(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors hosted a new area business, FMJunk-It on Thursday, May 25th, 2023, during a ribbon-cutting at the Atlantic Area Chamber office.

FMJunk-It is a junk removal service based out of the Carson area. The business was started in March of 2023 by brothers, Drake and Cale Roller. The two are able to remove unwanted items from both residential and commercial spaces and specialize in furniture and appliances removal, apartment cleanouts, garage cleanouts, basement cleanouts, and the removal of any other various trash. FMJunk-It also offers a minor demolition service for items such as small sheds, cabinets, and playground sets.

Both Atlantic natives, Drake and Cale are very familiar with the community and can travel to Council Bluffs, Glenwood, Underwood, Atlantic, Avoca, Red Oak, Harlan, or any other area within an hour of Carson. FMJunk-It is a veteran-owned business, as Drake served as a field artillery section chief in the United States Marine Corps. The name “FMJunk-It” is inspired by the phrase “Full Metal Jacket”, a type of ammunition commonly used in the military. The brothers also want to emphasize that their main goal is to help different people out in many ways. One aspect is donating half of their profit to any veteran charity for every veteran clientele.

FMJunk-It offers a free estimate for all item removal and pricing is based upon the load size or other various landfill fees. To book their services, visit their website, https://www.fmjunk-it.com/ and fill out the free estimate form under their pricing tab or call Drake at 712-249-9978.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) -An official with the Union Pacific Railroad has provided KJAN News with an update concerning a train derailment in Council Bluffs. According to Mike Jaixen, Senior Manager – U.P. Corporate Communications – said that ” At approximately 5:30 p.m. Saturday [afternoon], about a dozen empty rail cars derailed in our Council Bluffs, Iowa yard. There were no injuries or contents released. Union Pacific crews are currently working to resolve the issue. One crossing, at 14th Avenue, remains blocked; we hope to clear this crossing by early this [Sunday] afternoon.”

Police officers in Council Bluffs were on routine patrol when they discovered the derailed railcars in the area north of 14th Ave. and S. 15th St. The intersections of S. 12th St. and 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 14th, and 16th Avenues, as well as S. 16th St. and 23rd Ave., were all blocked due to the derailed train covering those intersections.

Union Pacific official had not requested assistance from the police department as of the latest report, and no police resources were deployed to the incident.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources report that at around 1-p.m. today (May 27, 2023), a boat operated by 31-year-old Jeffrey Mattison, of Cedar Rapids, collided with a bridge piling on the Cedar River, upstream from Ellis Park in Cedar Rapids, located in Linn County, Iowa.

Mattison was non-responsive and immediately transported to the University of Iowa hospital by helicopter. The cause of the collision is unknown at this time.

The Department of Natural Resources is currently investigating the incident. The Linn County Sheriff, Linn County Conservation Board, and the Cedar Rapids Fire Department assisted with the response.

(Iowa DNR News) – Thousands of Iowans will be camping and building campfires this Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages campers to buy firewood from where they will burn it instead of bringing it from home. Tivon Feeley, DNR forest health forester says “Moving unseasoned firewood around the state can threaten the health of our forests by spreading insects like emerald ash borer that live in firewood.”

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a small, metallic-green, invasive wood-boring beetle native to east Asia that attacks and kills ash trees. It attacks trees of any size, age, or stage of health. The spread of EAB into uninfected areas has been primarily through people moving firewood from county to county or state to state. Feelet said “These pests don’t move far on their own, but they can travel hundreds of miles in a single day in contaminated firewood.” Plenty of firewood is available locally to your favorite state or county park. Ask a park ranger or campground host where to get firewood locally. Make sure to burn all firewood at the campsite and not leave it or transport to a new area.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship requires all firewood sold or acquired in Iowa to have the county and state of harvest location on the label of packages and the delivery ticket for bulk firewood. Learn more about emerald ash borer and why not to move firewood on the DNR website at www.iowadnr.gov/eab.

(Radio Iowa) –  For the fourth time in her record-setting career, Iowa-born astronaut Peggy Whitson is now onboard the International Space Station, this time as the first female commander of a private space mission. During a question-and-answer session with Texas elementary schoolers, Whitson urged the students to challenge themselves to do things they don’t know how to do, saying, “if you fail at something, you learn something from it and you’ll be better the next time.”

The 63-year-old from Beaconsfield talked with the kids about the wide array of scientific experiments they’re conducting, as well as changes she’s noticing about the orbiting station, and how easy it is to adapt to microgravity.

Prior to this mission, Whitson held the record for spending a total of 665 days in space, more than any other U.S. astronaut, and she’s adding to the total on this 12-day trip. She and her three crewmates are scheduled to return home next week.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that will let teenagers work longer hours in Iowa and be paid to work in some jobs that are off limits to minors today.  “Honestly, it helps fill a need and it allows kids to earn a little bit of extra money,” Reynolds says, “maybe start saving for college or to buy that first vehicle.” Reynolds made her comments during a recent appearance on Iowa Press on Iowa P-B-S.

