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Rollover accident in Atlantic early Sunday morning

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September 5th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(UPDATED 5:45-a.m.,9/5/21) – Two people were injured during a early this (Sunday) morning, in Atlantic. The crash involving a white, Buick Rendezvous crossover SUV happened at around 4-a.m. on the southwest side of town, near 29th Street and Nishna Road. Atlantic Police Officer Christian Holzapfel explains what happened….

The injured were transported to Cass Health, in Atlantic. The driver – whose name was not officially released – was thrown from the vehicle and suffered a collapsed lung and other, unknown injuries, according to his family. He was transported later in the morning from Cass Health to the UNMC in Omaha. We will withhold his name until his family gives us permission to use it, or until Police released the name. Three of the four occupants of the SUV were not wearing their seat belts.

No charges were immediately filed. Atlantic Police, Atlantic Fire and Rescue, Cass EMS and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office all responded to the scene. Richter’s Towing removed the vehicle from the scene.

2 fatal accidents to start the Labor Day weekend in Iowa

News

September 5th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Two-days into the Labor Day weekend in Iowa, and there have already been three fatalities. The Iowa State Patrol reports the first accident happened just before 8-a.m. Friday near Tiffin, in eastern Iowa’s Johnson County. Authorities say a 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander was traveling northbound on Half Moon Avenue, when it failed to stop at the stop sign posted at Highway 6.

The vehicle went through the intersection and left the road before hitting a tree.  The driver, 64-year-old Chou-Long Huang was injured, and transported to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics in Iowa City. His passenger, 65-year-old Ychen Huang died at the hospital from injuries suffered in the crash. Both were from Coralville. The accident remains under investigation.

The second accident resulted in two dead and two injured. The crash occurred a little after 2-p.m. Saturday near Colwell, in northern Iowa’s Floyd County. The Patrol says a 2012 Ford Edge was southbound on Underwood Avenue near 140th Street, when the SUV crossed the center line of the road and struck a 2019 Ford Flex, head-on.

The occupants of the southbound SUV suffered minor injuries. They were identified as 28-year-old Casey Lindahl, the driver, and a three-year-old passenger child, both of Charles City. They were transported to the Floyd Medical Center by ambulance. The driver of the Ford Flex, 77-year-old Chris Andersen and his passenger, 76-year-old Anita Andersen, both of Mason City, died at the scene.

All of the victims in the crash were wearing their seat belts. The accident remains under investigation.

 

Page County Sheriff’s report, 9/4/21

News

September 4th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports that on Saturday, September 4th, Page County deputies arrested Caleb Jordan Ennen.  He was arrested after he turned himself in on a valid Page County warrant. Ennen’s cash-only bond was set at $500.

Federal lawsuit seeks to overturn state law preventing school mask mandates

News

September 3rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa A-C-L-U announced today (Friday) that 11 Iowa parents of students with disabilities and a disability rights group are filing a federal lawsuit against the state over the law that bans mask mandates in schools. A-L-C-U attorney Rita Bettis Austen says the students can’t get the same education through online learning. “This violates federal civil rights laws that are meant to protect kids with disabilities in education from discrimination,” she says. Bettis Austen says they are asking the court to immediately block the part of the law that prohibits mask mandates from schools.

“Because this law put vulnerable kids in a dangerous situation. Schools need to be able to require everyone to wear a mask in order to meet their obligations to these children,” Bettis Austen says. The U-S Department of Education says it is investigating whether laws against mask mandates in Iowa and four other states violate federal anti-discrimination laws. Bettis Austen says this lawsuit follows along with that investigation. “It’s unusual for the Department of Education to act this quickly in opening an investigation. I credit it to just how urgent this situation is for our students with disabilities,” she says.

A-L-C-U attorney Rita Bettis Austen

Bettis Austen says this case is not connected to a case brought in state court by a parent from Council Bluffs. Heather Preston of Des Moines is one of the parents in the suit. “For my son, going to school when not everyone is wearing masks puts him at a huge risk. Meanwhile, because of his needs, he needs to be learning in person,” Preston says. “It is terrifying for a parent to have to worry every day about the physical safety of their child.” Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill into law in May and says it allows parents to decided if their child should wear a mask to school.

Labor Day Holiday – Put the Brakes on Impaired Driving

News

September 3rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa – Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer and we celebrate with barbecues and road trips. But be aware as you hit the highways, the Labor Day holiday weekend is one of the deadliest times of the year in terms of drunk-driving fatalities.  During the 2019 Labor Day holiday period (August 31 – September 3), there were 451 traffic fatalities nationwide.  Forty-five percent of those fatalities involved drivers who had been drinking and more than one-third (38%) of the fatalities involved drivers who were over the legal limit.  Ultimately, drinking and driving is a choice, and it is a choice that puts all road users at risk.

