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Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the Nishna Valley: Wed., March 6, 2024

Weather

March 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 58. South southeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight: Mostly cloudy w/a 20% chance of showers after midnight. Low 37.
Tomorrow: Mo. Cldy w/a 60% chance of showers, mainly after noon. High near 55. East wind 5 to 15 mph. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tom. Night: Showers & breezy. Low around 35. N/NE @ 10-20 mph w/gusts to around 30. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Friday: Showers likely, mainly before noon. Windy. High near 44. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Saturday: Sunny & breezy, with a high near 48.

Tuesday’s High in Atlantic was 59.Our Low this morning was 16. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 41 and the Low was 32. The Record High for March 6th was 76 in 2017. The Record Low was -20 in 1960. Sunrise: 6:47. Sunset: 6:16-p.m.

Marshalltown RSO who left a residential facility is arrested in Oklahoma

News

March 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Tulsa, OK) – A registered sex offender from Iowa who walked away from a Residential Facility in Marshalltown last week, was arrested in Oklahoma on armed robbery charges after allegedly holding up a gas station in Tulsa for money and cigarettes over the weekend.
The Marshalltown Police Department had issued a public assistance request for 35-year-old Eric Enslow on Feb. 26, and according to News on 6 in Tulsa, the suspect “pointed a pistol at the clerk, got what he wanted and he ran off” at the QuikTrip near the intersection of Admiral Plaza and Memorial Drive there before he dropped his gun and surrendered once officers caught up to him on Saturday night.

Eric Enslow

According to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, Enslow was convicted of third degree sexual abuse and soliciting a lascivious act in Story County in 2008. He pled guilty to voluntary absence from custody in Marshall County back in September, the latest in a long line of parole violations over the last 15 plus years.

Wednesday High School Boy’s State Basketball Schedule

Sports

March 5th, 2024 by admin

Class 4A – Quarterfinals

  • #1 Cedar Rapids Kennedy (23-0) vs #8 Dallas Center-Grimes (20-3) @ 10:30 a.m
  • #4 Dubuque Senior (21-2) vs #5 Ankeny (17-6) @ 12:15 p.m
  • #2 Valley (18-5) vs #7 Johnston (14-9) @ 2:00 p.m.
  • #3 Cedar Falls (20-3) vs #6 Bettendorf (17-6) @ 3:45 p.m.

Class 1A – Semi-Finals

  • #1 North Linn (24-1) vs #4 Winfield-Mt. Union (21-2) @ 5:30 p.m.
  • #2 Marquette Catholic (26-1) vs #3 Lake Mills (25-1) @ 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday High School Boy’s State Basketball Scores

Sports

March 5th, 2024 by admin

Class 2A

#2 Hudson 55, #7 Grundy Center 51
#6 Unity Christian 59, #3 Underwood 55

Class 3A

#1 Decorah 66, #8 Williamsburg 42
#4 Assumption 84, #5 Ballard 73

#3 MOC-Floyd Valley 67, Bondurant-Farrar 50
#2 Waverly-Shell Rock 65, #7 Pella 64

Hawkeyes Down Tommies, 9-3

Sports

March 5th, 2024 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa baseball team defeated St. Thomas on Tuesday evening, 9-3, at Duane Banks Field.

The Hawkeyes held the Tommies to just three hits and struck out eight St. Thomas batters.

“It was much better,” said head coach Rick Heller. “Much cleaner, lots of positives on the mound. Few blips here and there, Elliot walks three in the first and then gets out of it, and then goes out and gives us a 1-2-3 inning. It was good to see him work out of it. We only had six free bases tonight which is a big improvement from where we have been the last few games.”

Elliot Cadieux-Lanoue got the start for Iowa and improved to 3-0 on the season. The freshman threw two innings, didn’t allow a hit or a run, and struck out two and walked three.

Eight other Hawkeyes saw action out of the bullpen. They combined to strike out six, while walking three.

“I thought the offense was just steady,” said Heller. “Kept putting pressure on them and scoring runs. Big hit by Blake Guerin, 3-2 count, he fouls off several pitches and gets a big bases loaded hit with two outs. Michael Seegers had a big game; it was good to see him bounce out of it.”

Michael Seegers had a 3-for-4 night with three RBIs and a home run off the scoreboard. Blake Guerin added two RBIs for Iowa, and Andy Nelson and Gable Mitchell each added a RBI.

