Atlantic, IA – Officials with SHIFT ATL (Shift A-T-L) say they recently received a big boost in their fundraising efforts, thanks to former Atlantic resident, Roger Underwood. SHIFT ATL was formed in June of 2019 with a broad but straightforward vision for the place they have made home: to shift the direction of Atlantic’s social and economic development opportunities by leveraging partnerships and strengthening social bonds within the community. They intend to revitalize Atlantic through projects, services and programs that will enhance the community and foster a sense of growth.

Holding true to their vision and mission, the organization is starting to make noticeable moves in Atlantic. After an initial meeting between Underwood and SHIFT, organized by Dave Chase, Underwood announced that he would like to pass along his Atlantic Community Development stock to SHIFT ATL as well as donate $25,000 to help support the organization’s vision.

“I am deeply impressed by the commitment of the SHIFT ATL leadership as they seek new and different ways to add value to the future of Atlantic by thinking innovatively about what Atlantic can be tomorrow,” said Underwood. “These young leaders don’t want to enrich themselves, but rather volunteer their time, their thinking and themselves to create a new and different Atlantic for tomorrow. SHIFT ATL realizes that what got Atlantic to where it is today is not necessarily what will get Atlantic to where it needs to be tomorrow , and I hope this gesture from a grateful Atlantic high school graduate helps to inspire the young leaders of this proud community to step up and lead Atlantic into the future.”

“Roger’s generosity through the donation and the gift of Atlantic Community Development stock has blown us away. Every donation we receive, no matter the dollar amount or type of in-kind donated goods, still puts a little more wind beneath our sails,” said SHIFT ATL board member, Jessie Shiels. “Then for community members like Roger Underwood and Dave Chase to show just how much they believe in what we’re doing and where we’re headed by organizing these amazing gifts, it really solidified for us that we’re moving in the right direction.”

Underwood continued by saying, “I describe Atlantic to my friends as a warm and welcome community full of innovators, mentors and solid citizens. When asked to help support Atlantic’s future by investing in the Atlantic Community Development group several years ago, I quickly said yes. Investing in Atlantic has always been an easy decision – I am only ever giving back to this community what so many gave to me as I grew up here,” added
Underwood.

“Lastly, I want to include a special thank you to Dave Chase who helped organize this gift and to the SHIFT ATL team of young leaders, who are just one example of the value that can be created when thinking out of the box.” For the past nine months, the organization has been busy at work in the community with clear vision. They hosted a successful block party last October, showcasing their first project and providing an evening of fun and
entertainment, which they heard was a need.

After the block party, SHIFT ATL quickly responded to several resident’s requests for a “fun run” opportunity during Thanksgiving. Within three weeks, the group hosted another
successful event, while fundraising for their cause. Most recently, they launched the SHIFT Network in early 2020. This serves as the group’s planned giving avenue and allows for community members to have a platform to voice their ideas and band together to create change, aka a positive shift forward.

The 501c3 is currently in the thick of fundraising efforts with a newly launched capital campaign as they work toward completing a grant application to the State of Iowa’s Catalyst Grant, due April 2020. This grant, if awarded, would give the group $100,000 of funds to use toward their current project at 14 E. 4 th St. To learn more about the capital campaign, to donate or to get involved, contact shiftatlantic@gmail.com, visit the website shiftatl.org or facebook page, @shiftatl.

Atlantic, IA – The March session of Healthy U will be held Thursday, March 19, 2020, at Cass County Health System. The program, Five Things Your OB/GYN Wants You to Know will be presented by Emily Chang, DO, OB/GYN. Dr. Chang provides comprehensive obstetrics and gynecological care for women of all ages in the Atlantic Medical Center.

Dr. Emily Chang

She is certified through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and received her medical degree from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2003.

Healthy U will be offered at noon on Thursday, March 19th. Healthy U is a free educational series at Cass County Health System held monthly in Conference Room 2. The public is invited and welcome to attend, but reservations are required as a meal is provided for all attendees. Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat.

COUNCIL BLUFFS – Pottawattamie County Public Health and their partners have launched a  new website to communicate information regarding COVID‐19 (Coronavirus) with residents,  schools, and other allied partners.   Pottawattamie County Public Health is working with the Iowa Department of Public Health, Pottawattamie County Emergency Management, and other partners to monitor the situation  with COVID‐19.

Maria Sieck, Pottawattamie County Public  Health Administrator, said “We will keep the public informed of safety measures and needed public response efforts  through this website and the local media.” The website will host information such as: current state and local status; preparedness  information for the public, businesses, schools, healthcare facilities; and response actions being  taken by local officials.

