The Red Oak Police Department reports two arrests overnight Sunday into early this (Monday) morning. At around 11-p.m. Sunday, officers arrested 42-year old Joleen Mary Most, of Carbon, on a Dallas County warrant for Failure to Appear on a Driving While Barred charge. Most was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond. And, at around 1:45-a.m. Monday (Today), 28-year old Nathaniel Lee Romick-Sleep, of Red Oak, was arrested for Driving While Suspended. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $491.25.

ATLANTIC, IA (December 14, 2020) –Produce in the Park’s Christmas Pop-Up Market is now open and taking pre-orders. Shoppers can visit www.ProduceInTheParkAtlanticIowa.com, to see a full list of all 11 participating vendors with products offerings and to pre-order online. If a shopper isn’t comfortable ordering online, they are encouraged to contact the vendor about alternative payment and ordering options. Vendor phone numbers can also be found on the website.

Pre-orders will be accepted through midnight, Saturday December 19. Purchases will be available for drive-through pickup on Monday, December 21 between 2:00 –6:00 PM at the Cass County Community Center (805 W. 10thSt. Atlantic, IA 50022). In order to comply with current state mandates and keep customers and vendors safe, Christmas Pop-Up Market will not offer indoor in-person shopping.

Christmas Pop-Up Market is being held the Monday before Christmas so customers can pick up local produce, baked goods, jellies, meats, Christmas cookies, and more to enjoy at their holiday meals. The market also offers holiday gifts and cozy winter home décor by local crafters and artisans, including candles and soaps, Christmas decorations and tea towels, along with Christmas cookie decorating kits.For more information on Christmas Market visit Produce in the Park’s website www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com, the Produce in the Park Facebook page www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark, or contact Market Manager Brigham Hoegh at produceintheparkatlanticiowa@gmail.comor 712-249-5870.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new audit report blames the national Democratic Party’s involvement in the Iowa caucuses for problems that delayed the results for days at the beginning of the 2020 presidential nominating battle. The report was commissioned by the Iowa Democratic Party. It criticizes the national party’s role in delaying development of an app used to report results and in demanding a last-minute data conversion tool that failed on caucus night in February. But the report also says the state party should have bolstered its back-up phone system for compiling results after the rollout of the app was slow. That phone system was overwhelmed on caucus night.

URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has been arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with a woman’s death in a Des Moines suburb. Urbandale Police said officers found a woman with severe head trauma around 6:45 p.m. Saturday at a home in the 4000 block of 90th Street. The woman died at the scene. Her name and age weren’t immediately released. Urbandale Police Sgt. Chad Underwood said 35-year-old Dustin Sample, of Urbandale, was arrested Sunday morning and charged with first-degree murder.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reported 1,239 new COVID-19 cases and one more death linked to the coronavirus on Sunday. The state was reporting 256,248 cases of the virus and 3,213 deaths as of 10 a.m. Sunday. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Iowa decreased over the past two weeks, going from 2,102.14 new cases per day on Nov. 28 to 1,324 new cases per day on Saturday. Iowa officials said 749 people were hospitalized with the virus on Saturday, which was down from 820 on Friday. Iowa’s statewide 14-day positivity rate was 15.2% on Sunday. Our of the state’s 99 counties, 58 had a 14-day positivity rate above 15%.

The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is assisting Urbandale Police in conducting an investigation into the death of a female. On Saturday, Dec. 12th, Urbandale Police responded at around 6:45-p.m. to 4205 90th Street, for a report of a medical emergency. Responding officers found an adult female suffering from injuries to her head. The woman died at the scene. Her name was being withheld pending notification of family. The death is being investigated as a homicide.

Murder suspect Dustin Sample

On Sunday, Dec. 13th, Urbandale Police Detectives, with the assistance from the Iowa DCI, arrested 35-year old Dustin Sample, of Urbandale, and charged him with Murder in the 1st Degree. Sample was taken into custody at the Urbandale Police Department and transported to the Polk County Jail.

Additional information will released when it becomes available.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new audit report blames the national Democratic Party’s involvement in the Iowa caucuses for problems that delayed the results for days at the beginning of the 2020 presidential nominating battle. The report was commissioned by the Iowa Democratic Party. It criticizes the national party’s role in delaying development of an app used to report results and in demanding a last-minute data conversion tool that failed on caucus night in February. But the report also says the state party should have bolstered its back-up phone system for compiling results after the rollout of the app was slow. That phone system was overwhelmed on caucus night.

