(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa State University economist says there was a whole lot of uncertainty in the hog market well before last week’s Supreme Court opinion on pork production. The court ruled California may require that any pork sold in California must come from pigs that are the offspring of sows that had enough room to turn around in a livestock barn. I-S-U Extension livestock economist Lee Schulz says some producers have already retrofitted or built new confinements. Others may not be able to afford it.

“Pork producers are having some of the largest losses in 25 years. You have to go back to 1998 to see losses this large,” Schulz says. “…We’re already seeing contraction in the industry.” There could be an opportunity for businesses that make and install the metal enclosures for sows, but Schulz says given the labor market, finding enough employees to do the work will be challenge.

“Not only the availability of labor, but the cost of labor also is kind of a prohibitatnt when we think about having to make large changes on farms to both buildings and equipment,” Schulz says. California produces just one percent of U.S. pork. However, Californians consume 15 percent of all the bacon and other pork products sold in the country.

“The adjustments will have to take place outside the state of California. Where those exactly take place are still to be determined,” Schulz says. “Certainly there will be an impact here because of the size of Iowa’s pork production.” Nearly a third of the nation’s hogs are raised in Iowa. Schulz says Iowa swine operations that have already adjusted to California’s new rules will get higher premiums for their pigs in the near term.

“Likely they are the lower cost producers that would enable them to do that,” Schulz says. “A lot of times it’d be the larger producers. There are economies of scale in pork production, so if I have per unit lower costs, I am able to make some of those transitions a bit quicker.”

A court injunction that has prevented pig production rules for pork sold in California from taking effect will expire July 1st. The U.S. Humane Society says the Supreme Court made it clear preventing animal cruelty is a core function of state governments and California will have the strongest animal welfare law in the country.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – A subject wanted in connection with a stolen vehicle was arrested Monday afternoon when he was recognized in the parking lot of a Council Bluffs grocery store. Council Bluffs Police officers responded to assist a Pottawattamie County deputy who identified the suspect in a stolen pickup truck.

Jake Flynn

The vehicle pulled into the Mega Saver at 9th Ave. and S. 36th St. The deputy positively identified 38-year-old Jake Flynn, of Council Bluffs, as he exited the truck and entered the convenience store. Flynn had four warrants for his arrest (2 felony and 2 misdemeanor warrants). Flynn had barricaded himself in the cooler inside the store. Council Bluffs Police negotiators responded, as well as the Council Bluffs Police emergency services team. After approximately two and a half hours, Flynn was taken into custody. There were no injuries as a result of this incident.

Flynn was charged with Theft 1st and Criminal Mischief 1st in addition to the warrants for his arrest.

The Council Bluffs Police Department would like to thank the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement for their assistance in bringing this incident to a peaceful ending.

(Radio Iowa) – Police are investigating the death of an 18-year-old whose body was found in an eastern Iowa river. Two teenagers camping in the Ben Martinsen Wildlife Area called for help Saturday morning and told first responders their friend was missing from the campsite. Clinton County deputies, firefighters from the small town of Low Moor and an off-duty Camanche firefighter started searching the area, which is a floodplain along the Wapsipinicon River.

They brought in a drone and a K-9 unit from Clinton Police. The body of the missing camper was found in the backwaters of the river about an hour later.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Parks and Rec Board met Monday evening at the Parks & Rec Building on Sunnyside Lane. Director Wyatt Adderton reports that the Sunnyside Pool water slide is in need of removal due to safety issues.

Unfortunately, the new water slide likely won’t be installed before the swimming season ends, due to paperwork and supply chain issues.

He says the State is very stringent on how they review those those types of permits and what’s required. Adderton said also, they’re using “Plan B,” with regard to the pool painting project.

Also with regard to the Sunnyside Pool, Wyatt Adderton said Lifeguard recruitment continues.

Atlantic Parks & Rec Board, 5/15/23 (Ric Hanson/Photo)

He said the sign-up incentive seems to have helped draw additional interest in becoming a Lifeguard. Unfortunately, because a number of the Lifeguards still need to be certified, it’s unlikely the pool won’t be open by Memorial Day weekend, as hoped, but more likely the week after.

In other business, Wyatt said 11 of the 12 raised garden beds at Mollett Park are rented. The 12th raised bed is being withheld from renting for now, until some plants can be moved out.

