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Atlantic P&Z Commission to review site plans & other matters

News

April 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The City of Atlantic’s Planning and Zoning Commission will meet this evening at City Hall. On their agenda is a review of site plans for a development project along Ash Street and the Heritage House Addition, as well as a review of a rezoning request and a request to vacate a platted alley. None of the matters require a public hearing. The meeting begins at 5:30-p.m. in the Atlantic City Hall.

With regard to the Ash Street project, Marty Boose, owner of Boose Building Construction L.L.C. has submitted site plans to build six, single family residential homes on 77,793 acres, from 1405 to 1503 Ash Street. The project is estimated to cost $1.2-million.

City officials say Civil Design Advantage, the architectural firm for Wesley Life, the owner of Heritage House, has submitted site plans for a 6,813 square foot addition to their existing 68,585 square foot complex. The proposed addition will be located at 1200 Brookridge Circle.

In other business, the Commission will review a request from a resident to rezone a section of land from 3rd to 4th Street, from Hickory, east to the alley between Hickory and Birch. The resident requests the section of land be rezoned to residential instead of light industrial. And, the request to vacate an alley located north of 1st Street and west of Locust, is from Terry Hepler, who has maintained the “Phantom alley” for several years.

City Administrator & Zoning Administrator John Lund says the alley serves no connective purpose, and is recommending the Commission proceed with the process to vacate the property.  The Commission will forward its recommendation on each of the matters to the City Council for approval.

Despite Economic Upswing, An Increase in Iowans Going Hungry

News

April 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa – Despite an improving economy, a new Gallup report shows the number of Iowans who are struggling with hunger is on the rise. According to the survey, 14.6 percent of Iowa respondents admit they didn’t always have enough money to put food on the table last year, up from 12.4 percent in 2013. Among those who have seen the growing need firsthand is Barbara Prather, the executive director of Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

“We continue to see increases in the number of people we’re serving, especially through our backpack program,” she says. “Last year at this time we were serving about 3,500 kids every month. Now we’re serving about 4,500 kids every month through the schools.”

Prather notes those struggling to put food on the table in Iowa come from all walks of life. “It’s some people who might have been laid off. Locally we’re seeing more grandparents that are now raising their grandchildren,” she says. “People that are working and just having a hard time making ends meet, making tough choices of ‘Do I pay my utility bill or pay for food? Well, maybe if I can use the food bank I can pay my rent and pay my utilities.'”

Nationally, just over 17 percent of respondents reported food hardship, marking the lowest rate since Gallup began collecting food insecurity data in 2008. More information on food insecurity in Iowa and around the nation can be found at the Food Research and Action Center website at www.frac.org.

(Iowa News Service)

PHILIP JAMES CULLEN, 79, of Wiota (Svcs. 4/11/15)

Obituaries

April 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

PHILIP JAMES CULLEN, 79, of Wiota, died March 26th, at the Arizona Regional Hospital in AZ. A Mass of Christian Burial service for PHIL CULLEN will be held 10:30-a.m. Sat., April 11th, at the Saints Peter & Paul Catholic Church, in Atlantic. Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

A luncheon will be held in the church parish hall following the memorial service.

Visitation with his family is from 5-until 7-pm Friday, April 10th, at the funeral home, where a Prayer service begins at 5-p.m.

Memorials may be directed to the FFA or Cass County Fairgrounds.

A private family burial is planned.

PHIL CULLEN is survived by:

His wife -Marian Ruth Cullen, of Wiota.

His sons – Michael (Tammy) Cullen, of Atlantic, & Mitch Cullen, of Wiota.

2 grandchildren & 3 great-grandchildren.

MARY CATHERINE HAYES, 84, of Greenfield (Svcs. 4/8/15)

Obituaries

April 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

MARY CATHERINE HAYES, 84, of Greenfield, died Sat., April 4th, at the Stuart Community Care Center. A Funeral Mass for MARY CATHERINE HAYES will be held 10-a.m. Wed., April 8th, at the All Saints Catholic Church, in Stuart. Johnson Family Funeral Home in Stuart has the arrangements.

Visitation at the church is from 6-until 8-pm today (Tuesday, April 7th), with a Rosary recital at 7:30-p.m.

Graveside services will be held 2-p.m. Wed., April 8th, at the Walnut Grove Cemetery, in Corning.

Memorials may be directed to the MARY CATHERINE HAYES Memorial Fund. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.

AMANDA “PEGGY” ALSTON, 94, of Stuart (Svcs. 4/9/15)

Obituaries

April 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

AMANDA “PEGGY” ALSTON, 94, of Stuart, died Sat., April 4th, at the Stuart Community Care Center. Funeral services for PEGGY ALSTON will be held 4-p.m. Thu., April 9th, at the Johnson Family Funeral Home, in Stuart.

Visitation at the funeral home begins one-hour prior to the service on Thursday. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Graveside services will be held at 2-pm on Friday, at the Climbing Hill Cemetery near Climbing Hill, IA.

Memorials may be directed to Stuart Fire and Rescue and/or Stuart Community Care Center Foundation, in care of the funeral home.

