(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Listed as Travel Iowa’s number one Christmas destination, downtown Atlantic lights up six blocks with nearly 200,000 lights for the holiday season. Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, says “I look forward to Christmas in Atlantic every year. It’s a big tourist season for our community with people from all over the state, and outside Iowa, coming to see our downtown. It also provides the community with free family activities the entire months of November and December, while encouraging holiday shopping at our incredible locally owned businesses.” The Atlantic Area Chamber is excited to announce Gregg Young of Atlantic as the presenting sponsor for this year’s Christmas festivities.

Smith said “We’re so excited to partner with Gregg Young of Atlantic to help execute the tradition that is Christmas in Atlantic. With their partnership, we’ll be enhancing events as well as adding a few fun surprises for the community.” Christmas in Atlantic kicks off Saturday, November 11th with the Holiday Open House. Visit local retailers to get a holiday sneak peek and enjoy treats, giveaways and special promotions. New this year, the Chamber has partnered with retailers to launch the ‘Holiday Punch Card’. November 11th – December 18th, when you spend $20 at a participating business, you’ll receive a custom punch on your card. Once it’s filled, turn it into the Atlantic Area Chamber for your chance to win $50 in AtlantiCash, which will be drawn every Friday beginning November 17th. A grand prize drawing, valued at over $1,000, will be drawn December 18th. For a list of participating businesses, visit www.atlanticiowa.com.

For the seventh year in a row, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce will be offering AtlantiCash at a discounted price as part of their Holiday Promotion, sponsored by First Whitney Bank & Trust and Cappel’s Ace Hardware. According to Bailey Smith, “Last year we sold $40,000 in about 45 minutes, our highest dollar amount yet. The goal this year is to sell another $40,000, all of which goes back into Atlantic businesses.” For one day only, community members can come to the Chamber on Saturday, November 11th and buy a pack of $100 in AtlantiCash for $80, a 20% discount. Up to three packs, totaling $300, may be purchased. The discounted AtlantiCash will be available from 9 AM – 12 PM, or till supplies last.

The Annual Grand Lighting Ceremony, sponsored by Atlantic Municipal Utilities, will be Thursday, November 16th at 5 PM at the Historic Rock Island Depot in downtown Atlantic. Santa will have a special arrival at 5:30 PM to turn on the lights and see children in his cabin from 6 – 7:30 PM at City Park.

The Lighted Parade and Fireworks will be held December 2nd, starting at 6 PM. Please submit Lighted Parade entries to the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce by calling 712.243.3017 or emailing chamber@atlanticiowa.com. Pre-registration is not required but is encouraged. The Lighted Parade and Fireworks is sponsored by A.M. Cohron & Son, McDermott & Son Roofing and Rush, CPA & Associates.

Prior to the Lighted Parade on December 2nd, visit Santa in his cabin where you can enjoy hot chocolate and treats, as well as horse-drawn carriage rides, sponsored by Lloyd & Meredith and Roland Funeral Home, from 3-5:30 PM. Visit www.atlanticiowa.com for Santa’s full holiday schedule. Santa’s Cabin is sponsored by the Atlantic Rotary Club and Farmhouse & Flowers.

Join Chamber officials and community members for the Holiday Concert and Angel of Christmas on December 3rd at the First United Church of Christ, starting at 3 PM. Submit your nominations for Angel of Christmas to the Atlantic Area Chamber by November 22nd. The Angel of Christmas is sponsored by Cass Health.

Pick up your Christmas Brochure and Holiday Punch Card from area retail businesses, like the Chamber on Facebook or follow on Twitter to find dates and details to celebrate Christmas in Atlantic. You can find a complete list of activities at www.atlanticiowa.com.

Capture the Christmas magic with #MyAtlanticIA and post to the Atlantic Area Chamber’s Facebook page or Instagram (AtlanticIowaFan). Contact the Atlantic Area Chamber with any questions at chamber@atlanticiowa.com or call 712.243.3017.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, received a report from Chamber Director Bailey Smith, who said the Chamber had acquired nine new members since the end of June, for a total of 230 businesses and organizations, there were 16 Ambassador visits, three of those involved ribbon cuttings, with three more scheduled to take place before the end of the year. She said also, there have been eight big events since June, with more to come, including: Christmas in Atlantic, which kicks-off with the Grand Lighting Ceremony.

