ATLANTIC, IOWA (story by Atlantic FFA reporter Maddy Anderson) —FFA members from across Southwest Iowa gathered at the Cass County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, September 17th, to build leadership and critical thinking through hands-on experiences at the first annual Southwest District Career Development Day.

Livestock Judging

Foodstand Help (650 meals in 1.5-hours)

Six hundred and fifty high school students from 36 FFA chapters throughout Southwest Iowa attended the event. Throughout the day, students had the opportunity to compete in seven different contest areas. These areas included livestock judging, horse judging, farm business management, agronomy, meats judging, and floriculture. The Atlantic FFA chapter competed in five of the seven contests.

Atlantic had two agronomy teams. The first team received 5th out of 12 teams. Individual scores for team 1 were: Grant Christensen, 220 points (5th overall), Jackstin Lucas, 145 points, Grayson Mulgaard, 130 points, and Cedric Victor, 175 points. The second team placed 4th out of 12 teams. Individual scores from team 2 were: Dayton Thomas, 130 points, Walter Freund, 230 points (4th overall), Monty Smith, 185 points, and Hade DeVore, 105 points.

The Farm Business Management team placed 5th out of 12 teams. Lily Johnson scored 24 points for 7th place overall. Claire Schroeder and Grant Petty both scored 19 points.

The Floriculture team placed 11th out of 45 teams. Rylan Martin scored 128 points, Paislee Klever scored 95 points, and Jena Jensen scored 93 points.

Natalie Smith competed in the Milk Quality Judging contest, and she earned 5th place overall.

Two teams from Atlantic participated in the livestock judging competition. Team one placed 30th overall. Individual scores from team 1 were: Chloe Sonntag, 40th place, Mirayle Stuart, 107th place, Aly Dreager, 142nd place, and Tenley Cappel, 136th place. Team 2 placed 27th overall. Individual scores from team 2 were: Jovie Richter, 75th place, Maddy Anderson, 80th place, Addison Masker, 96th place, and Dylen Dreager, 150th place.

This Career Development Event (CDE) was a great way for students to connect the information they are learning in the classroom to future career opportunities.

The Atlantic FFA chapter would like to extend a special thanks to the following: Cass County Fairboard, Cass County Grounds Committee, Jeff Anderson and Darrin Petty with Stine Seed for grilling lunch, Atlantic Bottling for donating 30 cases of water, Hy-Vee for donating the food for lunch, Rolling Hills Bank for the tables, David Clausen from Hy-Vee Floral and Ann Johnk from Farmhouse Flowers for being Floriculture judges, John Johnson from Hiland Milk and Hy-Vee for providing milk for the milk quality judging, TJ and Jess Barber and Zak and Emily Kennedy for the use of their horses, as well as Chris and Jodi Scholl for providing the goats, Jeff and Tarah Anderson for providing sheep and Euken Pigs for providing the pigs for the livestock judging competition.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Vision Atlantic report the Cass County Community Foundation has granted a total of $40,318 to Vision Atlantic, over the course of three different grant cycles. The funds, officials say, have been instrumental in moving the needle forward for Vision Atlantic’s multifaceted projects. The Cass County Community Foundation is an independent, county-level affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation with a focus on improving the community’s quality of life through grants and scholarships for projects in health, education, arts, human services, and more

“The Cass County Community Foundation is proud of the impact it has been able to make within the county, and we are honored to have the opportunity to support Vision Atlantic’s initiatives in Atlantic that will ultimately benefit all of Cass County in various ways,” shared Krisit Burg, Cass County Community Foundation Chair.

Vision Atlantic, through extensive research and surveying of the community and surrounding region, identified three areas that will help increase Atlantic’s population: expanded childcare, quality housing and quality of life amenities. Infrastructure for the 142 mixed unit Camblin Hills housing development and 300 capacity child development center is almost complete, with construction of 48 homes currently underway. Construction of the child development center and YMCA expansion is slated to begin early 2026.

Photo submitted

Vision Atlantic has a fundraising goal of $39 million, which will be used to construct the YMCA expansion and child development center. To date, they have raised $26 million of that goal, thanks to an $8.6 million lead grant from the Charles E. Lakin Foundation and significant support from local donors. In addition to their grant support, the Lakin Foundation has created a separate investment fund of $23 million that will be used to construct homes in the Camblin Hills housing development. The capital will be used as a line of credit, and as the dollars are paid back, the Foundation will donate up to 5% of the interest paid back to Vision Atlantic, who will use those dollars to operate the child development center.

Vision Atlantic’s Project Committee is actively working to secure the remaining $13 million needed to meet their fundraising goal. If you are interested in helping transform Atlantic, whether it’s through monetary donations or acts of volunteerism, please contact Vision Atlantic at visionatlanticiowa@gmail.com. Visit www.visionatlantic.org and follow on Facebook for behind-the-scenes access to project updates and in-depth information of the project scope.

Vision Atlantic is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to empower growth, enhance lives, and build a thriving community together through the economic development of Atlantic, Iowa.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Community School District Board of Education Directors will be attending a Town Hall Meeting this (Wednesday) evening. The public forum takes place at the Atlantic High School Media Center, beginning at 5:30-p.m.  The purpose of this meeting is to provide community members with tours of the facilities and information regarding upcoming district projects. (YouTube link)

A quorum of the Board of Education may be present. No official Board action will be taken. Following the forum (and at about 6:30-p.m.), the school board will hold a Work Session, during which they will review the Town Hall meeting, and receive a Special Presentation from Stacey Schmidt, Director of Student Services will review data from student special
populations such as English Language Learners, Special Education, Home School and Talented & Gifted.

