(Atlantic, Iowa) – The building that has housed the Coca-Cola Center and Museum in Atlantic since 2011, and was owned by Margaret Slepsky, was closed in 2020 in-part, due to concerns over COVID. The virus, and Margaret’s passing in June 2020 took a toll on the ability of museum volunteers maintain the collection, which was available to view through free-will donations. In addition, the family has other plans for the building.

As a result of the closing, items in the museum at 207 Chestnut Street will be sold-off Friday and Saturday, as part of the City-wide garage sale. Museum volunteer Christi Garrett says many Coke collectors have loaned items to the museum, and those have been returned, but other items that were donated, will be available for sale.

Items small and large will be available for you purchase during the garage sale.

Museum volunteer Charlene Johnson said there will also be a table with non-Coke related items, with low prices.

All of the display cases and shelving, anything museum relates, will be available for purchase. The sale takes place Friday, from 1-p.m. to 6-p.m., and Saturday, from 8-a.m. to 1-p.m. There are four rooms and hallways to view and purchase. And, the Atlantic Kiwanis will honor Margaret Slepsky, by having their food trailer set-up, with light snacks and hot food available. All proceeds will be directed toward scholarships. The idea for the Atlantic Coca-Cola Center and Museum started as a way to promote Atlantic, enlarging on an already existing annual festival: Coca Cola Days, which brings Coca Cola collectors from all over on the fourth weekend of September.

Maps for the rest of the City-wide garage sale are available at all three Atlantic Casey’s, Olsen’s BP, Fareway, Hy-Vee and the Chamber.

(Radio Iowa) – Fire departments from eight northwest Iowa communities battled a fire last (Wednesday) night that destroyed a factory near Orange City. The Kiezer Aluminum Wheel Company makes high performance aluminum wheels used primarily for race cars. The fire started at about 9:30 p.m. and firefighters were at the scene for more than four hours. Orange City Fire Chief Denny Vander Wel says he isn’t certain as to what may have caused the fire, but he estimates damage to be in excess of four million dollars with the building and manufacturing contents all destroyed.

With Ric Hanson.

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The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent arrests and one minor injury accident. Authorities say last Sunday (May 23), 29-year-old Samuel Daniel Martinez-Alvarado, of Atlantic,was arrested on a Cass County warrant for failure to appear.  Martinez-Alvarado was transported to the Cass County Jail, and later posted bond. On May 22nd, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 28-year-old Alexandria Aquailia Knapp, of Exira, on a charge of OWI 1st offense.  Knapp was transported to Cass County Jail and later released on her own recognizance.

On Monday, May 24th, at around 3:50-p.m., Cass County Deputies responded to an accident in the 59000 block of Highway 83, near Marne. Authorities says Donald Albert Ward, of Lewis, was traveling westbound, driving a 2007 Ford F150, when he looked down to reach for a cell phone.  When Ward failed to negotiate a curve, his pickup entered the north ditch and rolled over before coming to rest. Ward suffered minor injuries. He refused medical attention.

Officials with the Creston Police Department report a woman from central Iowa was arrested Wednesday, on drug charges. Authorities say 34-year-old Jacqueline Elaine Snyder, of Martensdale, was arrested in the 100 block of Manor Drive, on charges that include Failure to Affix Drug Stamp, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Controlled Substance – 3rd Offence, and Controlled Substance Violation. Snyder was taken to Union County Jail then transferred to Adams County Jail, where she was being held without bond, until seen by judge.

The 7:07-a.m. Newscast from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – Registration is now open for the Field To Fork Deer Hunting Program which takes Iowans with zero hunting skills and teaches them to use a compound bow to hunt and kill white-tailed deer. Jamie Cook, the program’s coordinator with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says students will also learn how to field dress the animal and cook venison. Cook notes, it takes a commitment. “The program does go on about six months,” Cook says. “What we’ve learned over time is, with hunting, being a pretty serious life skill, it takes a while to develop and in order to really get to the point where you enjoy it and you’re willing to build confidence, it does take that amount of time.”

For Iowans who want to tackle the challenge of bow hunting as a means of sourcing their own protein or red meat, Cook says the program provides the opportunity to learn what it takes to do it all yourself. “Beginning this summer, our participants will start shooting at a local archery range,” Cook says. “They’ll get some help from professional and hobby archers that can give them tips to increase their proficiency. During the summer we’ll also be sending them some books to read, some chapters, some weekly homework assignments.”

