You’re invited to join Cass County Conservation Staff at the Schildberg Recreation Area- Lake #4, on Saturday, January 5th, 2019 for the annual “Soiree with the Swans.” Conservation Staff will be giving ten-minute presentations regarding the Trumpeter Swans every half-hour beginning at 11:00 a.m., with the last one being presented at 2:00 p.m. There will also be time to view the swans through spotting scopes and witness random swan feeding sessions. Hot chocolate, cookies, grilled hotdogs, and other snacks will be provided free of charge with donations being accepted (for swan care).

The Schildberg Recreation Area is located on the northwest edge of Atlantic, Lake 4 is on the north side of Highway 83. IF THE WEATHER IS “BAD” OR THE SWANS ARE NOT AT THE PARK…the program will be held at the Atlantic Public Library Jan/ 5th, from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. with a light lunch available. The event is being sponsored by the Cass County Conservation Board, Atlantic Parks and Recreation, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and the Atlantic Public Library.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg made scheduled stops around southwest Iowa, Tuesday. Their final visit was to the Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company, late Tuesday afternoon. The Governor covered a wide array of topics in her meeting with the Tyler family, owners of the plant, and other local dignitaries. She said she will deliver her “Condition of the State” (COS) address in front of the Legislature on January 15^th, where she will layout the program her administration wants to see move forward.

One of the things she and the legislature will tackle, is the availability and quality of Iowa’s Workforce. Reynolds said additional funding is needed for Future Ready Iowa initiative so other programs can be better served that will build skills and the knowledge needed to fill many jobs in the Trades sector. She will also speak during her COS message, about the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative. Reynolds established the three-fold initiative by executive order in July. “Those three areas are to connect, grow and connect.” Reynolds said. “We can’t grow and we can;t keep young people in our young people in our communities if they can’t get on the phone and utilize it the manner that they’re accustomed to.” As part of her plan to grow rural Iowa, Reynolds said the Investing in Rural Iowa Task Force, the Growing Rural Iowa Task Force and the Connecting Rural Iowa Task Force held idea summits in six rural locations around Iowa. During those meetings, they took into consideration ideas submitted by task force members and the public.

Representative Tom Shipley, from Nodaway, reminded the Governor, that part of the plan for growing rural Iowa, should not include moving the Iowa DOT District 4 Office from Atlantic to Council Bluffs. Several meetings have already been held on the matter, and several letters have been sent from various area governmental groups to the Legislature and the Governor, against a long-range proposal to move the associated engineering jobs to Council Bluffs. Shipley, and Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Executive Chairman Jim Tyler left no doubt on what their position was. Shipley said he will never go along with a plan like that., Tyler said that “It might not be important in Des Moines, but it’s damned important in Atlantic I can tell ya, and it’s important in Union County, in Adams County, in Ringgold County, all those counties.” That’s because they don’t want to have to travel to Council Bluffs to submit their soil samples and other technical services. They want the Office to stay in Atlantic because it is centrally located. Reynolds said “We’ll take a look at it.”

Reynolds also said the legislature needs to figure out how to sustain Comprehensive Mental Health Care reform that was passed last year, and the establishment of a Children’s Mental Health System. She said also they will endeavor to get SSA (School Supplemental Assistance) rates set within the first 30 days. Districts factor-in State Aid when trying to determine their budgets each year. She said the issue won’t be “kicked down the road” as a bargaining tool, as it has been in years past, causing districts to be in a budget crisis.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines massage therapy businesses will need to obtain a license or close under a new city ordinance designed to fight prostitution and human trafficking. The Des Moines Register reports the City Council this week unanimously approved a measure requiring massage therapy businesses to have a state license or shut down. Officials made the move because of concern that unregulated massage businesses were centers for prostitution and human trafficking. Other Iowa cities have taken similar actions, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Coralville and the Des Moines suburbs of Johnston and Urbandale.

Des Moines Police Chief Dana Wingert says police have a list of business suspected of illegal actions that officers will begin checking. The ordinance takes effect immediately.

