About a dozen members of the Atlantic Fire Department took the “Plunge for Landon,” Sunday evening. Led by their Chief, Mark McNees, the crew jumped into a large icy water-filled container, but not before the Chief challenged others to do the same. (Video link at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=561754383921718&set=vb.323655237731635&type=2&theater&notif_t=notify_me )

Atlantic Firefighters “Plungin’ and Lungin’ for Landon.

McNees said “We were challenged by the Atlantic Police Department [to take the plunge], and I’ll be doggoned if we’re gonna get beat by them. We’re ‘Lungin’ and Plungin’ for Landon. We challenge the Harlan and Audubon Fire Department to do the same.” Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen later posted a video on Harlan Fire and Rescue’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harlan-Fire-and-Rescue/246119622074074, of 30 members of his department accepting the challenge, and issued a challenge to the Avoca, Denison and Grinnell Fire Departments to take the plunge as well.

Fire Chief Mark McNees shakes off the cold with a smile. (Ric Hanson/photos)

Organizers of the Facebook-based Plunge for Landon fundraiser said they have lost count of how many people have posted videos of themselves taking a dive for Landon Shaw, a Tarkio, MO., infant who was diagnosed in late February with a rare form of cancer. People are jumping in, from chilly farm ponds north of Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico and the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.

Before they jump into the water, participants record themselves challenging three other people to do the same, with monetary pledges for each person who completes the challenge. The effort had raised more than $30,000 by Friday evening, only five days after notice of the fundraiser was first posted on the popular social networking site. Entire schools, police departments and businesses around the region have posted videos of participants taking the plunge.

Landon was 4 months old on Feb. 23 when his parents took him to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City to find out why he was vomiting and losing weight. Doctors found a tumor on his left kidney, which they removed, and later discovered a large mass on his brain.  Landon did make it through, and his condition improved enough that on April 1st, Alyssa Shaw and her husband, Brandon, were able to bring their baby home.

But the child still has a long road ahead, with chemotherapy sessions, MRIs and CT scans. And the family is on Medicaid, Shaw said, which isn’t nearly enough to cover medical bills that are just starting to arrive.

The plunge group’s Facebook page had over 20,000 members Sunday evening, more than seven times the number of people who live in the small farming community of Tarkio, two hours north of Kansas City.

(Ric Hanson/with A-P content added)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The owners of a historic Sioux City building that dates to the 1930s are trying to determine how much can be salvaged after a weekend fire. The Sioux City Journal reports  the distinctive Normandy building sustained significant damage Saturday.

Fire officials haven’t been able to determine what caused the fire partly because it hasn’t been safe for inspectors to enter the building. Sioux City Fire Marshal Mark Aesoph says the roof will have to be removed before investigators can enter.

The white building with cone-shaped turrets was the longtime home of the Normandy Restaurant. It has also housed other businesses and in recent years, several art studios.

(7-p.m.: corrects name in 2nd graph to Tiffani Burks)

Several groups and individuals took the polar “Plunge for Landon” Sunday afternoon, at the Schildberg Recreation Area in Atlantic. Last Friday morning, members of the Atlantic Police Department took “Plunge,” to show support for 5 month old Landon Shaw from Tarkio, Missouri. Landon is battling cancer, and the Tarkio community came up with the “Plunge Challenge” as a way to show support and raise funds to help the family.

The first group gets ready to jump in.

At around 3:30-p.m. Sunday, Tiffani Burks from Anita was challenged by her employees at REM Iowa Community Services, to take the plunge. Burks will donate $5 for each of the employees who takes the plunge where she works. Amy Nelson from Griswold also took plunge, promised to donate $5 for each of the Griswold Fire Department members who take the plunge, and, Charlie and Lisa Mills, from Massena challenged their son Ted Mills and staff at the Cumberland Fire Department to take the challenge and raise funds for Landon.

Then it was time for members of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office to accept the challenge from the A-PD’s Devin Hogue. Taking the plunge Saturday was Deputy Josh McLaren, who issued his own challenge to the Ft. Dodge Police Department and a local radio station. McLaren said he would donate $10 for Landon for each group that completes the plunge.

Cass County Deputies McLaren, Shields and Quist get ready to take the plunge.

Deputy Tyler Shiels issued a similar challenge to the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office. Cass County Deputy Kyle Quist and his partner Vader took the plunge as well. He was challenged by the A-PD and the Nodaway County, MO. K-9 Dept. to take the challenge. Quist in-turn issued a challenge to Guthrie County K-9 officer Kent Gries, Cass County Deputy Ryan Johnson, and IA DOT Officer Brian Rink.

Once the soggy trio of McLaren, Shiels and Quist emerged from the lake, Cass County E-911 Director Rob Koppert and 9-1-1 Dispatcher Shawn Page ran into the lake. Koppert was challenged to take the plunge by Montgomery County 9-1-1. He pledged $10 and is issued a challenge to Pottawattamie County Communications and their Director Bob Anderson, Tom Ling and the Mills County 9-1-1 staff. Page challenged Atlantic Boy Scout Troop 54 and Pack 53.

Rob Koppert & Shawn Page

The Atlantic Fire Dept. was set to take the plunge at the fire station, at 5-p.m.

Two Red Oak residents were arrested early Sunday morning as authorities were executing a search warrant at a location near Highway 48 and E. Ratliff Road. Red Oak Police say 52-year old Jack Ray Steinspring was taken into custody at around 3:50-a.m. on a warrant for Failure to comply with the Sex Offender Registry/5th offense. During the incident, 34-year old Becky Jo Hegarty was arrested for Interference with Official Acts. Both Red Oak residents were brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, where Steinspring was being held on $5 ,000 cash bond. Hegarty’s bond was set at $300.

The Iowa State Patrol has identified the victims of a snow-storm related crash that happened Thursday afternoon in Woodbury County. As we reported on Friday, the fatal crash happened around 4:30 p.m. Thursday on Interstate 29 near Salix, when a northbound vehicle towing a flatbed trailer crossed the median and hit a southbound vehicle. The crash killed a passenger in the northbound vehicle and sent the driver to a Sioux City hospital.

Officials say 71-year old Allen J. Lueck, of Rosendale, WI...a passenger in 2004 Ford driven by 69-year old Gary C. Schwantes, of New Holstein, WI…died at St. Luke’s Hospital in Sioux City from injuries he suffered in the crash. Schwantes, along with the driver of a 2004 Pontiac, 25-year old Desiree Lhotka, of Onawa, and the other driver, 38-year old Kevin Johnson, of Sioux City, as well as 70-year old Michael Fuller, of East St. Paul, Manitoba, Canada, were injured in the crash. Each of the injured were transported to Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Settlement agreements are likely to continue to dominate the agenda at the Iowa Capitol this week as some lawmakers remain unsatisfied with discrepancies in testimony and answers they received during hearings last week.

Former employees testified at a Government Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday they were treated badly when fired in 2011 and were offered money to keep quiet about their dismissals. Department of Administrative Services Director Mike Carroll denied those allegations on Thursday in testimony to the committee that completely contradicted the workers.

Democratic Sen. Janet Petersen, chair of the Senate Government Oversight Committee, says she plans to ask state department heads and human resources officials to come before the committee. She’s waiting for the Department of Administrative Services to provide numerous documents about state contracts and hiring practices.