Atlantic, Iowa — The Atlantic Public Library was selected as one of 310 libraries to participate in round two of Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities, an American Library Association (ALA) initiative that provides community engagement and accessibility resources to small and rural libraries to help them better serve people with disabilities. The competitive award comes with a $10,000 grant that will help the library develop ways to better serve adults and teens with developmental disabilities.

Atlantic Public Library Director Michelle Andersen says “We are so proud to be chosen again for this amazing opportunity. Last year we received $20,000 towards modernizing the elevator but, with this second round of funding, I wanted to focus on how we can better serve individuals living with disabilities. We are blessed to have so many resources in town like REM and Trivium Life Services, but the library doesn’t have the best tools to serve their clients.”

As part of the grant, Andersen will take an online course in how to lead conversations, a skill vital to library work today. She will then host a conversation with residents about ways to better serve developmentally disabled teens and adults and use the grant funds to provide new resources or programs. Michelle Andersen says “One idea is to begin an affiliation with Next Chapter Book Club. I would also like to research building a collection of high-low books for adults, books with an easy reading level yet are written to appeal to adults and not children. Some other potential services could include providing sensory experiences at the library or in a kit to checkout, installing a communication board for nonverbal people, or offering adaptive computer equipment. The beauty of this grant is that it allows us to make those specific project choices after holding the community conversation.”

The Atlantic Public Library

If you are interested in getting involved or taking part in the conversation, please contact Andersen at the library by e-mailing atlanticpubliclibrary@gmail.com or calling 712-243-5466.

Since 2014, ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative has re-imagined the role libraries play in supporting communities. Libraries of all types have utilized free dialogue and deliberation training and resources to lead community and campus forums; take part in anti-violence activities; provide a space for residents to come together and discuss challenging topics; and have productive conversations with civic leaders, library trustees and staff.

The Atlantic Public Library connects the community to information, resources, and each other in order to spark ideas and new connections.

(Radio Iowa) – With one month to go before the federal tax filing deadline the I-R-S is offering a day Saturday where you can visit the Des Moines office to get tax questions answered. I-R-S spokesman Christopher Miller says it’s a chance to speak with someone in person. “Normally at the Des Moines Taxpayer Assistance Center, the office is only open during the weekend by appointment. So this Saturday event is a chance for people that maybe work during the week and can’t get away the opportunity to sit down with someone without an appointment and talk about their tax account.” he says. Miller says there’s a variety of issues that can be addressed.

“They may want information about a refund, they may want a copy of their tax transcript, or perhaps they got a letter or a notice from the I-R-S and they need some guidance on what to do next,” Miller says. “We also expect to see people who need to verify their identity with the Internal Revenue Service.” Miller says you should bring in any pertinent documents.”You may want to bring in a copy of last year’s tax return or any tax return that is in question. Bring in a copy of the letter or notice you receive from the I-R-S. You should also bring along a copy of your identification. Bring two copies of identification if you’re verifying your I-D,” Miller says. He says there is one thing they can’t do.

“The I-R-S Taxpayer Assistance Center does not prepare tax returns. We will offer people information if they haven’t done their taxes yet on where they can get help within the community at volunteer sites that prepare taxes for free,” Miller says.

The Taxpayer Assistance Center in downtown Des Moines on Walnut Street will be open from nine to four this Saturday to answer questions.

MASON CITY, Iowa – March 15, 2024 – Traveling between Lansing, Iowa, and Crawford County, Wisconsin, will become a bit easier on Monday, March 18, 2024 with the implementation of a free water taxi. The Iowa Department of Transportation says the service will be in place until repairs are made to the existing bridge connecting the two states.

The water taxi will travel between the Lansing Marina and Big Slough Landing and will be available seven days a week on the following schedule.

• 7 to 10 a.m.
• 11 to 1 p.m.
• 3 to 6 p.m.

A one-way trip is estimated to take about 30 minutes.  All riders will be required to get off the water taxi at each stop.

