary. The Iowa Democratic Party is hiring a director to coordinate campaign efforts for candidates across the General Election ballot.

(Radio Iowa) – Two of the three Democrats running for their party’s U.S. Senate nomination say American troops should not be deployed to Ukraine — but candidate Mike Franken says if Russia uses nuclear weapons, plans should change. Franken, a retired Navy Admiral, says the United States and like-minded countries must respond to help pick up the pieces if there’s a nuclear strike on Ukraine.

“We cannot let the use of weapons of mass destruction against a large population and a democracy ever be used and go without retort,” Franken says. “…You have to have a red line in life, otherwise you are not a first rate nation, otherwise you are not an American, you are not a leading democracy of the world.” Candidate Abby Finkenauer, a former congresswoman, applauds the sanctions the U.S. and its allies have imposed on Russia and she supports providing Ukraine with the weapons and humanitarian aid it needs.

“I support making sure that we are doing everything we can, short of sending in U.S. troops, to support Ukraine,” Finkenauer says. Candidate Glenn Hurst, a physician from Minden, says the focus should be on working with European allies to support Ukraine and on resettling refugees in the United States.

“We absolutely should not be sending U.S. troops to Ukraine,” Hurst said. The candidates made their comments this weekend during a televised debate hosted by K-C-C-I in Des Moines, K-C-R-G in Cedar Rapids, K-T-I-V in Sioux City and K-W-Q-C in Davenport. The three candidates are competing to run in the General Election against Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, who is expected to win his G-O-P Primary race against state senator Jim Carlin.

This weekend’s debate among the three Democrats highlighted their different views on ethanol policy. Hurst says it’s time to scale back the emphasis on ethanol because the auto industry is shifting to electric vehicles. “We can, as a state, either try to squeeze every little last drop out of ethanol as we can,” Hurst said, “or we can take a progressive idea of introducing a third crop into our duopoly of corn and soy and make it a profitable crop for Iowa farmers.” Finkenauer says the Biden Administration made the right move to allow E-15 sales this summer, but she says the move should be made permanent.

“This is a time when we should be using what Iowa does best,” Finkenauer says, “and we should be making sure that we are supporting that industry.” Franken also supports year-round sales of E-15 as a temporary solution, but he says the focus should be on finding alternate uses for ethanol as fuel for planes and ships or for power generation in Iowa. “Giving Iowa a different environmental perspective and not villanize our farmers,” Franken says.

The three U.S. Senate candidates will meet in one more televised forum on Thursday, May 19th on Iowa P-B-S.

(Radio Iowa) – Authorities say a Colfax man remains missing after a boating accident on the Des Moines River southeast of Runnels on Saturday afternoon. Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholdtf says three people in an air boat were trying to help two men in another boat get to a nearby boat ramp, because the other boat was out of gas.

A man and a woman thrown into the water made it to shore, but the sheriff says 34 year old Dustin Lee Dittmer of Colfax has not been seen since.