(Cass County, Iowa) – Atlantic, Massena, and Anita are all hosting mobile food pantries in October. These will be the last mobile food pantry distributions for 2023. A mobile pantry is a traveling food pantry that delivers food directly to families in need for a one-day distribution. People from surrounding towns and communities are welcome. Mobile food pantries are available free of charge. Anyone in need is welcome, and no documentation is required. Each car can take food for up to two households at a time. Both Atlantic and Massena will be distributing the same food products. If supplies run low in Massena, families will be directed to Atlantic. Full details about the October Mobile Pantries are listed below:

Atlantic Mobile Food Pantry- Wednesday, October 11

Time: 4-6 p.m.

Location: Cass County Community Center (805 W. 10th St., Atlantic, IA 50022)- enter from 10th street near the tennis courts and follow signs

Massena Mobile Food Pantry- Wednesday, October 11

Where: Southwest Iowa Egg Coop (74877 Clarke Ave. Massena, IA 50853) Enter from the west and drive across the scale for pick up. Time: 4:30-5:00 p.m.

Time: 4:30-5:00 p.m.

Anita Mobile Food Pantry- Wednesday, October 18

Where: Anita Food Pantry (208 Chestnut Street, Anita IA 50020)

Time: 4:00-6:00 PM

Mobile pantry dates, times, and locations are subject to change. For the latest information on mobile pantries in Anita and Atlantic, visit https://foodbankheartland.org/food-resources/find-food/. For the latest information on Massena pantries, call (712) 779-3447. For information on upcoming events and local food, farmers markets, and food access activities, follow the Cass County Local Food Policy Council’s Facebook page @CassCountyLocalFood.

(Radio Iowa) – With cases of COVID-19 rising again, the federal government has re-started its program of offering Americans free at-home testing kits. A health official says Iowans should double-check the expiration date on any older kits they have before throwing them out — and before using them. Brian Benson, executive director of UnityPoint Health’s Pharmacy Department, says the solution you mix with the swab or the indicator panel could go bad over time. “You might get a false positive, meaning, it could indicate that you have COVID when you don’t, or you could get a false negative where it would say you don’t have COVID and you do,” Benson says, “so the accuracy could be suspect.”

The feds are now offering up to four at-home rapid tests to each household that requests them, though the tests do expire after a number of months. Benson says if you’re not sure how old your COVID test might be, don’t use it. “If there’s a question on the test and you can’t find any data, and it’s been sitting in your closet for a while or your cupboard for a while,” Benson says, “it’s probably best to, when in doubt, throw it out and get a brand new one and use that.”

The Food and Drug Administration’s website (fda.gov) has a section that indicates whether expiration dates on various tests have been extended. Order the free tests at: COVIDTests.gov.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood say a woman was arrested Thursday. 35-year-old Amanda Elrod, of Glenwood, was arrested for Child Endangerment, Interference with Official Acts, and Possession of a Weapon. She was being held in the Mills County Jail on a $12,300 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Knoxville is known as the Sprint Car Capitol of the World, but this Saturday the action with be in the skies. Airport manager Katherine Shawver says they have a good lineup for their airshow, including performers that have performed and in some of the largest air shows in the world.

The airshow itself is at 4:30 p-m, but there are a lot of events leading up to it. There’s a family festival and that’s from one to 4:30, and they are also hosting Fly Iowa this year. She says pilots from around the state, and some from out of state will participate in Fly Iowa. The events are free and open to the public.

(Iowa DNR News) – Fall colors are starting to tinge the forest canopy. The DNR is now sharing the first fall color report of 2023. Fall color started early in northeast Iowa, most likely due to the drought. Lots of vibrant colors from sugar maple, sumac, Virginia creeper, ash, walnut, basswood and cottonwood. Some buckeyes are turning red in north central Iowa. Hard maples are turning yellow and orange in northwest Iowa. Walnut and cottonwood are turning yellow. Roadside sumacs are bright red and crimson in central Iowa. Walnut, cottonwood, and hackberry are becoming yellow. Virginia creeper vines are bright red.

Walnut, elm and cottonwood are showing yellow; some are already losing their leaves in southeast Iowa. Poison ivy, sumac and Virginia creeper are turning bright red. Poison ivy and Virginia creeper vines are turning bright red in south central Iowa. Walnut and cottonwood have turned yellow; some are already losing their leaves.