The Atlantic City Council will meet in-person Wednesday at 5:30-p.m.  The meeting will be held in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. (There is no Zoom option – updated 12/16).

On their agenda is an Order to Appoint Katherine Smith to the AMU Utility Board of Trustees. Once approved, Smith will succeed Joyce Jensen, who has resigned. She will fill the remainder of Jensen’s term through April 1st, 2023. The Council will also act on approving “A Revolving Forgivable Loan Program (RFLP)with SHIFT ATL and providing for an Appropriation.”

The City Council adopted a Resolution during their meeting on Sept. 18th, in support of a proposed partnership with SHIFT ATL for housing rehabilitation. City Administrator John Lund says the resolution offered general endorsement of the partnership in addition to financial support, but the Council felt that a specific monetary commitment to the non-profit organization was not yet in either party’s best interest, and that further discussion would be held. Lund says the Personnel and Finance Committee met Dec, 9th to review a detailed proposal for housing rehabilitation with representatives from SHIFT ATL. Several possibilities were considered. The proposal supported by the Committee is for the City to establish a Non-Profit Housing Rehab Loa Fund, which would be financed through three potential resource pools: A Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) Fund; LOST (Local Option Sales Tax) Fund; or an Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund.

The exact amount of support is either not yet known or being disclosed at this time, as there is a real estate offer pending, and Lund says “It is not in the interest of the City to disclose precise figures at this time. Lund says the housing rehab project would offer multiple benefits to the City, and is recommending the Council approve the RFLP. In other business, the Atlantic City Council will:

• Consider matters tabled during their last meeting, with regard to Tree Trimmer licenses for Cook Sanitation and Top Hand Tree Service
• Hold the First Reading of an Ordinance “Amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Atlantic, by amending Chapter 106 entitled “Collection of Solid Waste.”
• and, act on an Order to approve a Change Order for the Atlantic Golf & Country Club Fairway Drainage Project.

Two area school district Board’s of Education will hold their regular (separate) monthly meetings, Monday evening. The Exira-Elk Horn Kimballton School Board meeting will be held in the Conference Room at the Elk Horn Building, beginning at 6-p.m.  On their agenda is:

• Discussion with the Negotiations Committee
• Discussion and/or action on approving an At Risk/Dropout Prevention application requested modified supplemental amount equal to or less than $142,667.
• Discussion/action on the Return to Learn Plan
• D/A on approving revisions to various Board Policies.
• Approve personnel hires: Jessica Allen – Instrumental Music, & Brianna Sampson – Paraeducator.
• Action on any other personnel matters to come before the Board (including transfers and resignations)

The CAM School Board meets 6:30-p.m. Monday in the CAM High School Superintendent’s Office, and will hold an Organizational session to appoint the Board Secretary as Temporary Chair, followed by an election for an Oath of Office administered to both the Board President and Vice President’s positions, and appointment of a Board Secretary/Treasurer. Among other administrative business for the New Board is establishing their meeting dates, time and location.

The CAM School Board will also discuss and act on: SBRC request for Modified Supplemental Amount of $20,640 – Open enrollment out; SBRC request for Modified Supplemental Amount of $160,906 – At Risk/Dropout Prevention Program.

A woman from Pocahontas County (in northwest Iowa) died in a single-vehicle, rollover accident Saturday afternoon, about 10-miles west of Pocahontas. The Iowa State Patrol reports 19-year old Rebecca Hansen, of Pocahontas, was driving a 2006 Pontiac Torrent eastbound on Highway 3 at around 2:23-p.m., when the SUV went out of control and into the north ditch.

When the vehicle rolled over, Hansen – who was not wearing her seat belt – was ejected, and died from her injuries. The accident remains under investigation. Pocahontas Fire/EMS assisted the Patrol at the crash scene.

Red Oak Police say no injuries were reported following a collision between two snowplows Saturday morning. The accident happened at around 7:20-a.m. on Highway 34. One of the plows, a 2013 International driven by 47-year old Vince Edward Abraham, of Villisca, was clearing snow from the intersection of Highway 34 and Old Highway 34/200th Street. The plow was on the north side of the intersection. The second plow, a 2009 International driven by 32-year old Jacob Matthew Jackson, also of Villisca, was on Old Highway 34 and crossing the intersection from the south to the north. As he approached the first plow, Abraham began to back up and struck Jackson’s vehicle on the side.

Damage to the plows was estimated at $5,000 each, with most of the damage done to a salt spreader attachment, which was included in the damage estimate. No citations were issued.