COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – The owner of a Council Bluffs bar that appeared on a reality television show has argued against the City Council’s decision to deny its liquor license. Matt Overmyer of the O Face Bar appeared before an administrative judge Monday as part of the appeal process to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.

Overmyer’s business was recently featured on a Spike TV show about reinventing struggling bars. The City Council cited actions seen on the March episode in denying the bar’s liquor license renewal in May. Those actions include multiple fights and the use of profanity.

The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports the bar can continue serving alcohol while the appeal is being processed.

DES MOINES, Iowa – July 29, 2014 – USDA Rural Development, through its Direct Home Loan Program, is temporarily accepting applications to refinance home loans in eligible rural areas. With this temporary program change eligible households that will be experiencing an increase in interest rate or change in repayment terms for adjustable rate loans, interest only loans, short-term rate locks, or other forms of specialty lending, may be eligible to refinance their existing mortgage through the USDA Rural Development Direct Home Loan Program.

The USDA program offers 33 or 38 year terms, with a fixed interest rate currently at 3.625 percent (subject to change prior to closing). Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to contact USDA Rural Development staff no later than September 1 to allow for adequate processing time prior to the end of the federal government’s current fiscal year on September 30, 2014.

Questions regarding USDA Rural Development’s Direct Home Loan Program can be directed by email to: DirectIA@ia.usda.gov; phone (515) 284-4444; fax (855) 415-3562; or USDA Rural Development, 210 Walnut Street, Room 873, Des Moines, Iowa 50309.

USDA Rural Development’s Direct Home Loan Program, which helps low-income households in rural Iowa make home purchases with no down payments, has $11 million in funding available to assist rural Iowans. To be eligible for the program, homes must be located in rural areas which are typically defined as communities of less than 20,000 residents.

(Press Release)

Members from the Midwest Regional Dive Team have recovered the body of a missing boater. Montgomery County Emergency Management Coordinator and Dive Team member Brian Hamman told KJAN News the body of a white male drowning victim in his mid-40’s was recovered this (Tuesday) morning from 12 Mile Lake, about four-miles east of Creston. He says the body was found at about 9:15-a.m. Divers were in the water for a little more than an hour before they recovered the victim.

Hamman says the body was located about 20-yards from the shore of the 635 acre lake that has a maximum depth of 44-feet and 15-miles of shoreline. He says the team was paged out to assist Union County Sheriff’s Department but were cancelled after the Ringgold County Dive Team arrived and determined it was too dark to proceed with the search.

The Midwest Regional Dive Team arrived on the scene at around 7:30-a.m. today (Tuesday). Hamman says while the outcome is not what anyone wanted, he’s glad they could complete the recovery promptly. He says they were very fortunate they were able to make a quick recovery, because sometimes the search can last for days. It’s the second recovery of a drowning victim the team has made this year. The other was a drowning victim near Skidmore, MO.

Union County Sheriff Rick Piel said authorities received a report of an empty boat on the lake at around 6:15-p.m., Monday. Evidence at the scene led officials to initiate a search of the lake, including by use of the Dive Team, which typically responds to incidents of missing swimmers and boaters. The name of victim has not been released, pending notification of relatives.

The Midwest Regional Dive Team has 18 divers, three trainees and up to 25 support members. Their members are comprised of personnel from the Red Oak and Clarinda Fire Departments, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the Adams County Emergency Water Team and the Ringgold County Emergency Dive Team.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report the arrest late Monday night of  a Malvern man. 29-year old Bradley Allen Fink was arrested at around 11:20-p.m. near 5th and Main Streets, in Malvern. He was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $2,000.

A pink fire truck and Kansas City Chiefs SUV or HumVee-type vehicle will be in Atlantic Thursday evening as part of the “Pink Heals Tour,” to raise awareness and offer support to persons or families of persons with serious illnesses. Atlantic Firefighter Shawn Macha says the tour, with it’s bright pink fire truck, is stopping in Atlantic in-part, to recognize a Riley Slauson, a local 4-year old who was diagnosed last September with metastatic colorectal cancer and has been undergoing strong oral doses of chemotherapy.

