(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, during their regular meeting this (Wednesday) evening, passed an amended, FY2025 Budget. Their action followed a Public Hearing, during which there were no comments. City Administrator John Lund explained this will not affect taxes paid by citizens of the City.

An additional $365,000 in transfers was also amended, which Lund says is a routine matter. The Council then passed a resolution “Declaring [a] surplus and Authorizing [the] Transfer” of funds, and passing a resolution approving the transfer of funds for FY2024-25.

Councilman Gerald Brink asked Lund if that’s something the City has to do regularly.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council considered and acted on passing the second reading of an ordinance amending the City Code of Ordinances, by changing the current run-off system of City elections back to a “Plurality takes all,” which the City previously had, up until July, 2021, as well as the second reading of ordinances that:

• Change the speed limit on 29th Street from 35- to 30-mph, from Chestnut Street to the Southern City limits.
• Change the speed limit on 29th Street from 35- to 30-mph from Chestnut to Palm Street.
• Amends the language on Ordinance 1059 to read “On 29th Street from the Palm Street intersection to a point 800 feet West of [the] intersection.” The reduction to 35-mph remains unchanged.

The Council awarded the contract for 2025 Concrete Street Improvements to Bluffs Paving & Utility Company of Crescent, in the amount of slightly more than $1.203-million. There were five bids for the project. City Engineer Dave Sturm, with Snyder & Associates Engineers, said their original cost estimate for the projects was $1.36-million.

UNION COUNTY — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today (Wednesday), confirmed the recovery of a body from Three Mile Lake in Union County. The individual, identified as 41-year-old Ryan Woosley, of Creston, was found at 3:30 p.m.

The DNR was notified at 3 a.m. about a missing person who was last known to be at Three Mile Lake to night fish on June 16 and had not been heard from since. DNR officials discovered a car in the north boat ramp parking lot and an overturned boat in the lake. Initial searches of the lake by DNR law enforcement did not locate the victim. Local law enforcement joined the effort, utilizing a thermal drone to continue the search until daylight hours.

Ryan Woosley (Photo posted to a public social media by his daughter)

The Southwest Iowa Dive Team (Midwest Regional Dive Team – comprised of members from Union, Adair, Adams, Cass, Montgomery, Page and Ringgold Counties) was then called to assist with the recovery efforts. Utilizing sonar technology, the dive team successfully located the body, which was recovered shortly thereafter.

Severe weather that moved through the area on June 16 may have contributed to the incident.

The Iowa DNR was joined in the search and recovery by the Union County Sheriff’s Department, the Midwest Regional Dive Team,  Afton and Creston Police Departments.

(Radio Iowa) – Nearly four-thousand Iowa Army National Guard soldiers are in the midst of three weeks of rigorous summer training at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana. The commander of the ground troops, Brigadier General Derek Adams, says this training should prepare them for anything.

“This training is, is the best. And most difficult that the army has to offer. And so if you train on the most difficult scenarios against the toughest adversary, you’re prepared to do any operation that would be called upon for the for the unit,” he says. Colonel Tony Smithart, the 734th Regional Support Group Commander, says troops from the Second Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Divisions and nearly 18-hundred soldiers from across the state who will soon be going overseas are among the soldiers taking part in the training.

“The key mission for the 734th Regional Sport Group is to build combat power for forces to flow into an assigned mission and we’ve received about six-thousand soldiers for the exercise, two-thousand pieces of equipment that the 734th R-S-G has received and moved into staging yards for the forces that are deploying to the exercise to be ready to do their mission,” he says.

This is the final training step for the soldiers who will be deployed overseas as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.

ATLANTIC- Cass County Relay For Life is hosting a Putt-Putt for a Purpose, a family fun event at Sunnyside Range in Atlantic on Sunday, June 29th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to come play a round of putt-putt for $25 for a 4-member team or $10 for an individual. The fun will also include a driving range contest for $5 for 3 balls. Prizes
will be awarded.