In Iowa in 2019, there were six fatalities over the three-day Labor Day weekend.  Three of these fatalities involved a drunk driver. To help keep people safe on our roadways and put an end to drunk driving, extra law enforcement will be out, both locally and nationally, in support of the 2021 Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign from August 20 through September 6, 2021.

One of the deadliest and most often committed – yet preventable – crimes (impaired driving), has become a serious safety epidemic in our country.  We can all do our part to put the brakes on drunk and drugged driving.  Remember that it is never okay to drink/drug and drive.  Even if you plan to have only one alcoholic beverage, designate a sober driver or use a ride serve to get home safely.  If you see a drunk driver on the road, contact your local law enforcement.  Do you have a friend who is about to drink and drive?  Take the keys away and make arrangements to get your friend home safely.  These are small tasks that can make a BIG difference to save lives.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety and the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau reminds you:
Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

8th Annual Southwest Iowa Art Tour: Connecting Rural Communities Through Art

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September 3rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Oakland, Iowa) – The Southwest Iowa Art Tour is gearing up for its eighth year connecting rural communities through art. Mark your calendars for Friday, September 17th, Saturday, September 18th and Sunday, September 19th this year. In 2014, a group of southwest Iowa artists came together to pull off a regional event to connect their rural communities – a self-guided ‘Art Tour’ that would showcase their artworks, studios, galleries, and hometowns. The first year included nine participating communities and thirty artists. The success of the Southwest Iowa Art Tour has grown the eighth annual event to twelve communities, fifteen Gathering Places, and more than seventy local artists.

This self-guided tour allows participants to begin and end where they would like, come and go from location to location at their leisure, and explore diverse art forms – including fiber art, sculpture, pottery, painting, metal works, jewelry, glassware and much more from over seventy artists. The fifteen unique stops, some familiar and others new this year, will be located in the following Southwest Iowa towns: Avoca, Clarinda, Council Bluffs, Essex, Glenwood, Harlan, Macedonia, Malvern, Neola, Red Oak and Villisca.

The event is traditionally held the third Saturday and Sunday in September. In 2019, an additional Friday “Sneak Peek” was added at select locations. Last year the tour was modified due to COVID-19 and featured less locations and hours only on Saturday. For 2021 the Southwest Iowa Art Tour has returned as a three-day event, which will allow the public time to hit all 15 Gathering Places over the weekend! This year’s Friday “Sneak Peek” hours are from 4 to 7 PM on September 17th at 10 of the 15 locations.

This will provide attendees with the additional opportunity to explore the Gathering Places in Clarinda, Essex, Macedonia, Malvern, Neola, Red Oak and Villisca a little early – whether you can’t make it the other days or just need additional time to visit all locations over the weekend. The Five One 8 in Red Oak will also be having an ‘after hours’ with live music by Tica Perri from 7 to 9 PM. The hours for all locations are from 10 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, September 18th and from Noon to 4 PM on Sunday, September 19th.

The Southwest Iowa Art Tour is coordinated by Golden Hills RC&D of Oakland and the collaborative efforts of local participating artists. Because of ongoing COVID-19 concerns, Gathering Places will be exercising precautions that may include outdoor displays, social distancing measures and extra sanitizing to ensure the health and safety of our artists and participants. Please be respectful of individual Gathering Place guidelines, and of course please stay home if you are not feeling well.

For more information be sure to check the “Southwest Iowa Art” Tour Facebook page (with individual Facebook Events for each Gathering Place) and visit the website: www.swiarttour.com, or contact Becca at rebecca.castle@goldenhillsrcd.org. Come support our artists in Southwest Iowa, and be a part of “connecting rural communities through art.”

Atlantic Area Chamber to Host Drive-In Movie Experience With “Hocus Pocus”

News

September 3rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Meyer & Gross Real Estate, will be hosting a Drive-In Movie experience Saturday, October 2nd.  Kelsey Beschorner, Programs Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said  “Drive-In Movie Night has become an annual tradition that I look forward to every year. We are excited to bring a Halloween themed movie to the big screen this fall.”

She added, “The Drive-In is a fun, nostalgic experience for community members and those in the surrounding area to enjoy. This also gives us the opportunity to show off our town and encourage people to shop and eat before coming to the movie.”

The Drive-In Movie will be at the Cass County Fair Grounds in the grandstand area beginning around 8:30 PM with a showing of “Hocus Pocus.” Cars may begin parking at 7 PM. The screen is 60 feet long with a high definition projector. Speakers will be available next to the screen for people to utilize. A transmitter will be provided for those enjoying the movie from their car. Attendees will turn their radio to a certain station and the transmitter will play the audio through their car speakers.