As we’ve mentioned, the Scrooge Contest is currently underway until Nov. 21st, raising funds and collecting non-perishable goods for the Atlantic Food Pantry.

The food can be used for a Christmas meal, as well as non-perishable items that can be used beyond the holiday. Speaking of food, Bailey Smith mentioned there is the prospect for a new restaurant in Atlantic.

In his report to the Council, City Administrator John Lund reported on the progress of Retail Coach in helping the City find new businesses. The elephant in the room is always the lack of definable retail property with which to establish a business.

The Council mulled-over how to get property owners to sell their land for retail development. Councilman H. Lee Sisco asked if there was interest in nine-acres behind Casey’s on east 7th Street, for business use? Mayor Grace Garrett said that property has been sold.

The City of Atlantic signed a contract with Retail Coach in August 2021, to boost retail recruitment and related services. The agreement cost was $30,000 and renewed in September 2022 for $20,000. The Firm was tasked to identify retail opportunities within the City of Atlantic, recruit retailers, coach the community, help fill gaps, and ultimately act as an extension to the current staff, particularly how it relates to retail.

(Radio Iowa) – While several cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza are reported in commercial Iowa turkey flocks in recent days, officials with the Iowa Turkey Federation says the turkey supply is safe and there will be plenty of birds for roasting at Thanksgiving. Morgan Pothoven, spokeswoman for the Ames-based organization, says Iowa producers are striving to ensure their flocks — and consumers — are protected from bird flu. “Farmers are working diligently to mitigate the spread,” Pothoven says. “They practice really good biosecurity, creating that line of separation and just tracking movement on and off the farm, so they ensure to not spread diseases. Farmers have worked diligently to mitigate the spread so that we don’t have a supply chain issue for turkey.”

State ag officials say migrating wild birds are the likely source of the bird flu outbreaks. Despite the setbacks where outbreaks were confirmed, Pothoven anticipates there will be an ample supply of turkeys for the big holiday later this month. “Shopping early is always recommended when you are looking for a specific size, but you can guarantee that there’ll be turkeys for you at Thanksgiving — at a reasonable price,” Pothoven says. “Grocers plan and often your turkey is actually on sale, so the most economical way to feed your family is actually your Thanksgiving meal because of the deals that many grocers run.”

Most of the turkeys that are raised in Iowa are used for products like sliced sandwich meats, not the type of whole bird you’d put in the oven at Thanksgiving. “Your whole birds are coming from some other states,” Pothoven says, “but it’s a good reminder that turkey is more than just for at Thanksgiving and you can support Iowans by buying turkey year round.”

Iowa is the nation’s seventh largest turkey producer with an estimated 12-million birds raised here each year.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop Wednesday afternoon in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of two men from Nebraska. Police report the vehicle was stopped at the intersection of Highway 34 and 4th Street, at around 4:06-p.m. Upon further investigation, officers arrested 35-year-old Jae Lawrence Torpy, and 20-year-old Ramon Edwin King, both of Omaha.  Each was taken into custody on a Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – charge. Their bonds were set at $1,000 each.

(rural Rock Rapids, Iowa) – Three juvenile females were injured Wednesday afternoon, during a crash in northwest Iowa’s Lyon County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2006 Chevy Impala driven by one of the juveniles, was traveling west on 160th Street, southwest of Rock Rapids, when the car went out of control where the road transitioned from pavement to gravel at Goldfinch Avenue.

The car entered the south ditch and rolled multiple times before coming to rest on its roof and catching fire. The accident happened at around 3:40-p.m., Wednesday. Two of the juveniles were transported by ambulance to Avera Hospital in Rock Rapids and Sioux Falls. No names were released.

Two of the three females were wearing their seat belts. The crash remains under investigation.