Officials want to reiterate that, at this time, the risk to the general public remains low.  However, it is highly encouraged that residents take proactive steps to prepare themselves and  their families for the possible spread of the coronavirus. To help prevent the spread of  respiratory diseases such as the coronavirus or influenza, continue to use every day  preventative actions such as avoiding close contact with people who are sick, covering your  cough or sneeze with a tissue, avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, and staying home  when you are sick.

For updated coronavirus information, residents are encouraged to visit pcema‐ia.org and click  on the COVID‐19 icon.

GRINNELL, Iowa (AP) — Two central Iowa schools were locked down Tuesday after someone reported spotting a suspicious person near one of them. Superintendent Janet Stutz of the Grinnell district says the district office was notified around 8:40 a.m. that the person was seen outside the high school, not far from a K-2 elementary school. Both schools locked the doors, and students and teachers were told to remain in their classrooms. Stutz says it took until around 9:30 a.m. before the person was found somewhere other than inside the school. It’s unclear where. The Grinnell police chief didn’t immediately return a call from The Associated Press.

Officials with the West Central Iowa Solid Waste Management Association (SWMA), in Carroll, report contaminated rural recycling trailers are placing an unnecessary financial burden on recycling services. Mary Wittry, Regional Contact for the West Central Iowa Solid Waste Management Association said today (Tuesday), “Rural recycling services face possible elimination of funding due to the vast amount of garbage being dumped into the trailers. The contamination of trash found in our rural recycle trailers places an unnecessary financial burden on the Association to sort and ultimately landfill this material, and could lead to rejection of our recyclables at the mill.”

SWMA covers Carroll, Crawford, Guthrie and Shelby Counties, and 11 communities in west central Iowa. Recycling has been around since the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act of 1989. Fast forward 31 years, and we still face confusion on what goes in the recycling and what goes in the garbage. SWMA says their rural recycling trailers have become a dumping site for many unrecyclable items. Rural recycling trailers are placed throughout their service area to provide easy and accessible recycling opportunities for those who live outside curbside collection zones. Misunderstanding of acceptable materials is putting this service in jeopardy.

Poor recycling basics in the USA has closed the door for recycling exports, placing a toll on domestic mill abilities to handle the amount of materials produced. Domestic mills place high expectations for clean, dry non-contaminated recycling materials. Noncompliance results in rejection of baled materials, sending them into the landfill. Recycling education can be found by visiting the Association website at www.westcentralsolidwaste.com or call your local solid waste office with questions. Help preserve our rural recycling program for generations to come by educating yourself and others on recyclable materials and the proper disposal of trash.

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Responsibly…it’s the right thing to do.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department, today (Tuesday), released a list of persons who were arrested or cited, from Feb. 18th through the 27th. Most recently:

• On Feb. 27th, 46-year old Joseph William Willemsen, of Pella, was arrested on an active Marion County warrant. And, 50-year old Anthony Elwood Rikle, of Harlan, was arrested for domestic abuse assault.
• On Feb. 26th, 55-year old Cynthia Hagar Blank-Pigeon, of Harlan, was cited for driving while suspended following a traffic stop.
• February 18th 41-year old Stephanie Marie Hampton, of Harlan, was arrested by Harlan Police on an active Shelby County warrant. That same day, 51-year old John Anthony Wyatt, of Harlan, was arrested on an assault charge.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says a Creston woman reported Monday, that sometime between November 2019, and March 2nd, 2020, someone broke into her storage unit on Industrial Avenue, and took a Cub Cadet push mower, along with some fans and fishing chairs. The loss was estimate at $450.

(Radio Iowa) — Students from a northwest Iowa college are being pulled from a Study Abroad program in Italy over fears about the spread of coronavirus in that country. Twelve Morningside College students and a faculty member will return to Sioux City from Sicily next week. Morningside’s Alden Stout says there’s no evidence any of the students have symptoms of the virus. “The students will be — just like all passengers as we understand who leave Italy — are going to have a screening and when they enter the United States, they’ll be screened by United States Customs,” Alden says. “So they’ll follow that protocol as well.”

The college decided to recall the students after the U.S. State Department issued an advisory urging people to reconsider traveling to Italy. Stout says the school reacted to the travel advisory, quote, “out of an abundance of concern.”  “We do value safety really highly of our students,” Alden says. “If there’s something we’re going to prioritize, we’re going to prioritize their safety.”

The students will finish their coursework online. The respiratory illness has rapidly spread through Italy, killing more than 50 people. There are confirmed cases in more than 60 countries. State health officials say there are no confirmed cases in Iowa, although five people in Iowa are being monitored for the virus, while two others are being tested for COVID-19.

(Reporting by Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)