(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors recently visited Atlantic Specialty Care to welcome new staff members and take a tour of the facility. In their news release, the Chamber says Atlantic Specialty Care offers both short-term rehabilitation and long-term skilled nursing services. The facility provides 24-hour care tailored to individual needs, whether a patient is recovering from surgery, illness, or injury, or requires ongoing support for chronic health conditions. Services include physical, occupational, and speech therapy, restorative nursing programs, and specialized memory care, all designed to help residents achieve their highest level of independence and quality of life.

Pictured Left to Right: Tori Gibson, Jennifer McEntaffer, Sue Liston, Bill Saluk, Kathie Hockenberry, Rob Clausen, Dolly Bergmann, Jeremy Butler, Talya Kamies, Brehana Pries, Elaine Otte, Alexander Plummer, Anne Quist, Jacquelyn Jasek, Lana Westphalen, Lacy Sebring, Colt Doherty, Julie Waters, Keyla Wyman, Madeline Schmidt, Kennedy Freund, Connie Wailes, Chris Parks

During the visit, the Ambassadors met with leadership, including Alexander Plummer, the new Administrator at Atlantic Specialty Care. Plummer shared that it is the dedication of the staff and the quality of care they provide that truly make Atlantic Specialty Care the special place it is. He emphasized the team’s mission of offering compassionate, professional care while creating an environment that feels supportive and welcoming to residents and their families.

Atlantic Specialty Care is part of Care Initiatives, Iowa’s largest non-profit senior care provider. Care Initiatives serves communities across the state, with a focus on improving the lives of Iowans through skilled nursing, rehabilitation, assisted living, hospice, and palliative care services. Staff at Atlantic Specialty Care noted that being part of Care Initiatives allows them to access additional resources, training, and support, ensuring that residents receive the highest standard of care.

Atlantic Specialty Care is located at 1300 East 19th Street, Atlantic. For more information, call 712-243-3952 or visit https://www.careinitiatives.org/location/atlantic-specialty-care/

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office has released a report on arrests between Sept. 23rd and Oct. 3rd (From most recent to earliest):

On Oct. 3rd, 75-year-old Jeffrey Lynn Cunningham, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on Interstate 29 near Council Bluffs, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or greater offense. Bond was set at $2,000. And, 40-year-old Denny Gene Reeves, of Hastings (IA) was arrested in Glenwood, for Contempt of Court/Violation of a No Contact Order. (Bond $300)

On Oct. 2nd, Mills County deputies arrested 41-year-old Chandra Christine Baggett, of Red Oak, was arrested in Emerson for OWI/1st offense (Bond $1,000).

On Oct. 1st, 20-year-old Maiya Elizabeth Horne, of Omaha, was arrested in Glenwood for Possession of Marijuana/1st offense (Bond $1,000).

Mills County Deputies arrested 49-year-old Simon Christopher Elias, of Glenwood, on Sept. 29th, in Glenwood. Elias was charged with Violation of Probation (Bond $1,000).

One person was arrested Sept. 26th in Glenwood. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says 40-year-old Andrew Joseph Carrera, of Omaha, was arrested for Violation of Probation (Bond $1,000).

40-year-old Denny Gene Reeves was arrested Sept. 25th in Glenwood, for Violation of a No Contact Order-Domestic; (Bond $1,000).

And, on Sept. 23rd, 27-year-old Mariano Marin Urbano, of Waterloo (IA) was arrested on I-29 near Pacific Junction, for OWI/1st offense (Bond $1,000).

(Radio Iowa) – A pair of filmmakers who are southeast Iowa natives will be showing their movie “Field of Screams” at the Halloweenapalooza Horror Film Fest in Ottumwa later this week. Evan Runkle and Alix Moad, who now live in Colorado, set the film on a rural Iowa farmstead. Runkle says the plot follows a man who inherits an old farmhouse after his grandfather’s death and as he and his friends arrive to get the house ready for sale, the scarecrow comes alive. “That was just us channeling our inner Iowa, honestly,” Runkle says. “We wrote it while we were still living here and took a lot of inspiration from all the farmland and just the different ways we grew up around different relatives. I know my grandparents had a farm and a lot of that went right into the script.” Moad says she had a good friend who lived on a farm when she was a middle schooler.

“Every year, I’d help her family with the corn and getting the husks off the corn, so I spent a lot of time running through corn fields,” Moad says. “I think it just instilled in both of us this kind of fascination with farms and that kind of area, and scarecrows are pretty central to that.” It’s both a comedy and horror movie, and Moad says they really “leaned into” the comedy, as one of the main actors is a comedian. As for their villain, Moad says they thought other horror movies have featured scarecrows that look too human, especially in how they moved. “We wanted to incorporate some disjointedness into how our scarecrow moves,” Moad says, “because it’s a living scarecrow, but he hasn’t been alive very long, so we thought that was kind of interesting and wanted him to move more like a toddler would move, rather than just a full blown being that runs at you.”

