Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Megan Roberts reports the deadline to nominate someone for the annual Angels of Christmas awards has been extended until December 2nd. Each year, the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce and Stifel Nicolaus sponsor the awards to give thanks and recognize area residents who symbolize the true meaning of the season.

Roberts says the awards are given for a number of reasons:  Angels may give in the true Christmas spirit all year long, put others before self, are very generous, or are just madly in love with the holidays and show it in some way. Roberts said. “We usually have multiple nominations for recipients because there are so many out there who have been affected by the recipient’s holiday spirit.”

Nominations are submitted in writing to the Chamber by the first Friday in December, from which two are designated as Angels of Christmas. The honor is bestowed during the Christmas in Atlantic Holiday Concert, this year being held on December 10th at 7 p.m., at the First United Methodist Church of Atlantic. Angels of Christmas receive AtlantiCash and an angel figurine in appreciation for their positive attitude of giving.

Examples of past recipients include Dr. Keith Swanson, Eleanor Hoover, Bart & Bev Webb, and the Caring for Cole Club. To nominate an Angel, submit a brief essay by December 2nd, to the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 102 Chestnut Street in person, through the mail, or by e-mail to chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) — A Sergeant Bluff woman has been charged with drunken and reckless driving after police say she hit a man with her SUV outside a bar in Onawa. As we told you Saturday morning on KJAN and on kjan.com,  44-year-old Kimberly Heberer was arrested early Saturday morning after police say climbed she from the back seat of a parked SUV into the driver’s seat, and backed up the vehicle, which ran into 25-year-old Manuel Anton, of Blencoe. The incident took place during a verbal altercation in an alley behind a local bar. 

Anton, who was standing behind the SUV when he was hit,  was taken to a local hospital before being transferred to a hospital in Sioux City. Police say the investigation is continuing and that additional charges may be filed. Officials with the Monona County jail say Heberer has been released from custody.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The mayors of Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, have settled a friendly wager over the Nebraska-Iowa football game. To mark the Cornhuskers’ 20-7 win over the Hawkeyes on Friday, Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan, his staff and Habitat for Humanity in Council Bluffs will build a house in Omaha. Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle says Monday the construction will start Dec. 17 – and he and Omaha volunteers will lend a hand. Suttle will also collect household items for a family moving into a Habitat for Humanity house in Council Bluffs on Dec. 10.

The mayors placed the bet on Nov. 18 on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River. If Iowa had won, Suttle would have headed to Council Bluffs to build a house.

Atlantic Police report two accidents occurred over the holiday weekend, one of which resulted in minor injuries. An accident Thursday afternoon at 8th and Mulberry Streets caused $3,700 damage, but no one was hurt. Officials say a vehicle driven by Christina Russell, of Atlantic, was backing out of a parking stall at the Valley View Apartments, when her car struck the passenger side of a vehicle traveling west on 8th Street. The driver of the other vehicle was identified as Calvin Krause, of Atlantic. Russell was cited for moving a vehicle backward onto a highway.

The second accident happened Saturday morning near the Nishna Valley YMCA. Authorities say vehicles driven by Austin Van Aernam and Anne Darrow, of Atlantic, were traveling south on Linn Street  just before 8-a.m., and approaching the entrance to the YMCA. Van Aernam failed to stop in time, and ran into the back of Darrow’s vehicle, causing a total of $3,100 damage. Darrow, and a passenger in her car complained of neck pain and were checked out by Medivac personnel, but refused transport to the hospital. Van Aernam was cited by police for Failure to Maintain Control.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say the bobcat quota has been filled and the season is closed, as of 11 a.m., today (Monday). There is a grace period for trappers to report any animals to a conservation officer and receive their proper tags.  The grace period officially ends at midnight Nov. 29th.  The grace period only applies to trappers to allow time to move their traps from areas likely frequented by bobcats.  Hunters are not allowed a grace period. 

Bobcats trapped after the grace period must be turned over to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested on drug charges Friday following a traffic stop. Taken into custody on charges of OWI 1st Offense, Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd or Subsequent Offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving Under Suspension, was 28-year old Jason Andrew Miller, of Atlantic.  And, 32-year old Ryan Vincent Lee Richards, of Elk Horn, NE, was arrested on charges of Possession of Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Both men were taken to the Cass County Jail where they were released on their own recognizance the next day.

Griswold School District Superintendent Dana Kunze said today that the students and staff at the Lewis Elementary building were evacuated for a short time this morning, after a strange, unidentified smell was noticed in and around the building.  The smell was first noticed at around 10-a.m. Kunze says following the procedure for a gas leak evacuation, the students and staff walked to a safe location to await the investigation of the elementary school to be complete.

An employee of Black Hills Energy arrived within minutes,  and eliminated the possibility a natural gas leak had occurred. With the building cleared and the odor having dissipated students and staff were allowed to return to the building at 10:45-a.m. Kunze says the source of the odor was a combination of “agriculturally-related,” and a dry drain. He says when drains dry-up, the trap system doesn’t work as it should, so there was an internal smell.

Kunze says the evacuation went perfectly. Parents were notified of the incident through the school’s text message alert system.

Authorities in Pottawattamie County are asking for your help in locating the person or persons responsible for a break-in early Friday morning at the Oakland Pharmacy. Sheriff Jeff Danker says an alarm was activated at the business at 12:22-a.m.  Missing from the pharmacy were the painkillers Morphine, Methadone, and Oxycodone. Danker told KJAN News it appears the persons responsible for the break-in only wanted the narcotics, because they targeted those items and left as quickly as possible.

No other items or cash were taken. Danker says the burglar made entry to the store through the front door. Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call the Pott County Sheriff’s Office at 712-890-2200.  The sheriff suspects the culprits may try to sell the drugs, as opposed to using them for their personal benefit.

An early morning raid Sunday at a residence in rural Guthrie County resulted in one arrest and the confiscation of methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports 53-year old Dennis Carroll Glenn was arrested on felony charges of: Manufacturing Methamphetamine/5-grams or less; Possession of a Controlled Substance/Meth – 3rd offense; Possession of a precursor/Lithium; Possession of a precursor/Anhydrous ammonia, and Possession of a precursor/Pseudoephedrine.  Glenn also faces aggravated misdemeanor charges of Possession of Marijuna/3rd offense, Probited Acts, and a simple misdemeanor charge of Possession of drug paraphernalia. He was being held in the Guthrie County Jail on $100,000 bond.

The arrest followed the execution of a search warrant at Glenn’s residence about 5-miles southwest of Guthrie Center. The search was conducted by deputies with the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office and Reserves, Guthrie Center Police, the Audubon County K-9 unit, and Greene County Sheriff’s deputies.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests and a couple of accidents took place over the past few weeks. Most recently (November 20th), 34-year old David Allen Keeton, of Sidney, was arrested on 2 counts of simple domestic abuse/simple assault, and obstruction of emergency communications charges.  Keeton appeared in court November 21st and was released on bond.

That same day, Jacob Welchans, of Farragut, suffered minor injuries during an accident on Manti Road. Officials say Welchans was driving a 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser east on Manti Road, when he swerved to miss a deer. The vehicle entered a ditch and rolled once, coming to rest on its top. Welchans was transported to the Shenandoah Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.