(8-a.m.) – The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce reminds small business owners in the community, that the deadline is Noon today (Friday), for you to apply for a Small Business Relief Grant. The Atlantic Small Business Relief Grant was launched by the Chamber of Commerce in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was kick-started by a substantial donation from a community donor of $10,000 and matched by First Whitney Bank & Trust. Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce says “We’re offering one more reminder to Atlantic small businesses that there’s still time to apply. We’re really pleased with the response to the program and look forward to helping as many small businesses as we can.”

The grant will provide funds to local small businesses currently suffering economic hardship due to COVID-19. Grants range between $500 – $2,500. Applications will be reviewed by a committee the week of May 18th and will be disbursed immediately following review, pending availability of funds. A short, one page application is available at www.atlanticiowa.com and must be emailed to chamber@atlanticiowa.com or dropped off at the Chamber office, located at 102 Chestnut Street.

The Creston Police Department reports a Creston man, 34-year old Michael Eugene Matherly, was arrested Thursday afternoon, on charges of: Violation of No Contact/Protective Order – Contempt of Court; Threat – Explosive or Incendiary Device; and a second Violation of No Contact/Protective Order – Contempt. Matherly was being held in the Union County Jail on $5,000 cash or surety bond.

And, on April 30th, 44-year old Ernest Franklin Leaf, of Des Moines, was arrested in Creston for Theft in the 5th Degree. Leaf was cited and released from the scene with a Promise to Appear.

(Radio Iowa) — The restrictions are lifted and Iowans are able to visit their dentists again, but the experience will be quite different for most of us due to the pandemic. Dr. Jeffrey Chaffin, chief dental officer for Delta Dental of Iowa, says don’t expect to just pop in for your usual six-month check-up. “You should expect a call before you go in to the office to see whether you’ve been sick or exposed to COVID-19,” Chaffin says. “Temperature (taking) would be pretty common in most dental offices as well, and fewer people in the office, the dental waiting room is going to look different to support social distancing.”

Many dentists will also ask that only the patient comes to the office, without other family members. Most dentists and hygienists wore masks and gloves -before- coronavirus swept in, so now, they’ll be taking even more precautions. “Dentists may wear different types of masks, like the N95 masks which a lot of folks may’ve heard about which is actually a respirator, or they may use traditional masks along with a face shield,” Chaffin says. “They’ll take a little bit longer to clean up afterwards as well.”

Until there’s a vaccine for COVID-19, Chaffin says there will always be some degree of risk with any type of contact, but dentists are doing all they possibly can to insure the health of their patients. “We really suggest that while it’s safe to visit a dentist, for very high risk people, they have to look at everything they do within their lives and assess that risk,” Chaffin says. “If somebody has some type of disease and they’re really high risk, they will want to put off visiting the dentist as well as doing a lot of things that they normally would have done in the past.”

There are about 17-hundred practicing dentists in Iowa who operate out of around 25-hundred offices and many of them have already reopened. “Other offices have waited,” Chaffin says. “They had a May 18th number in their heads so they’re trying to get all the new PPE that they need and they’re training their staff on new procedures. We’re seeing some offices open last Friday, some throughout this week, but many are waiting until May 18th, next Monday.”

Most dentists in Iowa are also small businesses and Chaffin says while a few have permanently closed during the pandemic, the majority are either open now or will be soon.

Officials with Rex Pharmacy report they will offer a free, curbside COVID-19 test collection at their 1607 E 7^th Street location in Atlantic, beginning today (May 15^th).  Rex Pharmacy has partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services to provide testing to the public free of charge, to help address the COVID-19 crisis. Rex Pharmacy staff will provide extra support to area patients during COVID-19 recovery efforts with curbside test collection.

Patients can make appointments for testing at https://www.doineedacovid19test.com/Rex Pharmacy will provide appointment-based, curbside COVID-19 test collections for pre-screened individuals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. If individuals have a cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat or a new loss of taste or smell, they should consider testing. Updated CDC guidelines now also recommend testing for people with and without symptoms under certain conditions. Rex Pharmacy will provide testing options for eligible patients. The test is self-administered with a nasal swab and once the sample kit is sealed, staff submits the test to the lab for processing. Results are ready in three to five business days.

Officials with the Red Oak Community School District, Thursday, announced the hiring of Dr. Jane Hall Chaillie to serve as the new principal at Inman Elementary School, in Red Oak.  Chaillie will replace Gayle Allensworth who accepted a leadership position in a neighboring school district. Chaillie is a graduate of Cumberland-Massena High School. She holds a Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in Elementary Education from Graceland University and a Master’s degree (M.Ed) in Literacy Education from the University of Missouri.  She earned her Doctorate (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership at Creighton University.

Dr. Jane Hall Chaillie (Red Oak School District photo)

Chaillie has nearly twenty years of experience in education.  She also serves on various committees and boards, including the SWI STEM Advisory Board and Central Decatur Board of Education. In accepting the position, Dr. Chaillie said “I am super excited to return to Southwest Iowa and continue my quest to make sure our children receive a world class education. The district is doing amazing work in responding to student needs and developing teacher leadership and I am both honored and humbled to be entrusted with this position of leadership. I can’t wait to get started working collaboratively with the staff to meet the needs of all students.”