Two men from Council Bluffs were arrested this (Thursday) morning in connection with several recent storage unit burglaries and thefts from apartment complex laundry facilities in Council Bluffs. The two suspects are identified as 30 year old Joshua McCammond and 29 year old Jacob Vincent.

McCammond

Vincent

Both men were being held on multiple felony and misdemeanor charges including Ongoing Criminal Conduct, Burglary, Theft and Criminal Mischief. Detectives continue to investigate other property crimes that may have been committed by the suspects, and additional charges are expected.

Anyone with knowledge of criminal activity perpetrated by the suspects, or by anyone else, is encouraged to contact the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division at 712-328-4728 or you can remain anonymous by calling CrimeStoppers at 712-328-STOP (7867).

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service says its decision not to fill dozens of postal jobs in Des Moines is intended to deal with a shrinking workload. The comment follows picketing Wednesday by more than 100 postal workers, customers, teamsters and others outside the post office near downtown Des Moines to protest recent job cuts. USPS spokesman John Friess says no one has lost a job at the postal service; all cuts have come through attrition.

The Postal Service has seen growth in its package segment. But Friess says overall volume has declined by more than 3 billion pieces. He says cuts are to “reduce costs and remain competitive in the marketplace, to be able to continue to serve the public in the most efficient, cost-effective way possible and keep mail affordable.”

The Iowa West Foundation Board of Directors recently approved $4.4 million in grants and initiatives funding to 22 nonprofit organizations and government entities in southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska. Here are some of the non-profit and government entities which received IWF grants and initiatives:

• City of Carroll – Kellan’s Kingdom: Carroll’s first all-inclusive playground, $10,000.
• City of Council Bluffs – Bayliss Park holiday lights, $24, 370.
• The City of Council Bluffs also received $2 million for the parking garage to be constructed on the Iowa side of the Missouri Riverfront.
• City of Crescent – Bunker gear (for firefighters), $10,000.
• City of Denison – Audio/Visual Equipment, $4,000
• Iowa Western Community College Foundation – $30,000 for access to performing arts programs.
• Micha House – Shelter Reimiagined campaign, $425,000.
• Pottawattamie Arts, Culture and Entertainment – $600,000.
• Shelby County Historical Society – Military exhibit hall, $8,250.
• Walnut Volunteer Fire Department – $7,567 for Compressed air foam system, pagers, parkas and blowers.

The City of Council Bluffs, as mentioned, will use their $25,000 for holiday lights in Bayliss Park. In the past few years, the city has sought to restore the display to its former prominence. The Iowa West Foundation grant will allow the city to install custom lighting on the trees in the park and continue the forward momentum. This year’s lighting ceremony will be held on Thursday, Nov. 16th from 6-8 p.m. and kick off Winterfest. Attendees can enjoy family-friendly activities in the park and at partnering locations around the park, in addition to hot chocolate and cookies. The hope is to attract visitors from throughout Pottawattamie County and surrounding areas and increase traffic to Bayliss overall during the winter months.

The Letter of Inquiry period for the Cycle 1 of 2018 grant application process opened on November 1 and will close Nov. 15  Applications are due Dec. 15th, Grant application and initiative decisions will be made in February. The Iowa West Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the Midwest. It has distributed more than $400 million to nonprofits and governmental agencies through southwest Iowa and eastern Nebraska since the inception of its grant program. Funding for the grants comes from investment earnings and the Iowa West Racing Association, which receives contractual fees from casino operators, Ameristar and Harrah’s. IWRA is the license sponsor for Ameristar and Harrah’s and the license holder for Horseshoe-Bluffs Run. The Foundation targets resources into programs and projects that focus on economic development, education, placemaking and healthy families. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.iowawestfoundation.org

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A museum that commemorates military milestones that took place in Des Moines is financially struggling and could close if it doesn’t find additional support. The Des Moines Register reports that the Fort Des Moines Museum and Education Center’s three volunteers only open the facility to the public one day a week or through appointments.

Matthew Harvey is president of the museum’s board of directors. He says the museum has received few monetary donations and some volunteers have given their own money to help pay the bills. The museum opened in 2004 but failed to attract many visitors and donors.

The fort was the site of the Army’s first black officer’s training class in 1917. It was later the first location to train women for the Army.

The Atlantic School District Board of Education met in a regular monthly session Wednesday evening, at the High School. Superintendent Steve Barber said they are continuing with discussion with regard to a name for the former Cass, Incorporated Building the District Purchased for use as the Cass County Educational Opportunity Center (CCEOC) and Links Building. He said the Board wants to see the name centered around “achievement,” so they are working on the final details as to what that might be. They will take ideas from students who will attend courses in the building and derive an appropriate name from those ideas.

