Officials with the USDA and Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) have announced AMU was awarded a $300,000 grant from the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant (REDL&G) program. The grant is to establish a revolving loan fund to support area development projects. AMU has added a $60,000 match for the grant, bringing the loan fund balance $360,000. The grant is federally funded for economic development purposes in rural areas. Historically, the grants and loans were available to Rural Electric Coops and phone companies. The last few years they have expanded applicants to municipal utilities.

The application was made by AMU for the purpose of erecting a pre-engineered building to be leased to an expanding business in the AMU district. The business would need to employ at least 25 people, with the promise of expansion. Cass/Atlantic Development Corp. owns development property northwest of Atlantic. CADCO was working with Precision Concrete Services (PCS) who were interested in a building at that site. The AMU Board agreed to loan the grant monies to CADCO who in return would be the general contractor and lessee of that building.

The rent from the building will be used to pay back the loan to AMU, over a period of up to ten years. The plan is that PCS will be the eventual owner of that building. SteveTjepkes, General Manager of Atlantic Municipal Utilities, says “Receipt of the grant and establishment of the revolving loan fund would not have been possible without the work of CADCO and the relationship they built with Precision Concrete Services to put this project together.”  Tjepkes added, “the great thing about this project is the money from the grant and matching funds, as repaid, will be used as a revolving loan fund that can then be re-loaned to foster future economic development activities. It does not have to be repaid to USDA.”

Henningson’s Construction is currently erecting the building northwest of Atlantic, off Hwy 83, north of the railroad tracts.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The jackpot for the Mega Millions lottery game has been boosted to $425 million because of heavy sales. Paula Otto, the Virginia Lottery’s executive director and Mega Millions’ lead director, says sales are 40 percent ahead of projections prompting the game to boost the jackpot for the draw Friday night.  A winner choosing the cash option would take home $228 million.

In New York state, tickets are selling at a pace of $500,000 an hour Friday morning. The state’s lottery spokeswoman, Christy Calicchia says sales are normally between $60,000 and $70,000 an hour.  The winning ticket must match the six numbers drawn. About 32 percent of the possible combinations of numbers have been sold.

Mega Millions is played in 43 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Police in Red Oak report no one was injured during an accident Friday morning at the intersection of Corning and 1st Streets. The accident happened at around 8:30-a.m. Officials says their investigation determined a 1998 GMC Jimmy driven by 53-year old Michelle Solt, of Red Oak, was traveling north on North 1st Street and failed to stop at the stop sign. The SUV collided with a westbound 2002 Mercury Sable, driven by 25-year old Jean Myers, also from Red Oak.

Both drivers, and a juvenile passenger in the Solt vehicle complained of pain, but refused transport to the hospital. The damage amounted to $6,000. Officials say Solt was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign.

Police in Lenox report a local woman was arrested Thursday night on a warrant out of Audubon County. 21-year old Lacee Malson, of Lenox, was arrested at around 9:30-p.m. at her home, by officers with the Lenox Police Dept and deputies with the Taylor Co. Sheriffs Office.

Malson was wanted on an Audubon County arrest warrant for failure to appear. She was transported to the Taylor County Sheriffs office and later turned over to the Audubon County Sheriffs office.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green reports students with the Schuler and Washington Elementary Schools helped to support the Atlantic Food Pantry in large numbers this week. The two schools were involved in a canned food drive between Nov. 25th and Dec. 10th.

Some students showing off one of the boxes their class collected to donate to our canned food drive. (Photo courtesy Officer Devin Hogue w/the Atlantic P-D)

The class donating the most items in each grade level will be rewarded with a matinee showing of Turbo, set to take place this Saturday (Dec. 14th), and each student who attends will also receive a free Kid’s Concession Special, including popcorn, drink and M&M’s.  The movie and treats are being provided free of charge to the students, courtesy the Atlantic Police Department and Reserves, through the Reserves’ Children’s account, which also supports the annual summer camp out and last year’s first ever trip to the zoo with kindergarten and first grade students.

On Dec. 10th, officers with the Atlantic Police Department went to each school, picked up and delivered all the collected items to the Atlantic Food Pantry. All the items were totaled by each teacher and logged by the Police Department to see which classes collected the most.

Schuler Elementary collected a total of 768 items, while Washington Elementary collected a total of 2,358 items, for a grand total of 3,126 donations.  Those items filled four pickup loads. Food Pantry representatives said it was the largest one-time donation they had ever received.

The winning classes were presented with a certificate on Dec. 11th. Steve Green and his officers with the Atlantic Police Department thank all the students who participated in the food drive, along with all their parents and family members who helped them in the effort. The donations will greatly benefit Atlantic and the Cass County Area during the holiday season.