Lavon Eblen speaks with Sara Vorm, Audubon Women’s Association Co-President, about Easter Fun Day this Saturday, April 19th.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.8MB)
Subscribe: RSS
Lavon Eblen speaks with Sara Vorm, Audubon Women’s Association Co-President, about Easter Fun Day this Saturday, April 19th.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.8MB)
Subscribe: RSS
A Nebraska man was injured during a single-vehicle rollover accident near Atlantic, just before 5:30 this (Thursday) morning. Cass County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Westering says 25-year old Michael J. Schrader, of Lincoln, NE, was driving a 2001 Chevy Impala registered to Steven Barbier, of Omaha, when the accident happened. Westering said the car was traveling south on Highway 6 about 3-miles south of Lansing Road, when Schrader swerved to miss a dog.
The German Shepherd, which belongs to Schrader, had gotten away from him earlier. He told authorities he had taken the dog for a walk when it got away from him. He was driving the car in an attempt to find it.
When the dog ran out of the ditch in front of the car, Schrader swerved to avoid hitting the animal. The vehicle crossed the road and entered the east ditch before rolling onto its top. Schrader suffered minor injuries and was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Atlantic Police located the uninjured dog about a half-hour later. The car sustained about $3,500 damage during the accident. No charges will be filed.
The Iowa House has passed a bill that would grant a tax rebate of up to two-million dollars to the Knoxville Raceway. Representative Scott Ourth, a Democrat from Ackworth, lives 25 miles west of the dirt track. “Not only is the sprint car track and the Knoxville Raceway a huge economic development boon to Marion County and the Knoxville area, but it also fills up the hotels in Lucas County, Appanoose County, Warren County and many of the other south central Iowa counties when the races come to town,” Ourth says.
The Knoxville Raceway’s owners would get the same type of tax break that’s been extended to the Iowa Speedway in Newton. The five percent state sales tax that’s charged on goods and services sold at the Knoxville track would revert back to the track’s owners who plan to upgrade the track facilities on the Marion County Fairgrounds. Ourth was the only member of the House to speak about the track when the bill came up for a vote. “It’s a huge economic development boon for an otherwise somewhat depressed economy in southern Iowa,” Ourth said. “I’m very excited about this whole thing and they are doing great things to help grow southern Iowa and bring business into that neck of the woods.”
The bill passed the House on a 78-to-15 vote. It now must pass the Senate before it can go to the governor for his review. Governor Branstad went to Newton earlier this month to sign the bill that provided a similar tax break to the Iowa Speedway.
(Radio Iowa)
Some climate change activists blame at least part of the planet’s weather problems on methane gas emissions from livestock. The Obama administration is ordering the U-S-D-A and the E-P-A to create a bio-gas roadmap to find ways to reduce those emissions. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the roadmap is a questionable notion and he’s writing a letter to Gina McCarthy, the head of the E-P-A. “The roadmap is intended to reduce dairy sector greenhouse gas emissions through voluntary strategies by 25% by 2020,” Grassley says. “My questions for Administrator McCarthy center on the impact the plan has on the average U.S. dairy farms.”
Grassley, a Republican, says much of our country’s midsection was populated by some 600-million buffalo when pioneers first began settling in the region and there wasn’t a greenhouse gas problem back then. “You’ve gotta’ have a historical approach,” Grassley says. “Are you going to put diapers on cows? I don’t think so. I don’t think you’re going to shut down cows from producing methane gas. That’s the way God made ’em.” The plan calls on livestock producers to make changes that would reduce greenhouse gas emissions voluntarily, but Grassley remains skeptical of the motives.
“It’s hard to forget only a couple of years ago, this administration was trying to push Cap & Trade through Congress,” Grassley says. “It seems only right to be suspicious of the administration’s intentions. All you’ve got to do is look at fugitive dust as another example.” Dust can be stirred up during routine farming and that so-called “fugitive dust” was labeled by some as air pollution responsible for a host of negative impacts on human health, eroding the soil, strangling plants and causing reduced visibility that leads to traffic accidents.
