(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Nishna Valley Family YMCA on Thursday, February 29th, 2024, to celebrate 20 years in their current building, staff milestones, and new staff. Dan Haynes, Executive Director, shared about the rich history of the YMCA and pointed out how unique the Nishna Valley Family YMCA is because of the people and the community involvement and partnerships. He went on to recognize and thank the visionaries, community leaders, board members, donors and volunteers that were dedicated to making the dream of a new facility a reality. Haynes shared that the YMCA isn’t the building, the YMCA is the people.

Pictured Left to Right: Kelsey Beschorner, Paul Gude, David Kalny, Elaine Otte, Christina Bateman, Jessica Oswalt, Dolly Bergmann, Jim Kickland, Danielle Lyons, DeeDee Kalny, Jon Jordan, Leslie Haynes, Alisha Wagner, Dan Hynes, Donnie Drennan, Megan Sramek, Ruth Sears, Jeremy Butler, Dee Sothman, Steve Andersen, Nathan Robinson, Sue Liston, Allison Knox-Westmeyer, Dr. Keith Leonard, John Bricker, Julie Waters, Tyler McAfee, Mike Cullen, Kathie Hockenberry, Lana Westphalen, Rachelle Bechtol, Kennedy Freund, Anne Quist, Peter Gray, Jennifer McEntaffer, Beth Spieker, Jackie Hoover, Rebecca Mahoney, Deb Schuler, Alex McAfee.

The Ambassadors were also introduced to the Leadership Team along with the newest members of the YMCA staff. Jessie Oswalt is serving as the Aquatics Director and Allison Knox-Westmeyer has been hired as the new Fitness Director. Leslie Haynes is celebrating 25 years as the Preschool Director at Jack & Jill preschool. Leslie shared that smiles of the children and her wonderful staff and helpers have been the reason she comes into work every day with a smile.

Nishna Valley Family YMCA is currently offering a membership special for the month of March & April. Become a member now for a ½ price joining fee of $20 and only pay $20 for first and second month of membership. The YMCA offers numerous fitness classes, personal training, adult and youth programs as well as an aquatics center great for all ages.

Nishna Valley Family YMCA is located at 1100 Maple Street, Atlantic. For more information about membership or programming, contact 712-243-3934 or visit www.nishnavalleyymca.com.

(Knieram, Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol has released information about a fatal car and ATV collision that occurred Thursday afternoon in northwest Iowa’s Calhoun County. Authorities say a 2020 John Deere ATV operated by 84-year-old Michael Donald Leith, of Manson, was traveling north on Zearing Avenue, and failed to yield the right-of-way to a 2007 Ford Taurus that was traveling east on Highway 20. After the car struck the ATV, both vehicles came to rest in the median, east of the intersection.

Donald Leith died at the scene. The driver of the car, 88-year-old William Oscar Peterson, of Moorland, was injured and transported to his home by family members. The crash occurred at around 3:30-p.m., east of Knieram. The Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun County Medical Examiner, and the Iowa DOT.

March 1, 2024 – TAMA, Iowa – Seven-year-old Milla Keahna has been safely located. Law enforcement thanks the public for their assistance. This was a joint investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Major Crime Unit, Meskwaki Police Department, Tama Police Department, Tama County Sheriff’s Office, Marshalltown Police Department, and the FBI.

Previous report follows:

February 29, 2024 – TAMA, Iowa – This is an endangered person advisory on behalf of the Tama Police Department and the Meskwaki Nation Police Department. An endangered person advisory is being issued for seven-year-old Milla Keahna. Milla was reported missing to the Meskwaki Nation Police Department. Milla was reportedly last seen with her mother, Starla Mae Marie Lincoln, or possibly her father, Redmond Keahna.

Milla Keahna

(Radio Iowa) – People who falsely report a shooting or other incident that would require a massive police response could be charged with a felony if the governor approves a bill that’s cleared the legislature. Representative Zach Dieken of Granville says during the last school year there were 89 of these false reports about non-existent threats in school districts. “As somebody who has been not only been a trooper for 12 years, but also a SWAT officer for 7 of those 12, we cannot continue to waste manpower and put our lives at risk responding to things that are not real,” Dieken says.

These incidents are sometimes called “SWATTING” — a reference to “Special Weapons and Tactics” or SWAT teams. “This bill ups penalties appropriately, fitting the crime of false reporting,” Dieken said. “We cannot continue putting up with these instances.” Dieken says in addition to law enforcement, fire fighters and EMTs waste time and resources responding to something that turns out to be nothing.

Law enforcement responds to a “Swatting” call. (File image; public domain)

The bill passed the House and Senate unanimously.

(Radio Iowa) – Artist Amanda Browder has returned to the Sioux City Art Center to resume her “Razzle Dazzle” project, a massive textile sculpture that will be suspended from different areas of the art center’s buildings in August. Browder is back to lead a new series of “Sewing Days” throughout the metro area during the month of March. “Even since I’ve been gone and then came back, we’ve gotten fabric donations, people came in and helped sort fabric, or sewing some fabric at home,” Browder says. “We’ve got this whole system that’s really slow but sure but happening.”

The Sewing Days are events during which volunteers spend time pinning together long stripes of similarly colored fabrics and then sew them together. She says no previous experience with textiles or sewing is required for the project that will debut just before Artsplash this summer. “People come and donate fabric, spend some time pinning or sewing if they feel like it,” she says. “They’ll be able to go to the piece during Artsplash and point to it and say, ‘I made that, that’s my piece,’ and I want that to happen. It should be their piece. They should take ownership of this art piece and be like, ‘This is for my town. I participated. I live here. Here’s my representation.'”

Browder says they could use more colorful fabric. “We’re still looking for donations. That’s the thing. We need cotton fabric that’s saturated in color, patterns or solids are totally fine,” Browder says. “I recommend staying away from pale colors and white and tan because when we look outside, we already see those colors on buildings and so we’re trying to recreate this building into a colorful explosion.”

More Sewing Day locations are being added continually to the art center’s website.