(Radio Iowa) – A San Francisco company is purchasing Pizza Hut restaurants in 24 Iowa locations. The Flynn Restaurant Group says the Iowa restaurants are part of the 937 Pizza Hut and 194 Wendy’s locations throughout the United States it is buying from the Kansas City-based N-P-C International. Atlantic’s Pizza Hut, which closed a few months ago, was not included in the sale.

The Iowa restaurants are in Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Waverly, Waukee, Dubuque, Charles City, Coralville, Iowa City, North Liberty, Cedar Rapids, Marion, Marshalltown, Altoona, Ankeny, Des Moines, Grimes, West Des Moines, Bettendorf, Davenport, Ames, Toledo, Norwalk, Fort Dodge, and Decorah. The company says it is the largest franchise operator in America.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The rural jail that has long been the largest detention facility for immigrants facing deportation in Iowa plans to stop housing long-term detainees without additional federal funding or other changes. The Hardin County Jail has informed the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that it plans to end its current contract, citing a declining detainee population and new standards that have dramatically increased costs for medical care and suicide prevention.

Negotiations between the federal agency and the jail are ongoing, and administrator Nick Whitmore says no changes are expected to happen imminently.

Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber, Thursday released an updated report on plans for COVID-19 safety after Spring Break.  The letter to parents, students and district patrons is as follows:

(Atlantic) – Residents of Atlantic and Cass County lined the streets of Atlantic to welcome home 17-year old Steele McLaren, who arrived in a multi-vehicle caravan that included his parents, brothers and a fire truck.

Steele – who is an avid duck hunter – was obviously happy to be home, as he blew his duck call and waved to the people. The teen was injured Oct. 25^th, 2020, after he fell out of a moving pickup truck and struck his head on the pavement, while moving a duck blind from one location to another with friends. Since the accident, more than 35-thousand people locally and across the world have followed his progress on the Facebook page Praying for Steele #32strong.

Steele and his brothers arrive in Atlantic (Photo via Praying for Steele #32strong)

His story of recovery has been a catharsis for others with loved ones suffering from a TBI. Steele’s father, Dustin McLaren spoke with KJAN’s Jim Field in February about the outpouring of support.

Dustin said the support, both emotionally and financially, has been like nothing he’s ever seen before.

Barring any setbacks, Steele will continue to recover at home, with his family, friends and others by his side along the way, and the support of thousand of people will likely never meet.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A second former officer at a northwest Iowa agriculture cooperative has been sentenced to federal prison for a grain-blending fraud scheme. The Sioux City Journal reports that Kenneth Ehrp was sentenced Wednesday to three months in prison after pleading guilty in November to one count of conspiracy to defraud the government. Prosecutors say Ehrp and another officer, Calvin Diehl, ordered Farmers Cooperative Society workers to layer soybeans over lower-value oats in bins and trucks while claiming the entire load was soybeans.

Prosecutors say the scheme to overvalue the co-op’s grain inventory was conducted to influence a lender’s action on a loan. Diehl was also sentenced to three months in February on the same charge.

Atlantic, IA —The Cass County Health System Board of Trustees voted on February 17, 2021, to set a tax rate of $2.25 per $1,000 of taxable property valuation for the fiscal year 2022 county budget. The current rate is $2.30, and the previous year was $2.50. CCHS Chief Financial Officer Abbey Stangl says “Year after year, our board continues to decrease our tax rate as part of our commitment to the residents of Cass County. They are attentive to being good stewards of taxpayer funds. Seeing the health and future projections of our organization, they did what’s right for us and our community by lowering the rate. It’s always a balance, and we appreciate their thoughtfulness and research into this matter every year.”

The board of trustees considers a number of metrics when setting the tax rate including the continued downward trend in healthcare reimbursement, dedication to managing operating expenses, offering competitive costs, and employee engagement and retention.

CCHS CEO Brett Altman praised the board for their decision saying, “Our goal is to provide a superior experience to our patients, families, and communities, and our vision is to become the best rural hospital in America. Part of that process and growth is being supportive of our community because we wouldn’t be here without the loyalty of our patients. This relationship is very reciprocal – the more our community chooses to keep their healthcare local, the more we can invest in the future of healthcare in Cass County, and the more we can lower our tax asking each year.”

ATLANTIC, IA (March 25, 2021) – Celebrate Spring and Easter with Produce in the Park’s Spring Celebration Farmers Market! A reminder: Spring Celebration Market is being held the day before Easter, and is accepting pre-orders now. Spring Celebration Market is pre-order drive-through pick-up only (there will be no in-person shopping). Pre-orders are being accepted now through Thursday, Thursday, April 1 (10 PM) on www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com. Purchases can be picked up on Saturday, April 3 at the Cass County Community Center between 12:00 – 2:00 PM.

Spring Celebration Market offers fresh greens, local food meal kits, farm-fresh eggs, spring-scented candles and soaps, and plants for summer gardens, in addition to a huge variety of
sweet treats and desserts from take-and-frost Easter-themed cookies to gourmet pies, and pastel-colored angel food cake to Danish pastries and Kringle. The market is being held the day
before Easter, so customers can pick up treats for Easter Baskets and local foods for Easter meals.

For more information on vendors and products, and to place pre-orders visit Produce in the Park’s website www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com or Produce in the Park’s Facebook page
www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark. Spring Celebration Market is sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, First Whitney Bank and Trust, and Cass County Tourism, and supported by the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

FOREST CITY, Iowa (AP) — A school bus driver in northern Iowa has resigned following her arrest on a charge of second-offense drunken driving while she was transporting three young school children. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that 44-year-old Rebecca Anne Spencer resigned earlier this month from the Forest City Community School District. That came days after she was arrested around 8:30 a.m. March 12 after the school van she was driving was stopped. The arresting officer said he stopped the van for speeding, but smelled alcohol as he spoke to Spencer. The Iowa State Patrol says Spencer failed field sobriety tests, and a breath test measured her blood alcohol content at 0.244 percent.

Glenwood Police are reporting three recent arrests. On Thursday (March 25th), 29-year-old Jamilla Havrum, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for being a Fugitive from Justice (No bond), and Possession of a Controlled Substance ($1,000 cash/surety bond). And, 28-year old Zachari Smith, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on two Pottawattamie County warrants for Probation Violation (No bond), and Voluntary Absence for custody ($1,000 cash/surety bond). In addition, Smith faces a Mills County charge for Possession of a Controlled Substance ($1,000 c/s bond).

And, on Wednesday, 32-year-old Heather Beaman, of Glenwood, was arrested by Glenwood Police, for Domestic Abuse Assault. She was being held without bond until seen by a Magistrate.

Officials with the Atlantic Police Department, Thursday, reported two arrests took place over the past couple of weeks. On Sunday (March 21st), 40-year-old Nicole Anaya, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense, and Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana. And, on March 9th,  19-year-old J.R. Berdon, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear. Both subjects were transported to the Cass County Jail and booked-in.