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Atlantic Rotary honors teacher of the year

News

May 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Atlantic Rotary Club and employees with the Atlantic Community School District gathered Thursday afternoon at the High School, to learn who the Rotary had selected to receive the “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” award.

Rotary President-Elect Ted Robinson

Rotary President-Elect Ted Robinson

Ted Robinson, Rotary Club President Elect and Chairman of the Outstanding Teacher Award Committee, said the person selected demonstrates the Rotary’s motto of “Service above Self, and through their continuous dedication to students, parents and the larger community, as well as the art and practice of education.”

Rotary member Jennifer Plumb, with the Cambridge Law Firm, read from some of the letters nominating Thursday’s award recipient. One has a middle son who struggles and has many challenges when it comes to school, but that soon changed when he met this special teacher.

DeLana Harris (Center) receives her Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award

DeLana Harris (Center) receives her Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award

The nominator said the teacher communicated with the parents and their son on a regular basis, gave them ideas and explained how she would like to deal with their sons’ concerns and struggles with his school work. The boy soon showed an interest in school and his test scores improved. Another nominator said the teacher has “Fresh ideas on broadening the kids’ horizons and making them think outside the box.” A co-worker described Schuler 5th Grade Teacher DeLana Harris, as “A leader to her peers and a role model to her students.”

Harris has been with the District for a little more than 10-years. She taught preschool in Atlantic for two years and worked under the Universal Preschool Grant as a 4 year-old preschool teacher at Little Lambs. She later transferred to the 5th grade classroom, and says she has enjoyed every moment of her experiences.

Staff photo of Delana Harris from the Atlantic School District website

Staff photo of Delana Harris from the Atlantic School District website

Harris was humble in accepting the award. She said “I just do what I love to do every single day, and what I say to my kids is…and it’s weird, but I call them my kids…[because] they became a part of your family…my biggest thing is, as long as they are excited to come into my room every single day, and are excited to learn, then I feel like I’ve done my job.” In referring to her colleagues, Harris said “Great teachers are made because of everybody out there, it’s not just one person. It takes a community, it takes all of us.”

Harris graduated from Central College in Pella, and received her Masters of Education from Viterbo University in LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Nishna Valley Credit Union Sets Up Fund for Family of Slain Police Officer

News

May 21st, 2015 by Jim Field

The Nishna Valley Credit Union in Atlantic has set up a account to help the family of 29-year old Kerrie Orozco, a gang unit officer with the Omaha Police Metro Area Fugitive Task Force, who died after being shot in the line of duty on Wednesday.  Kerrie (Holtz) Orozco is the daughter of Ellen and the late Kevin Holtz of Walnut. Kerrie is a 2004 graduate of Walnut High School.

NVCU Chief Executive Officer Tim Marcsisak says that people can make donations to the account in a number of ways.  They will accept donations in person, by mail or at the drive-thru.  Donations may be made with personal messages or they may be anonymous.  All proceeds will go toward the family.  Kerrie’s mother, Ellen, is a long-time employee at the Nishna Valley Credit Union.

Congressman King ponders federal insurance for poultry industry

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Congressman Steve King says he’s concerned by the push to get Iowa landfills to accept the dead birds from poultry operations that have been hit by avian flu. He says “My level of enthusiasm for going to landfills has been relatively low…I have long thought that we needed to maintain the birds on the location. That should be the ideal.” King says turkeys can be composted and chickens can be burned on the property — or the poultry barns can be super-heated after they’re “shrink wrapped” to destroy the virus, then the barns can be cleaned out.

“I think we need to put together more of an industrial approach to this and bring the technology to bear so that the next time there’s a disaster like this, we have developed a model in northwest Iowa,” King says, “to meet a disaster of this scope anywhere in the country.” King says since he’s a member of the ag committee in the U.S. House, he’s been kept up to date daily on the situation. He’s concerned that investigators haven’t yet determined exactly how the bird flu is being spread.

