(Radio Iowa) Maryland Governor Larry Hogan says he’s not sure he plans to run for president, but he has just joined the ranks of hundreds of White House hopefuls who’ve visited the Iowa State Fair. Hogan, a Republican, is a two-term governor who cannot seek reelection due to term limits in Maryland. Hogan told Radio Iowa he wants to continue to be a voice in the G-O-P when his term ends in January.

The Republican candidate Hogan backed to succeed him as governor lost in July to a candidate endorsed by former President Trump. Hogan won’t be voting for Trump’s preferred candidate.

If Republican voters were to pick their 2024 Republican presidential nominee today, Hogan says it would likely be Trump. Hogan says politics can change dramatically in a year and he intends to be among a group of Republicans trying to figure out if there’s room for other candidates.

On Thursday, Hogan met with a small group of Iowa law enforcement officials and Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra to discuss efforts to combat crime. As governor, Hogan has used state tax dollars to pay for more federal prosecutors who handle gun-related cases and he approved a 50 percent increase in state spending on local policing. Hogan calls it “RE-funding” the police, as a counter to progressives’ calls for DE-funding. Hogan says he didn’t like hearing some fellow Republicans call for “defunding” the F-B-I following the search at Trump’s Florida home

Hogan says there are still a lot of questions that need to be answered to end speculation about the F-B-I’s actions, but Hogan says the U.S. Attorney General took a step in the right direction by filing a motion to make public both the warrant and list of items removed from Trump’s Florida home.

State Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald is again calling for creation of a state-managed investment program for Iowans who don’t have a pension or retirement plan through their employer.

Fitzgerald first proposed a “Retirement Savings Iowa” program in 2016, to be managed by the State Treasurer’s office.

Fitzgerald’s office has managed the College Savings Iowa program since in 1998. It currently has seven-and-a-half billion dollars in assets for 280-thousand accounts set up by parents and grandparents to cover college expenses for the next generation. Fitzgerald says it makes sense to set up a similar program, so Iowans can set aside money for retirement without paying taxes on it.

Fitzgerald made his comments Thursday afternoon at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. Fitzgerald, a Democrat, is the nation’s longest-serving state treasurer. Roby (ROB-ee, like “Robbie”) Smith, a state senator from Davenport, is the Republican challenging Fitzgerald’s bid for an 11th term.

Atlantic, Iowa, August 10, 2022 – TS Bank partnered with SHIFT ATL of Atlantic for the second year in row on a program called AMP for Neighborhoods, which focused on assisting local homeowners with exterior home repairs, curb-appeal-type projects and neighborhood block initiatives. Individuals were encouraged to nominate themselves or a neighbor with outdoor housing needs. Project requests ranged from landscaping, siding, painting, fencing, driveways, sidewalks, windows, roofing and exterior doors.

Volunteers from the different AMP sponsor organizations, and community members, showed up on the morning of August 10th to help spread the pea gravel to complete the project.

In addition to SHIFT ATL and TS Bank, other contributing sponsors included Cass/Atlantic Development Corporation, Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, Meyer and Gross Real Estate, Cass Health and Modern Woodmen Fraternal Financial bringing the grand total to $4,500 awarded.

“We love being able to partner on this project and help homeowners beautify the space they’re living in. Not everyone is able to climb a ladder or bend over to pull weeds and old landscaping out. By working together, we can spruce up some properties and encourage those within the neighborhood to follow suit,” Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce stated.

This year, the AMP program received an anonymous nomination for the Midtown Apartments neighborhood playground, citing the need for more playground equipment. With over 20 children in the complex and only a couple of items to play on, the need was great.

To help make this project possible, SHIFT ATL partnered with Atlantic Parks and Recreation to receive used equipment from a city-owned park that was on the dock to get new equipment anyways. In addition to donating the equipment, they hauled over 50 ton of pea gravel to fill the playground area as fall material and railroad ties to make it look nice. Lindeman Tractor and the Atlantic Parks and Recreation department also donated their resources to help install the playground equipment.

“Being able to contribute to and take part in such a transformational initiative is so rewarding. We love that we can be hands on through volunteering on these projects, and see the homeowners face makes it all worth it. Our hope is that by helping spruce up one property at a time, we can create a new standard for curb appeal in our community that trickles to all property owners,” said SHIFT ATL board member Alexsis Fleener.

The curb appeal transformation has been a blessing to the apartment complex residents to have more equipment so children have more opportunity to play together outside. Additionally, this benefit will add to the overall property value for the area and be a new gathering place for several families in the Midtown Apartments and foster further neighborhood connections.

“We are very grateful for AMP for putting together the playground for the kids! This was definitely a wonderful gift, and we are very appreciative to them for all that they have done to make this happen,” said Midtown Apartment complex owner, Tracey Bell.

(Photos and story courtesy Jessie Shiels, Marketing Manager, TS Banking Group)

If interested in volunteering for or supporting our AMP for Neighborhoods program in Atlantic next year, contact marketing@tsbg.com. Learn more about the projects at tsbank.com/amp.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Thursday, said an Atlantic man, 23-year old Randall Lee Dill the 3rd, was arrested Sunday, on a warrant for Harassment 3rd Degree.  Dill was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release.

And, authorities say no injuries were reported following an accident at 3rd and Linn Streets in Atlantic, a little before Noon, Wednesday. An investigation concluded that a 2012 Jeep Wrangler being operated by Christine Dvorak, of Atlantic, was traveling Eastbound on 3rd Street while a 2020 Jeep Renegade being operated by Sandra Blackman, of Elliott, was traveling Southbound on Linn St. approaching the stop sign of the 3rd and Linn intersection.

The 2020 Jeep Renegade being operated by Blackman continued through the stop sign and into the intersection where it collided with the 2012 Jeep Wrangler being operated by Dvorak.  The Renegade sustained an approximate $5,000 worth of damage mostly to the front of the vehicle while the Wrangler sustained an approximate $8,000 worth of damage to the driver side, driver rear side and undercarriage.

The Atlantic Fire Department has announced that they are continuing their partnership with the Muscualar Dystrophy Association for this year’s Fill the Boot fundraiser. Atlantic firefighters will be at the intersection of 7th and Poplar Streets in Atlantic on Saturday, August 13th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to accept donations in a fire boot to support MDA.

The funds raised held support MDA’s mission of research, care, and advocacy for families living with muscular dystrophy, ALS, and related neuromuscular diseases.

You can also donate to the AFD’s Fill the Boot online by visiting https://filltheboot.donordrive.com/team/12666 #FilltheBoot