Des Moines – Governor Reynolds today (Friday) announced that the cities of Dakota City, Early, Fontanelle, Fort Atkinson, Janesville, Ladora, Lone Tree, Melcher-Dallas, Preston, Runnells and Russell have been awarded a total of $2 million in grants to advance water quality projects. The funding is made available through the Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Financial Assistance Program, which was created as a part of Senate File 512, the first legislation signed into law by Governor Reynolds in January 2018.

The Wastewater and Drinking Water Treatment Financial Assistance Program receives a portion of the tax on metered water and had $2 million available for allocation in 2020. Grants will be awarded through the program on an annual basis through 2029 and available funds will increase each year.

The 2020 awards are the second year of awards through the program. In 2019, eight communities were awarded a total of $775,000. The program is expected to have approximately $5 million in available funds in 2021 and will climb to more than $6 million in 2029, based on the increase of the portion of tax that will be allocated to the program.

The 2020 program received 23 applications requesting more than $6 million in water quality investments.
A committee consisting of designees from the Iowa Finance Authority, Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship judged the Wastewater and Drinking Water Financial Assistance Program applications based on the program’s priorities.

Priorities for grant awards include: Disadvantaged communities; Projects that will significantly improve water quality in their watershed; Projects that use alternative wastewater treatment technologies; Communities with the highest sewer or water rates; Projects that use technology to address nutrient reduction; and projects to address improvements to drinking water source waters.

2020 Wastewater and Drinking Water Financial Assistance Program Grant Awards 

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Falls-based Iowa Select Farms wrapped up its Operation Christmas Meal program this week, having passed out 17-thousand free pork loins to needy Iowans during a dozen events across the state. Jen Sorensen, at Iowa Select, says there were long lines of cars and trucks at every stop as the pandemic has made this such a difficult year for so many Iowans who’ve lost their jobs or lost income. “You think about schools not being in session and children, that’s their chance to get a lunch and sometimes a breakfast, too,” Sorensen says. “This is when you start to see hunger levels really spike.”

When the times get tougher, she says, it gets harder for Iowa families to make ends meet. “Oftentimes, when you don’t have enough money, it’s protein and produce that get cut out of diets because they’re expensive,” Sorensen says. “Being able to give away a pork loin really helps fulfill that need.” Iowa families that have never had to take items from a food pantry before are finding it difficult to cope financially this year, and those who’ve benefited from this program make the meat stretch as far as possible.

“We hear that back from families,” she says. “‘You gave us this pork loin and we were able to make it into two or three really great meals,’ and that’s what we really like to hear.” This is the fourth year for the program which made stops this month in: Marshalltown, Hampton, Osage, Carroll, Storm Lake, Rockwell City, Mount Ayr, Osceola, Humeston, Webster City, Fort Dodge and Iowa Falls.

(Radio Iowa) – A western Iowa man is in jail accused of hitting and killing another man with his car. Twenty-eight-year-old Kristopher Erlbacher of Woodbine was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder Thursday night, following a hit and run incident outside Dave’s Old Home Cafe in Pisgah which left one man dead. Shortly after 10:00 p-m the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department received a 9-1-1 call that someone had just been involved in a hit and run outside the cafe.

Several witnesses were able to provided details about what happened. Erlbacher returned to the scene and was taken into custody without further incident. The victim was identified as 30-year-old Caleb Scott Solberg, of Moorhead. He was died at the scene.

Atlantic Rising and volunteers could be seen out delivering food boxes on Thursday, December 17th in the evening. The organization received the most nominations and donations in the history of the program. Atlantic Rising Social Chair, Kelsey Beschorner says “We anticipated seeing an increase in nominations due to the unprecedented year. We did not expect the overwhelming amount of donations that came pouring in immediately after the project was announced in October.”

Assembly line (Photos submitted)

This year, Atlantic Rising was able to provide a holiday meal to over 160 individuals and families all throughout Cass County. The donations received from the community totaled over $5,600, which allowed each box to contain more items and each nomination to be fulfilled. Beschorner says “Atlantic Rising is proud carry on and grow this tradition of the Christmas Box program, and we are thankful that we are able to partner with HyVee and give back to our community.”

Boxes in Truck

If you are interested in joining Atlantic Rising and finding out what they are involved in throughout the year, you can contact Kelsey at 712-243-3017 or kelsey@atlanticiowa.com. The membership application can also be found at www.atlanticiowa.com.

A man from Illinois suffered what were described as minor injuries to his arm/wrist during a single-vehicle accident at around 6:40-a.m. Friday (today), on Interstate 80, in Cass County. Iowa State Patrol Trooper Ryan DeVault told KJAN News the accident happened on I-80 eastbound near mile marker 74, or about a mile west of Adair.

(The vehicle, a 2018 Mazda 3 was in the right lane. As the driver, 19-year-old Nathan Quisenberry of Roscoe, IL was transitioning into the left lane, he apparently hit a patch of black ice. The car went out of control and entered the median where it struck a cable guardrail. Quisenberry complained of injury to his arm, and was checked-out my medics.)

Trooper DeVault said the Interstate was slick in spots, and that stretch of roadway wasn’t the only trouble spot.

(He said the Trooper on scene advised the wheel tracks on I-80 were slick. There were multiple, other accidents in Adair County. One took place on a secondary road, the other on a highway. Frost and ice on the roads caused those drivers to lose control, also.)

DeVault says anytime there are trees and powerlines covered with frost early in the morning, that should serve as a warning for you to slow down.