Vermeer has donated five trees which were planted at Sunnyside Park, and as we’ve mentioned, Rolling Hills Bank & Trust in Atlantic donated $2,000 toward the purchase of trees including cherry, pear and apple. A total of 26 trees were planted thanks to the cash donation. Some were planted by the boat ramp near the water treatment plant, the bulk were planted at Sunnyside Park, with a scattering planted at Mollett Park.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic School Board will meet in a special session at 8-a.m. Wednesday, to act on issuing a contract to an individual who will succeed Sarah Sheeder as School Business Official (SBO)/School Board Secretary. Their meeting takes place in the District Central Office at the Achievement Center.

Sarah Sheeder announced in April that she was resigning effective the end of this month, to take a similar position with the AC/GC School District.

Earlier this month, the School Board announced the hiring of Interim Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen, who replaces Superintendent Steve Barber, whose resignation is effective June 30,2023. Barber announced his resignation in early April, as well.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Atlantic Community School District (ACSD), today (Monday), issued a statement introducing Dr. Beth Johnsen, ACSD’s new Interim Superintendent.  Dr. Johnsen is currently serving as an Interim Superintendent at Thayer Central Schools in Nebraska. Prior to serving the Thayer Central School District, Dr. Johnsen was a Superintendent for 10 years at Conestoga Public Schools, in Southeast Nebraska.

Dr. Johnsen and her husband, Ben, live in Underwood, IA where her husband is “a farmer through and through!” Dr. Johnson and Ben have 5 children and 15 grandchildren, with one more grandchild on the way. Their children Casey, Sam, Max, Julie, and Charlee all live within about an hours distance from Beth and Ben – which makes their wish of spending intentional time with their children and grandchildren an obtainable task!

Dr. Johnsen’s character is best described as a leader of leaders – something she calls herself, as well as many in the industry have come to know about her after having the privilege to work with her. “Working with Dr. Johnsen is an empowering and energizing experience! She is hard working, extremely talented, and incredible at what she does. She is not afraid of hard work, tough conversations, or to make decisions the bring forth necessary change! She brings joy and encouragement with her everywhere she goes – we will miss her greatly!” – said a current staff member of Thayer Schools who wished to remain anonymous but was eager to express their feelings about Dr. Johnsen.

Under the notion as a ‘leader of leaders’, Dr. Johnsen is eager to jump right in to all that is already happening and all that
needs accomplished within the Atlantic Community School District. “I really believe districts are transformed by  empowering the leaders of every department. Beyond that I will encourage those leaders to create leaders through their individual departments, all the way out and in to the classroom! When we are empowered to own our roles, to build up new leaders, and to better ourselves as individuals, our district will thrive!” Expressed Dr. Johnsen.

Dr. Johnsen understands the climate and culture of a district is a critical component to the success of each Administrator, staff member, student, and parent involved with ACSD. “We will celebrate successes and learn from our failures. Because even when we fail, it means we tried; and trying is better than feeling frozen. It takes grit to succeed in education and we are going to dig deep as a district, learn what it means to have grit and then channel that together as a team. When we do that, when we work together for a common goal, we will be able to walk together toward all that is in store for the Atlantic Community School District. But we do it all as one – together!”

Dr. Johnsen was offered a two year contract and her position officially begins July 1, 2023

(Radio Iowa) – A scientist who’s monitored Iowa’s water quality in the public and private sectors for 36 years is retiring this week, while also publishing a book about what he says are the reasons our waterways are dying. Chris Jones has run the state’s largest water sensor system at the University of Iowa’s Institute of Hydraulic Research the past eight years. Jones says we need common-sense regulation of corn and soybean production with regard to its environmental outcomes.

“We ask the taxpayer to mitigate the pollution from the system while at the same time giving farmers and the industry at large license to do whatever they want on the field,” Jones says. “You know, this is just not going to work. It’s a perverse approach to it.” In his book, “The Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality,” Jones says Iowa has devoted the equivalent of 20 counties solely to growing corn that’s used to make ethanol.

“Is that contributing to the common good? Well, there’s a lot of evidence that ethanol production does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions, for example, and there’s some evidence that it actually increases greenhouse gas emissions. So why are we doing this?” Jones asks. “We need to take a look at that land area again, which is 20% of our state.” Jones suggests the solution to the long-running water pollution problems may also lie in diversifying what we grow in Iowa. He says we only have two species covering the majority of our fertile cropland — corn and soybeans.

