Officials with the Iowa Department for the blind say a program being held tomorrow (Thursday), in Atlantic, is designed to help visually impaired Iowans living in the Atlantic area, discover services and programs that will enable them to live more independently, keep or seek employment, and build confidence in living with vision loss. The informational seminar takes place from 10-a.m. until 2-p.m, at the Heritage House (1200 Brookridge Circle, in Atlantic).

The program is being hosted by the IDB, and will provide information on working in competitive employment, using assertive technology (such as screen-reading software and talking devices), accessing disability-related Social Security, and discovering tips and tools for maintaining independence in daily life.

Those attending the event will have a chance to meet with key staff from the Iowa Department for the Blind, and find out which services would be beneficial for their individual needs. The program is free, and open to the public.

Those with vision loss, and their friends and/or family are encouraged to attend, along with professionals who work with persons with vision loss, or, those employers looking to hire dedicated workers.

For more information, call Shoshanna Hebshi, at 515-281-1338, or log on to www.idbonline.org.

Atlantic Police reported Tuesday, the arrest on that day of 24-year old Justin Knutsen, of Atlantic. Knutsen was charged with Public Intoxication. The man brought to the Cass County Jail & held pending an appearance before the magistrate.

A Public Hearing will be held Wednesday evening in Atlantic, on a proposed Development Agreement between the City and Boulders Inn and Suites. The meeting takes place during a regularly scheduled meeting of the Atlantic City Council, and will be followed by action on approval of a resolution authorizing Tax Increment payments and certain Tax Increment Revenues toward the payment of the agreement, as well as a resolution setting the date for a public hearing on a proposed internal advance and loan to fund the $125,000 incentive grant, to be funded from the City’s Economic Development Fund.

City Administrator Doug Harris says the City has dropped its original offer of an additional $100,000 in tax rebates for the Boulders project, because the City will incur added interest and legal costs which would cause the City to exceed the original offering.
Boulders has informed the City through its attorney, that they want the agreement to include the $100,000 in tax rebates. Their attorney is expected to submit a counter-proposal for the Finance Committee’s consideration, and committee will forward its recommendation to the Council.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council Wednesday, will hold a public hearing on an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2011 Budget, followed by a resolution approving the amendment. The amendment simply grants the City the legal authority to spend public funds not previously anticipated under the original budget.

The Council will also act on approving the second and likely third, and final reading of an ordinance amending the wastewater fee schedule, as previously announced. The scheduled increase is necessary to help pay for the new $15-million wastewater treatment plant, which is under construction.

The meeting begins at 5:30-p.m., in the Atlantic City Hall.

A bag of human remains has been found in a Dow City warehouse. According to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the Crawford County Sheriff’s office, the bag of human bones was found in an unoccupied warehouse in Dow City on Monday, May 16th.

The discovery was made by a group of people who were working to clean out the warehouse, which was scheduled for demolition by the city. A medical examiner tested the bones, and concluded they are human remains. The state medical examiner’s office in Des Moines is now conducting tests to analyze the remains and determine a potential age and identification of the person.

The Crawford county sheriff’s office and the Iowa DCI continue to investigate when the remains were taken to the warehouse, and who might have knowledge of where they came from.

Officials said Tuesday they believe there is no threat to people in Dow City or Crawford County.

Grant, Ia. –The Grant United Methodist Church will hold its annual Memorial Day Dinner from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on Monday, May 30 with a free-will offering. The menu includes: sloppy joe or ham sandwich, baked beans, assorted salads, pies and desserts, and coffee, tea or lemonade. All money raised by the dinner supports the Grant United Methodist Women and their work for mission projects and the Grant church.

In addition to the dinner, students in Time to Create, the church’s after-school program, will have a fundraising sale of homemade snack mix in decorative tins. Proceeds will benefit the program and its mission projects.

The Grant United Methodist Church, founded in 1855, is a multigenerational church focusing on concern for its neighbors and providing a center of worship for all ages. Worship services are celebrated at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday.

GCP sponsors music jam and quilt auction….

Following the church dinner from 1-4 p.m., Grant Community Preservationists (GCP) will sponsor a country-bluegrass jam session in the Grant City Park. Jim and Kathy Wymore of New Market will host the jam session, and interested musicians can sign up at the event. Everyone is welcome to attend.

In addition at about 2:30 p.m., Steve Bergren will auction a full size Circle of Stars quilt on a brocaded white ground. The stars are pieced in patterns of blue and green with snail-patterned quilting. The quilt was made locally and donated by GCP member Jacky Adams.

A concession stand will also be open, serving coffee, iced tea and desserts. Attendees should bring lawn chairs; a porty-potty will be on site. In case of rain, the event will be held at the Grant United Methodist Church. Proceeds from this event will benefit GCP and its work on the Grant Masonic Lodge and Grant Park.

The Grant Community Preservationists was formed to help maintain Grant and its unique historic character. Designated in October 2003, the Grant Commercial Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Trenton Jenkins

Eric Jenkins

Logan Jenkins

In an update to a story we brought you last week about a vehicle chase and shooting incident in Adams County, the Sheriff’s Department reported this (Tuesday) morning the names of the victims involved in the incident.

Officials say persons in the car being chased and allegedly shot at by Logan Jenkins, of Prescott, were identified as: 18-year old Andrew K. Davis, of Orient; 19-year old Alex Pellman, 18-year old Cole Gutschenritter and 18-year old Taylor Chapman, all from Creston, and 18-year old Kayla Hoskins, of Prescott.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, on May 13^th, emergency dispatchers received a 9-1-1 call just before 1-a.m from Andrew Davis, indicating he was being chased by three vehicles on Union Avenue, in Adams County. Davis then reported he was being shot at by one of the vehicles.

The chase wound through Adams County and into Union County on Highway 34. Union County Sheriff’s Deputies were able to locate Davis’ vehicle along with two other vehicles that were allegedly chasing him. Three people were taken into custody as a result of the chase. They were identified as Logan Jenkins, his 22-year old brother Trenton, and 55-year old father, Eric, all from Prescott.

An investigation revealed several bullet holes in Davis’ pickup. A firearm and rounds were also recovered from one of the suspect’s vehicles, which was located on Highway 34, around 205^th Street, in Union County. That vehicle was wrecked and found abandoned by one of the suspects, during the chase.

Logan Jenkins was subsequently charged with 5 Felony counts of attempted murder, and 1 Felony County of going armed with intent. He was being held in jail on $500,000 bond. Trenton and Eric Jenkins were each charged with 5 Felony counts of Assault while participating in a Felony. Their bonds were set at $150,000 each.