The event will also allow for cancer survivors, caregivers, and community supporters to enjoy camaraderie and a meal. Atlantic Hy-Vee will be graciously providing a free meal for attendees and Sunnyside Range will have their concession stand open for other goodie purchases. Thanks to Shift Atlantic for making Sunnyside Range available.

Luminaries will be displayed in memory or support of loved ones at the event and are available for purchase for $10 each. Please contact Jodi Christoffersen at jodichristoffersen@hotmail.com, call 712-254-1409, or visit relayforlife.org/casscountyia Survivors can also register at the website or call 1-800-227-2545 OPTION 4 in order to receive a 2025 Relay For Life Shirt.

General donations to Cass County Relay For Life can also be made on the website or by dropping off to Kristi Schmidtke at Rolling Hills Bank & Trust in Atlantic.

The Cass County Relay For Life Committee hopes to see all cancer survivors, caregivers, and community supporters on Sunday, June 29th at Sunnyside Range for an evening of fun, support, and fundraising. Thanks to the Cass County community for continuing to fight back against cancer.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Dignitaries and honored guests were present this (Wednesday) afternoon, for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new, Vision Atlantic/Camblin Hills Housing Development project. Vision Atlantic President Christina Bateman served as the program’s host. She began by recognizing the late developer Don Sonntag, and Atlantic visionary, the late Bob Camblin.

Bateman said for decades, Don Sonntag was “at the heart of commercial and housing development in our city.”

Austin Sonntag

Sonntag’s grandson Austin is also a developer.

Christina Bateman presented the Sonntag family with a “Legacy Award, in his honor. Bob Camblin, Christina Bateman said,  was a tireless advocate throughout his life for economic development in Atlantic.

Bon Camblin’s daughter Jenny

His youngest daughter, Jenny spoke of her father’s legacy on behalf of her family. She choked-up when she said her “dad would be extremely humbled and honored” if he was there today (Wednesday).

His family was also honored with a Legacy Award from the Vision Atlantic Board of Directors. Bateman acknowledged the City of Atlantic’s donation of the land, the Comes family, for being willing to sell the land and allow the project to become a reality, Snyder and Associates Engineers, and Carley Construction for laying the groundwork for the next steps in the project, along with many others. The 49-acre Camblin Hills Development will feature 142 new homes, a park with a playground, walking/bike trail, and the Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of Atlantic.

John Hoich

John Hoich, with the Lakin Foundation, spoke briefly prior to the groundbreaking ceremony on the newly constructed Lakin Foundation Boulevard. He said the goal of the Lakin Foundation is to grow cities, especially unincorporated towns, to save them from disappearing, and bringing people back to make all the communities they serve, thrive.

The Foundation and the Community Vision Foundation for Western Iowa partnered to establish a $23-million investment fund which Vision Atlantic will borrow from to build all 142 housing units. As the loan is repaid, up to five-percent of the fun balance will be donated back to Vision Atlantic, to establish a long-term community endowment fund which will support local needs such as affordable child care.

Attendees at the event also heard from Donna Dostel, with the Community Foundation for Western Iowa, and Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), prior to the official turning of gold plated spades with chunks of dirt, to signify the ceremonial christening of the site.

(UPDATE 4:12-p.m.) – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources confirms that a dive team recovered the body of an adult man from a Union County lake on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier in the afternoon, a spokesperson for the DNR said the water search at Three Mile Lake was precautionary after authorities were told the missing man was going to be in the area.

The lake is located about 5 miles north of Afton.

Previous report:

(Creston, Iowa) – Members of the Midwest Regional Dive Team, with members from Union, Adair, Adams,  Cass, Montgomery, Page and Ringgold Counties, were called late this (Wednesday morning) to 3 Mile Lake in Union County, to search for a missing man.

Family members posted on social media that Ryan Woosley was fishing alone on the lake late Monday night in a John boat shortly before a storm hit the area. His car was located in the area, but Woosley has not been seen since. In addition to efforts of the Dive Team, a Police report was filed.

Photo posted to social media by the daughter of Ryan Woosley, who is missing from 3 Mile Lake.