(Atlantic, IA) – The Atlantic City Council, during their regular meeting this (Wednesday) evening (March 18th), approved the appointment of Maggie Robinson as the City’s new Parks and Recreation Department Director. Councilman Sean Sarsfield said Robinson should begin her new position on or about April 13th. As previously mentioned, the City’s Personnel and Finance Committee recommended her appointment to the position, which had been eliminated in the Summer of 2023. The City Council authorized the reinstatement of the Parks and Recreation Director position on February 18, 2026, during discussion of the FY2027 Budget.

Atlantic Mayor Rob Clausen expressed his appreciation of all the agencies, local businesses and countless individual volunteers, who stepped-up to help those who were left injured and/or stranded during Sunday’s blizzard that shut-down the interstate, and clogged some streets in Atlantic with vehicles stuck on some roads.

The agencies included the Cass County Communications Center, Iowa State Patrol, Cass County Sheriff’s Department, EMS/Fire personnel, Cass County Emergency Management, Cass Health, SWITA, Red Cross, the local veterinary clinic, DOT crews, Richter and Sons Towing,  and and so many more. Clausen said when the storm victims began to stream into Atlantic, the hotels quickly filled-up and it became readily apparent more needed to be done to provide motorists and in some case their pets, with shelter.

Police and fire department personnel assisted at the Nishna Valley YMCA in setting-up cots and beds for those persons. Mayor Clausen said he “couldn’t be prouder of the way this community responded. I believe we truly do live in one of the best places in Iowa.”

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed a resolution Adopting an updated 28-E agreement between the Atlantic Volunteer Fire Department, the City of Atlantic, and Grove Township in Cass County. The updated 28E agreement with Grove Township establishes an annual contribution of $14,500, an increase from $7,468.74 under the prior agreement.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Through the Safe Haven Law, a baby girl, born March 6 is now in the care and custody of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and will be placed with a foster family until permanent placement is determined. This brings the overall total to 80 infants since the law went into effect more than two decades ago.

Iowa’s Safe Haven Act is an option for parents in crisis who determine they cannot care for an infant up to 90 days old. Designated safe havens are locations like hospitals and police and fire stations. Iowa HHS then works to place infants in an approved foster home while awaiting permanent adoption.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent or adopting a child, visit https://iowafosterandadoption.org/ to learn more about becoming an approved foster or adoptive family. For more information on Iowa’s Safe Haven, visit https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/CPS/safe-haven.

(Clarinda, IA) – The Page County Attorney’s Office has released a report on case outcomes from persons appearing in Page County District Court during the week of March 2nd. 

55-year-old Andrew William Berner, of Council Bluffs, admitted to violating the terms and conditions of probation. His probation was revoked and the original sentence of 5 years of incarceration was imposed.

21-year-old Gerald William Christianson, of Shenandoah, represented himself in court (“Pro se”), and pled guilty to a charge of Possession of Marijuana-1^st Offense. He was sentenced to 5 days of incarceration and fined $200. The fine was suspended and Christiansen was ordered to pay court costs and court-appointed attorney fees.

All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa woman has been sentenced on multiple child endangerment charges stemming from incidents at a daycare in Inwood. Thirty-one-year-old Elizabeth Kainrath was sentenced on March 10th in Lyon County District Court on five counts of child endangerment, all aggravated misdemeanors.

Authorities say the charges date back to March of 2024, when Kainrath was working at a daycare and allegedly grabbed and dragged young children, including lifting a two-year-old by one arm and dropping the child. She later entered a guilty plea to all five counts as part of an agreement with prosecutors. Kainrath was sentenced to jail time on each count, with most of that time suspended, and will serve a total of 10 days.

Kainrath has also been placed on probation for two years, ordered to complete anger management, pay fines and restitution, and has been added to the Child Abuse Registry. That means she can no longer work in jobs involving direct contact with children.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson says she wants to see the SAVE Act get passed. The legislation requires you to prove you are a U-S citizen to register to voter. “Election integrity is a top priority for me, and I hope we can work together with the White House to get this bill done. You know, it’s really important that it is easy to vote and hard to cheat, and that’s what I want to see happen,” Hinson says.