Fall color is a week ahead of last year in west central Iowa. Some shrubs and trees are starting to turn on the drier slopes. Lots of fall prairie flowers in bloom. Walnut and cottonwood are starting to turn yellow in southwest Iowa. Dogwoods are turning purple, plums are reddish pink, and drought stressed sumac is starting to turn red. With all of Iowa’s beautiful state parks and wooded areas, there are so many places to get your fall color fix. Plan your autumn excursions today!

Get outside this fall!
Autumn brings a welcoming crispness to the air. Fun abounds statewide for those in search of color and good times outdoors. From fall festivals to apple orchards, Iowa has many fall activities to celebrate local traditions and create memories with your family. Start planning your autumn excursions today with these great resources:

• Travel Iowa – lists of apple orchards and pumpkin patches, must-visit fall attractions, fall festivals, scenic drives and more
• MyCountyParks.com – attend a fun fall program for the whole family at a local county park
• Iowa State Park Passport- discover your new favorite parks, check in to track your progress and earn prizes

It’s easy to add fall color to your yard. Iowa DNR, through a partnership with the USDA Forest Service, is offering a mixture of hardwoods, low-growing ornamental and evergreen tree species for $25 each.  All Iowa residents can purchase up to two trees to be picked up at the following locations:

Tuesday, October 3, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Jefferson County Conservation (2003 Libertyville Rd, Fairfield)
Thursday, October 12, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Swan Lake State Park Nature Center (22676 Swan Lake Drive, Carroll)
Tuesday, October 17, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Fort Des Moines Park (7200 SE 5th St, Des Moines)
Submit an order form, available online, to reserve your trees.

(Creston, Iowa) –  A woman from New York was arrested at around 8-a.m. Thursday, in Creston. According to the Creston Police Department, 30-year-old Davia Douchell Morrison, of Watervliet, NY, was arrested at 116 East Adams, in Creston. Morrison was charged with Trespass 1st Offense, Disorderly Conduct, and Interference with Official Acts. She was taken to Adams County Jail.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Council Bluffs Police Criminal Investigation Division Captain Todd Weddum says that beginning on Monday, September 25th, 2023, the Council Bluffs Police Department (CBPD) began receiving reports that residents in the Council Bluffs area were being targeted by a group of suspects who were posing as law enforcement officers in order to fraudulently obtain money. The suspects used technology to “spoof” their phone numbers and make it appear that citizens were receiving calls from a legitimate law enforcement agency.

Once on the phone, the suspects identified themselves as local law enforcement officers and aggressively told victims that they had warrants for their arrest and that they needed to meet these “officers” to pay “bail money” in order to stay out of jail. It appears that the thieves targeted multiple people in the medical profession. In the days that followed, investigators believe that these same suspects perpetrated this same scam in multiple jurisdictions in Iowa, including Council Bluffs, Carroll, Sioux City and Iowa City.

The CBPD, in cooperation with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), are requesting that anyone who may have been contacted by persons claiming to be law enforcement and asking for bail money contact investigators to make a report. Citizens of Council Bluffs can call 712‐890‐5400, Option 5 to make a report. Outside of Council Bluffs, citizens can call
the Iowa DCI at 712‐322‐1585.

As a reminder, law enforcement officers will not contact you by phone and attempt to arrange for payment to clear an arrest warrant.

(Washington, D-C) – The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) has announced that U.S. Army Air Forces 2^nd Lt. Max E. Dailey, 21, of Cherokee, Iowa, killed during World War II was accounted for June 22, 2023.

2nd Lt. Max E. Dailey, U-S Army Air Force (DPAA photo)

In the summer of 1943, Dailey served with the 409th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 93rd Bombardment Group (Heavy), 9th Air Force. On Aug. 1, 1943, the B-24 Liberator aircraft on which Dailey was serving as a navigator, crashed as a result of enemy anti-aircraft fire during Operation TIDAL WAVE, the largest bombing mission against the oil fields and refineries at Ploiesti, north of Bucharest, Romania. His remains were not identified following the war. The remains that could not be identified were buried as Unknowns in the Hero Section of the Civilian and Military Cemetery of Bolovan, Ploiesti, Prahova, Romania.

