A ceremony held Saturday afternoon in the Atlantic City Park for the re-dedication of a Soldiers Monument began with a a loud boom.

The replica miniature civil war era cannon and Cannoneer.

The sound of a replica, miniature canon built by Atlantic’s Steve Livengood echoed through the downtown area, and was one of many, similar events held throughout the country in commemoration of the Sesquicentennial (150th Anniversary), of the American Civil War, which was fought from 1861 to 1865. The original dedication ceremony for the monument in Atlantic was held 94 years ago, on July 10th, 1919. It’s dedicated to the memory of those who fought in the Mexican, Civil, and Spanish-American Wars.

Helping to commemorate the ceremony in Atlantic were members of the Col. William H. Kinsman Camp 23, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Uniformed Group, Company B, 10th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. American Legion Post 43 and VFW members were also on hand to provide a 21-gun salute.

Dave Hancock (podium), Steve Livengood (left), Dave Jones, Mark Wedemeyer & civil war re-enactors.

Dave Hancock, of Atlantic, was Master of Ceremonies for the event. His great grandfather is among the 640 veterans whose name is listed among the plaques surrounding the monument’s base.

Hancock said it was in the memory of his great-grandfather and all those who lost their lives in the war, that the re-dedication took place. Also speaking at the event was Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones, Mark Wedemeyer, Chair of the Cass County Board of Supervisors, and Atlantic City Councilman Steve Livengood, who also provided a history of the monument from its inception, up to and including a recent renovation. It began with a petition with 141 names which was presented before the Supervisors in 1915.

The monument cost a total of around $26,916, which includes an architects fee and a little more than $3,000 for the foundation, which is 22-square feet wide at the top, 26-square feet wide at the bottom, and 10-feet deep. It’s made up of concrete, reinforced steel, cement, sand and crushed stone. The entire monument is 62-feet 10-inches tall.

Livengood became involved in the restoration of the monument a few years ago, when a citizen asked about a missing shield on the Lady Liberty statue which rests atop the monument.

Lady Liberty sits atop the Soldier’s Memorial.

The shield had fallen off and was being stored in a Parks and Rec building.As the Council’s liaison to the Park Board, Livengood began the process of finding someone to repair the statue. It was repaired by Steve Nelson, of Nelson Machine and Forge, in Marne. The re-dedication was preceded by a bugler calling soldiers to Assembly.

Cass County Supervisor Mark Wedemeyer made official, the re-dedication, which concluded with the placing of colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, the setting of a Civil War soldiers’ field pack, wreath and flag at the base of the monument, a performance of TAPS, and a 21-gun salute.

The Color Guard stands by.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Public Health says there are now 60 confirmed of the rare food-borne illness cyclosporiasis, up from 45 cases reported Friday.In the KJAN listening area, 3 cases have been reported in Dallas County,  2 cases in Mills County, and 1 case in each of Monona and Pottawattamie Counties.

The illness is most commonly contracted by eating food or drinking water contaminated with human feces containing the cyclospora parasite. Iowa typically has just one or two cases a year, usually travelers. Officials believe fresh vegetables may be the culprit, but the investigation continues.

Consumers should wash fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of the illness, which causes diarrhea that lasts an average of 57 days.

Neighboring Nebraska reported 35 cases as of Friday. A Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a message Saturday asking if more cases had been confirmed in Nebraska.

No injuries were reported after an SUV containing fireworks erupted into flames Friday after it rolled over on southbound Interstate 29. According to newspaper and television reports, the accident happened near the South 24th Street exit off I-29, at around 12:30-p.m. The vehicles’ occupants were able to escape just before flames consumed the SUV. The fire raged on for about 20-minutes. Traffic was backed up in both directions on the interstate for several miles but began flowing again by around 2-p.m., Friday.

The Iowa State Patrol reports an Audubon County man was injured during a crash Friday night, just east of Brayton. 51-year old Randy Doss, of Exira, who was not wearing a seat belt, was transported by Exira Rescue to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, before being flown by Mercy 1 helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha. Officials say Doss was traveling east on 320th Street at around 10:52-p.m., when he failed to negotiate a curve in the road.

Doss’ 1997 Ford F-150 pickup continued off the road and rolled into the north ditch before coming to rest in a farm field. A report on his condition was not available early Saturday morning. The accident remains under investigation.

THE AMBER ALERT THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED EARLIER IN THE EVENING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. THE IOWA STATE PATROL REPORTS THAT THE MISSING CHILD HAS BEEN LOCATED IN CEDAR RAPIDS…IOWA. THEREFORE…THE AMBER ALERT IS CANCELLED.