The Republican from Marion says she voted for a similar law when she was in the state legislature. “The way I see it, you have to show your I-D for a lot of things, whether you’re buying a six-pack of beer or to get on a plane, you have to show your I-D to vote. And I think that should be important,” she says. Hinson says there’ve been state voter ID requirements in Iowa since 2017, and they should be nationwide. Those who oppose the bill say requiring a passport or birth certificate to register would make it difficult for some people to vote.

Hinson says there’s been some wrong information on providing documents, including it would be tough on women who changed their name when they got married. ” I think that’s just fear mongering. I am very frustrated by that narrative,” Hinson says. “I am a married woman who changed my name and Why would I vote for something that is going to make it harder for me to vote for myself? Being someone who’s actually on the ballot, it’s ridiculous.”

Hinson says states would have to establish a process for people whose legal name does not match their birth certificate to provide for additional documents, including a real I-D or a passport. She says there are lots of options, and it does not disenfranchise women voters who are married.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s a showdown in the Iowa legislature over smoking. Republican Representative Shannon Lundgren of Peosta plans to overhaul a senate-passed bill to let cigar bars sell alcohol. If the bill comes up in a House committee tomorrow (Thursday), Lundgren plans to turn the bill into a ban on smoking on the gaming floors of Iowa casinos — something Lundgren’s proposed before — only to see it stall in the senate.

“It sends a message to the senate that they probably should have paid attention to the bill that they had in front of them this year instead of sending us something to actually expand smoking in Iowa,” Lundgren said. Cigar fans like Oliver Bardwell of Clive testified today (Wednesday) at a legislative hearing on the Senate cigar bar plan. Bardwell says cigar smokers should have the freedom to have an alcoholic drink while they’re smoking a premium cigar at a business.

“At the end of the day, this is about small businesses, clarity in law and trusting adults to make adult choices,” Bardwell said. “Iowans shouldn’t be held back by antiquated regulations that no longer fit with how people live today.” Maria Steele of Adel is a nurse practitioner who has undergone treatment for lung cancer.

She opposes the Senate bill that would exempt cigar bars from Iowa’s Smokefree Air Act. “With the rates of cancer in Iowa, why do we want to have laws that increase health risks?” Steele said. “I’ve seen cancer of the tongue and the throat and lung cancer kills more people than breast, colon and prostate cancer combined.”

Friday is a deadline for policy bills like this one that passed the Senate to win approval in a House committee. House-passed bills also must clear a Senate committee this week, too.

(Radio Iowa) – Six bird flu cases have already been confirmed in Iowa this year and an expert at the U-S-D-A says warmer weather will ramp up the spring migration of wild birds — and more incidents where entire flocks have to be euthanized. Dr. Alan Huddleston, acting chief veterinary officer of the agency’s APHIS — Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, says there are all sorts of ways highly pathogenic avian influenza may be spread.

“One of the most important factors, though, is the amount of exposure domestic poultry in a given state or region have had to wild birds,” Huddleston says. “And also the biosecurity practices that have been used by both large as well as small poultry producers.” Iowa’s first bird flu outbreak was in 2022, and since then, it’s been responsible for the deaths of almost 31-million birds statewide. Iowa is the nation’s largest egg producer, and ranks seventh in turkey production.

Huddleston says anyone who raises poultry on any scale needs to be strict about biosecurity. “They should be working on cleaning up or disinfecting and sanitizing farm equipment, footwear, and clothing used in poultry areas every day or after use,” Huddleston says, “suiting up using dedicated boots for the farm and a foot bath to disinfect footwear, restricting or minimizing farm visitors, and limiting farm traffic.”

Iowa has seen outbreaks in wild birds, backyard flocks and commercial operations, and Huddleston says the agency offers generous funding to help farms protect themselves. “USDA will cover up to 75% of the costs associated with addressing the highest risk biosecurity gaps that we identify through our voluntary biosecurity assessments,” he says. “For additional details or to request an assessment, an individual can search USDA Defend the Flock.”

Different species need to be kept separate, and he says producers should know the early signs of bird flu. If there might be a problem, he says to call the state veterinarian or U-S-D-A right away. Since the outbreak started in 2022, more than 197-million birds nationwide have been affected — including chickens, turkeys, ducks, pheasants, and geese — posing a serious threat to poultry and producers’ livelihoods.