Both graduated from the University of Iowa’s film program, Runkle in 2016 and Moad in 2018. “Field of Screams” was shot over just 12 days last summer, and it was ready for the screen earlier this year, with a few public showings in Iowa already. Runkle credits his U-I education for making him a well-rounded filmmaker who knows how to work quickly and efficiently. “Definitely at Iowa, we learned to get things done fast in order to get assignments done on time, honestly,” Runkle says. “And then both Alex and I did some work with different regional news stations and that sort of thing and that’s always a really quick turn-around. So I think a lot of the cast and crew was a little surprised at how quick we could get things done.”

Moad, too, applauds her time in the U-I film program as she came out knowing how to do a little bit of everything, including screenwriting, directing, shooting, editing and producing. Their movie screens at Halloweenapalooza on Saturday (October 11th) at 6 p-m. Both filmmakers will introduce the film and have a Q&A afterwards. Can’t make it to Ottumwa? “Field of Screams” is available for rent or purchase on Apple TV and Amazon Prime, and it’s free on Tubi.

https://www.deescalatedpictures.com/field-of-screams

OMAHA, Neb. — [KETV] – Omaha police are investigating a shooting over the weekend at Levi Carter Lake Park, that left one person with life-threatening injuries. It happened around 3:30 a.m. Sunday. Officers responded to Carter Lake Shore Drive North and Kelly’s Liquor store on North 30th St. for separate reports of shootings. Officers found a woman with a life-threatening injury at the liquor store. Omaha Fire Department medics transported her to Nebraska Medical Center in extremely critical condition, with CPR in progress.

Officials said they found four people inside a vehicle that had been hit. Two or three of the passengers were treated for injuries from shrapnel, according to police. Police are still looking for a suspect. It’s not clear what led to the shooting.

(October 6th, 2025) — The Red Oak Fire Department is once again teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) — the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week™ (FPW™) for more than 100 years — to promote this year’s FPW campaign, “Charge into Fire Safety™: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home.” It highlights how important it is to buy, charge, and recycle lithium-ion batteries safely.
Most of the electronics we use in our homes every day — smartphones, tablets, power and lawn tools, laptops, e-cigarettes, headphones, and toys, to name just a few — are powered by lithium-ion batteries. In fact, most everything that’s rechargeable uses this type of battery.
If not used correctly or if damaged, lithium-ion batteries can overheat, start a fire, or even explode. To reduce these risks, look around your home — it’s important to know which devices are powered by them. “Lithium-ion batteries are powerful, convenient, and they’re just about everywhere,” said Levi Kinnison, Captain. Chief John Bruce adds, “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign helps people understand the importance of using these batteries correctly to prevent fires in the home and to follow the Buy, Charge, and Recycle Safely approach.”
Buy only listed products.
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When buying a product that uses a lithium-ion battery, take time to research it. Look for a stamp from a nationally recognized testing lab on the packaging and product, which means that it meets important safety standards.
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Many products sold online and in stores may not meet safety standards and could increase the risk of fire.
Charge devices safely.
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Always use the cables that came with the product to charge it. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer.
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If you need a new charger, buy one from the manufacturer or one that the manufacturer has approved.
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Charge your device on a hard surface. Don’t charge it under a pillow, on a bed, or on a couch. This could cause a fire.
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Don’t overcharge your device. Unplug it or remove the battery when it’s fully charged.

Recycle batteries responsibly.
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Don’t throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash or regular recycling bins because they could catch fire.
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Recycling your device or battery at a safe battery recycling location is the best way to dispose of them. Visit call2recycle.org to find a recycling spot near you.
The Red Oak Fire Department encourages all residents to be aware of their devices, follow the Buy, Charge, and Recycle Safely approach, and support this year’s FPW theme, “Charge into Fire Safety™.”
To find out more about FPW programs and activities in Red Oak, please contact the Red Oak Fire Department at fireprevention@redoakia.city For more information about Fire Prevention Week and lithium-ion battery safety, visit fpw.org.

(Radio Iowa) – Cornell College in Mt. Vernon has returned a Native American statue that had been part of its art collection for more than a century. Art History professor Chris Penn-Goetsch says Cornell graduate Natalie Zenk uncovered the statue’s origins at a burial site while completing her senior thesis.  “Through her research, she was able to find an article from 1952… which points out that the work was first found in Bartow County, Georgia, along the Raccoon Creek,” she says.

Zenk says she was working on her senior thesis when she found the statue was taken from a burial site in Georgia in 1886. It was eventually purchased and donated to Cornell College in the early 1900s. “They had expressed that it was a cultural object that they had very dear feelings for, and so I knew that was something that I really wanted to make sure that got back to them.”

Representatives of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation joined Cornell’s art and art history department on campus last week to receive the statue. The Secretary of Culture and Humanities for the Muscogee Nation says the statue will be taken back to be reburied.

(Radio Iowa) – A planetary geologist at the University of Iowa is part of an elite NASA team pouring over data being relayed from the Perseverance Mars Rover, which has discovered some of the clearest signs yet of ancient life on the Red Planet. Valerie Payré, a professor in the U-I’s School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability, is working with what’s called the rover’s SuperCam, which uses a laser and spectrometers to determine the origin of rocks on the Martian surface. “Every day, I receive some images and analysis from the Perseverance rover that is looking at the chemistry and makeup of rocks around the rover,” Payré says. “So every day we are a team, looking at the measurements and the images, trying to understand what is going on around the rover and understanding the geology of the surroundings.”