“There are four or five theories, any one of which could work and could be the real reason,” King says. “But we have to figure out as best we can how it got in, especially to the laying houses, and what carried it. And if we can’t figure that out, then we can’t raise the biosecurity to a level that we’ll have enough confidence to repopulate these buildings.”

King says he’s working with others to figure out some sort of federally-financed “risk management tool”– like federal crop insurance – for poultry producers, perhaps something like “business interruption” insurance. “But it’s not coming together with enough clarity that I can predict the shape of things to come,” he says.

Iowa is the number one egg producing state in the nation and this bird flu outbreak has hit hardest in King’s northwest Iowa district.

(Radio Iowa)

(Update) Narcotics investigation tied to accident results in arrest in Shelby Co.

News

May 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office says a narcotics investigation tied to a traffic accident investigation has resulted in an arrest. 49-year old Chadwick Sachau, of Denison, faces a felony Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Deliver, charge. If convicted, he faces up to 10-years in prison.

The charge stems from a hit-and-run accident that occurred at around 6:30-a.m. Wednesday, on Highway 59, where a car driven by Sachau crossed the center line of the road and collided with a Chevy Suburban, driven by Efrain Chavez-Mendoza, of Denison. After his car hit the other vehicle, Sachau continued north on Highway 59, and when his car became disabled, attempted to flee on foot.

Sachau was arrested a short time later and brought to the Shelby County Jail, where he was being held on $100,000 bond. Sachau and Chavez-Mendoza were not injured in the collision, but a passenger in the Suburban, 21-year old Andy Armondo-Casanova, of Denison, suffered minor injuries, and was treated at Myrtue Memorial Hospital, in Harlan.

Backyard and Beyond 05-21-2015

Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts

May 21st, 2015 by admin

Lavon Eblen speaks about the history of Relay for Life and more about the upcoming Relay events in the area and fighting cancer.

Play

Thursday Class 2-A/3-A State Track Results

Sports

May 21st, 2015 by Jim Field

Girls Shuttle Hurdles (Prelim)

2-A:

  • Panorama – qualified 4th 1:08.47
  • Shenandoah – DNQ

3-A:

  • Glenwood – qualified 5th 1:07.29
  • Harlan – DNQ

Girls 3000 (Final)

2-A:

  • Payton Sporrer, IKM-Manning – placed 10th 11:09.16
  • Hannah Appleseth, Panorama – placed 15th 11:17.17
  • Brianna Hoffman, Panorama – placed 17th 11:32.5

3-A:

  • Tiffany Williams, Atlantic – placed 7th 10:47.69

Boys 3200 (Final)

2-A:

  • Logan LeRette, Red Oak – placed 19th 10:20.62
  • Nate Hoyt, Shenandoah – placed 23rd 10:45.52

3-A:

  • Chandler Hagen, Carroll – placed 22nd 10:41.11
  • Ryan Hawkins, Atlantic – placed 23rd 10:53.41

Girls 100 (Prelim)

2-A:

  • Cynthia Best, Clarinda – DNQ :13.08
  • Jaedra Moses, Clarinda – DNQ :13.03

3-A:

  • Megan Ellerbeck, Denison – DNQ :13.08
  • Courtney Magnussen, Glenwood – DNQ :13.12

Boys 100 (Prelim)

2-A:

  • Sage Lloyd, Missouri Valley – qualified 6th :11.21
  • Briar Clay, A-H-S-T-W – DNQ :11.56
  • Brett Daley, Treynor – DNQ :11.59

3-A:

  • Mavrick Decker, Glenwood – DNQ :11.42
  • Josh Lee, Glenwood – DNQ :11.44

Girls 4 x 800 (Final)

2-A:

  • Underwood – placed 17th 10:08.76
  • Treynor – placed 23rd 10:15.72
  • IKM-Manning – placed 24th 10:17.28