(Radio Iowa)
The City of Atlantic has received yet another Tree City USA award. It’s the 19th consecutive year Atlantic has qualified for the award. A new flag, and a certificate designating the City as being tree friendly, was presented by Dolly Bergman and members of the local “Tree’s Forever” committee tasked with making sure the City qualifies for the award and does its part to keep Atlantic green.
She said one of the hardest requirements is keeping track of how much the City actually spends on its forestry, or tree-care budget, which must be at least $2 per capita. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring helped with that. And, information provided by Trees Forever also helped the City meet the requirement. The City’s expenditures for trees and related services amounted to $14,822 in 2013.
The Tree City USA flag will be hung on the pole located in the Atlantic City Park, under a new American flag which replaces a storm-tattered American flag. Bergman says this year, the Tree’s Forever group will be working with Atlantic 4th graders on Friday, April 25th (The official Iowa “Arbor Day”), to plant a tree on the grounds of Schuler Elementary School. In addition, each of the 4th graders will receive a tiny Norway Spruce tree they can take home, plant and watch grow.
Jim Field speaks with Cathie Page with the Family Resource Center in Carroll about a workshop coming up at the Exira Library called “Stewards of Children” that is focused on preventing child sexual abuse.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.6MB)
Subscribe: RSS
The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce’ Executive Director has resigned. City Administrator Doug Harris made that announcement during Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Atlantic City Council. Megan Roberts, who has served in the position since August 2012, is leaving to take a job with a local insurance agency. Her resignation is effective May 1st.
In other business, the City may once again be looking becoming a County-wide pet shelter. Doug Harris said Councilman Randy Fischer, from Marne, approached him with regard to the possibility of Atlantic’s shelter accepting a couple of Marne’s stray cats and dogs. Harris said about 4-to 6-years ago there was some discussion about creating a County-wide shelter, with Atlantic as the host.
Harris said it makes sense to have a shelter for stray animals since several communities are having problems with unwanted or stray animals being dumped-off in other communities or the rural areas. He said “The economies of scales of expanding our facility and handling the whole county would make sense…to be paid for as a County levy.” He said it would be up to the Atlantic City Council to establish a policy.
Harris said there are times when Atlantic’s facility can handle additional animals, but other times when it is at capacity. Mayor Dave Jones said the City could start sending the County a bill for that service, just as it does for the libraries, or, it could simply shut the shelter down. Doug Harris said he and others could sit down with other City leaders from around the County and see if there is an interest in a County-wide shelter and if or how they should proceed from there. The City may also once again approach the Board of Supervisors and hold discussions on the matter.
In his report to the Council, Mayor Dave Jones reminded citizens of the Ordinance prohibiting yard sale and other such signs on utility poles and public right-of-ways. He also reminded citizens to mow their lawns when the grass gets to be 3 or 4 inches tall. The City, as previously mentioned, plans on being more aggressive this year in getting after property owners whose grass grows unsightly.
And, Councilman Dana Halder asked if there is anyone who would like to donate a good, used, working wheel chair to the Atlantic Public Library, they would appreciate it, since the one they had was vandalized by a couple of youth.
One person was injured during a single-vehicle accident near Atlantic, just before 5:30 this (Thursday) morning. Cass County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Westering told KJAN News the Cass County 9-1-1 Center received a call at 5:27-a.m. about three-miles south of Atlantic, just north of Lansing Road. Upon arrival, there was a 2001 Chevy Impala on its top in the east ditch. Westering said the driver of the car apparently swerved or took some sort of evasive action, causing him to lose control. The southbound vehicle crossed the road and entered the east ditch before rolling onto its top. The male driver suffered what were described as “non-life threatening” injuries. He was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital for treatment.
The driver of the vehicle was the only occupant of the car. His name is different from that of the vehicle’s registered owner, and as such, his name has not yet been released. The accident remains under investigation.