(Atlantic, Iowa – by FFA Reporter Aspen Niklasen) – The Atlantic FFA Chapter placed 8th and won a Gold Medal in the annual Iowa FFA Ag Mechanics Career Development Event held at Iowa State on June 10, 2021. The Atlantic FFA Chapter team included: Cooper Jipsen, Logan Eilts and Wyatt Redinbaugh. Their Agriculture education instructor and FFA advisor is Mr. Eric Miller. Jipsen led the team this year placing 5th overall in the individual contest. Jipsen said “It was a great experience, with a lot of learning activities that came along with it. I am really excited to use the new skill I learned in the future.”

Team Photo
Cooper Jipsen, Wyatt Redinbaugh, Logan Eilts (photo submitted)

88 individuals from 24 FFA chapters participated in this year’s Career Development Event designed to provide the student an opportunity to display their agricultural knowledge and skills in the area of Agricultural Mechanics & Technology. Activities included demonstration of skills, problem solving, and knowledge application in agricultural machinery equipment, metals and welding, structures, environmental and natural resources, and electrical systems. The Iowa FFA Agricultural Mechanics & Technology Career Development Event was made possible with support from Titan Machinery through the Iowa FFA Foundation. The Agricultural Mechanics & Technology Career Development Event was hosted by the Iowa State University Ag 450 Farm and was coordinated and conducted by Mr. Kevin Sanders and the Agricultural Education & Studies Department at Iowa State University in Ames.

And, the Atlantic FFA Chapter placed 11th and won a Silver Medal in the annual Iowa FFA Horse Career Development Event held at Kirkwood Community College on June 8, 2021. The Atlantic FFA Chapter team included: Taylor Mccreedy, Aspen Niklasen and Colton Becker. Their agriculture education instructor and FFA advisor is Mr. Eric Miller. Niklasen led the team this year placing 10th overall in the individual contest. Niklasen, who improved from her 21st placing the prior year said” I had a lot of fun and really learned a lot about horses.”

26 FFA chapters participated in this year’s Career Development Event designed to provide the student an opportunity to display their agricultural knowledge and skills in the area of Equine Science. The 87 individual contestants evaluated halter and performance classes. They also answered questions over the classes and gave oral reasons to explain their placings. A written examination was included along with a team problem solving competition. The Iowa FFA Horse Career Development Event was made possible with support through the Iowa FFA Foundation. The Horse Evaluation Career Development Event was coordinated and held at the Iowa Equestrian Center in Cedar Rapids. The official judge was Heather Angle-Gardner of Ottumwa, Iowa.

Team Photo
Aspen Niklasen, Colton Becker, Taylor McCreedy (Photo submitted)

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says his office is reviewing the civil emergency Iowa City’s mayor declared last week which calls on people to wear face coverings in public places. Last year, Miller’s office said city and county officials did not have the authority to issue public mask mandates. Earlier this year, Governor Reynolds signed a bill that bans local officials from forcing property owners to have policies on face coverings that are tougher than state law.

Miller says his office is reviewing Iowa City’s mask mandate, but a quick turn around on an opinion on the matter isn’t necessary since there’s no penalty for violating the mayor’s order.

Authorities in Union County say no injuries were reported after a four-vehicle accident took place in Creston, Wednesday. Officials say at around 6:23-p.m., a 2006 Ford Taurus driven by a 16-year old male from Creston, was traveling south on S. Chestnut Street, when the car went out of control. The vehicle traversed an embankment and into a storage facility parking lot near Clark and S. Chestnut streets, where it hit the rear of a 2021 Rockwood travel trailer, pushing it forward. The Ford continued out of control and struck a 2006 Chevy Cobalt, pushing it into a 1992 BornFree motorhome.  Damage to the recreational vehicles/campers amounted to $6,000. The Taurus sustained $1,000 damage.

Creston Police say the accident happened after the Taurus came out from the underpass that had standing water from a storm that occurred Tuesday night, and the vehicles’ tires were wet. No citations were issued.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County are asking for the public’s help in solving a property damage hit-and-run incident. At at around 9-p.m. Thursday (Aug. 26), deputies were called to 2038 200th Street in Red Oak, to investigate an incident that happened in the parking lot of the Red Oak Country Club, where a black, legally parked 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee was hit by another vehicle, and sustained $2,500 damage.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to call the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107, or, leave an anonymous tip at montgomerycoia.gov.

