(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa man wanted for what witnesses described as a hit-and-run has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly driving over someone in Rock Valley early Sunday morning. Police say their investigation revealed the driver of the vehicle and the pedestrian had gotten into an argument. Police allege the argument continued into the street when the pedestrian confronted the driver on the side of the road. The driver backed his vehicle away from the pedestrian and then allegedly drove towards the pedestrian, striking and dragging them under the car until they were run over by the rear wheels.

The driver’s been identified as 39-year-old Jaime Martinez Montiel. He was found inside a closet at an apartment in Rock Valley. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder and serious injury by vehicle. He is being held on a $50,000 bond in the Sioux County Jail. The investigation is ongoing and police are expecting more charges to be filed. The condition of the victim is unknown.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday morning in a regularly scheduled session. During their meeting, County Veteran’s Affairs Director Mitch Holmes presented his three-part report. The fourth quarter report he said, is mandated by State Code.

In the same report, Holmes noted the Cass County Veteran’s Affairs (CCVA) office assisted 121 Veterans, conducted 96 Office and 4 home visits, made 184 phone contacts, answered 167 various pieces of correspondence (Mail, e-mail & faxes), and they assisted five Veterans with their Driver’s Licenses. Then came the Annual Report for FY2020-21.

The CCVA assisted 47 Veterans process and receive their Federal VA Compensation Benefits, and other benefits, such as Nursing Home and Health Care, Death/Burial Benefits, and other matters. They also assisted a total of 341 Veterans, had 407 Office visits and 40 home visits. CCVA made 988 phone contacts, handled 1,288 pieces of correspondence, and assisted with 20 driver’s licenses.

The third and final report Holmes presented to the Board was the FY Geographic Distribution of VA Expenditures. The report shows the County has a Veteran population of 1,258. Total Federal dollars coming into Cass County specifically for Veterans, amounted to more than $8.9-million, including $4.1-million in Veterans Compensation and Pension.

In other businesses, Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken presented his regular report on Secondary Roads Department matters. He mentioned they placed project pipe along Troublesome Creek Road the last week or so, which allowed to be re-opened. He says they’ll continue to work with project pipes as they are delivered to the County. And, work on the Boston Road and Olive Street Bridge projects continues.

He said also, work will begin soon on a Indian Creek Road box culvert project, north of Highway 6.

(Atlantic, Iowa) –  Atlantic will find more people buzzing around town, shopping and dining on Saturday, July 17. Participating Atlantic businesses will, once again, offer crazy summer deals during the Annual Crazy Daze shop local event. Crazy Daze is an annual event that encourages customers to support local businesses. Kelsey Beschorner, Programs Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce says “We would like to thank all the customers for supporting our small businesses throughout 2020. What better way to celebrate shopping local then with AtlantiCash?”

Four lucky shoppers will get the chance to win $250 in AtlantiCash. Shoppers are encouraged to post their shopping or dining “selfies” on Facebook during Crazy Daze, using the hashtags #MyAtlanticIA and #LoveLocal. The four winners will be announced Monday, July 19th LIVE on the Chamber’s Facebook Page. Kelsey says  “This is a great way to thank and reward people for shopping local. It gives them that extra nudge to spend the day in Atlantic.”

Shop or eat at these participating locations to be entered in to win $250 in AtlantiCash:

• Akin Building Center
• Atlantic Motor Supply
• Aunt B’s
• Bonnesen’s Five & Ten Store
• Brown Shoe Fit
• Brymons Interiors
• Cappel’s Ace Hardware
• CoffeeGirl
• Downtowner Cafe
• Eleven O’ Three
• Elixir Downtown
• Farmhouse & Flowers
• Golden Dragon
• Hanson’s Fine Jewelry
• Interior Touch
• Plaza Azteca
• Rancho Grande
• Scooters Coffee
• Shaved Tail Louie’s
• Something For You
• Sweet Joy Shoppe
• Udderly Delicious
• Valley Boutique

For more information on Crazy Daze deals and other Chamber events, visit atlanticiowa.com or contact the Chamber office at 712.243.3017.

CRESTON, Iowa – July 13, 2021 – Road construction work on U.S. 6 between Iowa 71 near Atlantic, and Iowa 48 near Lewis, will require intermittent lane closures weekdays from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. beginning on Monday, July 19 until Aug. 5, weather permitting. That’s according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston construction office. Officials say during the project, traffic will be controlled with flaggers and a pilot car while work is taking place. A 16-foot lane width limit will be in effect.

(Radio Iowa) – A survey of dozens of nonprofit organizations across western Iowa and Nebraska finds many are still feeling the financial impacts of the pandemic after already losing millions of dollars in the past year. Hannah Young, spokeswoman for the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands, says their Nonprofit Pulse Poll shows the nonprofit sector is stabilizing in the two states, though the future remains uncertain. “We’ve had a lot of federal funding that has helped a lot of nonprofits through the last year and now that that’s starting to back off, what will nonprofits do now? We just don’t know the answer to that yet,” Young says. “I think we’ll see next year how many, unfortunately, do have to close down or maybe merge.”

Mergers of nonprofits that offer similar services isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Young says, as two could emerge as a stronger one. Still, the survey found nonprofits surveyed anticipate losing more than 15-million dollars combined this year due to COVID-19, an average of nearly 100-thousand dollars per agency. “That’s only out of 159 responses that we got, so that number is much, much larger,” Young says. “That number was just compiled of the average amounts that people projected they would lose in 2020. Again, that’s a very conservative number due to the fact that there are many, many more nonprofits in our area.”

Compared to a poll a year ago, the newest survey found 16-percent of nonprofits feel less financially stable than last year, and about six-percent report they are in financial crisis. Even with all of the challenges the pandemic presented, Young says some positives have come out of COVID as well, like expanding services, increased collaboration, and the rise of virtual programming and training. “I think the biggest one is that virtual programming returned,” Young says. “That’s something, for instance, we’re doing. We’re able to reach so many more people now by having some of our meetings and webinars on Zoom. That’s a really cool opportunity that we had before but we didn’t really utilize.”

Many of the non-profits surveyed project it will be one to two years before they’re again operating at pre-COVID levels.

More at www.nonprofitam.org

CRESTON, Iowa – July 13, 2021 – The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston Construction Office reports, a bridge deck overlay project on east- and westbound Interstate 80 between Iowa 173 (exit 54) three miles east of Marne, and Cass County Road N-16 (exit 57) five miles west of Brayton, will require reducing traffic to one lane controlled with temporary barrier rail beginning at 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 21, until Oct. 7, weather permitting.

Work on the project will be completed in stages with the left lane closed first and then the right lane closed after work is completed in the left lane. A 13-foot-8-inch lane width limit will be in effect during this project.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts. The latest traveler information is available anytime through the 511 system. Visit 511ia.org; call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide); stay connected with 511 on Facebook or Twitter (find links at https://iowadot.gov/511/511-social-media-sites); or download the free app to your mobile device.