(Radio Iowa) – West Des Moines police says they don’t expect any more arrests in the cold case death of Realtor Ashley Okland, but releasing few other details Police charged 53-year-old Kristin Ramsey Tuesday with first-degree murder in Okland’s death back on April 8th 2011. West Des Moines assistant police chief Jody Hayes says they can’t answer any questions about the case as it is pending prosecution. Hayes did talk about the impact of the Okland’s death.

“Since her death on April 8th, 2011, the search for answers has weighed heavily on family, friends, co-workers, and our central Iowa community,” he says. “In addition, Ashley’s story has haunted a very frightened community of professional realtors who have forever changed how they hold open houses and conduct businesses, business on a daily basis.” Hayes says the investigation was a joint effort by local and state law enforcement, along with the Attorney General’s Office and the cold case unit. He says they followed up on thousands of leads from the public and reviewed countless items of evidence and materials collected throughout the investigation.

“The drive and unwavering commitment by investigators to solve this case is always and has been justice for Ashley and her family,” he says. Okland’s sister, Brittany Bruce was on hand and talked about what the arrest meant to her family. “That Friday afternoon when Ashley was taken from us seems so long ago. We had lost our hope in finding answers and having any justice for Ashley. It was really difficult to accept that the case had gone cold, she say She thanked investigators for continuing to work on the case. “The West Des Moines detectives who worked this case into their retirement during their retirement and never quitting on Ashley. The prosecutors and their teams for their commitment to this case and seeing it through,” she says.

Okland’s brother Josh was also there and they both say they are confident that prosecutors will see the case through. Josh and Brittany did not take questions. “We ask for privacy for our families as we deal with the days to come and even the years to come. I’d also ask for you to give the same privacy and respect to the suspect’s family,” she says.

Kristin Ramsey is being held in the Dallas County jail awaiting further action in the case.

(Greenfield, IA) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, during their meeting this (Wednesday) morning, passed resolutions setting the speed limit on Adair-Union Street and Orange Avenue, as 35-miles per hour. The request came from County Engineer Nick Kauffman, and is with regard to the upcoming construction by MidAmerican Energy, of the Orient Energy Center (OEC) and paving of Adair-Union Street. MidAmerican spokesperson John Huff updated the Board on the project, and the replacement of the company’s wind turbines that were damaged or destroyed during the devastating 2024 tornado.

With regard to the OEC, Huff said things are moving along with work beginning in the next few weeks.

With regard to the turbine replacement project, Huff said a schedule will be coming out in a couple of weeks about “restarting” efforts that had faced delays.

He says they hope to have the towers erected by mid-July and August and back on-line as soon as possible. In other business, the Adair County Supervisors discussed an Ordinance on regulating data centers in Adair County. Supervisor Jodie Hoadley asked to have the matter added to the agenda, since there was an addendum to a rough draft of the ordinance that’s being proposed.

A proposed Resolution would establish a temporary moratorium on the development and operation of data centers, high-density computing and battery storage facilities. Here’s a portion of the proposed resolution, as read by Supervisor Hoadley…

The Board passed a temporary moratorium on such facilities until the board can studying them further and get a legal opinion on them.It does not put a restriction on current facilities under construction or planned for construction.

(Atlantic, IA) – [Updates meeting date and location] The Southwest Iowa Beekeepers are inviting any and all beekeepers to their annual meeting on Sunday, March 29th at 1pm at the Cass County Community Center, in Atlantic. The group says their mission is to support beekeepers, share knowledge and build the beekeeping community.

A statement provided by the group says “Whether you have 1 hive or 100 hives, Southwest Iowa Beekeepers welcomes all beekeepers and all styles of beekeeping so whether new or old, big or small – join us for exchange of ideas and general bee camaraderie.  But you have 0 bee hives? That’s ok too! We love to help new beekeepers get started. Beekeeping is both challenging and exciting and much like the bees we tend, we are stronger when we lean into each other for support.”

(Photo courtesy Nathan Paulsen)

The club meets 5 times per year. Meetings are held in March, April, June, August, & October. The summer meetings are typically hands-on field days held on member apiaries.

For more information you can contact Nathan Paulsen by emailing southwestiowabeekeepers@gmail.com