Numerous awards were handed-out to deserving groups and individuals during Saturday night’s Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet and awards program held at the Cass County Community Center. Included among them:

• Ambassador of the Year – Bill Saluk, from Meredith Communications
• Outstanding Chamber Volunteer – Lori Reid, with Airworks (Atlantic Airport)
• Outstanding Committee Member – Dr. Keith Leonard/Atlantic Animal Health Center
• Business Betterment – Boulder’s Inn and Suites/local investors
• Community Service Award – The Atlantic High School Trojan Football team
• Community Betterment Award – the local Trees Forever organization
• Community Impact Award – Jay Miller/Brymon’s Home Furnishings, for his work in getting a $65-million dollar grant to bring the Sieman’s/Industrial Technology Program to Iowa Western Community College
• The Athena Award (Sponsored by Deter Motor Co.) – which went to Wendy Richter, for her work with the Family Crisis Support Network
• and, the Distinguished Service Award, which was presented to Steve Livengood, for his service to our veterans and their families, along with his work with ARISE (The Atlantic Rock Island Society Enterprise). Livengood is a 24-year veteran of the U-S Army, and and member of the Atlantic City Council.

The Chamber also welcomed its new President for 2012, Debbie Liestad, who takes over the reigns from past President Brian Church, and honored its new board members, including: Steve Andersen (Southwest Iowa Transit); Jeff Jundquist (Atlantic News Telegraph); Becky Mosier (KJAN), and Bill Saluk, along with some returning board members for 2012-through 2014.
The evening’s meal was provided by Atlantic Hy-Vee catering.

Icy roads contributed to several accidents Sunday morning, in Cass County. A van carrying 10 people rolled into a ditch near exit 60 (Hwy 71). The accident happened at around 8:30-a.m.  At least one person suffered serious injuries and was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic. Eight people were later turned over to officials with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. Two adult individuals in the van who were initially reported as missing, are believed to have caught a ride to Omaha, and were being sought for questioning.

723 AM CST SUN JAN 22 2012

Affecting these counties in Iowa: AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-POLK-JASPER-POWESHIEK-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON- WARREN-MARION-MAHASKA-ADAMS-UNION-CLARKE-LUCAS-MONROE-WAPELLO- TAYLOR-RINGGOLD-DECATUR-WAYNE-APPANOOSE-DAVIS…

…FROST DEVELOPMENT ON ROADS CAUSING ICY CONDITIONS…

WARMER AND MOIST AIR STREAMING NORTH INTO IOWA HAS RESULTED IN THE FORMATION OF FROST ON ROAD SURFACES. GROUND TEMPERATURES REMAIN COLD FOLLOWING THE COLD WEATHER OF THE PAST FEW DAYS. AS A RESULT…THE MOISTURE IN THE AIR WAS CONDENSING ON ROAD SURFACES AND CAUSING ICY AREAS. IN ADDITION PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE EARLY THIS MORNING. THE DRIZZLE IS EXPECTED TO BE VERY LIGHT FOR THE MOST PART WITH ICE ACCRETION MOST PROMINENTLY ON BRIDGE DECKS. TEMPERATURES JUST BELOW FREEZING ARE EXPECTED TO WARM TO JUST ABOVE FREEZING BY 9 OR 10 AM. PEOPLE TRAVELING THIS MORNING SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POSSIBILITY FOR SLICK STREETS AND SIDEWALKS. USE CAUTION WALKING OR DRIVING AND ALLOW FOR A FEW EXTRA MINUTES.

Already some vehicle have slipped off the road in Cass County along interstate 80…no injuries reported. Two trucks are being held-off until the road conditions improve.

Police Red Oak arrested one-person Saturday afternoon, on drug and other charges. Officers called to the City View Apartments discovered during their investigation into an incident, illegal substances at the residence of 21-year old Corey James Dolph, of Red Oak. Dolph was charged with possession of an illegal substance and taken into custody on a Montgomery County warrant for violation of his probation.  Dolph was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $11,000 bond.

