(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Executive Director of the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce announced today (Wednesday), Atlantic has been recognized as a Neighborhood Champion for the eighth year in a row by American Express. Atlantic will participate in the 12th Annual Small Business Saturday to support small businesses. Baily Smith says “We’re excited to partner with local businesses to create shopping incentives and activities to celebrate Small Business Saturday.”

Founded by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday® is a day to celebrate the small businesses that help support our community. American Express created the Neighborhood Champion Program to help rally communities around Small Business Saturday and is working alongside numerous business organizations to support local Small Business Saturday celebrations throughout the country. Smith says “American Express recognizes communities that have strong participation. The on-going Shop Local Initiative, presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust, and overall community support has helped Atlantic achieve this national recognition.”

“It’s a great opportunity” she says, “for Atlantic to receive positive, national exposure. Atlantic is very fortunate to have the business community that we do, and this day is an added bonus for residents to remember how important their support and participation in shopping local is to keeping Atlantic a vibrant place to live.”

November 27th marks the 12th Annual Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting the local businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country. Small business owners can learn more about taking part in Small Business Saturday and download free marketing materials on www.shopsmall.com. Consumers can visit www.atlanticiowa.com to find merchants to shop at on Small Business Saturday.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Police Department says Officers arrested four people from Nov. 4th through the 16th. On Tuesday (11/16), 62-year-old Joseph Hahn, of Atlantic, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation. On Nov. 9th, 18-year-old Myson Kovac, of Atlantic, was arrested for Public Intoxication. On the 8th of November, 32-year-old Brandon Pahl, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), and, 41-year-old Dawn Theisen, of Griswold, was cited for Theft in the 5th. She was released from the scene with the citation.

And, on Nov. 4th, Atlantic Police arrested 30-year-old Itatipei Rudolph, of Atlantic, for Public Intoxication. With the exception of Thiesen, all suspects were booked into the Cass County Jail.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – A Mills County Sheriff’s Office K-9 was used early this (Wednesday) morning, to persuade a man to surrender to authorities. The Sheriff’s Office reports Deputies arrived at 109 S. Hazel Street in Glenwood to execute a full extradition warrant out of Nebraska, for Victor Cook. Authorities who made contact with residents in the home saw Cook, who proceeded to hide himself in the home and refuse to come out.

The Sheriff’s K-9 was used to retrieve Cook, who was placed under arrest without further incident, and without injury. Mills County Deputies were assisted at the scene by Officers with the Glenwood Police Department.

(Radio Iowa) – An annual report from the American Lung Association shows Iowa ranks below the national average for survival rates, early diagnosis and surgical treatment of lung cancer. Alyssa DePhillips is with the American Lung Association. She says the data also shows that among racial groups, black Iowans are the last likely to receive surgical treatment. “They may decide to opt out of treatment because their disease has progressed far,” she says, “but we don’t want people to be forgoing treatment because of lack of access to care, their provider not knowing about cutting edge treatments or stigma associated with lung cancer and the cost.”

DePhillips says the one category Iowa ranked above the national average for is lung cancer screenings. “Iowa is doing a lot in this state to try to increase the rates of people that are screened for lung cancer because the sooner people get screened, the sooner they can receive treatment,” she says, “and the more likely that surgery would be a treatment option.”

The report found 11 percent of Iowans who are at higher risk of developing lung cancer were screened in the past year. That’s almost double the national average. Only one out of five Iowans who are diagnosed with lung cancer are alive five years after learning they have the disease.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Natalie Krebs)

(Radio Iowa) – Heart disease is the top killer of Iowa women and a cardiologist and researcher says the continued stress of the pandemic is making the ailment even more lethal. Dr. Noel Bairey Merz says the Women’s Heart Alliance is launching a radio P-S-A campaign this week to educate Iowa women about the risks, the warning signs and the importance of getting “heart checked.”

“Their physicians don’t talk about it very much, but this is going to get worse because of two years of COVID mitigation,” Merz says. “A lot of deferred care, some lax blood pressure control, perhaps more smoking, things that contribute to heart disease in women.” While men may fall to the “Hollywood heart attack” clutching their chest, Merz says the signs of a heart attack in women are different and they’re often more subtle. Merz says, “Women do sometimes have chest pains but they can also have jaw pain, nausea, indigestion, overwhelming or unusual fatigue, dizziness, hot sweats and shortness of breath.”

Many women know the importance of mammograms — early screening for breast cancer — yet heart disease kills 12-times more women and it’s not something for which they’re traditionally being tested. “Cardiovascular disease kills more women than breast cancer at all ages,” Merz says. “It’s critically important to get heart checked. This is simple. It’s calculating a score based on your blood pressure and your blood cholesterol, whether or not you smoke, your age, your ethnicity.” Iowa ranks 19th in the U-S for heart disease deaths, and Merz says that’s not the place to be.

“Iowa statistics for cardiovascular disease death is a little above average and this is an area where you probably don’t want to be average,” Merz says. “The average woman and the average man in the United States dies of cardiovascular disease. That is the leading cause of death in both women and men.”