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

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DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested a teacher suspected of being drunk at her school in Dubuque. Dubuque County court records say 38-year-old Erin Ellerbach, of Asbury, was taken into custody Monday afternoon at Jefferson Middle School. A Dubuque officer sent to the school reported that she had slurred speech, red and watery eyes and smelled of alcohol. A subsequent test showed she had a blood alcohol level of nearly three times the legal limit for driving.

Ellerbach’s charged with public intoxication. The records also say school officials found cans of flavored alcoholic beverages in her office. School district spokesman Mike Cyze says Ellerbach has resigned her position.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston report four arrests. At around 1:30-a.m. today (Wednesday), Creston Police arrested 21-year old Adam Austin, of Creston, for Public Intoxication/3rd offense. Austin was being held in the Union County Jail on a $2,000 bond. Just before 8-p.m. Tuesday, 28-year old Brandon Hansberry, of Mobile, AL., was arrested in Creston for Possession of a Controlled Substance. He was later released on a $1,000 bond.

At around 4:35-p.m. Tuesday, 33-year old Jose’ Huerta, of Prescott, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant for Aggravated Theft in the 1st degree. His bond was set at $2,000. And, at around 1:30-p.m. Tuesday, 31-year old Lansey Cheramie, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Barred. His bond was set at $2,000.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A March trial has been scheduled for Mason City woman accused of filing false health insurance claims for her family. Cerro Gordo County court records say 34-year-old Amber Griffin entered written pleas of not guilty last week to four counts of insurance fraud-presenting false information and one of theft. Her trial is set to begin March 12.

Criminal complaints say Griffin submitted two fraudulent claims in October 2016 and one each in November and December that year. Each said a family member had been treated at a local medical facility. The complaints also said she submitted false medical records with the claims.

(Radio Iowa) — Licenses are now on sale for the paddlefish season on the Missouri and Big Sioux rivers. The D-N-R fisheries expert for the area, Chris Larson says there are a couple of options for getting a license. You can purchase one tag now through December 31st. There are 950 resident or 50 non-resident licenses and if there are any left over you can purchase a second tag from January 1st through January 7th. A resident license sells for 25 dollars and 50 cents and a nonresident license is 49 dollars. You must also have a valid Iowa fishing license. Larson says there usually are enough licenses for everyone who wants one. “The first year we sold almost 800 of the thousand that are available — but the last couple of years we’ve sold right around 400. You should be able to get one — obviously there’s no guarantee — but we have not sold out since we started the season in 2015,” according to Larson.

Paddlefish are caught by snagging them as they swim on the bottom of the river. He says they’ve made some changes to try and get more people interested. One change involves the rules that required you to throw back any rough fish you snagged while trying to get a paddlefish. “Anglers were upset about that and they also wanted a longer season,” Larson says. “So, we open the season earlier, its going to open February second through the 30th of April, which is an earlier start than when we started the season five years ago. You can also snag rough fish and keep those as well. So if you want some common carp or Asian carp for table fare,” he explains.  It’s the second year for the adjustments that are aimed at bringing back those who tried paddlefishing and didn’t stay with it. He says hopefully the people who were upset about not keeping the rough fish will come back out.

Larson says you have to be specific in where you are looking for the paddlefish. He says the fish in the winter will be found in the slow-moving deep water and the only place you can find that is the holes behind the wing dikes where the fish overwinter. You a limited to catching one fish when you purchase a paddlefish tag. “You have to put the tag on the jaw — and as soon as you are out of tags you have to stop snagging. If you only have one tag and you snag a paddlefish and you are going to harvest it, you are done. You can also continue to snag the paddlefish and release them as well,” Larson says.

You can find out more about the paddlefish season by going to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources website at: www.iowadnr.gov.

(Radio Iowa) — Forest City-based Winnebago Industries has withdrawn its common stock listing from the Chicago Stock Exchange. A company announcement said the move would save administrative costs. Over the past year, just one-tenth of a percent of Winnebago’s trading volume has been done in the Chicago Stock Exchange. Winnebago will continue to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. It is traded under the symbol W-G-O (WGO).

A share of Winnebago stock was selling for 19-dollars-and-96-cents ($19.96) when the New York Stock Exchange closed yesterday. Winnebago’s announcement indicated the company’s listing on the Chicago exchange will end by December 31st.