…PATCHY FREEZING DRIZZLE SPREADING OVER SOUTHERN IOWA…

PATCHES OF FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD OVER SOUTHERN IOWA EARLY THIS MORNING. THE DRIZZLE IS EXPECTED TO BE VERY LIGHT FOR THE MOST PART WITH ICE ACCRETION MOST PROMINENTLY ON BRIDGE DECKS. TEMPERATURES JUST BELOW FREEZING ARE EXPECTED TO WARM TO JUST ABOVE FREEZING BY 900 AM OR SO.

PEOPLE TRAVELING THIS MORNING SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POSSUBILITY FOR SLICK SURFACES. USE CAUTION WALKING OR DRIVING AND ALLOW FOR A FEW EXTRA MINUTES.

Atlantic Firefighters were called to the scene this (Sunday) morning, of a house fire. The call about the blaze at 207 Linn Street came in just before 7-a.m.  All the occupants of the home escaped safely.

View from the north side of the home

The single-story home was said to have been fully engulfed in flames when the call was dispatched, but that was not the case when firefighters arrived. KJAN News Director Ric Hanson spoke with Atlantic Fire’s 1^st Assistant Fire Chief Russell Peck about the incident, as crews were wrapping-up and about to return to the station.

Peck said when they arrived there was some flames and black smoke inside the structure, around the kitchen area. He said it appears the fire’s origin appears to have been in the kitchen, and was electrical in nature, possibly due to a space heater, but the exact cause remains undetermined. Peck says there was a substantial amount of damage to the kitchen, along with heavy smoke and heat damage to the rest of the home.

Atlantic Firefighters at the scene of 207 Linn St. (NE view)

Greenfield Republican Representative Clel Baudler sat in on a House Ways and Means subcommittee meeting this past week, during which a report was given on commercial, residential and agricultural property taxes. The House panel Thursday approved a tax cut plan that its sponsor, Ways and Mean Committee Chairman, Republican Tom Sands, says is a compromise between Governor Terry Branstad and Senate Democrats. The bill would cut commercial property taxes by 40-percent, and take place over the course of 14-years, instead of the 8-years proposed by Governor Branstad. Baudler told KJAN News it’s imperative action be taken soon to reduce the tax rate.

He says if something isn’t done this year, “Residential property tax could follow Ag-land up unbelievably high.” He says the tax on 50% of property valuation on residential properties could go up to 62% very quickly, and 75% over the next few years. He says the public needs to be engaged in the process, and watching it “very close.” Sands’ plan would provide greater relief to small businesses, as called for in a plan proposed by Democrats. It would also provide relief for all property taxpayers by offering more state education aid and tying residential property tax increases to the rate of inflation.

Baulder says the effort is designed to make Iowa a State which is more “Industry friendly and Job friendly.”  He says he thinks this legislative session will be consumed by property tax reform, education reform, and mental health funding and reform. Baudler says he’s not on the committees handling the education issue, but his concern is that about every two-years, something has been done in the legislature to increase funding for education, but we’re “Not getting the bang for the buck.” He says Governor Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds have not mentioned how the nearly $25-million in increases would be paid for. Baudler says the legislature made progress on turning the State’s spending problem around last year, and they have to be careful where they come up with the money, so it doesn’t affect businesses on “Main Street.”

Baudler says there’s something new this year: The public can watch House proceedings on the web, when the legislature is in session, so you can follow the progress on bills and other action being taken or discussed.  To view the proceedings, log in to https://www.legis.iowa.gov/index.aspx and click on the link to “New – Live House video.”  He says there are six-cameras in the house, which will focus on whichever microphone is on, and the speaker. There is a link also to focus on the amendments and a bill at the same time. If two people are speaking during a question and answer-type event, they will appear on a split-screen. Baulder says it’s an effort to grant transparency to what the House is doing. The Senate he adds, has not agreed to similar measures. He says the cameras are an interesting concept which cost the State about $30,000, with the remaining cost picked up by a $100,000 grant.

w/ Chris Parks

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department reported on Friday afternoon the removal of an old AT&T tower from the property of Mark Blair of Stanton.  Blair had Atlantic Recycling take the tower down at about 3:27pm Friday.  The legs were cut so it would fall in the field south of the property.  The tower came down without incident and the metal will be scrapped.