(Radio Iowa) – Mike Franken, the Democrat challenging Republican Senator Chuck Grassley’s bid for reelection, says politicians owe it to the next generation to do better. “I now see the political charged environment that now haunts us and it’s the Iowa that I don’t recognize…where you’re not so sure if you’re friends with your neighbor any more,” Franken says. “People, we cannot have this future. We must have a new dawning…There’s far more things that make us the same…than what separate us.”

Franken is a retired Navy admiral. He suggests it’s hard to imagine the national unity so evident after the 9/11 attacks 21 years ago has largely evaporated. “We must do better,” Franken says. “We must think about the future of America, not get balled around with the difficulties and the political leadership in Washington, D.C.” Franken made his comments Monday afternoon on the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. He drew cheers by reciting New Deal programs like rural electrification that Democrat Franklin Roosevelt promoted and the Great Society programs of the Johnson presidency.

“Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security,” Franken said. “These are basic Democratic principals we are all reliant on today.” Franken said Democrats have a history of leaning forward and he says if elected, he’ll promote doing things like rebuilding the energy grid. A spokeswoman for Grassley’s campaign says Franken wants Iowa to be more liberal and is out of step and out of touch with Iowans.

(Radio Iowa) – Ryan Melton, the Democratic candidate in Iowa’s fourth congressional district, is opposed to construction of pipelines that capture carbon from Iowa ethanol plants. “The big concern is that three companies are asking the Iowa Utilities Board here in Des Moines to allow them to use eminent domain to take private landowners’ land away to plant these carbon capture pipelines and we know eminent domain is not for that purpose,” Melton says.

Melton says the projects will benefit private corporations and the government’s eminent domain process is supposed to be used for projects that have a public purpose. “If you do the research on this, you do the digging on this, carbon sequestration plants have closed by the multitudes because it’s a failed technology,” Melton says. “It over-promises and under-delivers.”

Melton, who lives in Nevada, is challenging Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra’s bid for a second term in the U.S. House. In a column by Feenstra that was published in several newspapers last year, Feenstra said carbon pipelines have the potential to boost the ethanol industry AND ensure Iowa farmers continue to have a strong market for their corn. Melton says the further north and west you go in Iowa, the more concerns you hear about the proposed pipelines. “Why would you give the burden of a risk of carbon capture pipeline leak, why would you put that burden on us — on our shoulders on the ground, just so corporations could rake in massive profit from that, for a failed technology that is not a climate solution? Melton asked the crowd at the State Fair. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

Melton says the focus, instead, should be to expand wind and solar power generation to reduce the use of carbon-based energy sources. Melton made his comments on the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair.

(Atlantic, Iowa/updated – The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Board of Directors, Monday evening, accepted with thanks for her nearly three-years of service on the Board, the resignation of Board Member Ashley Hayes, who has accepted a position with SWIPCO, that would put her in a conflict of interest when it comes to her new position on the organization’s Community Development Team.

Parks Board member Ashley Hayes (Center).

Her resignation went into effect at the conclusion of the Board meeting. Parks & Rec Board Chair Jolene Smith…

The Board opted to find a person to fill the seat by appointment, rather then call for a Special Election. The person appointed will only serve until the next election. In 2023, the seat will be filled by election and is for a period of two-years. The Atlantic City Council is expected to accept Hayes’ resignation and approve whomever the Board selects. Resumes for the Parks Board seat will then be accepted from August 18th through the 24th. Persons wishing to serve on the Board must include a letter indicating why they want to fill the vacancy. With whomever the Board appoints, citizens have the right to petition for an election.

In other business, Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen reminded the Board and residents, the last day for swimming at the Sunnyside Pool in Atlantic is August 28th.

Brad Rasmussen presents checks to the Parks & Rec Dept. (8/15/22)

And, Brad Ramussen provided the Parks and Rec Board with a handful of checks. The first was for next year’s youth Art in the Park.

(Carolyn Bruck provided the $50 donation). Brad Rasmussen writes children’s books, and turned over the profits to the Parks and Rec Department.

(He contributed $500 to help defray the cost of the Block Party.) Two other checks totaling $1,000, will be used toward the restoration of the Bandstand at Sunnyside Park.

And, the Board approved updating a study for expanding the Atlantic Sports Complex to include additional soccer space, as long as the cost for the Snyder and Associates’ Engineers study does not exceed $11,150. The last time a study was conducted was at least five-years ago.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Monday, said there were six separate arrests conducted over the past week. On Monday (8/15), 26-year-old Gustavo Angel Gomez-Perez, of Fall City, NE., was arrested at around 5:08-a.m. on I-29 at mm 32, for OWI/1st offense. (Bond $1,000)

Sunday night, 50-year-old Clint Thomas Curtis, of Des Moines, was arrested at Highway 34 and 221st Street, for Domestic Abuse Assault, Obstruction of Emergency Communication and Driving with an obstructed view. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

Saturday evening, 45-year-old Justine Elaine Gregory, of Glenwood, was arrested on Highway 34 for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Poss. of drug paraphernalia, with bond set at $1,300.

There were two arrests Friday, in Mills County: 30-year-old Davonte Laronne Clark, of Omaha, was arrested on I-29 at mm 48, for Theft in the 1st Degree, Poss. of a Controlled Substance, and Eluding. (Bond $16,000); and, 43-year-old Deanna Lyn Hamilton, of LeMars, was arrested at around 2:21-a.m. Friday for Domestic Abuse Assault. (No bond).

And, on Aug. 10th, 50-year-old Brian John Beebe, of Hastings, was arrested on a Pottawattamie County warrant for Failure to Appear (Bond $25,000), and on on Mills County Poss. of a Controlled Substance charge. (Bond $1,000)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Healthy Cass County and Cass County ISU Extension have released an updated version of the Cass County Urgent Need Community Resource Guide. The guide lists Cass County resources under categories such as Crisis, Abuse, Financial, Legal, Food, Health, and more.

The Cass County Urgent Need Community Resource Guide can be found on the Cass County ISU Extension website. Print copies of the guide will be distributed throughout the county at locations such as public libraries and are available for pick-up at the Cass County ISU Extension Office at 805 W. 10th St. Atlantic, IA 50022. The Cass County ISU Extension Office
can be reached at (712) 243- 1132.

Healthy Cass County logo

The organizations collaborating on the document ask for assistance in making sure the document is available to all people in Cass County. For more information on local health and wellness events or resources, follow Healthy Cass County on Facebook @HealthyCassCounty.

(Radio Iowa) – Classes will start one week from today (Monday) at Iowa’s three public universities, and students who are on their own for the first time may be tempted by those plentiful credit card offers, but they’re warned to beware. Consumer advocate Lara Sutherlin says those pre-approved credit card deals often come with a lot of strings attached.  “Some of these offers may look really good,” Sutherlin says, “but they also can include really high annual percentage rates — APRs, or hidden fees that can increase the amount that you owe, if you’re not careful.”

Sutherlin says even taking one of those “fantastic plastic” offers could affect your credit score.  “You should really think clearly about whether you want a credit card or whether you need more than one,” she says. “It’s probably unlikely at that stage in the game.” Sutherlin says many businesses will offer credit cards to college kids who aren’t truly ready to handle having that sort of easy access to money.

“Be very wary of those credit card companies that are posting up at your colleges and trying to encourage you to take out one or two credit cards,” Sutherlin says. “They may have high APRs and they may have high interest.” Sutherlin says if you do need a credit card, you should shop around at trusted banks that you or your parents have used in the past, and make sure to shred or rip up credit card junk mail.