The Iowa Board of Pharmacy reports it has been informed of multiple fraudulent prescriptions for Promethazine with Codeine being faxed into Iowa pharmacies. Officials say the prescriptions appear to be from local or area prescribers and have an authentic looking signature. They warn pharmacists that the scripts are on realistic looking tamper-proof prescription paper and are usually accompanied by a prescription for a “Z-Pak”. The contact information for the prescriber may or may not be listed correctly.

Pharmacists across the State are asked to “Use due diligence when filing Promethazine with Codeine prescriptions.  You may wish to consider verifying all non-electronically submitted prescriptions for Promethazine with Codeine with the prescriber using a known phone or contact number.”

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds, Thursday, issued a disaster proclamation for two eastern Iowa counties in response to severe weather beginning Aug. 24 and continuing.The governor’s proclamation for Bremer and Fayette Counties allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for Bremer and Fayette counties.

Residents of counties impacted by the recent severe weather are asked to report damage to help local and state officials better understand the damage sustained. Damage to property, roads, utilities and other storm-related information may be reported. This information will be collected by the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and shared with local emergency management agencies.

Damage may be reported at www.homelandsecurity.iowa.gov.

The broadcast News at 8:07-a.m., with Ric Hanson.

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MONTEZUMA, IA – The community volunteer group Finding Xavior Harrelson is planning a “Day of Action” today (August 27), which marks three months since the 11-year-old disappeared from his home in Montezuma, Iowa. They are asking people across the country to do three things they can to help spread the word, such as emailing friends, sharing social media posts or handing out flyers with the missing child’s photo.

“Xavior needs us. There are so many ways to help spread awareness that he is missing. We need to keep asking “Where’s Xavior?” Please do three things today to spread the word and to bring Xavior home. Can you imagine the ripple effect if everyone did three little things?” said Joy VanLandschoot, founder of Mollie’s Movement.

To find other ways to get involved, you can go to Finding Xavior Harrelson on Facebook. Anyone with information about Xavior Harrelson’s disappearance should call Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office at 641-623-5679.

Donations to the Xavior Harrelson Reward Fund can be made at:

Montezuma State Bank

101 South 4th Street
Montezuma, Iowa 50171
Phone: 641-623-5766

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic Rising organization could be seen in Atlantic City Park giving out blue bags on Thursday, August 19th. Educators from all over Cass County were invited to come to the park and receive bags full of classroom supplies and treats. The school supplies were delivered Aug. 20th.  Atlantic Rising’s Social Chair, Kelsey Beschorner says “This project is something we have done for a few years now and we always look forward to helping get everyone back to school.“ She added, “We want our community to know that we support the educators and students as they navigate this exciting time of year.”

(Photo’s courtesy Kelsey Beschorner)

This year, Atlantic Rising was able to facilitate a school supply drive along with the educator appreciation bags. The supplies were divided and delivered to the schools throughout Cass County. Beschorner says, “We recognize that back-to-school time can be hard on families. We are so grateful for the continued generosity of this great community.”

Atlantic Rising would like to send a special thank you to Meyer & Gross Real Estate, Cass County ISU Extension, Kevin O. Garrett, CPA, PC, Rita Chestnut and Healthy Cass County for their contributions to make this project a success. If you are interested in joining Atlantic Rising and what they are involved in throughout the year, you can contact Kelsey Beschorner at 712-243-3017 or kelsey@atlanticiowa.com. The membership application can also be found at www.atlanticiowa.com. Atlantic Rising is sponsored by McCurdy Investments.

(Radio Iowa) – A 74-year-old year man serving a 75-year sentence for sex-related crimes died in an Iowa prison this week. In 1992, Ronald K. Hendricks was given the maximum sentence for the crimes of second degree sex abuse in a case out of Sac County. Online records indicate Hendricks had a previous felony conviction in Sac County in 1988.

According to the Iowa Department of Corrections, Hendricks died Wednesday afternoon in a prison infirmary where he had been housed due to cancer.