(Atlantic, Iowa) – An old Rock Island Railroad box car that sat on the tracks near Olsen’s BP in Atlantic for more years than most people can remember, has found a new home in Sioux City. Gary Richter, with Richter and Sons Towing, in Atlantic, was busy overseeing the loading of the rail car onto his flatbed truck Thursday.

Photo courtesy Becky Christensen

Olsen BP owner Keith Olsen has donated the rail car to the Sioux City Railroad Museum. Richter told KJAN News they began the process at around 9-a.m.

The car weighs about 30-thousand pounds, which is why Richter brought out his big boom truck to load the railcar. He estimated it would take about 3 hours to load and lock-down onto the heavy duty trailer. The rail car is not the heaviest piece of equipment they’ve loaded, though.

Making the move from the track to the truck takes a bit of choreography.

Keith Olsen told KJAN News he doesn’t know the entire history of the rail car, but he knows it had been used to store things for more than 60-years.

Olsen said he was contacted this past Winter about the metal box on wheels, that’s referred to as a “Tool Car,” after someone saw it and inquired if they could have it for the Sioux City Museum.

(Left) Matt Merke with the Sioux City Railroad Museum, and Keith Olsen, with Olsen’s BP.

He called it “Coincidental Luck.” He said the Siouxland Museum is the third to have contacted him over the years, but was the first to follow through on making the arrangements.

The Sioux City Railroad Museum has a spot all picked out for Atlantic’s box car.

(Radio Iowa) – Updated national maps now show there are two areas of extreme drought in Iowa. The state climatologist says the areas in northwest and east central Iowa have missed out on widespread heavier rains. According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, which produces the maps, conditions deteriorated significantly in several large patches in Iowa and Minnesota over the past week. Most of these areas have had up to six inches less than normal rainfall during the past 60 days and up to eight-and-a-half inches short of normal since early May.

All of Butler and Franklin Counties are now classified as in extreme drought, along with adjacent areas in Grundy, Hardin, Floyd, Bremer and Black Hawk Counties. In northwest Iowa, the extreme drought zone includes Dickinson, Emmett, Kossuth and Clay Counties.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic will not renew its contract with J & M Displays for fireworks next year, following complaints about the show’s brevity and lack of luster. City Administrator John Lund said the firm has acknowledged the City’s decision.

(The City will instead use a local fireworks company. It’s too early to say which of the two local vendors they will choose.)

Mark O’Brien owns Wild Willy’s. In his proposal to the City, O’Brien submitted a bid of $6,000 for a 45-to 60-minute display on July 4th, 2022. The show would be in the Atlantic Sports Complex located across from the KJAN Studios. Dan Vargason sells fireworks for the Iowa Fireworks Company. Vargason proposes an electronically fired display lasting no less than 20-minutes for the sum of $6,000. His show would be at the Schildberg Recreation Area, between the dock and playground, or on a floating platform off the dock.

J&M had offered to give the community a free show (Valued at $6,000), to make up for what was perceived to be a very short show this year. Had the offer been accepted, the display would have been held July 2^nd instead of July 4^th, 2022. John Lund said the City has a chance to replace computer technology, thanks to the Feds.

(The Feds are offering $9,500 to cities for the purchase of specified computer technology, which means Atlantic won’t have to dip into property taxes to make any computer upgrades.)

In other news, the Atlantic City Council heard from Code Enforcement Officer Kris Erickson, who said notices of non-compliance with City Code (with regard to property clean-ups and other violations) issued this year, are much less than they were last year.

She said also, there were around 156 calls about neighbors with violations, like junk on the property. Erickson says 137 complaints were valid. She offers some advice to consider before you call to complain….

Erickson said there are currently 13 violations in progress, which she expects to be corrected by the end of this week, if not by the property owner, by her…with the charges assessed to the property owner. And, she said there are eight abandoned/dangerous property in the City. All eight are in the process of being handled in one form or another. She did not indicate which properties were on the list. And, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, took a few moments to recognize Hannah Richter for her work at City Hall over the Summer. Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Somers…

(Richter will be heading-off to college at Northwest Missouri State.)

A man from Cass County was injured during a single-vehicle accident Tuesday morning, in Guthrie County. According to Guthrie County Sheriff’s Officials, 57-year-old Donald Gerald Wittrock, of Anita, was traveling east on White Pole Road at around 5:30-a.m. west of Menlo, when his 2002 Chevy pickup struck a bull cow that was on the road. Wittrock who was wearing his seat belt – suffered suspected minor/non-incapacitating injuries, and was transported to Methodist West by EMS ground ambulance. The pickup was totaled in the collision, with damage estimated at $15,000.

The Sheriff’s Office said they contacted farmers around the area, but no one has claimed ownership of the bull, as of the latest report. The incident remains under investigation. And, at around 10:20-p.m., Wednesday, Guthrie County Deputies responded to a rollover accident off of Sage Trail near Panorama Drive. Authorities say a 2017 Subaru Forester driven by 44-year old Michael David Krull, of Panora, was traveling west on Sage Trail, when Krull missed the corner and lost control. His vehicle entered the ditch and rolled on its passenger side. The man suffered suspected minor/non-incapacitating injuries but was not taken to the hospital.

