Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce recently met with Cass Atlantic Economic Development Corporation and the City of Atlantic to discuss next steps for overall business/community development in Atlantic. Chamber Executive Director Ouida Hargens says “In efforts to better understand our current community and future needs we will be meeting with Jim Thompson, Business Consultant, Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) on Tuesday, November 24th from 9:30 – 11am at Cass County Health System in conference room #2.”

Hargens says during the first portion of the meeting, Thompson will be presenting and reviewing the ESRI executive summary for the Atlantic Area, provided by the IEDA. The summary covers items including: population, median age, households, median/average household income, etc. It also contains a retail market profile demonstrating our retail supply, demand, GAP, etc. The second part of the meeting we will discuss what action steps to take next. Please join us for as much as the meeting as possible.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, according to Hargens,  is working to coordinate efforts to create an economic restructuring/business development committee. The group’s focus will be assessments of the current community and downtown district. This will help Atlantic know and better understand the community and downtown district’s needs. The group will also focus on business retention, expansion, property development within the business district and recruitment.

The public is invited to attend this open community meeting to help us grow and support our community.

Police in Red Oak say a man was cited Friday afternoon for allegedly selling tobacco to a minor. 28-year old Tyce Samual Watts, of Red Oak, was arrested at the Kum and Go Store at 710 N. Broadway Street, in Red Oak, as the result of an Iowa Alcoholic and Beverage/Tobacco Compliance Check conducted by Red Oak Police. Watts was working as an employee of the convenience store at the time of the alleged sale. He was cited for the offense and released from custody.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

(AP) – The first significant storm of the season was blanketing parts of the Midwest with a foot or more of snow, creating hazardous conditions as some travelers prepared to depart for the Thanksgiving holiday. Parts of South Dakota and Iowa had more than a foot on Friday. Des Moines had recorded 6 inches by late Friday and 4 inches had fallen at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, one of the world’s busiest. The front will head northeast to Canada late on Saturday and into Sunday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Republican Party of Iowa has canceled its plan to host a forum featuring presidential candidates that would have focused on minority communities. The party said Friday it canceled its Iowa Brown and Black Forum on December 3rd at Drake University due to “unresolved scheduling conflicts.” A similar forum by the Iowa Democratic Party is still scheduled on January 11th at Drake. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley are set to appear.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Dubuque officials have declined a request to regulate the use of speakers outside bars that some downtown residents say are too loud. The Telegraph-Herald reports Jonathan McCoy of the Old Main Neighborhood Association asked the city’s Planning Services Department in mid-August to reclassify outdoor speakers as “audible signs.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal prosecutors are continuing to pursue criminal charges against top campaign advisers to 2012 presidential candidate Ron Paul. According to court documents filed Thursday, a grand jury in Des Moines indicted Jesse Benton, John Tate and Dimitri Kesari on conspiracy charges. They’re accused of covering up payments to former Iowa Senator Kent Sorenson, who endorsed Paul in December 2011.