The Atlantic City Council Wednesday approved the Calendar Year 2020 Budget for the Atlantic Municipal Utilities. AMU General Manager Steve Tjepkes said in his report (prior to the Council’s approval of the Budget), that the Budget was reviewed and adopted by the AMU Board of Trustees following a Public Hearing this past Monday night.

Tjepkes said as far as electric rates are concerned, “We have no rate increase scheduled again for this year,” and that a recent survey shows there are 182 electric utilities in Iowa. Tjepkes said “And there are only five utilities in the State that have a lower average electric rate than we charge.” As for water operations, he said AMU has budgeted a 3% water rate increase for next year. The average residential water bill, he said, is $22.61/month. A 3% increase would add 68-cents per month to that part of your bill.

In other business, Council Chris Jimerson said in his report, that members of the Atlantic Fire Department voted Tuesday night to elect Tom Cappell II as the new Fire Chief, effective January 1st. If approved by the Atlantic City Council at their next meeting, Cappel would succeed Chief Mark McNees, who had earlier announced he would be retiring at the end of the year. McNees has served the City as a fireman for 29 ½ years, and the past 13-years as Chief.

A 19-year-old Wisconsin man was sentenced Tuesday to up to 15 years in prison after being convicted of manslaughter and assault in the death of a Decorah man in 2018. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Dalton Adam, of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, was sentenced in the death of 49-year-old David Hansen.

Adam and a friend, Jacob Seelinger, of Decorah, got into a fight with Hansen a night in July 2018. After Hansen was knocked to the ground, the two other men punched and kicked him repeatedly. Hansen suffered brain injuries and died in August 2018. A jury earlier convicted the 18-year-old Seelinger of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to up to 50 years in prison.

Investigators say they have a suspect in custody after a shooting during a bank robbery left one woman dead in a small northern Iowa town. Mitch Mortvedt of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says a suspect was detained Wednesday, hours after the robbery and shooting at the Security State Bank, the only bank in Lu Verne.

He says a female employee was “just walking into the bank” when she was shot and killed. The Kossuth County Sheriff’s Office identified the woman as 43-year-old Jessica Weishaar, of Algona.

The annual Lighted Parade will fill downtown Atlantic with holiday cheer this Saturday, December 7th, starting at 6-p.m. Each float will have a holiday theme, lighting and music. Awards will be given for: Best Overall, Best Holiday Spirit and Twinkle Twinkle award. Winners will be notified before the parade. Fireworks kick off the Christmas magic over the Rock Island Depot, starting at 6 PM.

Before the parade, Santa will be in his Cabin at City Park from 3 – 5:30 PM. Free Carriage Rides will also be at City Park from 3 – 5:30 PM.  If you would like to participate in the Lighted Parade, visit www.atlanticiowa.com for a registration form. Line up begins at 5 PM at 6th & Walnut Street with judging beginning at 5:30 PM. Registration is not required but encouraged.

Judges for the 2019 Lighted Parade include: Ruth Sears & family, Edward Jones; Alexsis Fleener, SWIPCO and Jeff Friedlander and Kelly & Carol Schlake, Atlantic Motor Supply, NAPA.

You can find a complete list of holiday activities at www.christmasinatlantic.com.

You’re invited to attend a free Holiday Concert this weekend, in Atlantic. The concert takes place 3-p.m. Sunday, December 8th, at the First United Methodist Church, in Atlantic. The concert features traditional and newer, upbeat Christmas music, from a lineup of talent that includes: The Cass County Coral Society, The Methodist Church Bell Choir, Paige and Morgan Anstey, The Havemeier Family, Heidi Hindman, Bj Hart and Randy Burke. The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce thanks Bj Hart for coordinating the Holiday Concert.

A part of the event, “The Angel of Christmas” award will be presented. In 2018, Lt. Devin Hogue was named the Angel of Christmas, demonstrating the true meaning of the season serving as a dedicated public servant on the Police Department but also offering his time as a tireless volunteer to the community. Lt. Hogue plans many events for local youth including the annual Youth Weekend Campout, Henry Doorly Zoo trip, school food drives, family dream Christmas, Shop with A Cop and Family Night Out.

The 2019 Scrooge winner will also be recognized, Sunday. This year’s contestants were Lt. Devin Hogue, Atlantic Police Department, Michael Magers, IowaDOT/White Knuckle Driving, April Zarbano, Fireside Lounge and Team Hoover: Jackie Sampson, Billie Hoover and Lori Christianson.

The U-S Military strives during the holiday’s to show hometown family members and friends of those who are serving to protect our freedom, snippets of what those service members are doing in their travels and/or at their duty posts. In this picture taken Dec. 1st by U-S Navy Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew F. Jackson, Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Mechanical) 1st Class Madeline Bintner, from Atlantic, Iowa, checks a fuel sample for purity aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), during a replenishment-at-sea with the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Yukon (T-AO 202).

The Hamilton is underway conducting routine training in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.

Gas Turbine Systems Technician (Mechanical) 1st Class Madeline Bintner, from Atlantic

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Voters have elected Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie to a fifth term as the businessman narrowly defeated developer and former legislator Jack Hatch. Cownie beat Hatch by less than 300 votes out of more than 20,000 cast in Tuesday’s election. The two candidates had gone to a runoff after topping other candidates in the Nov. 5 general election. The election followed an expensive campaign in which the two candidates raised more than $500,000, with both contributing personal loans.

Police in Creston report 49-year old Nancy Connelly, of Creston, was arrested Tuesday morning, on a Union County Warrant for:

• Theft 1st Degree
• Theft 2nd Degree – 3 Counts
• and Theft 3rd Degree.

Connelly was released from the Union County Jail on $27,000 bond.

Authorities said also, a Creston man reported Tuesday, that sometime during the overnight hours Monday-into Tuesday, someone broke into a residence he is purchasing at 405 W Mills St, and took a wrench and checkbook. The loss was estimated at $210. Another Creston man reported Tuesday morning, that during the same time frame, someone broke into his vehicle that was parked behind his residence in the 500 block of W. Mills Street, and took a set of keys, vehicle documentation and a book. The loss was estimated at $100.