On the Iowa side, parking and a shuttle is available at the Lansing City Hall and  Middle/Kee High School in Lansing.

Lansing City Hall
201 John Street
Lansing, IA  52151

Middle/Kee High School
269 Center Street
Lansing, IA  52151

Travelers on the Wisconsin side will need to park at the DeSoto Community Center and take a shuttle to the water taxi. Parking is not allowed at Big Slough Landing.

De Soto Community Center
57 Crawford Street
De Soto, WI  54624

(Radio Iowa) – Updated population estimates from the U-S Census Bureau show growth in four of Iowa’s metropolitan areas. The Census Bureau estimates there was a three-point-one percent increase in the number of residents in the six counties that are part of the Des Moines metro over the past three years. Iowa City’s metro grew two-point-seven percent and Sioux City saw a very small uptick in its metro population of four-one-hundredths of a percent. Council Bluffs is part of the Omaha metro, where the population expanded by one-point-seven percent over the past three years.

The Census Bureau estimates indicate Cedar Rapids, Dubuque and the Waterloo/Cedar Falls metros all had very small population losses. The population in the Quad Cities dipped one-point-three percent over the past three years. Among all Midwest metros, Des Moines ranked as the fastest growing, ahead of Indianapolis and Madison, Wisconsin.

(The actual losses for Cedar Rapids was 0.3%, the Dubuque metro was down 0.4% and the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area was down 0.2%.)

(Radio Iowa) – It was five years ago this week that a flood devastated the northwestern Iowa town of Hornick and the final repairs still aren’t complete. The West Branch of the Little Sioux River couldn’t be held back by a levee after a late winter rainstorm, and the high water forced the evacuation of all 250 residents in the Woodbury County community. “It’s been a long road to recovery,” according to Hornick Mayor Scott Mitchell, who says a new berm now protects the town. Mitchell says it’s difficult to finalize funding from FEMA to fix roads that were damaged by the flood. The cost has increased in the past two years from two-million dollars to as much as four-million, with FEMA covering 75% of the price. The mayor says the paperwork was a real chore.

“Their process is very difficult for a small town to do,” he says. “We don’t have anybody to do that on a full-time basis, where your larger cities do.” Mitchell says it’s been a difficult journey to put everything back in place. “Lots of ups and downs, maybe more downs than ups,” he says. “And it’s still pretty amazing how a community and the surrounding areas can come together to help out a small community that they don’t even have any ties to.”

Mitchell says he is still thankful for the support his town received in cleaning up after the natural disaster. He hopes to have the final repair work done by the end of this year.

DES MOINES, Iowa [KCCI]— A Des Moines man who was convicted of abusing his infant son more than a decade ago was taken into custody Thursday for allegedly violating his parole. Jonas Neiderbach, 34, was found guilty in 2011 of abusing his six-week-old son in 2009. The infant suffered brain trauma, a broken arm and broken ribs.

Neiderbach was convicted of six counts of child endangerment, but in 2013, the Iowa Supreme Court threw out two of the convictions. He was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison, with no mandatory minimum. According to the Iowa Department of Corrections, Neiderbach was released on parole in 2022. New court documents say he violated his parole at least seven times in the last six weeks. His next court date has not been set.

DES MOINES, Iowa — U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, announced new legislation in Washington, D.C., that would help replace lead water pipes in Des Moines, across the state and across the country. It’s called the Safe Drinking Water for Disadvantaged Communities Act. Nunn announced it during a press conference Thursday morning in Des Moines.

The bill would put $15 billion of federal money toward forgivable loans — local water utilities would then be able to apply for loans to replace lead water service lines. In Des Moines, Water Works says the city still has 20,000 lead lines in commission, and they need to be replaced. Water Works officials say without the federal loan, replacing the lead pipes would force them to impose a 30% increase on customer’s water bills for the next 20 years, in order to pay for the project.

Water Works is already replacing some of the lead lines as part of a pilot program.