There will also be a series of videos to watch that focus on bow hunting skills and hunting deer in particular. As summer progresses, students will learn basic strategies for hunting deer including the proper equipment, where to hunt, safe shooting practices and tree stand placement. “As we get close to deer season in the fall, we’ll have a couple of workshop days or field days where they’ll come out and learn to do a blood trail, they’ll learn to shoot from a tree stand,” Cook says. “We’ll make sure their proficiency is good, and by that point we’ll also have a mentor available for them, and from there, they get to hunt on their own schedules.”

The course will be hosted in Adel, Altoona and Council Bluffs and is geared for participants 21 and older. The cost is $238.50 which includes tags, licenses, books and archery loaner equipment. The program is part of a national effort to recruit, retain and reactivate hunters due to the overall decline in hunting and outdoor recreation.

To register: https://forms.gle/ACJQwij96BdGnw4g8

(Radio Iowa) – The U.S. Post Office in downtown Clarinda now bears the name of a woman who’s been called the “mother of 4-H clubs.” Jessie Field Shambaugh was a school teacher in Page County when she formed the Boys Corn Club and the Girls Home Club in 1901. Seth Watkins is a farmer in the Clarinda area and Shambaugh’s youngest grandson.  “This honor is very special to our family, but it’s also for all of us. I mean, 4H touched the lives of so many people,” he said. “I guess I hope that when we go by and see our name on the building, it just reminds all of us to continue to make our best better and follow that motto. It’s just a good rule for life.”

Mark Talbott, district manager, for the Iowa-Nebraska-South Dakota region of the Postal Service, says Shambaugh left a lasting legacy for youth throughout the country. “In 1910, she designed a three-leaf clover pin with the letter H on each one of the leaves, representing Head, Hands and Heart. She added the fourth leaf for Home which later became known as Health,” he said. “The pin was used as an award medal for outstanding club work.”

Congresswoman Cindy Axne of West Des Moines was the lead sponsor of the bill that renamed the Clarinda Post Office in Shambaugh’s honor. Axne was a 4-Her.  “It was about being a part of your community, bringing something to your community that you could share together and teaching people new things and growing together and how I met a lot of my friends,” Axne says, “so it really means a lot to me.”

Axne was in 4th grade when her family moved to West Des Moines and her mother told Axne and her sisters they were going to start a 4-H club. “We just remember getting our girlfriends together and starting up this club and then learning stuff we thought was really pretty cool,” Axne says.

A dedication ceremony was held at the Clarinda post office earlier this week. Shambaugh died in Clarinda in 1971 at the age of 89.

The Atlantic Community School District will be working on getting back to normal, as much as possible, with regard to COVID-19. During Wednesday’s meeting of the School Board, Superintendent Steve Barber said the Health and Safety Committee met, “I think with the new standards from the Iowa Department of Public Health, in defining COVID as a child illness, early was a standard that we had to keep at the forefront in discussing all these modifications.”

That fact that we’ve been living with COVID for over a year, and “all of the sudden, now we’re going to treat it like something else,” according to Barber, “was big challenge.” The H&S team looked at ways to handle mitigation strategies as it it were for chicken pox, including “Would you do that, for this.” The answer, he said, “Would be no.”

He said it was their decision then, to go back to a normal way of doing school. “One piece of the mitigation strategies the committee felt very strongly in maintaining,” according the Mr. Barber, “was how we were disinfecting and using hygiene.”

His, and the H&S recommendations for the start of the 2021-22 School Year in August, are as follows:

• Classrooms will be back to normal, there’s no social distancing, no mask mandate, and the water fountains will be turned back on.
• There will be no remote learning, based upon the definition of COVID at this point in time. If there are students whose health prevents them from being in school for an extended period of time, the district would explore the available options. Barber thinks “There won’t be many students who fall into that category.” Atlantic does have the Home School Assistance Program, which is another option for parents to take advantage of.
• Visitors will be allowed back in the buildings
• No more travel restrictions, especially with some of the workshops returning to in-person.
• Trips and assemblies, a few of which were added in the fourth quarter, will be allowed again, with permission procedures resuming as normal.
• There will be no more screening in the buildings, including staff temperature checks. As was customary before COVID, staff and students who are genuinely sick, should stay home.
• If a child tests positive for COVID, the return to school process would be similar to what it is right now, per IDPH & CDC guidelines. It will be  the student and parents’ decision on whether or not to quarantine their student who comes in close contact with a positive case.
• The isolation room will be eliminated.
• and, cleaning processes will continue with regard to buses, the lunch room tables and kitchen. Teachers may wipe down desks at least once during the day if they choose, but it is not mandated.

Superintendent Barber said in conclusion, “We are excited to get back to normal. A lot of those different things have created a lot of grey hairs for some of us, and I know the teachers are excited about being able to do that, and do some of that moving, next week.”