(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa native and former NASA astronaut is preparing for her fourth launch into orbit this weekend, her first where she won’t be wearing a government-issued spacesuit. Peggy Whitson, who grew up in Beaconsfield, will become the first woman commander of a private space mission, funded by Axiom Space. Speaking from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Whitson says her four-member crew is ready. “We’ve been training a lot, just refreshers, reviewing procedures again, reviewing timelines, and so we really feel like we’re prepared to go,” Whitson says. “We have a few more objectives to meet in the next few days but we are so excited to get to space.”

The ten-day mission will take the team to the International Space Station, where Whitson became the first female I-S-S commander on her second mission in 2008. This mission, dubbed Axiom Two, will be the first mission to take Saudi Arabian astronauts into space, including the first Saudi woman. Whitson says the focus is science. “We’re going to be doing over 20 different investigations. I’m really personally excited about some of the life sciences and the bioengineering ones in particular, but we have a lot of outreach where we’re talking to students,” Whitson says. “We really want to encourage students to do science, technology, engineering and math.”

In a 2007 Radio Iowa interview, Whitson talked about watching the Apollo 11 mission on T-V as a girl, wide-eyed as Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon on July 20th of 1969. “I thought what a cool job,” Whitson says, laughing. “It really didn’t become a reality to me, to become a goal, until I graduated from high school which was, coincidentally, the same year they picked the first set of female astronauts. I think that was when I decided I wanted to become an astronaut.” Whitson retired from the NASA astronaut corps in 2018. She’s now Axiom’s Director of Human Spaceflight and says she’s thrilled to be looking ahead to future challenges.

“We want to be able to have a commercial space station. We plan to have the first module up in late 2025 and that will expand our capability to do commercial space,” Whitson says, “and to have more and more people available, have more and more different science and payloads coming from all over the world. We are using these missions to learn how to optimize for that future mission in space.” Whitson will become the only person in history who’s gone into space aboard an American space shuttle, a Russian Soyuz spacecraft (twice), and a private SpaceX capsule. Each member of the crew is taking along a small memento or two, including Whitson. “So for me, I have flown three previous times into space and on each of those occasions, I flew the necklace that I wore when I got married, and I intend to fly it again.”

Whitson set a record during her first three missions for spending a total of 665 days in space, more than any other U.S. astronaut, and she’ll add to the total on this trip. Whitson was also the International Space Station’s first science officer, and she logged more EVAs — or spacewalks — than any other woman. Also, at 63, she’ll be the oldest woman from any nation to reach orbit. Launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon capsule from Kennedy is scheduled for Sunday at 4:37 PM/Central.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic, Wednesday evening, awarded the 2023 Fireworks Display Contract to last year’s vendor, “Wild Wayne’s,” and after discussion, tentatively set the days fireworks may be used leading up to the show, as June 30 through July 4th, from 6-until 11-p.m. on those dates. Action on approving the actual days for fireworks use by the public, will come during their next City Council meeting.

The agreement with “Wild Waynes” will cost the City $12,500, which is more than what was budgeted for, but City Administrator John Lund said he can accommodate the cost overrun through use of the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Progress Fund. A spokesman for Wild Wayne’s said he knows there were complaints about last year’s show at the Well Fields/Sports Complex being too short and not visible enough. He attributed that latter due to the fact he was situated on a lower part of the terrain, which didn’t give him the proper placement needed to set-off the type of display his Class-B fireworks should have had. The Council will finalize this year’s site location after consulting with Fire Chief Tom Cappel, and Public Works Director/Street Superintendent Kirk Knudsen.

Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett asks residents to be considerate of their neighbors when setting off fireworks.

In other business, the Council, after a public hearing was held – during which there were no comments – passed an amended FY 2023 Budget, as previously explained and twice published in the local newspaper. The Council tabled, however, approving an agreement with Fusebox Marketing, for City Website Design & Development, Website hosting, Security, and Site Health, a Website Enhancement plan along with photography and video services. It was the second time the matter was tabled.

Atlantic City Council mtg. 5-17-2023

After much discussion, the Council agreed they wanted to hear formal presentations from 5Q in Atlantic, and Fusebox Marketing, to compare services that are not currently offered and those that could be. While 5Q services are currently used by the City, the Chamber and CADCO, Mayor Grace Garret said feedback she’s heard privately from certain individuals indicates they are not entirely happy with the company, and that she herself has had issues navigating the City’s website.

She said also, “There are no local customer service representatives. They are east coast to west coast, which means we are all on a different time frame.” Garrett said “We must have adequate technology,” and space, to provide what is required of a city to publish. The Mayor said when she personally tried to help someone outside of Atlantic navigate the City’s website in order to find information they were requesting, she had to go through about “six layers to find what I needed to tell them to use.”

A motion by Councilperson Otte to approve an agreement with Fusebox, was rescinded by her, until such time as the Council hears presentations from both website providers. In other news, the Atlantic City Council passed a Resolution “Adjusting season 2023 benefits for Sunnyside Pool lifeguards,” which, as we’ve mentioned provides for a $1,000 sign-on bonus, with $500 paid after a full 40-hours of work completed, and the balance at the end of the swimming season. The Council also passed the 3^rd and final reading of an amended Sewer Service Ordinance, and the 2^nd reading of an amended Special Parking Permit section of Ordinance #1032.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council was shocked to learn during their meeting this (Wednesday) evening, that our new Parks and Recreation Department Director has submitted his resignation, effective May 26, 2023. City Administrator informed the Council about the news Wyatt Adderton, is resigning. Adderton told Lund about his decision following Monday’s meeting of the Parks and Rec Board. Lund says the news came like a “shot in the stomach.”

John Lund said Wyatt is an exceptional worker and offered to talk through Adderton’s issues with the Personnel and Finance Committee.

Adderton said he would wants to the discuss his reasons for feeling disparaged. One is the management of the Sunnyside Pool. Lund says compensation isn’t an issue for Adderton, “it’s the work environment,” and issues of harassment.

Wyatt will talk with his spouse and see if they can “Make this work.”  Lund made it clear though, that “effectively, the Parks Department is a joke,” and a symptom of a dysfunctional organization that we have.”

The City Council will meet 1-p.m. Monday with Wyatt and the Personnel and Finance Committee to discuss the issues at hand, and ask if he will reconsider his resignation.