3-A:

  • Creston- placed 4th 9:42.44
  • Harlan- placed 19th 10:15.15

Boys 4 x 800 (Final)

2-A:

  • Panorama- placed 17th 8:25.64
  • Missouri Valley- placed 23rd 8:38.78

3-A:

  • Harlan- placed 5th 8:06.14
  • Creston- placed 8th 8:15.76
  • Glenwood- placed 21st 8:40.69

Girls 200 (Prelim)

2-A:

  • Jaedra Moses, Clarinda- qualified 5th :26.05
  • Madison Paulsen, Treynor- DNQ :27.33

3-A:

  • Mikayla Evers, Harlan- qualified 6th :25.70
  • Megan Ellerbeck, Denison-DNQ :26.41

Boys 200 (Prelim)

2-A:

  • Sage Lloyd, Missouri Valley- qualified 5th :22.39
  • Sam Wegner, IKM-Manning- DNQ :23.27

3-A:

  • Caleb Rasmussen, Harlan- qualified 8th :22.71
  • Mavrick Decker, Glenwood- DNQ :23.23

Girls 400 (Final)

2-A:

  • Emma Bonnet, Underwood- placed 3rd 57.78
  • Devyn Kemble, Panorama- placed 5th 59.21
  • Faith Powell, Panorama- placed 23rd 1:04.38

3-A:

  • Asia Kloewer, Harlan- placed 11th 59.60
  • Breanna Wallace, Creston- placed 24th 1:04.61

Boys 400 (Final)

2-A:

  • Nick Pedersen, Underwood- placed 8th 50.90
  • Brett Daley, Treynor- placed 12th 51.52

3-A:

  • Jay Wolfe, Creston- placed 5th 49.91
  • Nhial Biliew, Denison- placed 9th 51.04
  • Bryce Briley, Creston- placed 21st 53.61

Boys Shuttle Hurdle (Prelim)

2-A:

  • Panorama- qualified 5th 58.97
  • Missouri Valley- DNQ 1:01.38
  • Clarinda- DNQ 1:01.46
  • Underwood- DNQ 1:03.30

3-A:

  • Glenwood- qualified 3rd 58.98
  • Atlantic- qualified 4th 59.15
  • Carroll- DNQ 1:02.60

Girls Shot Put (2-A)

  • Serena Parker, Shenandoah – placed 5th 40’-2.25”
  • Hannah Mahoney, Missouri Valley – placed 24th 32’-0.5”

Girls Discus (3-A)

  • Jacy Embray, Glenwood – placed 3rd 128’-5”
  • Linnaea Konfrst, Glenwood – placed 7th 123’-1”

Boys Long Jump (2-A)

  • Jake Cerven, Shenandoah – placed 8th 20’-4”
  • Luke Webner, Panorama – placed 13th 19’-10.75”
  • Jett Kettwick, Clarinda – placed 14th 19’-7”
  • Brett Daley, Treynor – placed 22nd 19’-0.75”

Boys High Jump (3-A)

  • Alec Hayes, Atlantic – placed 3rd 6’-5”
  • Nhial Biliew, Denison – placed 4th 6’-3”
  • Cooper LaRue, Carroll – placed 10th 6’-1”

Boys Shot Put (2-A)

  • Marcus Boldy, Panorama- placed 3rd 55’-0”
  • Jared DeVoe, Clarinda- placed 15th 48’-6.75”
  • Cody Eischeid, IKM-Manning- placed 23rd 44’-00”

Boys Discus (3-A)

  • Travis Petersen, Atlantic- placed 23rd 116’-3”
  • Dru Little, Glenwood- placed 19th 128’-5”

Girls Long Jump (2-A)

  • Madison Paulsen, Treynor- placed 4th 17’1.75”
  • Sydney Nielsen, Shenandoah-placed 5th 16’11.5”
  • Karmyn Pickens, Shenandoah- placed 13th 15’8.75”
  • Brooke Beckman, Panorama- placed 14th 15’6.75”