The SuperCam has sophisticated instruments which NASA says can identify the chemical and mineral makeup of Martian samples as small as a pencil point, from a distance of more than 20 feet. The rover is exploring Jezero Crater, which was once a lake, searching for a sign of life — and she says it may’ve found one.  “The rover took a picture of the surroundings and it looked at this really interesting rock that had those rounded features on it,” Payré says. “That was really interesting because when we see that on Earth, usually those rounded features are byproducts of life. So right away, we wanted to see what those were made of, and if it was the same thing as what we’re seeing on Earth.”

Similar rounded rocks on Earth can indicate byproducts of microbial life, like what can be found in sedimentary deposits in lakes, but the compounds can also be formed in other ways that -don’t- include a life form.”So we are on the fence some here, and to understand whether this rock is related to life, we need to do more analysis, but we don’t have the instrumentation on board the rover for that,” Payré says. “We would love to have that rock on Earth and look at more chemistry in there to see if indeed those features are related to life or not.”

Payré says every day holds new opportunities, and they’re never sure when the next image may contain elements of a billion-year-old biosignature.  “This is a very cool discovery and exciting for us, but also for the public, because those could be related to life,” Payré says, “and that would mean maybe we’re not alone in the universe.”

(Cherokee, Iowa) – The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in northwest Iowa, is warning residents after two possible attempted child abductions were reported in Cleghorn and Cherokee.

Officials said a report was made about an incident on Tuesday, Sept. 30, in Cleghorn. They said a white pickup truck with a Connecticut license plate pulled up near two boys, aged 10 and 4, who were playing in a city park. The driver, described as a tan or dark-skinned man with dark blond hair, reportedly offered them candy and tried to pick up the younger child. The older child was able to get them both safely back home.

The sheriff’s office said it was then made aware of something similar that happened about two weeks prior in Cherokee, where a 10-year-old girl reported that a white pickup had followed her home from school.

The sheriff’s office is investigating and is asking parents to talk to their children about not approaching strangers.

(Radio Iowa) – Three Republican candidates for governor appeared at a rally on a western Iowa farm yesterday (Sunday) and each promised to defend the private property rights of Iowans who’ve been fighting to keep a carbon pipeline off their land. Candidate Adam Steen of Runnels — an entrepreneur and former state agency director — says he’d sign a bill that would bar Summit Carbon Solutions from using eminent domain to seize land along the company’s proposed pipeline route. “Ain’t no way a private entity is going to abuse eminent domain on my watch,” Steen said. “There’s no chance.”

The candidates were given 15 minutes to speak to the crowd and then answered questions from the audience. Steen brought up Congressman Randy Feenstra, who’s expected to formally launch his campaign for governor soon. “Why isn’t Randy Feenstra here? Why isn’t he answering these questions? Where is he?” Steen said. “I’d be getting more animated, but I’m going to fall off the stage because it fires me up. He’s hiding in D.C., he’s hiding in his basement and he’s going to come out with millions of dollars in his campaign. Where do you think those millions of dollars came from?”

Rep. Steven Holt (R-Denison) speaks to crowd gathered for rally on Shelby County farm on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (RI photo)

A spokesman for Feenstra was not immediately available for comment on Sunday. Sundays’ event featured several state legislators who worked to pass a bill that would have established new regulations for the proposed pipeline. Candidate Eddie Andrews of Johnston says he loves Governor Reynolds, but Andrews says she was dead wrong to veto that bill in June. “What happened in Iowa is like throwing a middle finger to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of these United States,” Andrews said. Andrews has been a state representative since 2021.

“When I raised my right hand to defend the constitution of the United States and the constitution of the State of Iowa, it was to defend property rights and not to add to the pocket of Bruce Rastetter,” Andrews said, to applause and cheers. Rastetter owns Summit Carbon Solutions, the company that has proposed building a pipeline through five states to collect carbon from ethanol plants. Candidate Brad Sherman of Williamsburg, a pastor who served one term in the Iowa House, says there’s no need to build a pipeline to sequester carbon.

“It is a boondoggle that is based on a false premise…I’m for clean water and clear air and all the issues that go along, you know, with it. I mean we’ve got the highest rates of cancer. These are all issues that need to be addressed, but folks — CO2 is not causing cancer in anybody. This is life gas that makes our farms work,” Sherman said. “Everybody’s going to claim they’re for property rights…I won’t be bought. Government is not for sale, period, absolutely not.”

The forum was held on a Shelby County farm and the crowd was encouraged to donate to the campaign of local State Representative Steven Holt of Denison. Holt has led Iowa House debate of several pipeline-related bills over the past few years.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Two people from Elliott were arrested Sunday. According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, 39-year-old Erin Jean Larson and 59-year-old Richard James Reynolds were arrested on four counts of violation of a protection order. They were being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

And, the Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest on Sunday, of 49-year-old Michael Lee Lafollette, of Red Oak, for Violation of a No Contact Order. Lafollette was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held no bond.