Three Atlantic High School students have qualified for, and will be making a trip to, Dallas, TX, for the National Speech & Debate Tournament this summer. It’s the first time AHS has qualified three students in three different events since 1992! School officials say:

• Sarah Schorle (senior) qualified in February in the category of Program Oral Interpretation (POI). She placed 1st in her category which earns an automatic berth to Nationals. This is Sarah’s 3rd straight trip to Nationals after qualifying in Duo Interpretation in 2017 and POI in 2018.
• Troy Roach (sophomore) qualified on April 6th in the category of Student Congress. He placed 2nd in his House which earned him a berth to Nationals. Troy has attended Nationals last year as well in the category of World Schools.
• Genevieve Martinez (sophomore) is the newest addition to National Qualifiers! She was chosen to represent Western Iowa on the World Schools Team. This is Genevieve’s first time qualifying for Nationals.

In other news, the Atlantic Speech & Debate team will have a showcase of Individual and Large Group performances this Saturday April 27 at 7:00 pm in the AHS Auditorium. The following students will be performing:

• Sarah Schorle – Original Oratory
• Lane Muell – Humorous Interpretation
• Gracemarie McCurdy – Musical Theatre
• Molly McFadden – Public Address
• Gen Martinez – Prose
• Hold for Three – Ensemble Acting
• Nolan Perez – Poetry
• Abi Evans – Poetry
• Brycen & Lane – Group Improv

DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds has announced the names of members selected for the Flood Recovery Advisory Board. The Board was created by Executive Order to help coordinate a comprehensive flood recovery and rebuilding effort.

From southwest Iowa, the Board includes: Larry Winum, President and CEO of Glenwood State Bank; Leo Ettleman, Farmer; and Rick Allely, Director of Mills County Economic Development Foundation. Ex-Officio Members include: Lt. Governor Adam Gregg; Senator Chuck Grassley; Senator Joni Ernst; Congresswoman Cindy Axne.

The Governor said in her statement, Monday, that “Many brave and resilient Iowans and communities are just beginning the recovery process as a result of the historic flooding.  They are trusting us to deliver efficient and effective partnerships across federal, state, and local governments. The seasoned individuals appointed to the Advisory Board understand the crucial nature of their responsibilities and my expectations for success. I’m confident Iowa will rebound even stronger as a result of our combined efforts.”

The Flood Recovery Advisory Board also includes the following:

• Governor Kim Reynolds
• Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig
• Representative Dave Sieck
• Joyce Flinn, Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• Beth Townsend, Director of Iowa Workforce Development
• Lt. Colonel Chuck Connors, Iowa National Guard
• Gerd Clabaugh, Director of Iowa Department of Public Health
• Dr. John Lawrence, VP of ISU Extension and Outreach
• Dr. Larry Weber, Co-founder, University of Iowa Flood Center
• Mark Ford, People, Parts and Service Director, AgriVision Equipment Group
• Scott Swenson, Regional Director of Iowa Small Business Development Center
• Mary Day, retired FEMA Director

The first meeting of the Flood Recovery Advisory Board will be on Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at 11:00 a.m. in the Ray Conference Room at the Iowa State Capitol.

In addition to the Flood Recovery Advisory Board, the Executive Order created six working groups covering Finance, Economic Development, Agriculture, Workforce and Housing, Flood Management and Infrastructure, and Public Health. Members of these working groups will be named in the coming weeks.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation report Interstate construction in Council Bluffs could impact travel for motorists this week. All closures are weather permitting and may be rescheduled if weather impacts construction.

Tuesday, April 23

Southbound I-29 between Ninth and Nebraska avenues will be closed overnight from 10:30 p.m. Tuesday April 23 at  to 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 24. 5:30 a.m. The southbound I-29 on-ramp at Ninth Avenue will also be closed.

Wednesday, April 24

The right lane of the westbound I-80 Express, just east of the South Expressway, will be closed for repairs beginning at 9 a.m. The closure will be taken down for the afternoon rush hour by 3 p.m.

Northbound I-29 between Nebraska and Ninth avenues will be closed overnight from 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 to 5:30 a.m. Thursday April 25. The northbound I-29 on-ramp at Nebraska Avenue will also be closed.

Thursday, April 25

The right lane of the westbound I-80 Express, just east of the South Expressway, will be closed for repairs beginning at 9 a.m. The closure will be taken down for the afternoon rush hour by 3 p.m.

Iowa DOT anticipates significant delays could occur during the westbound I-80 Express lane closure. Motorists are encouraged to use northbound I-29/westbound I-80 local lanes as an alternate route. Please allow for extra travel time while this interstate repair takes place.

For more information or to sign up for alerts, visit the program website at www.CouncilBluffsInterstate.IowaDOT.gov. You can also contact the program office at 712-216-3339 or info@CouncilBluffsInterstate.com.

Officials with Glenwood Municipal Utilities today (Monday) issued a BOIL ORDER for the City of Pacific Junction and the 190th corridor. The Order is in effect until further notice. Authorities say water is being restored for clean-up purposes. There is currently no sanitary sewer available. To prevent back-up into your house, you should refrain from using your drains and toilets.

GMU is working in conjunction with the City of Pacific Junction to restore the sanitary sewer as soon as possible. If you have been without water, crews are working to restore service, which is expected to occur daily, in sections. For further details call GMU or see the Mills County Emergency Management page on Facebook.

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a firefighter suffered a minor injury battling a blaze at a house in Muscatine. The fire was reported around 2:10 p.m. Sunday. The Muscatine Fire Department says it had the fire under control about 40 minutes after firetrucks arrived. The department says flames damaged the rear of the building and there was water and smoke damage through the rest of the house.

The department says one firefighter was treated for a minor injury and one civilian at the scene was assessed for smoke exposure but not treated. Their names haven’t been released. The fire cause is being investigated.

Glenwood Police report four recent arrests. On Sunday, 43-year old Shawn Kennedy, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension ($300 cash or surety bond). Saturday, 60-year old Francine Hamilton, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving While Revoked, and Violation of Financial Liability ($2,000 cash or surety bond). And, 31-year old Jared Pomerenke, of Glenwood was arrested on a Mills County Burglary warrant. His cash/surety bond was set at $5,000.

Last Friday, 43-year old Mandy Croson, of Glenwood, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension. She posted a $300 cash/surety bond and was released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines area water utility says construction and testing are complete on a $2.5 million system that will enable it to treat nitrate removed during it purification process rather than dump the material back into the Raccoon River. Des Moines Water Works announced Monday it had finished work on a pump station and pipe that will carry nitrate from a facility to the Des Moines wastewater center, where it will be treated and turned into a material that can be applied to farms.

For more than 25 years, Des Moines Water Works has removed nitrates from the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers as it purifies drinking water, but then dumped the chemical back into the Raccoon. The nitrate comes mainly from animal waste and chemical fertilizers that drain into the rivers from farmland. Des Moines Water Works provides drinking water for about 500,000 people.

Officials with Iowa Works say if you were affected by the floods and need unemployment assistance, their staff will assist you with unemployment claims and connections to other resources, this Wednesday, April 24th, at the Council Bluffs Public Library (400 Willow Ave.). Hours of operation are from 9-a.m. until 1-p.m.

Persons who are self-employed, farmers and businesses owners affected by the floods are also welcome to apply. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request, for persons with disabilities. For more information call 712-352-3480.