Following the war, the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC), the organization that searched for and recovered fallen American personnel, disinterred all American remains from the Bolovan Cemetery for identification. The AGRC was unable to identify more than 80 unknowns from Bolovan Cemetery, and those remains were permanently interred at Ardennes American Cemetery and Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, both in Belgium.

In 2017, DPAA began exhuming unknowns believed to be associated with unaccounted-for airmen from Operation TIDAL WAVE losses. These remains were sent to the DPAA Laboratory for examination and identification. To identify Dailey’s remains, scientists from DPAA used anthropological analysis, as well as circumstantial evidence. Additionally, scientists from the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis and autosomal DNA (auSTR).

Dailey’s name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Florence American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site in Impruneta, Italy, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Dailey will be buried in Charles City, Iowa, on a date to be determined.

For family and funeral information, contact the Army Casualty Office at (800) 892-2490.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Here’s a reminder from the “Station where your friends are”: The ‘Tour de Parks’ free, community bicycle ride will take place this Sunday, October 1, 2023 at 2:00 PM. The ‘Tour de Parks’ bike ride around Atlantic will be a guided ride this year. The group ride will depart from Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th St. Atlantic, IA 50022) at 2:00 PM sharp. Nishna Valley Trails President Dave Chase and wife and Board Member Barb Chase will be leading the group ride on their tandem bicycle. Board Member Bruce Henderson and Rick Pellett will also assist with guiding the group.

Tour de Parks will stop at multiple parks throughout Atlantic where community organizations will greet riders and share information. The ride will end back at the Atlantic City Park where the Atlantic Kiwanis will be providing a free meal, Sarah Selders will be singing live, and additional community organizations will be sharing information and greeting riders. Tour de Parks participants can expect to ride on both trails and streets, as the ride is designed in part to highlight area trails and the bike-ability of the City of Atlantic. The full route is approximately 8 miles total with one small hill, but this year there will also be a shorter 6-mile option with no hills.

Participating organizations include Cass County Conservation, Nishna Valley Trails, Cass County Extension, Cass County Grow Another Row, Healthy Cass County, Cass County Master
Gardeners, Atlantic Kiwanis, Atlantic Rotary, and the Atlantic Lions Club.

Details:
Tour de Parks – Atlantic
Date: Sunday, October 1, 2023
Time: 2:00 PM start time. The ride will last until approximately 4:00 PM.
Location: The ride will start and end at Atlantic City Park (10 W. 7th St., Atlantic, IA 50022)
Who: Anyone who would like to bike around Atlantic and check out some great parks!
Cost/Registration: Free, no registration required!

Nishna Valley Trails is a tax-exempt local nonprofit that promotes the development of recreational trails and cycling. People who support these causes are welcome to join the group. For more information on Nishna Valley Trails or to join the organization, contact President Dave Chase at barbdavechase@gmail.com or 712-249-3059.

(Near St. Charles, Iowa) –  Two central Iowa sheriff’s deputies narrowly escaped injury after their patrol vehicles were struck by a semi. Officials with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post Thursday, “Early this [Thursday] morning, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office , alongside Martensdale, St. Mary’s, and New Virginia Fire & EMS, State Patrol, Iowa D.O.T, and the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, responded to a vehicle accident on Interstate 35 in Warren County.

“While attending to business, Sgt. Wilbur and Deputy Good’s Patrol Cruisers were struck by a semi at or near regular Interstate speed.” Officials said “Sgt. Wilbur and Deputy Good, thankfully, saw the semi coming and were able to flee to safety in time to avoid the unthinkable.” They added, “We are beyond blessed neither Deputy, nor any other First Responder on scene was injured or worse.” The Iowa State Patrol says the semi-truck driver who hit the squad cars was issued three citations, including failure to move over for an emergency vehicle.

The Sheriff’s Office offered this piece of advice to motorists: “Slow down, Move Over, Pay Attention… PLEASE! Our lives depend on it!” As we reported earlier, the initial crash on I-35 happened t around 2:30-a.m. Thursday, when a semi tractor trailer traveling northbound on I-35 near St. Charles, ran into the back of another semi tractor-trailer. The first semi-truck caught fire after the collision, which blocked the interstate, according to the Iowa State Patrol. The driver of the first semi-truck was injured and taken to a Des Moines hospital. The crash resulted in a part of the Interstate being closed for hours.

Warren County S/O Facebook photos