A chef in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area has set a big goal to break a world’s record while trying to feed thousands of hungry people — in one day. Lynn Leahy is president of the non-profit organization, The Power of One, and has organized a huge spaghetti feed that will take place at 12 metro area high schools on Sunday. Leahy says all proceeds will go directly to the Food Bank for the Heartland.

“We are just a bunch of regular Joes that want to make a difference,” Leahy says. “There is so much overwhelming bad sometimes, so much in the news, how we look at politics, how divided it is, how divided everything seems to be. I wanted to pull us together just a little bit.” A recent U-S-D-A study found about 12-percent of Iowa’s population is food insecure, meaning, they don’t always know where their next meal will come from. The Omaha-based Food Bank for the Heartland helps stock the shelves at 285 food pantries, shelters and soup kitchens in Nebraska and western Iowa. Leahy says the Food Bank is the sole beneficiary of this weekend’s event.

“We’re doing the World’s Largest Spaghetti Feed Ever,” Leahy says. “We thought in order to get everybody involved in this and to really create that atmosphere, we needed to make it a contest.” To break the record, 17-thousand plates of food will need to be served on Sunday at midday. She says everyone is welcome to have a meal and if they can make a contribution, great.

“It’s a free will donation,” Leahy says. “If you don’t have any money, come eat. We really want to feed you. Our goal was for one day, in this town, no one goes hungry. No one. How realistic is that, I don’t know, but man, can I make an effort? Yeah.” Food will be served from 11 A-M until 3 P-M on Sunday at high schools in Omaha, Ralston, Plattsmouth, Westside, and at Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs. The U-S-D-A report found 11-point-nine percent of Iowans are “food insecure,” missing meals or eating food that’s cheaper but with low nutritional value, just to have something to eat. Iowa is doing better than the national average of 14-point-six percent.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors had a light agenda for their meeting Wednesday morning. The Board approved the Fiscal Year 2013-2014 Urban Renewal Report. Auditor Dale Sunderman said local governments are required to complete and submit an annual report showing all TIF activity within each of their urban renewal areas during the preceding fiscal year.

Cass County had one active area: the Amaizing Energy Urban Renewal Area. $303,000 of the original $520,000 bond was outstanding 07/01/2013; $26,000 of bond was paid by TIF funds in FY14 to leave bond balance of $277,000. In addition, interest expense of $9,473.80 was paid.
TIF revenues for FY14 were $29,359.65. Ending TIF fund balance was $12,038. The Board approved the Urban Renewal Report as presented.

They also set the number of deputies in the Recorder’s Office at one. In the June 2014 Primary, Mary Ward won the Republican nomination for Cass County Recorder. Joyce Jensen had earlier announced she would not be running for re-election. No one is running against Ward in the November General election, therefore it’s assumed that she will officially take over the office on November 14th.

Former Deputy Recorder Linn Headlee retired from office last Friday. Recorder Joyce Jensen reported that Mary Ward is now the chief deputy and certified a base salary of 80% of recorder’s salary. The motion was made by Wedemeyer and seconded by Schelling, to set the number of deputies in the recorder’s office at one and to certify an annual base salary of $42,604.80/year for chief deputy county recorder Mary Ward.

Jensen said Ward has a stack of more than 100 applications to weed through in selecting the person who will become her deputy. The interviewing process is expected to begin next week.

The Atlantic Police Dept. reports the arrest today (Wednesday) of a man from Adair. 18-year old Matthew Paulsen was taken into custody on a warrant out of Audubon County for Theft in the 5th degree. Paulsen was brought to the Cass County Jail and later turned over to authorities in Audubon County.

On Tuesday, Atlantic Police arrested 33-year old Ameli William, of  Atlantic, for Driving While Barred. That same day, 44-year old Carl Kemp, of Atlantic, was arrested on a warrant for violating a No Contact Order. William and Kemp were booked into the Cass County Jail.

Police in Creston report the arrest Tuesday afternoon of 30-year old Stephanie Baatz, of Creston. Baatz was taken into custody following a traffic stop, for Driving While Barred. She was released from the Union County Jail after posting a $2,000 bond.

And a resident in the 300 block of west Adams Street in Creston, reported to authorities someone broke into his apartment sometime between 1:30-pm and midnight, Monday. Approximately $1,080 in coins was stolen during the incident, which remains under investigation.