The State Patrol was assisted at the scene by Rock Rapids Fire and the Lyon County Ambulance.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds and the Republican governors of 14 other states – including the neighboring states of Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota – are objecting to proposed federal rules on nursing home staffing levels. The proposed rule comes from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It says nursing homes should have enough staff to provide each resident with at least half an hour of care from a registered nurse and at least two hours and 45 minutes of care from a nurses aide each day.

The 15 Republican governors have sent a letter to President Biden, asking him to reconsider the rule. The governors say the long-term care industry is facing a workforce crisis, especially in rural areas, and the group calls the agency’s proposal an unnecessary, one-size-fits-all requirement that will force many long-term care facilities to close. The governors say that means many vulnerable Americans will find it more difficult to get a spot in a nursing home.

Twenty-six Iowa nursing homes have closed since May of last year. During the 2023 legislative session, Iowa lawmakers increased Medicaid reimbursement rates by 15 million dollars.

(Radio Iowa) – An unusual phone message led to a five MILLION dollar grant for the Siouxland Community Health Center of Sioux City. Mari Kaptain-Dahlen, the C-E-O of the non-profit health center, says the initial call came in mid-September from a woman who would only talk to her. “I was pretty skeptical because I get messages like that every week, but the woman had a very intriguing name, which has to remain anonymous, so I decided to give her a call,” Kaptain-Dahlen said. “When I returned her call and introduced myself, she said to me: ‘Thank you for taking a leap of faith to call me back. Many people don’t.'”

The woman Kaptain-Dahlen was speaking with represents the Yield Giving Foundation — established by MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bazos. In the past three years, Scott has given away about half her fortune to non-profits around the world. Kaptain-Dahlen says this is how the foundation representative she spoke with in September announced the grant:

“This woman said to me: ‘Well, Mary, we have fully vetted you and we have fully vetted your organization and we have fully vetted your leadership team,'” Kaptain-Dahlen said yesterday, “and she said: ‘We have found you to be a thriving organization and I am notifying you that Yield Giving has identified you as one of the funding recipients for 2023.'”

Last year, the Siouxland Community Health Center served 35-thousand patients who spoke 52 different languages. The center’s C-E-O credits the more than 350 people on staff and board members for embracing the non-profit’s mission. “Your commitment to make sure that mission is achieved with every person who comes through these doors and the empowerment of that mission that you have cultivated with your team and all of our staff — that is what has brought us to this moment,” she said.

Andrea Buckley, chair of the center’s board of directors, also spoke at yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) news conference. “We’re going to create a task force, hopefully come up with a real catchy name for it,” she said with a laugh, “but it’s really an opportunity for us to listen to our stakeholders, listen to our partners, listen to our community and figure out how we can use this gift.”

Yield Giving’s website indicates the foundation has donated more than 14 BILLION dollars to over 16-hundred non-profits around the world so far and at least seven are located in Iowa.

(Adel, IA) – The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, Wednesday evening, said earlier in the day, Wednesday (11/1/23), a search warrant was executed at 33034 165th Street in rural Dallas County, Iowa. The search warrant was in reference to an ongoing live stock neglect investigation at that location.

Dallas County Sheriff’s Office Detectives located 46 horses on the property that were in need of Veterinarian care. These horses were seized as a part of this investigation. The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending at this time. This release will be updated when more information is available.

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office is greatly appreciative of the assistance of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa. The Iowa Department of Agriculture also assisted in this investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – Eligible Iowans may now go on the Iowa Democratic Party’s website and start requesting the presidential preference cards that are replacing the complicated in-person calculations that have been a long-running feature of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Caucuses. Both major parties in Iowa will hold Caucuses on January 15th. Republicans will again have a straw poll vote to determine which presidential candidate wins the Iowa G-O-P’s Caucuses, still the kick-off event in their party’s nominating process.

New NATIONAL party rules forbid Iowa Democrats from any form of voting that would yield results that night. The Iowa Democratic Party will begin distributing presidential preference cards on January 12th — and the results will be announced March 5th. Iowa Democrats have hired a vendor to count the presidential preference cards, which will be mailed in — and you must be a registered Democrat to get one.

Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips announced last week that he’s running against President Biden. The Iowa Democratic Party’s state central committee will meet in December to decide which candidates’ names will appear on their presidential preference cards.