DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds, Friday, announced various appointments to Iowa’s boards and commissions. Those appointed are subject to Senate Confirmation. Appointees from southwest/western Iowa include (by Board, appointee name, & County):

Accountancy Examining Board 

Lindsay Knoop, Dallas 

Board of Medicine 

Chad Stadsvold, DO, Woodbury 

Natural Resource Commission 

Tom Prickett, Mills

State Racing and Gaming Commission 

Daryl Olsen, Audubon

The following appointments are not subject to Senate confirmation: 

 Iowa Statewide Interoperable Communications System Board 

Wendi Hess, Woodbury 

Jeffrey Vandewater, Adair

Student Loan Liquidity Corporation 

Juan Garcia, Dallas 

(Radio Iowa) – An emergency food group is concerned about how proposed legislation could contribute to the spiking demand for food assistance. Des Moines Area Religious Council spokesman, Blake Willadsen, says DMARC assisted a record-breaking 19-thousand people last month. He’s concerned the bill which would add further hurdles to SNAP applicants, meaning more households turning to emergency food.

The state ended some Iowans’ access to maximum SNAP benefits in March of 2022, and Willadsen says that decrease was followed by record levels of visitors by last August.

The bill in the Iowa Legislature would limit assets households can have to get food assistance, and require more frequent eligibility checks. The bill would kick an estimated 28-hundred people off SNAP.

(reporting by Zachary Oren Smith, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of a train derailment Thursday in Sioux City.

A Union Pacific spokesperson says about one dozen cars on a freight train derailed upright on the edge of their Sioux City yard around 6 p.m.. There were no injuries and no releases of contents from any of the rail cars.

Union Pacific crews put all cars back on the rails this morning and 28th Street will remain closed for at least a few more days because of the repair work.

Derailed cars in Sioux City. (KSCJ photo)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by Atlantic Parks & Recreation on Thursday, April 6th, 2023. Ambassadors welcomed Wyatt Adderton as the new Atlantic Parks & Recreation Director.

Wyatt Adderton moved to Atlantic from Savannah, Georgia in mid-March and hit the ground running, scooping snow and meeting with various businesses, organization, and City officials. Wyatt graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Liberal Studies, a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Parks & Recreation Management from North Arizona University, and has begun grad school at Indiana University for Recreation Administration. Wyatt shared that he truly admires the passion Atlantic residents have for their community, and he hopes to be a role model for young people that want to make a difference in their community.

Ambassadors (Left to Right): Colt Doherty, Jen McEntaffer, Dany Haynes, Kate Olson, Kelsey Beschorner, Graydon Schmidt, Kirk Knudsen, Dr. Keith Leonard, Laurie West, Jeremy Butler, Wyatt Adderton, Avery Zakrzewski, Dolly Bergmann, Shirley Jensen, BJ Hart, Tori Gibson, Alex McAfee, Jolene Smith, Lana Westphalen, Elaine Otte, Donnie Drennan, Megan Sramek, Jeff Christensen, Anne Quist, John Bricker, Bailey Smith, Ed Smith.

Atlantic Parks & Recreation maintains 13 properties, 236 acres, and over 3,000 trees. The department also provides programming and special events including the Park Party that is scheduled for July 8th,10-2 pm.

Wyatt’s current goals for the department include reinvesting in Sunnyside Pool by repainting the existing buildings, adding a new waterslide, and installing new membership software. Wyatt and his team are also looking forward to planting more trees, completing the Mollett Park raised bed project, and working with Kirk Knudsen, Public Works Director, on finishing the walkway at Schildberg Recreation Area and addressing erosion issues throughout town.

Atlantic Parks & Recreation Office is located at 1200 Sunnyside Lane in Atlantic. For more information about Parks & Recreation please call, 712-243-3542. To keep up with Atlantic Parks & Recreation, follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/atlanticparksandrecreation