The Iowa DOT’s 511 system reports (as of 6:18-a.m.) the right shoulder of Interstate 80 eastbound, one-mile east of the Highway 71/Atlantic-Brayton exit, is blocked due to a crash. Additional information was not immediately available.

A regular meeting of the Atlantic School Board will take place 6-p.m. Wednesday (July 14), in the High School Media Center (and streamed live on YouTube). Discussion items on their agenda will include an update on the District’s Facility Project, and a review of Board Policies, Series 300 and 900. Action items include:

• 2021-22 Student Fees (Superintendent Steve Barber says the current fee structure has remained unchanged for the past three-years, and he sees “No reason to make any change for the upcoming school year.” Adult lunch prices have not yet officially been posted. Mr. Barber says “If these lunches need to be different than $3.95, we [the Board] will need to revisit next month.”
• The Atlantic School Board will act on awarding a 2021-22 Fuel Contract, and
• Spring 2022 Coaching Contracts as follows:
  • Head Boys Track – Abby Becker
  • 8th Grade Boys Track – Trace Petersen
  • Head Girls Track – Matt Mullenix
  • Asst. Girls Track – Derek Hall
  • 7th Grade Girls Track – Casey Pelzer
  • 8th Grade Girls Track – Taylor Williams
  • Head Tennis – Michael McDermott
  • Asst. Tennis – Cole Renken
  • Head Girls Soccer – Dan Vargason
  • Head Boys Soccer – Matt Smith
  • Asst. Girls Soccer – Alyssa Dovenspike
  • Asst. Boys Soccer – Mark Anderson
  • Head Boys Golf – Ed Den Beste
  • Head Girls Golf – Kathy Hobson.

The School Board will also act on approving the resignations of Amber Caudle – MS Paraprofessional, and Rob Hansen – HS Asst. Baseball Coach. The are expected to approve also, Contract Recommendations for: Tori Dolch – Freshman Volleyball Coach; Adam Smith – Volunteer Football Coach; Katy Christensen, Vol. Volleyball Coach; Bruce Henderson – Vol. Cross Country Coach; Clair Acker, Jim Mullenix and Roger Warne – Substitute/Activity Bus Drivers.

The Adams County Fair wraps-up its week-long run today, in Corning. The final, big day starts off with a 7-a.m. Pancake Breakfast, followed by the Dairy Show and 8 and the Beef Show at 8:30. Here’s the rest of the schedule:

• 12:30-p.m.: Dog Show Check-in
• 1:00-p.m.: Dog Show
• 1:30-p.m. Livestock Judging
• 2-p.m. until 5-p.m.: Ag Day in the Pavilion
• 4-p.m.: Tall Corn Contest
• 5-p.m.: Ag Day Meal & Open Class Bottle Buckaroo Show
• 6-p.m.: Livestock released
• 7-p.m.: Fair Sale.

On Wednesday, there will be clean-up beginning at 8-a.m., and Static Projects will be released from 8-a.m. to 5-p.m.  And finally, on Saturday, July 17th, at Carcass Judging begins at 9-a.m., followed at Noon by Carcass Results being announced at Corning Meat Processing (w/Swine Caracass Exhibitors present).   At the Montgomery County Fair, beginning at 9-a.m., there is entries and judging of 4-H Ag and Natural Resources, Creative Arts, Family and Consumer Sciences, Personal Development & STEM Exhibits at the 4-H Building.

Also:

• from 4-until 6-p.m.: Enter, Weigh-in and check papers for 4-H/FFA Poultry at the Livestock Pavilion
• 7:30-p.m.: Welcome by Montgomery County Fair Board President Andrew Herzberg at the Fairgrounds Auditorium, along with the following….
  • Clover Kids Graduation
  • Montgomery County Fair Hall of Fame
  • Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame
  • Presentation of County Youth Council Scholarship
  • Rotary Club “Service Above Self” Awards
  • Presentation of the John Hossle Scholarship
  • Bake sale of food and nutrition exhibits
  • Announcements and Crowning of Fair Queen
  • 4-H Pie Auction.
• 8:15-p.m.: Religious Rally – Fairground Auditorium
• 8:30-p.m.: Montgomery County Youth Council Gaga Ball Tournament – Gaga Ball Pit.