Following an initial investigation, Krull was taken into custody for OWI and cited for Failure to Maintain Control. Damage to his vehicle was estimated at $15,000.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Page County, Wednesday, arrested a man on a Page County warrant. Authorities say 35-year-old David Dale Morelock, of Clarinda, was arrested at his residence in Clarinda, on a warrant for Failure to appear on an original charge of Driving while license is suspended or revoked. Morelock was taken to the Page County Jail and held on a $300 bond, pending further court appearances.

David Dale Morelock

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council is taking under consideration partnering with a business recruitment firm to help bring new retail prospects to town and inspire other businesses to take a closer look at how they are operating. The Council, Wednesday, heard an electronic presentation/proposal from The Retail Coach Project Director Austin Farmer, who explained what his company can do for the City with regard to business recruitment and development. The company was formed in the year 2000, and since then has worked with over 650 communities in more than 40 States. Farmer his company works with communities all across the country, with three goals in mind.

He says they also want to help identify and stop “Retail leakage,” or where people are going to find what they need elsewhere, bring in new businesses to add to the retail base, increase sales tax revenue and contribute to a better quality of life in the communities they serve, and create jobs. They require cities to commit to a 12 month contract, with options for a second-and/or-third year extension.

While the Council was generally receptive to the proposal, there were some valid questions raised. Councilman Pat McCurdy asked how often Austin Farmer and his partners will be on the ground in Atlantic to help the City. He said most of what they do is via Zoom, but will make at least two trips to town to monitor and conduct analysis. McCurdy asked also, what makes Farmer think Atlantic is a prospect, considering the town’s population of only 7,000. Farmer said he became interested after a chance drive-thru.

He said his initial impression indicates Atlantic is in need of more, casual sit-down restaurants, a mid-tier discount department store, such as a Kohls, McCurdy asked if there was “any hope” for the former Salvation Army building in the Atlantic Shopping Plaza. Farmer said that large of a space could be subdivided into individual, smaller businesses with a common entrance, almost like a mini-strip mall.

The Retail Coach has worked with the Cities of Carroll, Fort Dodge and Pella, with Carroll realizing three new retail prospects, as a result. Farmer said the number one challenge communities face, is a shortage of retail workers. Some cities have recruited workers from well outside of their normal advertising area, in an effort to increase both the workforce and to fill housing needs. If the City approves a contract with Retail Coach, it would cost $40,000, including travel and reimbursement expenses. The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce and CADCO have agreed to split the latter two costs, at $2,500 each. Atlantic City Administrator John Lund says the rest of the funds would come out of the Local Option Sales Tax Fund.

No action was taken on the matter, since it was simply an informational presentation.

The broadcast News at 8:05-a.m., with Ric Hanson.

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The 7:07-a.m. broadcast News, w/Ric Hanson.

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(Atlantic, Iowa) – Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds are being applied for to help pay for two projects aimed at allowing more people to live in the hub of Atlantic. SWIPCO’s Alexsis Fleener and Dr. Matt Weresh informed the City Council during their meeting Wednesday evening, that if approved, CDBG funds of up to $9,000 will be used to help renovate the upper floors of Weresh’ buildings at 509 and 511 Chestnut Street. The plan is for those sections of buildings to be renovated into apartments similar to what was accomplished at the Whitney Building, at 3rd and Chestnut.

Fleener said officials with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) are excited to see Atlantic grow, and are highly interested in funding housing development projects in the downtown business area.

The first phase of grants allowed for participating merchants to update or replace their building facades. Fleener says if the grant request is approved, this latest round will make it less costly for building owners to renovate their downtown buildings’ bottom and top floors.

Dr. Weresh has used the first round of CDBG grants to tear off the tin from his building facade and install new windows. He’s ready now to move onto the next stage. SWIPCO is ready to apply for a grant that would cover half the project cost for 509 Chestnut.

(The City will only be used as a “flow-through” agency, by which any funds are passed. It will not have a financial stake in the projects.)

Dr. Weresh describes the project in more detail.

(One apartment will be above 511 Chestnut. The building at 509 Chestnut would have two apartments: One two-bedroom, one with a single bedroom. There will also be a new garage in back.” He also plans to make the store front on both buildings as attractive as possible and get the drop ceilings down, similar to what has taken place at the Hansen’s Jewelry building.)

Fleener says the grant application is due at the end of August. She asked for, and the City Council authorized, SWIPCO to pursue the funds.

(Radio Iowa) – A Nebraska man died while trying to save his son at East Lake Okoboji Wednesday morning.  An investigation determined 41-year-old Brandon Urban of Omaha had swum to help his son who had fallen off a paddleboard and he became entangled in weeds. Brandon Urban then got caught in the weeds — and after freeing boy was unable to keep himself above the water’s surface.

Urban was located and pulled from the water by some friends and lifesaving measures were attempted but he died later at Lakes Regional Healthcare. Authorities say Urban was NOT wearing a lifejacket.