Anyone with an interest in tourism in Cass County is invited to attend the annual meeting of the
Cass County Tourism Committee. It will be held at the American Legion Memorial Building
(Atlantic Armory) on Monday, February 16. Light appetizers and networking begins at 5:30 p.m. in
the remodeled meeting room, with a short business meeting at 6:00 p.m.

The highlight of the evening will be a tour of the ground level of the building, featuring several
remodeled areas including the Military Museum, updated restrooms, and the future library and
kitchen areas.

After the First World War the veterans in Cass County were quick to organize an American
Legion Post on June 19, 1919. An Auxiliary followed in May of 1925. Discussions were underway in
1927 to find a place for the Legion to meet. A fund-raising campaign began September, 1928.
Work began May, 1929 even though all funds had not been raised. The plans now called for a banquet
hall seating 450 persons at tables, store rooms, offices and a rifle range for the National Guard,
a gymnasium equipped for basketball, volleyball, handball, boxing, wrestling, indoor baseball and
seating for 900 people at basketball games. The American Legion Memorial Building was ready for
use by February, 1930.

Planners of the Atlantic American Legion Memorial Building intended that the community could
put it to a variety of uses. Over the years it has been used by the public, by the school system,
organized groups and businesses.

The Legion Memorial Building was a popular place for regular and holiday dances with local
groups providing music. Lawrence Welk played for a dance and concert on December 9, 1936. The
admission price was 35 cents for women and 65 cents for men. The Harlem Globe Trotters played an
exhibition game there in 1937. An annual Christmas dance was a tradition by 1948.

Boy Scouts of Atlantic were granted use of the building and gymnasium in the original plans.
They continued to use the Building for many years including annual spring “lock downs”. Another
youth group, AWANA, met there for many years. Atlantic Archers practiced and held competitions
during winter months.

The Building was used for Works Progress Administration (WPA) training classes during the late
1930’s. According to some sources, it was the preferred place for settling bar disputes. An incident
would be resolved by having the involved parties report to the drill room the next Saturday for a
resolution.

Offices and meeting space for the Legion and Auxiliary were on the upper floor. Veterans began
meeting in other places in the 1950s. Current use includes a special room just for veterans’ groups
meetings. They also have storage space for their equipment. The space is also used by owners of the
building Atlantic Rock Island Society Enterprise (ARISE) for monthly meetings.

Police in Atlantic report the arrest on Saturday of 19-year old Matthew Paulsen, of Atlantic. Paulsen was taken into custody on a warrant for Failure to Appear. He was booked into the Cass County Jail.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Firefighters say they found a Sioux City man dead inside a burning car near a Des Moines church. According to a police report, 51-year-old Patrick James Murphy, II, was found dead Sunday night inside a Nissan Altima in the back of a church parking lot.

Fire officials say they found the car with the engine compartment on fire. They say they opened the driver’s door as the fire was being extinguished, where they discovered Murphy and determined he was dead. KCCI-TV reports a witness says she was watching TV when she heard a pop and whooshing sound outside. She says she saw the entire front of the vehicle engulfed in flames.

Police say the incident is being investigated. An autopsy has been planned.

A woman from Kansas was arrested Sunday night, after deputies responded a reported burglary in progress.

Misty Ann Whetstine

33-year old Misty Ann Whetstine, of Wathena, KS, was arrested at around 9-p.m. on a charge of Burglary in the 3rd Degree, and Tampering with a motor vehicle. She was taken into custody at 3285 316th Street in Page County, where Whetstine was allegedly attempting to start the resident’s vehicle without the keys.Whetstine was transported to the Page County Jail where she was being held on $2,000 bond.

A man from northern Iowa was arrested early Saturday morning, in Audubon County. Sheriff’s officials say 38-year old Judson Douglas Ollinger, of Humboldt, was arrested following  a traffic stop at around 12:30-a.m. on Highway 71. He’s been charged with OWI. Ollinger was later released from the Audubon County Jail, and ordered to appear in court on Feb. 12th.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – A middle school boy in Waterloo is showing his community how to give by celebrating his birthday at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. Ben Crandall, a Kingsley Elementary fifth-grader, will have his 11th birthday party at the food bank, where guests will bring donations of food and money in lieu of gifts. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that party guests will also help clean and organize the donations that will be distributed.

Crandall got the idea of a food bank birthday party after driving with his mother past a billboard that stated that one in five children does not know where his or her next meal is coming from. The message resonated with the young boy, who decided to give to others. Crandall’s classmates, his teacher, and his principal will be in attendance.

Members of the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund met with Atlantic Trojan Softball Coach Terry Hinzmann over the weekend, to present a check in the amount of $3,500. The funds will be used to purchase new softball uniforms for the girls this year. The girls old uniforms were showing quite a bit of wear and even sported their past name of Trojanns which changed within the last couple years.

Pictured: Grant Petty, Laena Frederickson, Terry Hinzmann and Melanie Petty

The mission of the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund is to fund things in the community that Trevor cared about. Foundation spokesperson Melanie Petty says the baseball/softball program at Atlantic High School was definitely a huge part of his life.

Petty says they are honored to do this for this program and look forward to watching them play this coming season. All funds are raised through the annual T-Fred Memorial Golf Tournament which will be held this year on Saturday, August 8th.

A traffic stop early this (Monday) morning in Clarinda resulted in the arrest of the driver, and a large quantity of what was believed to be marijuana, seized. Police Chief Keith Brothers says 24-year old Kevin Soy Ridnour, of Clarinda, was arrested at around 2-a.m. for felony possession following the traffic stop in the vicinity of 17th and Orange Streets. He was charged with intent to deliver a controlled substance believed to be marijuana, failure to have a drug tax stamp and suspicion of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance.

A large quantity of what is believed to be marijuana was found in the 1999 Oldsmobile Alero Ridnour was operating. He has since posted a $5,000 bond, and was released. Ridnour is scheduled to make an initial appearance before the Page County Magistrate at a later date.

Reports have been submitted to the Page County Attorney’s Office for review and the filing of formal charges.

The 8-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The owners of a restaurant in Creston reported the business was damaged by vandalism over the weekend. Creston Police say a window at The Windrow Restaurant was broken sometime between Feb. 6th and 7th while the business was closed. The loss was estimated at $700.

In other news, 24-year old Trevor Forrest Kinkade, of Creston, was arrested just before 2-a.m. today (Monday), on a charge of OWI/1st offense. He was later released on $1,000 bond. Sunday morning, 46-year old Susan Rae Lemon, of Creston, was arrested on two Union County warrants for Theft in the 3rd Degree, and OWI/1st offense. Lemon was being held in the Ringgold County Jail on $3,000 bond.

Saturday, Creston Police arrested 50-year old Pablo Martinez, of Creston, for OWI/1st offense. He was later released on $1,000 bond. And on Friday afternoon, 21-year old Dakota Wesley Farris, of Creston, was arrested on two Marshall County warrants for Failure to Appear. He was later released on $2,000 bond.