Future Town Hall meetings will be held on the following dates:

• Wednesday, October 8: Atlantic Middle School media center, 5:30 p.m.
• Thursday, October 16: Atlantic High School commons, 6:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 22: Washington Elementary lunchroom, 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 29: Washington Elementary lunchroom, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
• Thursday, October 30: Atlantic Middle School media center, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

“We value the voices of our community members, and these town hall meetings are an opportunity to come together and discuss the district’s proposal to improve our facilities for future generations,” said Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen. “Everyone is welcome to attend, ask questions, and share their perspectives as we work toward decisions that will impact our students and schools for years to come.”

ACSD residents will vote Tuesday, Nov. 4, on three ballot measures for the district that would fund improvement and expansion projects at multiple campuses to address approximately $40 million worth of critical needs identified in the district’s Master Facility Plan. The plan was created after the completion of building and grounds assessments and consultation with architects and engineers.

Sales tax revenue bonds and Revenue Purpose Statements require voter approval of at least 50% to pass. Neither of these measures would increase property taxes or create a new tax.

General obligation bonds require approval of at least 60%. If approved, this bond issue would have a tax impact of $1.10 per $1,000 of taxable property value. For a $150,000 home in the district, it would amount to an annual increase of approximately $72.93.

Answers to frequently asked questions and more information about the measures on the November ballot are available at www.atlantic-bond.com.

CLIVE, Iowa —[KCCI] – Three people, including two high school students, were injured Tuesday evening when a bus carrying students from a swimming meet collided with a car in Clive. Clive police say the crash happened shortly after 8:30 p.m. at Country Club Boulevard and University Avenue in Clive. The school bus was carrying Waukee students who were returning to Waukee High School after a swim meet in Johnston.

Two of the students on the bus were injured. One was assessed at the scene and released to parents. A second student was transported to Blank Children’s Hospital for observation. The driver of the car was trapped due to the vehicle’s damage and had to be extricated by first responders. He was then transported to MercyOne in Des Moines for observation.

Clive police say all the students on the bus have been reunited with their parents.

Both vehicles had to be towed from the scene. The crash remains under investigation.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man Tuesday night on an assault charge. Authorities report 49-year-old Michael Lafollette, of Red Oak, was charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/1^st offense. He was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – Shovels of dirt were turned Tuesday in Sioux City in the groundbreaking for a new Iowa Army National Guard maintenance shop. The Guard’s construction and facilities officer John Perkins says it’s a 25-thousand square foot building the replaces a 72 year old facility that was too small.

The leader of the Iowa National Guard, Major General Stephen Osborn, says the nearly 14 million dollar project is federally funded.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, a member of the U-S Senate’s Armed Services Committee, attended the groundbreaking.

Ernst says she is still working on another Sioux City project that will expand the runway at the airport for the 185th Air Guard Refueling Wing.

The new Army building will feature drive-through maintenance bays, energy smart geothermal heating and backup generator systems. The building will support up to 18 mechanics, which its double the current number. It is expected to take 18 months to build.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Transportation has updated the way it gets input on its various projects through its web-based feedback portal. The D-O-T’s Trisha Miller says the new system does a better job of collating the input on each project.

So if there’s a road or bridge project in your area, you can click on the PublicInput.com link and share your opinion. She says they will put the link in when they send out notices on projects.

Miller says it’s part of the information you can review.

She says they get lots of different comments on the projects in the six districts across the state.

The Iowa D-O-T also holds open houses, and public hearings at different stages of project development to get input on everything from detours to right-of-ways.

(Radio Iowa) – The leaders of Iowa’s largest food bank are incensed at the U-S Department of Agriculture’s decision to end a longstanding national hunger survey. Agency officials called the survey “redundant, costly, politicized, and extraneous.” Annette Hacker, spokeswoman for the Food Bank of Iowa, says it’s unconscionable that U-S-D-A would eliminate this important gauge of a countrywide crisis.

The final household food security report will be released on October 22nd. Earlier this year, the group Feeding America reported 12% of Iowans and nearly 17% of Iowa children faced food insecurity, a situation that has increased in every one of the state’s 99 counties.

What’s known as the Household Food Security Report offers a yearly snapshot on the lack of access to nutrition for low-income Americans, while acting as a guide to shape policy on how best to fight food insecurity. The Food Bank of Iowa served two-point-four million people at its partner pantries in the past fiscal year, an 11% increase over the previous fiscal year.

The Food Bank of Iowa provides food assistance by partnering with 700 agencies across 55 counties in Iowa to distribute food and meals to those in need, including families, children, seniors, and veterans.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowan nominated by President Trump to serve in the U.S. Department of Education says American universities must be reformed. David Barker, an economist and real estate developer from Iowa City, has been nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education. He’s served on the board that governs the three state universities since May of 2019.

Barker says his personal review also found nearly all the politically-oriented books that were required reading for courses at Iowa, Iowa State and U-N-I were liberal.

Barker says he helped create centers at Iowa, Iowa State and U-N-I that will provide ideological balance.

Barker is a member of the Iowa Republican Party’s governing board and made his comments during a speech at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s fall banquet. Barker’s current term on the Board of Regents expires in the spring of 2031 and the U-S Senate has not yet scheduled a hearing on his nomination to serve in the Trump Administration. If confirmed, Barker would oversee federal financial aid programs for students and accreditation of colleges and universities.
Barker, who is 64, graduated from Iowa City West High School and went on to get a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago. Barker was an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and has taught at the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa. His Iowa City-based company owns, manages and develops apartments and other properties.