A full slate of activities get underway Wednesday at the Audubon and Shelby County Fairs, also. Look for those schedules tomorrow, here at kjan.com.

KCCI in Des Moines reports attorneys for Cristhian Bahena Rivera announced Monday that they will request a new trial after someone admitted to killing Mollie Tibbetts. Bahena Rivera’s sentencing for first-degree murder is scheduled for Thursday. According to court documents, a state prison inmate came forward after Bahena Rivera’s guilty verdict in May. The documents say an inmate housed in a county jail heard from another inmate that he killed Mollie Tibbetts.

That inmate allegedly said Tibbetts was kidnapped for sex trafficking and bound and gagged in a trap house but that he was directed to kill Tibbetts once the search for her got too close. The man allegedly told the inmate that he was directed by the sex trafficker in charge to stab Tibbetts and dump her body near a Hispanic male to make it look like the Hispanic male committed the crime. The reporting inmate said he did not share the confession until he heard Bahena Rivera testify that two other men killed Tibbetts.

Records show another person came forward to law enforcement, stating the same person admitted to them that they had killed Tibbetts. State prosecutors said they learned about the alleged confession during the trial and do not believe it is credible. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation said the confession is not credible and they firmly believe Bahena Rivera is solely responsible for Tibbetts’ death.

Bahena Rivera’s attorneys have requested this state inmate to testify. On Monday, a judge ruled that a Mount Pleasant inmate Arne Maki can be transported to Poweshiek County court on Thursday when the sentencing is taking place. It is unclear if Maki is the inmate who came forward. The judge did not rule on the request for a new trial.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says 29 Iowa State Troopers are in southwest Texas, in the city of Del Rio which is on the U-S-Mexico border. Reynolds sent the troopers after the governor of Texas asked for assistance in providing border security and the Iowa Department of Public Safety confirmed it could handle their troopers’ absences. “I’ll get a nightly update from the commissioner on what they’ve faced during the day,” Reynolds says. The state troopers arrived in Texas a couple of days ago and the governor says they’ll be there a total of 16 days.

Reynolds says the State of Iowa is covering the costs of the deployment. “We sat down with the commissioner before we sent them down to make sure that they felt they could not only handle the safety of citizens in the State of Iowa, but had the resources to go down there,” Reynolds says, “and they assured us that they did.”

South Dakota’s governor is using money from a private donor to pay the expense of sending South Dakota National Guard soldiers to the same city of Del Rio.

(Radio Iowa) – The Republican governors of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota say they’re taking steps to address the region’s workforce shortage. The governors met in the Sioux City metro yesterday (Monday) for the 17th Tri-State Governors’ Conference and spoke to more than 200 business leaders. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says businesses are adjusting to address the workforce shortage and government must, too.

“We want to be a partner in that,” Reynolds says. “We want to help Iowans retrain, reskill, match them up with the opportunities that exist across the state.” South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem says she, Reynolds and Nebraska’s governor were criticized for the way they dealt with the pandemic, but Noem says their approach should be a selling point to get potential workers to move into the region.

“The recruitment of workers is important outside the state to fill the needs that we have,” Noem says. “In South Dakota, tourism is our second largest industry and we’re being creative in how we fill that workforce need.” Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts says ending the extra federal money in unemployment checks will get more Nebraskans back in the workforce.

“Wages are driven by the market and I think employers should pay what the market is demanding to be able to employ people,” Rickett says, “but I also don’t believe that the government should be competing with employers on that.” The Tri-State Governors’ Conference which is held every two years in the Sioux City area. One business leader told the three governors that states must act because there just aren’t enough workers, not because of the pandemic, but because older workers are retiring and there aren’t enough younger workers to fill those jobs.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – AtlanticFest, presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust, will be held Saturday, August 14th rain or shine. AtlanticFest is an annual festival that serves as a fundraiser for the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said “After having to cancel our annual celebration last year, we are so thankful to have so many generous sponsors and community members to help make this event possible this year.

“AtlanticFest is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Chamber. Our sponsors help cover a lot of the costs of the event, allowing us to raise funds through registration fees, pop stand sales and the 50/50 raffle. We use the funds from AtlanticFest to continue to grow community events while also supporting business-based programs. We’re really pleased to bring it back this year and offer the community a day of fun activities while supporting local businesses, civic organizations and the Chamber,” Smith added.