“We need diversity on our farms. We need more and different crops. We need different systems of animal production,” Jones says. “That’s just the bottom line here. If we want these nice things, nice lakes, nice rivers, nice air and so forth, we need to look at the entire system and what can we do to transform it to something else?” Jones hopes the book finds wide appeal, as he says it’s important that people — politicians, farmers, industry leaders and everyone else — know the truth about what’s happening to our Iowa’s water, and to that “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico.

“I’m 62 years old. The water has been bad here my entire life,” Jones says. “Has that been explained to anybody why that is the case in any sort of detail? I don’t think it has. I’m trying to reach the person on the street. I think this condition only changes if there’s grassroots demand for that change, and so that’s my audience.”

The book is being published by North Liberty-based Ice Cube Press.

(Atlantic, Iowa) —The Atlantic Public Library has been selected as one of 240 libraries to participate in Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an American Library Association (ALA) initiative that provides community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities. The competitive award comes with a $20,000 grant that will help the library address accessibility concerns in the building.

“I am thrilled to be chosen for this opportunity,” said Michelle Andersen, director of the library. “This grant will allow our library to connect with people of all abilities while addressing issues with elevator reliability.”

As part of the grant, Andersen will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. She will then host a conversation with residents about physical accessibility inside the library. “I wrote the grant to help pay for elevator modernization to lessen the burden for the city but we’ll host community conversations first to hear from our public if the elevator should be our highest priority right now.”

Atlantic Public Library

Andersen continued, “The training and resources that come with the grant are really opening my eyes to ways we can further serve people with disabilities. Our library will definitely benefit from this grant beyond the initial project.”

The first conversation is scheduled for Tuesday, June 6 at 10:30 am. People with mobility accommodation needs are especially encouraged to attend. If you are interested in getting involved or for more information, please contact Michelle Andersen at atlanticpubliclibrary@gmail.com or 243-5466 ext.3.

Since 2014, ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative has re-imagined the role libraries play in supporting communities. Libraries of all types have utilized free dialogue and deliberation training and resources to lead community and campus forums; take part in anti-violence activities; provide a space for residents to come together and discuss challenging topics; and have productive conversations with civic leaders, library trustees and staff.

(Radio Iowa) – An Eastern Iowa native finally got to walk down the aisle in the graduation ceremony at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon this weekend — eight decades after getting his degree in music. Fred Taylor he wasn’t able to attend his ceremony the first time because he left school to serve during World War Two in the United States Army Air Corps. Taylor is 101 and told K-C-R-G T-V the ceremony brought everything full circle.

Taylor is a Springville, Iowa native who now lives in California. He joined the Army Air Corps Reserve shortly after Pearl Harbor and was unable to attend graduation after being sent to training in 1943. Taylor went on to teach music in Iowa and California after the war.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Nishna Valley YMCA Executive Director Dan Haynes, today (Monday), announced “Effective immediately the Nishna Valley Family YMCA has made the decision to stop accepting NEW families for services at the Ann W. Wickman Child Development Center, until further notice.”

Haynes said in a letter to the community that “As a community rooted in strong collaborations, we are confident that if we sit down together with community agencies, the Wickman center, and the Atlantic Community School District, we can identify a Win/Win/Win situation for the families we all serve. With the pending loss of space at the School’s Early Learning Center building, either in December of 2023 or later, the Wickman operation will have to work to downsize our overall capacity to fit into the constraints of the Wickman building. We will continue to provide service to our current families and the unborn babies who we have already committed to.”

“In the short term,” Haynes said, “we will work to move our oldest kids from the Wickman building and serve them in an alternate space in the community. This is contingent on finding a space that can meet the stringent requirement from the fire marshal and Department of Human Services. If this can be done, it will only be on a 1-2 year temporary basis as the YMCA Board cannot afford to operate childcare at three locations or have families drive around to multiple locations to pick up and drop off their children. By not taking new families over those two years, we will be able to shrink our capacity back to a number that we can fit into the Wickman building.

“We realize that this will place a burden on families living here that need care, families trying to move to town, as well as employers trying to hire new workers into our communities. We hope that as a community, we can come together to find a long-term childcare solution that will support current families in our area and be inviting to potential families that are looking to call Cass County their home.

“For the long term,: Haynes said, “the YMCA Board is open to discussions with any individuals or organizations who want to tackle this opportunity together. We appreciate everyone’s past support and hope to work with all of you to help strengthen and grow Atlantic and Cass County.”