AMANDA “PEGGY” ALSTON is survived by:

Her son – Richard (Judy) Alston, of West Des Moines.

3 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, other relatives & friends.

BILL LUZADDER, 82, of Atlantic (Svcs. 4/10/15)

Obituaries

April 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

BILL LUZADDER, 82, of Atlantic, died March 25th, at Alegent Creighton Hospital in Omaha.  Memorial services for BILL LUZADDER will be held 11-a.m. Fri., April 10th, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, in Atlantic.  Hockenberry Family Care Funeral Home in Atlantic has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family will be held one-hour prior to the service Friday (10am-11am), at the funeral home. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.hockenberryfamilycare.com.

Burial will be in the Atlantic Cemetery.

Memorials may be directed to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

BILL LUZADDER is survived by:

His sister – Patricia Ann Hall, of Knoxville.

And many friends.

2 men arrested on drug charges near Villisca Tue. morning

News

April 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

A traffic stop at around 2-a.m. today (Tuesday) north of Villisca, resulted in two men being arrested on drug charges. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 21-year old Kevin Eduardo Salinas, of San Antonio, TX., and 19-year old Alex Kristopher Tucker, of Cherokee (IA), were taken into custody on Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, charges. The pair were arrested following a traffic stop near Highway 71 and Highway 34. Both men were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond, each.

Dense fog in areas of western Iowa Tue. morning.

Weather

April 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

ADAIR-MADISON-UNION-RINGGOLD COUNTIES….406 AM CDT TUE APR 7 2015

…AREAS OF DENSE FOG EARLY THIS MORNING…

DENSE FOG CONTINUES OVER PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN IOWA. VISIBILITY IS AT OR JUST BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE AND THIS WILL CONTINUE DURING THE MORNING COMMUTE. AREA TRAVELERS SHOULD USE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS…ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION SAFELY AND ALLOW EXTRA DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND VEHICLES AHEAD OF YOU.

ALSO…BE MINDFUL WHEN APPROACHING INTERSECTIONS AND RAILROAD CROSSINGS AS APPROACHING VEHICLES AND TRAINS MAY BE HIDDEN BY  THE FOG. ALSO BE CAREFUL NEAR BUS STOPS AND SCHOOLS.

 

NWS forecast for Cass County, IA and the area, 4/7/15

Weather

April 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

401 AM CDT TUE APR 7 2015

EARLY THIS MORNING…CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF LIGHT SHOWERS WITH POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS AND DRIZZLE. AREAS OF FOG. NORTHEAST  WIND 5 TO 10 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT.

TODAY…CLOUDY. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MID MORNING. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LATE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. EAST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 50 PERCENT.

TONIGHT…CLOUDY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE EVENING. LOW IN THE LOWER 40S. NORTH WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 20 PERCENT.

WEDNESDAY…CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING. PATCHY DRIZZLE THROUGH THE DAY. THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. HIGH IN THE UPPER 50S. EAST WIND 5 TO 15 MPH. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 70 PERCENT.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT…THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY. LOW AROUND 50. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS 70 PERCENT.

THURSDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE MORNING…THEN A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON. BREEZY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S. SOUTHWEST WIND NEAR 10 MPH INCREASING TO WEST 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 30 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION 40 PERCENT.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE LOWER 60S.

 

UNI men’s basketball team honored at statehouse

Sports

April 7th, 2015 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa House and Senate, Monday, honored the University of Northern Iowa men’s basketball team for its championship season. U-N-I won the Missouri Valley Conference Championship and won 31 of its 35 games — breaking the school record of most victories in a season. Senator Jeff Danielson of Cedar Falls shook coach Ben Jacobson’s hand as he handed the team leader a copy of the senate resolution honoring the team.

“Thank you so much for your leadership, not only on the court but off the court. We understand you’ve signed a long term contract,” Danielson said, as other senators cheered and clapped. “We’re happy to hear that.” Representative Bob Kressig, of Cedar Falls, read from the resolution that passed the House early Monday afternoon.

“Eleven of the 16 UNI men’s basketball team members are native Iowans,” Kressig said. The section of the resolution that Representative Walt Rogers of Cedar Falls read noted the Panther’s undefeated record at home in the McLeod Center.  “The team’s 16 consecutive wins and seven consecutive road wins ignited UNI fans and alumni not only in the Cedar Valley that UNI calls home, but across the state, the nation and the world,” Roger said. Coach Jacobson was allowed to speak on the senate floor.

“We are the University of Northern Iowa. We are extremely proud of it. We also understand that we represent the entire state of Iowa when we have the opportunity to go out and play in the NCAA tournament. We also understand we represent everybody in the things that we do every day on and off the floor,” Jacobson said, then he gestured to his team. “These guys are absolutely tremendous in everything that they do.”

Jacobson’s team beat Wyoming by 17 points in their first N-C-Double-A tournament game this March, but the Panthers lost to Louisville in the following round. Jacobson was named “coach of the year” in the Missouri Valley Conference.

(Radio Iowa/Learfield Sports)