DAVID E. SWOLLEY, 68, of Exira (Svcs. 3/8/24)

Obituaries

March 5th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DAVID E. SWOLLEY, 68, of Exira, died Sunday, March 3rd 2024, at the Douglas County Healthcare Center in Omaha. Funeral services for DAVID SWOLLEY will be held 2-p.m. Friday, March 8, 2024, in the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Adel. Kessler Funeral Home in Exira has the arrangements.

Friends may call at the funeral home, where the family visitation is on Friday, from 9-until 11-a.m.

Burial is in the Iowa Veterans Cemetery near Adel.

DAVID E. SWOLLEY is survived by:

His wife – Ronda Swolley.

His sons – Jacob Swolley and Toby Swolley.

His daughter – Brandy (Travis) Schleusner.

His step-children: Heath (Kim Stowell) Robinson; Kari Hansen, and Jessica “Jessie” (Jesse Mills) Hansen.

His brothers – Francis “Bud” (Linda) Swolley Jr, Jerry (Audrey) Swolley, andSteve (Tootsie) Swolley.

His sister – Julie (Jim) Swolley.

7 grandchildren, many other relatives, and his in-laws.

Atlantic City Official warns about tax increases if EMS isn’t declared an essential service

News

March 5th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council will be focusing on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) as an Essential Service, in the weeks to come. Councilwoman Elaine Otte said the City has been working with the County and the hospital on EMS [ambulance] services.

The Board of Supervisors has set the date for a public hearing on the matter, and “In support of that, we all need to perk our ears up, we need to make sure that when that goes on the ballot in November, that gets passed as an essential service, for Cass County and Atlantic to continue to have ambulance service.”

City Administrator John Lund said the EMS issue “Will be a big thing,” when he discusses the City’s Budget. “The City of Atlantic needs to vote ‘yes’ on this, because if this [referendum] does not pass with a 60% [majority], which would put the property tax levy on a much wider [spread out] amongst a much larger tax base than the City has…if that fails, the City Council next year will have two options, and they’re both horrible.”

He said “It’ll be astronomically high tax rates that we’ve never seen before, or the Council will be in the position of having to gut departments. And I’m not being like dramatic about that…if you have to come up with $200,000 for an ambulance service, and you don’t want to raise the taxes, that’s the only alternative you have. And, it could be $300,000 if we don’t get fully funded again from the Small Business Income Tax credit,” and other “headwinds,” such as a Commercial Property tax rollback.

Lund said “Nobody likes to vote to increase their own taxes,” but about one-third of the base in the County comes from Atlantic. Councilwoman Otte reminded the Council and public, Essential Service gives the County and Cities the ability to levy taxes that support an ambulance or  EMS service. “We already have the right to do that for Police and Fire Departments, but ambulance services have never been considered an ‘essential service,’ so there was no way to get tax support for that.”

She said the legislature a few years ago made it possible for counties and cities would have the ability to do so, but it must be approved through a voter referendum. Mayor Grace Garrett said it will be very important for the City and County to educate the public and help them understand that this is another piece of providing an essential service to the community. Voters in Shelby County passed a referendum last November, approving a new tax to fund EMS. That decision puts EMS on the same level as police and fire services. Guthrie County is working on a similar proposal.

Atlantic City Council receives Retail Coach update; SplashPad won’t happen until 2025

News

March 5th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  The Atlantic City Council, this (Tuesday) evening received an update for Retail Coach Project Director Kyle Cofer, on work to bring prospective businesses to town. Mayor Grace Garrett informed new City Council members the City has been working with Retail Coach for nearly three years, along with the Chamber and CADCO.

Speaking electronically from his office, Cofer said Retail Coach is a retail recruitment and consulting firm hired directly by municipalities to recruit retail stores and restaurants that are best fit for a particular market and sites within that market. Without revealing any names, Cofer said they along with the Mayor are working to bring an “expanding, upscale” convenience store expanding all throughout the State,” to Atlantic. He said they would like to be located on the City’s east side, near Walmart. Since the talks began, the prospective business has found a site in that area, and things are moving forward with the concept.

Cofer said also, “We’ve recently started working with a Dollar Store [type] combo.” Those businesses fit into communities with a population of 5-to 10-thousand people. “They are very interested in Atlantic, and we are in the process of discussing sites with them. We’re really trying to push them on the west side to spur more development in that area.”