Entry is $20 per car vehicle and tickets can be purchased at www.atlanticiowa.com or day-of at the gate. People are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on. Inside parking for the Drive-In is limited, so pack a chair or blanket as precaution. Concessions will be available for purchase by Atlas Atlantic Cinema in the Chuckwagon on the fairgrounds.

For more information, visit www.atlanticiowa.com, call the Chamber at 712.243.3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com. The Drive-In is sponsored by Meyer & Gross Real Estate, Diamond Detailing, Nishna Valley Family YMCA, and the Atlantic Community Promotions Commission.

Omaha Man Sentenced for Role in Sex Trafficking of a Minor

News

September 3rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Omaha, Nebraska) – Acting United States Attorney Jan Sharp has announced that 30-year-old Darien T. Brewer, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced today (Friday) in federal court in Omaha, for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. Brewer was  sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Brewer will begin a five-year term of supervised release.

An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office determined that from January 2016 and continuing through January 2019, in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere, Brewer (also known as “BD”) and a co-defendant, Lauryn Besta, conspired and agreed to recruit, transport, and entice four minor females, under the age of 18 years old, to engage in commercial sex.  The victims were introduced into the lifestyle of prostitution through the use of drugs and alcohol provided by Brewer and Besta.  Brewer and Besta often referred to the minors as “the Bunny Gang.”

Investigators determined that Brewer and Besta would instruct the minors how to advertise, solicit, and charge for commercial sex acts in the District of Nebraska and elsewhere.  Brewer and Besta obtained commercial sex customers for the minors by purchasing and posting advertisements on internet sites such as www.backpage.com. Sex customers responded to the advertisements via telephone and text message and commercial sex acts were coordinated to occur at various hotels, motels, and other locations.  Brewer and Besta used vehicles and public highways to drive the minors to various hotels, motels, and other locations for commercial sex acts, including Omaha, Nebraska; Lincoln, Nebraska; Iowa; and Houston, Texas.  The minors paid a portion or all of the payments received for commercial sex acts to Brewer and Besta.

On June 4, 2021, Besta pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor.  Sentencing is scheduled for September 3, 2021. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office.

Page County Sheriff’s report

News

September 3rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests and one farming accident. According to Sheriff Lyle Palmer, on September 2nd at around 4:12 pm, Page County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 34-year-old Frederick George Steven Billings, II. He was taken into custody at the Page County Jail, for Public Intoxication (Simple Misdemeanor) and Furnishing Contraband to Inmates (Class D Felony).

Billings

Deputies along with EMS personnel were dispatched at around 7:22-p.m. Thursday, to 1360 D Avenue, in rural Essex, following a report of a farming accident. Angela Marie Johnson-Wityk was flown by Air Evac helicopter to an Omaha hospital for treatment. Shenandoah Police assisted at the accident scene. Addition details were not released.

A little after 12-a.m. Tuesday, August 31st, deputies arrested Michael Scott Morton on a valid Page County warrant for Violation of a no contact order. He was booked into the Page County Jail and held without bond until seen by a Judge.

Morton

And, on Monday, Aug. 30th, 35-year-old Daniel Joseph Jackson was arrested on a valid Page County warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order. His bond was set at $300.

Atlantic Area Chamber Ambassadors Visit TS Bank

News

September 3rd, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by TS Bank on Thursday, September 2nd to celebrate new staff and promotions. Dan Rossell has been with TS Bank since it opened in Atlantic in 2015 and has recently taken on a new roll of Senior Loan Officer while maintaining his roll as Market President of the Atlantic branch. Amy Coenen has been with TS Bank for four years and has taken on the title of AVP of Ag Business Banking. The branch has also recently welcomed Amanda Hansen as Branch Manager, Abby Becker as a Business Associate and Leslie James as Universal Banker. Dan Rossell shared that the team members that have come on board are a group of many talents and strengths and he is excited to see the team reach their goals together and continue to impact the community with new and innovative ideas and projects.

TS Bank’s mission is to Ignite Prosperity in the communities it serves. TS Bank reinvests 10 percent of its net income locally; hosting educational events and partnering with organizations and non-profits such as AMP for Neighborhoods, REV, Impacting Nonprofits: Investing for Progress, and many more.

Ambassador’s Pictured Left to Right: Jennifer McEntaffer, Amy Coenen, Lana Westphalen, Bailey Smith, Kathie Hockenberry, Krysta Hanson, Abby Becker, Jessi Klever, Dolly Bergmann, Kennedy Freund, Kylie Beebe, Jim Kickland, Arlene Drennan, Miranda Pottebaum, Colt Doherty, Alden Harriman, Leslie James, Donnie Drennan, Kelsey Stupfell, Amanda Hansen, Dr.Keith Leonard, Dan Rossell, Kelsey Beschorner and Jessie Shiels

For more information on TS Bank’s services and community projects visit https://www.tsbank.com/ or at 1005 E. 7th Street in Atlantic.