The first of many “Produce in the Park” events in Atlantic saw more than 100 shoppers congregate in the downtown City Park, Thursday evening. Event organizers say those who stopped by found locally grown strawberries, lots of greens and more. They also grabbed up fresh made pies, rolls and breads, while enjoying music provided by Atlantic High School band chorus members.

The YMCA kept kids busy making flubber and jumping in bounce houses. Teamwork by vendors, organizations, businesses and volunteers make it possible to provide the farmers market in Atlantic City Park every Thursday, from 4:30-until 6:30-p.m.

More area and State News from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A Union County man was arrested Thursday on a warrant out of Polk County for Dissemination and Exhibition of Obscene material to a minor. Creston Police say 36-year old Jason Ford, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Courthouse and later turned over to Polk County authorities.

The 7:07-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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A distracted driver caused a chain reaction accident in Atlantic Thursday afternoon. Atlantic Police say Madison Wookey, of Red Oak, was traveling south on Highway 6 on the west side of town at around 2:10-p.m., when she reached down to adjust her car radio. As she did so, Wookey failed to notice two vehicles in front of her had stopped, while the first vehicle was waiting to turn left into a church driveway.
Wookey’s 2010 Dodge Avenger ran into the rear of a 2006 Ford Taurus, driven by Venus Dreyer, of Harlan, which was pushed into the rear of a 2004 Toyota Camry, driven by Anthony Smith, of Atlantic.

Dreyer suffered minor injuries in the crash and was transported by Medivac Ambulance to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, for treatment. Smith also went to the hospital and complaining of pain. Damage from the crash amounted to $9,900.

Police cited Wookey for Failure to Stop in an Assured, Clear Distance.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested on separate charges late Thursday night. At around 11:20-p.m., 33-year old Carlton John Dolph, of Villisca, was arrested for Driving While Suspended, with seven withdrawals in effect. Dolph was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $566 bond.

And at around 10-p.m. Thursday, Red Oak Police arrested 27-year old Erik Gomez Gonzalez, of Red Oak, following a traffic stop. Gonzalez was taken into custody on a warrant out of Adams County for Driving While Suspended. He was also cited for Driving without a valid driver’s license. Gonzalez was being held in the Montgomery County Jail pending pick up by Adams County deputies.

Action at the statehouse might speed up broadband service and speed the placement of new cell phone towers around the state. The legislature has approved uniform state rules to govern how local government manage applications for cell phone tower sites. The bill also establishes property tax breaks for companies that either speed up extremely slow broadband service or extend broadband to areas where it’s not available today.

Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, raised concerns about previous proposals, but supports the final version which limits the property tax abatement to a total of 10 years, but requires companies to ask for it by 2020. “We’re giving the industry a carrot to invest,” Petersen says. “We want them to get going on it.”

The proposal also creates a state-run program to hand out grants to companies that expand broadband access in Iowa, but there’s no money set aside for it.

(Radio Iowa)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Officials in the Omaha School district are considering providing free meals to all students, regardless of the children’s ability to pay. The Omaha World-Herald reports that it would be an expansion of a pilot program the district kicked off in January at six elementary schools. In Iowa, participating districts included Council Bluffs and Des Moines.

Omaha was one of two districts in Nebraska to participate in a federal initiative this year that pushed for schools with high concentrations of low-income students to serve free meals to all. Schools can participate in the program if many of their students already were receiving public benefits, such as food stamps or welfare.