Macha says the event is open to the public. Anyone who is battling a serious illness or knows of someone with a serious illness, is welcome to sign their names on the fire truck. As part of the event, which runs from 4-until 6-pm Thursday at the Atlantic Fire Station, there’ll be food and beverages. The fire department will grill hot dogs and serve lemonade.

Macha says the “Pink Heals” organization started in 2007 to help people battling cancer with a focus on women and their families. They took the theme of the Public Safety with pink fire trucks and pink police cars to serve communities by putting people first instead of causes. The other purpose of their tour is to make people aware of their organization, and recruit new chapters. There is not a chapter in Iowa at this time. The current tour originated in Phoenix, AZ., When they arrive in Atlantic, they will have a pink fire engine, and a bus equipped with merchandise for sale.

The Pink Heals National Tour is funded 100% by the sale of merchandise and made possible through countless volunteer hours. The sale of our merchandise allows the organization to maintain their vehicles, buy gas and bring their program to communities in hopes a “Pink Heals” program will take-off, locally. Tour drivers volunteer up to 18 days at a time to drive pink fire trucks and police cars across America

The “Pink Heals” movement is founded by former pro athlete Dave Graybill, who is also a retired firefighter, and philanthropist. For more information, go to www.pinkfiretrucks.org.

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) – A Storm Lake nursing home has been fined more than $31,000 after an incident in which a woman fell on her head while being transferred onto a bed and later died from the injury. The Des Moines Register reports North Lake Manor was cited in June by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals for failing to protect residents from harm and failing to provide adequate care.

Reports said 87-year-old Darlene Carbaugh died a day after she fell from the mechanical lift used to transfer her to bed on May 17.  The home is owned by two companies controlled by Sioux City accountant Joseph P. DeWitt.

(Update 10:42-a.m.)

Members from the Midwest Regional Dive Team have recovered the body of a missing boater. Officials say the victim was recovered this (Tuesday) morning. The team was deployed Monday night to 12 Mile Lake, in Union County. Union County Sheriff Rick Piel said authorities received a report of an empty boat on the lake at around 6:15-p.m., Monday. Evidence at the scene led officials to initiate a search of the lake, including by use of the Dive Team.

Members of the team were unable to locate a victim and the search was called-off last night. The search resumed this morning. The Dive Team typically responds to incidents of missing swimmers and boaters.  The name of victim has not been released, pending notification of relatives.

Coca Cola Days will be held in Atlantic September 26th and 27th. The event is the second biggest collector’s show in the United States and includes a tailgate barbeque dinner and a Show Swap and Sell. More information is available at CocaColaDays.org.  Event Committee Chair Dolly Bergmann says t-shirts for the 2014 Coca-Cola Days Celebration are now available for purchase. The shirts feature the theme, “Thirst knows no season.”

Coca –Cola Days Committee Members Pictured: Kathie Hockenberry, Dolly Bergmann, Jolene Roecker, Mike Papas, Charlene Johnson, Ali Krogman and Margret Sleepsky.

Bergmann said “The theme is created by a volunteer committee each year.”  T-shirts for the event can be purchased at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce or on-line at www.atlanticiowa.com. Prices are $16 for short sleeved and $22 for long sleeve.

Call the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce if you have any questions, at 712-243-3017, or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Police in Red Oak say two people were arrested on drug charges overnight. Authorities say 29-year old Crystal Lynn Hansen, of Red Oak, was arrested today (Tuesday) at around 3-a.m., on a valid Pottawattamie County warrant for Failure to Appear on a possession of controlled substance/marijuana charge. During her arrest in the vicinity of north 3rd and east Washington Streets, Hansen was found to allegedly be in possession of marijuana and  drug paraphernalia, along with an unlawful possession of prescription drugs. She was brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center (LEC) and held on $10,000 cash bond for Pott. County.

And, at around 10:35-p.m. Monday, 16-year old Daniel Lee Vance-Hunt, of Red Oak, was arrested in the 200 block of east Reed Street, on a Possession of Drug Paraphernalia charge. The teen was cited and released to the custody of his parents.