As for restaurants, Cofer said they are working behind the scenes directly with a franchisee instead of the chain itself. He says “It’s always the best bet for us, because its an easier process.”  The individual he spoke of they have had multiple conversations with, “Is proven. He and his company currently operate over 40 restaurants…they open 4-to 5 restaurants per year.” There is no time frame for him to visit Atlantic, but the conversations continue.

Lastly, Cofer said they are also working with a quick service restaurant chain that specializes in burgers. They are looking for three-quarters of an acre to an acre of land. “A year, year and a half ago, all four of these were not showing interest in the market. It just goes to show you how things can change and that as the real estate market changes and also as the site selection [changes] for what these specific brands look for.”

Retail Coach wants to continue to work with the City for another year or so, but the Council took no action on renewing the current agreement, because it was not on the agenda as an action item.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed a Resolution “Approving Plans, Specifications and Form of Contract for the 2024 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation – Ultra Violet Cast In Place Pipe (UV/CIPP)  Lining Project,” and awarded the project to Hydro-Clean, LLC. out of Des Moines, for their low bid of $91,500.00. The bid was below the engineer’s estimate of $194,280.

The Council passed a Resolution “Setting the Date of Public hearing for March 20, 2024, at 5:30 P.M. in the Atlantic
City Council Chambers, on a Proposal to Enter into a General Obligation Solid Waste Management Loan Agreement and to Borrow Money Thereunder in a Principal Amount Not to Exceed $90,000.”And, they passed a Resolution “Adopting the Emergency Leave Bank Policy to the Personnel Handbook.”

In his report, City Administrator John  Lund said the Splash Pad project has received some “push back” from those who would bid on the project, based on the timeline. Assuming a bid was approved, the very earliest they could even get started, he said, would be at the end of May, assuming there are no supply issues or weather delays. The goal now, is to move the project to later in the year, and shoot for an opening prior to Memorial Day, 2025. It was hoped the Splash Pad might open later this Summer, but the Committee agreed the delay would better serve the goal of quality and timely construction.

Biden wins Iowa Democrats’ mail-in Caucus count

News

March 5th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – With 91 percent of the votes, Joe Biden has won the Iowa Democratic Party mail-in system that’s replaced the delegate math that determined which presidential candidate won Iowa Caucuses of the past. Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman Rita Hart says the new system addresses complaints that the Caucuses were not very democratic, since you had to be present on Caucus Night to participate.

“An in-person Caucus was not very inclusive and now we have a two-part process where we have the in-person (meetings) and then we have the mail-in,” Hart says, “and, as a result, we’ve gotten so much more accessibility.” Over 12-thousand Iowa Democrats returned what the party called “presidential preference cards.” Nearly four percent indicated they were uncommitted to a presidential candidate at this point in the race. Dean Phillips, a Minnesota congressman, finished a distant third with under three percent, followed by author Marianne Williamson. Hart says Iowa Democrats will discuss whether this is the way they’ll conduct the 2028 Iowa Caucuses.

Iowa Democratic Party chairwoman Rita Hart

“We’re going to be in a different situation in 2028. It’ll be a much more competitive environment. We’ll have more people involved in the process as far as candidates are concerned, which makes a big difference, I think,” Hart says. Hart says there are all sorts of ideas to consider. “Should we have a system where we mail out ‘presidential preference card’ requests to every Democrat in the state so that there’s even more accessibility? Should we have drop off boxes so it makes it easier for people to participate, especially those who are procrastinators or those who don’t trust the Postal Service?” Hart asks.

Iowa Republicans held their party’s first voting contest of the 2024 presidential campaign with their Caucuses on January 15th. National Democrats kicked the Iowa Democratic Party’s Caucuses out of the lead-off position after the 2020 Caucus results were delayed and critics — including President Biden — said the party needed to start the 2024 campaign in states where voters of color had a voice in choosing the nominee.

No. 6 Iowa State men host No. 20 BYU Wednesday night

Sports

March 5th, 2024 by admin

The sixth ranked Iowa State men will try to close the regular season unbeaten at home on Wednesday night by hosting 20th ranked BYU. The Cougars are the top scoring team in the Big-12 and connected on 13 three pointers in an 87-72 victory in the first meeting back in mid-January.

That’s ISU coach T.J. Otzelberger. BYU leads the Big 12 by averaging more than 11 made three pointers per game.

Defensively the Cyclones work to keep the ball out of the paint so that can lead to more three point attempts by an opponent.

Iowa State is 23-6 overall and 12-4 in the Big 12.