(West Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa home sales dipped slightly in September, falling 3.6% percent from September of last year. According to Housing Trends by the Iowa Association of Realtors (IAR), the median sales price rose 7.6 percent from a year ago. IAR President Jen Burkamper says homes continue to sell quickly. Iowa properties sold in an average of 32 days, which continues to be near record-lows for Iowa. In September 2020, homes sold in 54 days on average.

Median sales price rose 7.6 percent over September 2020. The median price for September 2021 came in at $199,000 compared to $185,000 in September of last year. There were 4,285 properties sold in Iowa during September. The year-to-date sales total is 6.6 percent higher than the first nine months of 2020. The year-to-date sales total is 36,380 properties. The number of homes available for sale is slowly rising. After almost a year of declining inventory, Iowa has seen 8 months straight with a gradual increase of homes on the market.  Our inventory of homes was 16.4 percent lower than in September 2020 with 9,545 homes on the market statewide.

According to Burkamper, “While home sales dipped a little bit, we saw some positive signs with a small gain in new property listings and the overall number of properties on the market continues to rise. As the inventory increases, we hope that the competition for homes may ease up and bring moderation in sales prices, which would be welcome news to our potential Iowa homebuyers. There is still time for buyers to get into a new home before the end of the year.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors hosted Jolene Sonntag, Daryn Richardson, and Jeremy Dunkirk on Thursday, October 21st, 2021, to welcome Vodec to the Chamber and learn about the services the organization provides throughout the state. Vodec is a vocational development organization that provides life-enriching services for people with disabilities, including day programs, employment training and residential options.

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The organization provides support to individuals with disabilities from providing a place for parents to take their children while working, to helping individuals learn healthy habits. Vodec will help individuals find jobs that are right for their skill set while working with a job coach that provides support for both the employee and employer.

Vodec serves over 400 clients in communities spanning from Omaha to Council Bluffs and on into Urbandale. Chamber officials say Vodec prides themselves in their values and employees that nurture their clients with compassion, integrity, leadership, creativity, accountability, patience, and kindness.

To learn more about Vodec, please contact 712-328-2638 or visit that their website at https://vodec.org/     Vodec Corporate Headquarters is located at 612 South Main Street Council Bluffs, Iowa 51503.

(Radio Iowa) – An educator from the University of Iowa Law Center says Deere and Company has made a strategic move to seek rulings in state rather than federal court to limit where and how striking workers may picket. A Scott County district court judge has granted a temporary injunction that bars striking workers outside John Deere’s Davenport Works from having chairs or fires in barrels and no more than four may be positioned at entry gates. Paul Iversen, who joined the Labor Center at the University of Iowa a decade ago, says a 1931 federal law sets the rules for how federal judges may rule when employers ask for restrictions on picketing.

“One of those rules is you can’t get that injunction unless the chief public safety officer of the jurisdiction, so the chief of police or the county sheriff, says that they’ve lost control of the situation,” Iversen says, “so you never get a federal court (ruling) because no county sheriff that’s going to stand up for election is going to say: ‘I’ve lost control of the picket line.'”

Deere and Company told the state court judge picketers outside its Davenport Works were blocking access and putting themselves and salaried workers going into the plant at risk. A spokeswoman for Deere and Company says the Iowa judge’s order ensures a safe environment for those reporting to work and those exercising their right to strike. The company is seeking a similar injunction for picketing outside John Deere’s Ankeny plant. Iversen says companies have historially sought limits on people exercising their right to strike.

“The strike is meant to shut down the employer. That is the purpose of a strike,” Iversen says. “Trying to bring in an injunction, saying it’s hard for us to work during a strike — that’s what a strike does.” Iversen made his comments during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that airs tonight (Friday) on Iowa P-B-S.

(Council Bluffs, Iowa) – Authorities in Council Bluffs need your help in locating “person of interest” in connection with a fatal shooting. Council Bluffs Police and EMS were called 1200 East Washington Street, at 3:42am this (Friday) morning, for a reported shooting. Upon arrival, they found a resident of the home, 24 year-old McKayla Glover, of Council Bluffs, with a single gunshot wound to her chest. Glover was taken by ambulance to the Emergency Department at Nebraska Medicine where she was pronounced deceased.

Council Bluffs police detectives are actively investigating the shooting, conducting interviews and processing the scene for physical evidence. At this time, no arrests have been made, but officials would like to locate and speak to 28-year-old Vaughn White. He’s described as being a black male, 6’3”, 250 lbs. White currently has an active arrest warrant for Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

Vaughn White

If you know he is, please contact either 9-1-1 or Council Bluffs CrimeStoppers at 712-328-STOP (7867).

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Rising hosted a Trivia Night at the Cass County Community Center Friday, October 15th. The non-profit organization raised funds during the event, for the Christmas Box Program that supplies food boxes to nominated individuals and families throughout Cass County during the holidays. Eight teams participated in the fundraiser and the organization was able to raise $2,790 that will go toward The Christmas Box program this December.

Kelsey Beschorner, Atlantic Rising Social Chair, said “The event was even more successful than last year, and we are so appreciative of our community’s generosity and support towards this special project. There was a lot of excitement throughout the night about the event and program, and everyone had a great time.” Beschorner added, “The Defending Champions from 2019 won again this year. The winner of the 50/50 raffle took home $157.”

Teams were encouraged to create a theme and dress up and decorate their team table. There were several teams that took advantage of this opportunity, and the team theme winners had a Sesame Street theme, dressing up as the characters of Sesame Street and character themed snack platers. They were awarded AtlantiCash for their creativity. The night consisted of eight rounds with 10 questions each; each round had a theme and some double point questions. Emcees for the night were Ann and John McCurdy, who also put together all the categories and questions.

Atlantic Rising is looking forward to delivering Christmas Boxes Thursday, December 16th. Nominations for the boxes will be accepted beginning November 1st. For more information on Atlantic Rising or the Christmas Box Program, contact Kelsey Beschorner at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017 or visit www.atlanticiowa.com.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two men were arrested on separate charges, Thursday afternoon. 67-year-old Robert Charles Carlson, of Omaha, was arrested at the Lancaster County, NE. Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Violation of Probation. Carlson was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

And, 24-year-old Devin Michael Ramirez, of Bellevue, NE., was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $1,000.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office report 36-year-old David Allen Coenen, of Lewis, was arrested Wednesday, on a Pottawattamie County warrant. The warrant was issued for Failure to Appear (in court). Coenen was transported to Cass County Jail and held, pending transport to Pottawattamie County.

And, on October 14th, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to an accident on White Pole Road and 560th St., near Lewis.  Authorities says James Benjamin Overman, of Griswold, was driving a 1998 Chevy pickup was traveling west bound on White Pole, when an unknown vehicle, traveling eastbound, crossed the center line and struck the left side of Overman’s vehicle. The unknown vehicle left the scene and was not located.  No injuries were reported.