The law, which takes effect July 1st, will let 14 and 15 year olds work later at night. Sixteen and 17 year olds will be able to serve alcohol in a restaurant, if their parent gives permission. Teenagers are still barred from logging, mining and other dangerous work, like on the slaughter line in a meatpacking plant. But if they’re supervised by an adult at an approved work site, teens will be able to do light assembly work, use power tools and work in industrial laundries and meat freezers.

“Really common sense, practical things are included in that bill,” Reynolds says. Critics say Reynolds and Republican lawmakers are trying to solve the state’s workforce shortage with child labor and they say some parts of the law will conflict with federal regulations. House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says letting 14 and 15 year olds work six hours a day — until 9 p.m. during the school year — is the wrong move.  “We need to be protecting kids from those extra work hours because school should be a priority,” Konfrst says, “and there’s not a lot of protection in there for that.”

One element of the new law calls for a study of whether teenagers should be allowed to drive to and from work. Teenagers can get school permits now to drive to and from school and school activities. The bill originally called for letting minors with a driving permit commute to work as well. The governor backs that change. “They’re kids. They get distracted and so that’s why I think the study is probably a good idea,” Reynolds says. “…Cell phones have kind of brought a new element into that, so we just have to be really careful.”

The new law removes the requirement that businesses have to get a state permit to hire minors.

(Eldora, Iowa) – Authorities in north central Iowa are asking for the public’s help in locating a man suspected of committing a homicide, Friday. First responders were called to the 1400 block of 17th Avenue in Eldora at around 5:45-a.m., Friday, for a report of an unresponsive person. When they arrived, a woman was found dead inside the residence. Officials have not released her identity.

Authorities are searching for 28-year-old Nathan Cole Bahr, in connection with the crime. Police say Bahr – who is white, 5-feet 9-inches tall, has blue eyes and brown hair – may be traveling in a 2020 gray Toyota. Initially it was thought the vehicle’s Iowa blackout license plate read EMRGLL, but on Sunday, authorities said it may possibly have been changed to KHA-681. Nathan Bahr is considered to be armed and dangerous. Do not approach him if you spot Bahr or the vehicle. Contact your local law enforcement or call 9-1-1.

Nathan Cole Bahr & the vehicle he is thought to be driving.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, you are asked to call police. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is assisting in the investigation.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A man who served for more than 37-years as an elected official in Cass County (Iowa), has died. Dale E. Sunderman was the Cass County Auditor from June of 1984 until he submitted his resignation, in February, 2022. His last day in office was in April, of 2022.  Sunderman died Thursday, May 25, 2023, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha, NE.

Former Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman (file photo)

At the time when he announced his decision to resign, Sunderman said in a statement to the media, that he “enjoyed working for the County of Cass as its County Auditor, and I sincerely appreciate the support provided to me by my coworkers and the other citizens of our county during my 37 plus years as an elected official.”

A funeral service for Dale Sunderman will be held 11:30-a.m. June 3rd, 2023, at First United Methodist Church in Atlantic.  Schmidt Family Funeral Home of Atlantic is assisting the family.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Gov. Kim Reynolds, today (Friday) announced new staff joining her administration.

Steve Blankinship will serve as Senior Legal Counsel following the departure of Michael Boal, who has served in that role since 2020. Blankinship joins the Governor’s Office after serving as a district court judge in the Twelfth Judicial District of New Mexico and Senior Counsel to former New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez. Boal will return to private legal practice.

“I appreciate Michael’s dedication to the state of Iowa and common-sense philosophy towards the law and public policy,” said Governor Reynolds. “I am confident Michael will continue to make an impact on the state of Iowa and I look forward to welcoming Steve to our team.”

Molly Severn will serve as Deputy Chief of Staff following the departure of Stephanie Groen, who served as Deputy Chief of Staff since 2021 and previously served as Director of the Office for State-Federal Relations. Severn will also continue to serve as Legislative Liaison for the Governor’s Office. Groen joined the Republican Governors Public Policy Committee (RGPPC) as Policy Director. With Groen’s departure, Eric Baker will now serve as Director of Federal-State Relations while also continuing to serve as Director of Strategic Operations.

“Stephanie’s years long commitment to serving the people of Iowa is unmatched and RGPPC is lucky to have her at the helm,” said Governor Reynolds. “ I know Molly and Eric will excel in their new roles.”

Lillie Brady will join the Governor’s Office as Agriculture & Energy Policy Advisor effective June 9, 2023. Previously, she served as a Senior Associate at Cornerstone Government Affairs, Government Affairs Associate at Corteva Agriscience, as well as several positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.