(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting their Annual Dinner Saturday, January 28th, 2023, at The Venue in Atlantic. Chamber Executive Director Bailey Smith says “The Annual Dinner is always a favorite for the Chamber. It’s a great opportunity for us to reflect on what we’ve accomplished, look forward to what we will accomplish and most of all, highlight all of our members and volunteers that have invested their time and money back into our organization and our community.”

The Chamber will be recognizing businesses, organizations and individual leaders in the community. The 37th Annual Distinguished Service Award will also be given out at the dinner.

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes an individual, business or organization who has made the community a better place to live. They have rendered special services for the benefit of the community and have demonstrated an active leadership role through their involvement in business, civic and social service organizations.

Last year, the Distinguished Service Award was given to Greg Schuler for his dedication to tirelessly serving the community any way he can including: Atlantic BPOE Elks Lodge #445, Nishna Valley Family YMCA, Atlantic Lions Club, Cass County Pork Producers, Kiwanis Club of Atlantic, Festival of Trees, Griswold United Methodist Church, Atlantic Community Schools and more.

Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award are due by January 20th, 2023. You can nominate someone by submitting a nomination letter to the Chamber at 102 Chestnut Street, or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com. The Annual Dinner will begin at 6:00 PM with a social followed by dinner at 6:30 PM. You can register for the dinner at www.atlanticiowa.com.

(Radio Iowa) – Residents in a southeast Iowa county will soon vote on a plan to use property taxes to cover emergency medical services. The Lee County Board of Supervisors has set March 7th as the date for a referendum on a new property tax levy. Lee County Auditor Denise Fraise says this would help the county pay the nine E-M-S employees hired last fall after Blessing Health closed its hospital in Keokuk.”This is a way to get a steady funding stream into a fund that’s separate from our general basic fund that we can only use on this ambulance service,” Fraise says.

Like bond election, 60 percent of voters must approve the new levy before it would take effect in September’s property tax bills. A new law that took effect last year lets county boards of supervisors propose property tax levies to support local ambulance services. In November, voters in five Iowa counties approved E-M-S referendums. Voters in Jones, Kossuth, Pocahontas, Osceola and Winnebago Counties approved EMS referendums that were on the 2022 General Election ballot. Voters in Calhoun, Floyd and Worth Counties defeated referendums to raise local taxes for ambulance services.

According to the Iowa EMS Association, about two-thirds of ambulance services in the state are either fully or partially staffed by volunteers and many conduct fund drives to cover expenses.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is proposing a bill to the Iowa Legislature that streamlines the recount process for elections. The bill standardizes the recount timeline in all 99 counties, provides additional flexibility for the makeup of recount boards, and requires uniform methods for how ballots are recounted, reconciled, and reported.

Secretary Pate recommends in his proposed bill that all counties conduct their official canvass of elections on Tuesdays. That would ensure the recount timeline is uniform for every county.

The proposed legislation would also increase the size of recount boards, depending on a county’s population. Currently, recount boards are comprised of three members. Under the proposed legislation, recount boards for counties with a population of 15,000-49,000 would increase to five members. Counties with population over 50,000 would have seven members. Additionally, the members of the recount boards, aside from one designee from each candidate, would be comprised of precinct election officials selected by the chief judge of the judicial district.

Finally, the legislation proposes recounts be conducted in a uniform manner. If a candidate requests a hand recount of ballots, all ballots involved in the recount must be tallied by hand and machine. In recent years, candidates have requested a hand recount in some precincts and a machine count in others. The proposed bill seeks to end that practice. The Iowa Legislature’s 2023 general assembly begins Monday, January 9, 2023.

(Grinnell, Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports a second arrest has been made in connection with a Dec. 29, 2022 “shots-fired” incident, in Grinnell. Wednesday evening, Police in Grinnell arrested 20-year-old Logan Michael Moline, on charges that include (Felony) Willful Injury-Causing, Obstructing Prosecution of Defense, Assault – Causing bodily injury, and Theft in the 4th Degree. On Monday, Grinnell Police arrested 27-year-old Cody Alan McCall, after he was medically discharged from the hospital in Grinnell.

McCall was being treated for injuries suffered during the initial altercation on Dec. 29th. He faces charges that include: (Felony) Burglary in the 1st Degree; (Felony) Willful Injury – Causing Bodily Injury, and Going Armed with Intent, also a Felony. Both suspects were being held in the Poweshiek County Jail, pending their initial court appearances.

Authorities say at around 1:40-a.m. on December 29, 2022, Grinnell Police responded to 1016 Pearl Street, for a report of shots fired. An investigation revealed several adults were engaged in a verbal argument that turned physical, and a handgun was produced. Shots were fired from the weapon. One of the rounds struck an adult male, who was taken to a local hospital and was listed in stable condition.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is assisting Grinnell Police in conducting an investigation into the incident.

UPDATE: IOWA DPS STATEMENT at 10:35-A.M., 1/6/23…Mount Ayr, Iowa – “Missing 3 year old Fallon Wells has been located, safe, in Missouri. She is now with law enforcement and human services representatives. This matter is still under investigation by the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa DCI. We would like to thank the public for their assistance in locating Fallon.”

Mount Ayr, Iowa – The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation have issued an Endangered Person Advisory/Be On the LookOut, for 3 –year-old Fallon Wells. Fallon was reported missing on December 30, 2022. She was last known to have been with Michelle Grady and Monty Parkhurst. They may be traveling in a silver 1997 Oldsmobile with Missouri license plate XE2V8V.  Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Fallon Wells, Michelle Grady, or Monty Parkhurst is asked to contact the Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office at 641.464.3921 or call their local law enforcement agency.

Fallon Wells is three-years old. She is 36-inches tall and weighs about 30-pounds. She has Blue eyes and blonde hair. Michelle Grady is 54-years-old, stands 5-feet 10-inches tall, weighs 165 lbs., has blue eyes and blonde hair. Monty Parkhurst is 58-years-old. He stands 5′ feet 11 inches tall and weighs 175 lbs. He has blue eyes and brown/gray hair.

Monty Parkhurst

Michelle Grady