Girls High Jump (3-A)

  • Breanna Wallace, Creston- placed T5th 5’1”

IA Gov./Lt. Gov. issue statement on Police Officer death

News

May 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

Iowa Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Thursday) issued statements on the death of Omaha, Neb., Police Officer, 29-year old Kerrie Orozco, who was a Walnut, Iowa, native and resident of Council Bluffs. Orozco was killed in the line of duty Wednesday (May 20), while attempting to arrest Marcus D. Wheeler on a felony warrant for first-degree assault.

Governor Branstad said “I wish to extend my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Officer Kerrie Orozco. As a former military policeman, I am keenly aware of the dangers law enforcement face every single day on the job. Officer Orozco served with integrity and was a model peace officer. My thoughts and prayers are with her newborn daughter and her entire family.”

Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds said “Officer Kerrie Orozco went to work every day to serve her community and keep her neighbors safe. This is a devastating loss of a dedicated public servant, community member and new mother. I offer my deepest sympathy to the family of Officer Orozco.”

Mt. Ayr woman injured during Wed. morning accident

News

May 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A single-vehicle accident early Wednesday morning in Union County resulted in the driver being transported to the hospital in Creston. Authorities say 24-year old Tia Nichole Gilliland, of Mt. Ayr, was traveling on Union County road H-45 at around 8:30-a.m., when she lost control of her 2012 Dodge Avenger on the curve.

The vehicle hit a road sign post before entering the ditch. The car sustained $3,500 damage. Gilliland was transported by a friend to the Greater Regional Hospital in Creston for treatment of possible, unknown injuries.

MidAmerican Energy offers cash for old appliances

News

May 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

How much money are your appliances costing you? Older models use two to three times the power of new ones. That’s why MidAmerican Energy Company says it’s offering the company’s residential electric customers a free Appliance Recycling program that turns old appliances into cold, hard cash. Customers with a working refrigerator, freezer or room air conditioner to be recycled can call 800-621-2757 to schedule an appliance pick-up.

A recycling company will haul away the old appliance free of charge, and MidAmerican Energy will send the customer a rebate of $50 for a refrigerator or freezer and $25 for an air conditioner. Tina Yoder, director, energy efficiency for MidAmerican Energy, said cash rebates from recycling older units, combined with rebates available on the purchase of new ENERGY STAR®-qualified appliances, make replacing appliances more affordable than people realize.

When a customer uses MidAmerican Energy’s Appliance Recycling program, their old appliance is taken apart and 95 percent of the components are either recycled for a beneficial use or disposed of in an environmentally responsible way, including the toxins and ozone-depleting gases.

To schedule a free Appliance Recycling pickup, MidAmerican Energy residential electric customers may call 800-621-2757 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eligible refrigerators and freezers must be 10 cubic feet or larger; no commercial sizes can be accepted. To qualify for a rebate, the appliance must be in working condition – the motor must run and the unit must cool.

MidAmerican Energy is a partner of the Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program. RAD is a voluntary partnership program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help protect the Earth’s ozone layer and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Chain-reaction crash in Creston, Wed. morning

News

May 21st, 2015 by Ric Hanson

No injuries were reported following a chain-reaction crash Wednesday, in Creston. Authorities say the accident happened at the intersection of Sumner and New York Avenue at around 11:30-a.m., when a pickup driven by 25-year old Andy Gist, of Creston, came up too fast on two other vehicles waiting for the stop light to change.

Gists’ 2005 Ford F16 hit the rear of a 2003 Dodge Dakota pickup driven by Shaiyena Weaselhead, of Diagonal, which in-turn, struck a 2016 Chevy pickup, driven by George Queck, of Fontanelle, as he was starting to pull away from the light when it turned green.

Damage from the collisions amounted to $2,200. No citations were issued.