(Bridges and overpasses, he says will be the first to become slick. As the traffic starts to pickup, wheel tracks can turn to black ice and be dangerously deceptive.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines man is charged with vehicular homicide after a crash killed a woman and injured her husband. Des Moines police say witnesses told them 67-year-old Bertoldo Zuniga was driving erratically and speeding before the crash Thursday involving four vehicles. A woman in one vehicle, 71-year-old Linda Vander Hart, died of her injuries and her husband was seriously hurt. Investigators say Zuniga was driving drunk when he didn’t slow down and hit three vehicles at a light. Zuniga is facing four charges, including vehicular homicide by OWI, and several traffic violations.

(Radio Iowa) – Four people were killed in three separate accidents on Iowa’s roads Thursday. The state highway patrol says a semi ran a stop sign in Hancock County at midday, hitting a car and a pickup, killing two people in the car from Britt — Bruce and Debra Kamp — and injuring two others. About 5 PM on Interstate 80 in Polk County, troopers say a car collided with two other vehicles that were slowing down for congestion, killing 46-year-old James Bartels, the Altoona man driving the car. About 8:30 PM, Des Moines police say a four-car crash killed a 71-year-old woman. Police say an alleged drunk driver is charged.

Officials with Atlantic Municipal Utilities, Friday (today) announced the winners of their 15th Annual Holiday Christmas Lighting Contest. The announcement was made at the historic Rock Island Depot on N. Chestnut Street, by AMU General Manager Steve Tjepkes, who explained how they determine who has the prize-worthy displays.

(He say often recruit a young family to drive around and look at all the displays. The only restriction placed on the awards, is not to have duplicate winners.)

Left to right: Ted & Lucinda Goodnber; Linda Conrad, and AMU GM Steve Tjepkes.

Tjepkes said the Third Place winner, with a $50 credit applied toward their utility bill, was Ted & Lucinda Goodner, at 1905 Oak Street.

(Ted Goodner said they would like for their credits to be donated to the family of Steele McLaren.)

Their credits will go to Steele’s mom, Jess Ehrman. As you may know, Steele suffered a traumatic brain injury when he fell out of the back of a pickup truck in late October. He has endured many procedures at two facilities since then, and remains in the hospital today.  Casey & Clairissa Swanson, of 2010 Oak Street, who were the First-Place winners of a $100 credit, said they will also donate his to Steele’s father, Dustin McLaren.

The Second Place winner of the lighting contest, and a $75 AMU credit, was Chris and Linda Conrad, at 1311 Sunnyside Lane.

(Tjepkes said they have a new house with a huge display. All three winners, he said, are neighbors, or at least former neighbors.)

Linda Conrad said she was going to talk to Chris, but they will most likely donate their credit to the Steele McLaren family also.

Atlantic, IA — As we get closer to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in our county, Cass County Public Health reminds all residents the initial doses of vaccine will be limited and will be available to individuals prioritized according to guidance received from our state and federal partners. According to Cass County Public Health Director Beth Olsen, “The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has preemptively suggested the initial doses of vaccine go to health care providers and those in long term care facilities. As more vaccine becomes available, we will be able to offer the vaccine to more people.”

Moderna Vaccine Expected Soon: In Cass County, the first doses of the Moderna vaccine are expected to arrive by the end of the month. The vaccine will be prioritized for:

• Healthcare Personnel: paid and unpaid people serving in health care settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work remotely.
• Long Term Care Facility (LTCF) residents. Adults who reside in a residential care facility, nursing facility, skilled nursing facility, assisted living program, or elder group home.

The Moderna vaccine can be refrigerated for 30 days, but the multi-dose vials present a logistical challenge for the staff who will administer it.  Olsen says “The Moderna vaccine comes in a multi-dose vial, which means that each vial has 10 doses inside of it. Once we open that vial, we only have 6 hours to use all 10 doses. I think we can all recognize that this vaccine is a valuable commodity, and we have to do our part to eliminate any waste.”  She adds, “We will be setting up appointments in blocks of 10 so that we know we’re going to use up every dose that is available to us. This could result in some additional waiting times, or it could result in having stand-by appointments.”

Administering the Vaccine to the Public: Cass County Public Health will be administering all COVID-19 vaccines for the public. More information about public vaccinations will be announced once the plans and locations are finalized. It may be several weeks or months before the vaccine is readily available for the public. There is currently no waiting list or sign-up for the public. More information will become available when we more details are known.

Beth Olsen says “We are working with local partners to come up with an easy-to-access location for the vaccinations, and we’re also finalizing our strategy on which populations to target first.” All patients who receive the vaccine will also need to be monitored for 15 minutes afterwards. Beth says also, “There will be no exceptions made to this, so we need everyone to plan accordingly.”

Preventive Measures Still In Place: veryone should continue taking measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, even after they receive the vaccine:

•  Stay home if you’re sick
• Wash your hands often
• Stay six feet away from others at all times
• Wear a mask when you can’t properly social distance from others

Recognize also, that older people and those with chronic health conditions like diabetes, obesity, heart issues, and organ transplants have a much higher risk of serious complications from COVID-19. More information is available at our web page at casshealth.org/COVID-19. You can also visit the IDPH Coronavirus page at https://idph.iowa.gov/emerging-health-issues/novel-coronavirus; and the state COVID-19 dashboard at https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office reports a hit-and-run property damage accident occurred Thursday afternoon. Authorities say a 1993 Geo Tracker driven by 26-year old Dillon Ray Winemiller, of Creston, was traveling north on Highway 169 at around 4:25-p.m., when he went to pass. A black Chevy Impala driven by a person unknown (License plates unknown), also went to pass and came out before Winemiller’s car could pass. The Impala struck the Tracker, causing it to spin out of control into the south ditch.

The Impala did not stop. No injuries were reported.