Downtown Atlantic will be filled with fun activities for the whole family to enjoy. Come early and enjoy a pancake breakfast or start the day off with a run in the Annual Road Race. There will be crafters from all over Southwest Iowa, as well as some of the best food vendors to help satisfy any appetite. Kids can enjoy activities in the park and with free entertainment throughout the day, you can’t go wrong.

New this year, the Annual Car Show will honor Kelly Schlake, previous owner of Atlantic Motor Supply (NAPA), with the Kelly Schlake Memorial Car Show, filling Chestnut Street with new and vintage cars. “Kelly was not only a huge supporter of Atlantic, but the Annual Car Show was always his favorite event of the year, which he was also a big sponsor of. When he passed away last winter, his family wanted to do something to honor his memory and we felt hosting the Car Show in his honor was the perfect fit,” Smith mentioned.

Registrations for the Car Show, Road Race, Craft Vendor, Activity/Information Vendor and Food Vendors are open now. If you are interested in being a part of AtlanticFest, please visit www.atlanticiowa.com or call the Chamber at 712.243.3017.

(Radio Iowa) – A Solon man will spend 12 years in federal prison on a child pornography charge. Forty-three-year-old Alfredo Alexander Lujan admitted to receiving child pornography following an F-B-I investigation. That investigation found he had been trading child pornography with someone in North Carolina, and had also sent child porn to another individual. A search of Lujan’s residence turned up nearly 200 images and videos depicting child pornography.

(Des Moines, IA) This week, Test Iowa, the state’s free COVID-19 testing program will transition from offering COVID-19 testing at drive through locations throughout the state to providing Iowans access to free, self-administered test kits. Since launching in April of 2020, Test Iowa has processed over 540,000 PCR COVID-19 tests.

Through Test Iowa at-home, a partnership between the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the State Hygienic Lab (SHL), Iowans will be able to receive a free test kit, collect a saliva sample at home, return the sample by UPS and receive results through email.

Beginning Friday, July 16, Iowans may choose to pick up a test kit from a site in their community or have a kit sent to their home at no cost. Each test kit includes step-by-step instructions including how to activate the test kit, collect the test sample, return sample to SHL and when to expect results. The current Test Iowa website will be updated to facilitate the process for requesting test kits and will feature a test kit site locator tool. There are approximately 125 pick-up sites registered throughout the state.

The currently operational drive-through sites in Des Moines and Davenport and testing clinics will remain open through July 16, at 4:00 PM. Appointments for Friday July 16, can be scheduled on testiowa.com through the end of the day on Thursday, July 15.

Homebound individuals have the option to request a kit to be sent to their home, and to have UPS pick up their sample. Results will be sent via email about 24 hours from when the sample is received by SHL. These self-collected saliva test kits are authorized by the FDA under an emergency use authorization.

The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is to get vaccinated. We encourage all Iowans who have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine to reach out to their health care provider. Vaccine providers and events can be found on https://vaccinate.iowa.gov/

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – A welfare check by law enforcement at a residence in Elk Horn Monday mid-morning resulted in a stand-off and fire that caused significant damage to the home. The incident at 4116 Madison Street began at around 10:35-a.m.

All photos are courtesy of Emily Melanson.

Shelby County Sheriff Neil Gross said law enforcement responded because there was the possibility the individual wanted to harm them self by using an explosive. That information came from a person the individual inside was communicating with.

Law enforcement initially evacuated two or three houses in the area before expanding the perimeter to include the nearby Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton High School, where some employees were working, along with construction workers who were on the roof conducting repairs and upgrades. The sense of urgency came, when Firefighters saw possible propane tanks inside the residence. At the same time, authorities attempted to negotiate with the individual and diffuse the situation.

Gross said after a fire began, a person inside attempted to get out.

Once he was pulled out by law enforcement, the individual was checked out by medical staff and transported to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan. The person’s name was not released. He was reported to be in stable condition.

The person will get a physical and mental evaluation, according to the Sheriff. Gross said he was glad the situation ended peacefully and safely.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Audubon County Sheriff’s Office, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Harlan Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Elk Horn Fire, Kimballton Fire, Exira Fire, Brayton Fire, Atlantic Fire, Walnut Fire, Harlan Fire, Medivac, and Shelby County Emergency Management all responded to the call.