The CCEOC students, he said, came up with three ideas, and the Links students another. The Links students came up with the acronym “Achieve.” He says they will work to combine those thoughts for what’s currently there, and a potential career academy or academies, down the road. It was also noted that the newly remodeled building is nearly finalized, with the price coming in very close to the bid price.

Mr. Barber said also, they took action with regard to Open Enroll-Out spending (granting that authority). And, High School Jennifer Gaesser) High School, Vocal Instructor, along with High School Instrument Instructor Jarrod O’Donnell, reminded the Board that four students, two choir members and two band members, will be participating November 18^th, in the All-State Music Festival that runs from November 16^th to 18th.

Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer, after a five decade absence, could soon be doing business again in Cuba. Deere and Company has announced an agreement to sell tractors to the Cuban government. Deere spokesman Ken Golden says shipments should begin later this month. “This equipment has to be tested and appraised by the Cuban Agricultural Ministry to ensure that it will work for their needs and their conditions,” Golden said. “If they agree that it’s equipment that would be appropriate for Cuba, then there will be shipments over the next four years.”

Most of the tractors will be from Deere’s 5,000 series, now made at a plant in Augusta, Georgia. But, there’ll also be a small number of the 7,000 series tractors, made in Waterloo, Iowa.  “It will mainly be smaller tractors and the implements that are used for farming pulled behind these tractors,” Golden said.  The cost of the contract between Deere and the Cuban government has not been disclosed. “Today, Cuba imports about 60-to-80-percent of its food and improvements in the agricultural sector there will help improve the availability and affordability of food for the Cuban population,” Golden said. John Deere is returning to Cuba after an absence of more than half a century. “Deere first entered the Cuban market in the 1800s and we were there until the early 1960s,” Golden said.

The machinery sent to Cuba will be mainly used in the dairy, row-crop and fruit and vegetable sectors. Deere’s announcement follows news that a Caterpillar dealer will open a distribution center in Cuba, becoming the first U.S. company to have a physical presence in the high-profile Mariel Special Development Zone. According to the Cuba Standard report, both companies seem to be racing to establish a foothold in Cuba before the Trump administration slams the door. In July, President Donald Trump announced he would prohibit sales to armed forces-controlled entities.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa’s past few winters haven’t been terribly harsh and some of us might be able to use refreshers on our driving and survival skills before the snowdrifts and ice arrive. Today (Thursday) is Winter Weather Awareness Day in Iowa and meteorologist Rod Donavon, at the National Weather Service, says a few reminders for motorists wouldn’t hurt. “Brush up on your winter driving skills and have your survival kit in place,” Donavon says. “Winter weather travel is the most dangerous portion of the year. If you get stuck, are you prepared for that? Slow down, really take your time driving.”

Have that survival kit in your trunk filled with things like: blankets, warm clothes, water, snacks like energy bars, a flashlight with extra batteries, a snow shovel, a tow rope, jumper cables, flares, a knife and a first aid kit. If you log on to weather-dot-gov or follow the National Weather Service on Facebook, you will notice some changes in how warnings, watches and advisories are issued. “They are changing a bit, we are consolidating some things,” Donavon says. “It may be more winter weather advisories instead of freezing rain or blowing snow advisories. It’ll all be combined into one product to give us more consistency. Certainly, all of the important information will be within the headlines itself.”

Blizzard Watches will no longer be issued, for example, though Blizzard Warnings will continue as needed. Some long-range forecasts indicate Iowa has equal chances for a whopper winter with more snow and very cold temperatures versus a lighter winter. He says the picture could change very quickly, as could our landscape.”We’re seeing that right now with the really warm air to the south and Arctic air across southern Canada,” Donavon says. “Any little system that comes through could certainly drag something through. Overall, it only takes one to two big events to have a significant impact.”

Learn more about Winter Weather Awareness Day at www.weather.gov/dmx.

(Radio Iowa)

Atlantic Police late Wednesday night, arrested a man on numerous charges, after an incident in the 200 block on W. 3rd Street. Authorities say 18-year old Travis Osborn, of Atlantic, was the driver of a vehicle that was traveling west on 3rd Street at around 9:52-p.m.  After a passenger exited the vehicle and tried to stop Osborn, Osborn continued driving and struck the unidentified passenger before his vehicle struck a parked vehicle registered to Terry Madden, of Altoona, causing $3,500 damage altogether. The person who was hit by Osborn’s vehicle reported non-life threatening injuries.

Travis Osborn was arrested for Theft in the 2nd Degree (for Possession of a Stolen vehicle), Assault while participating in a Felony, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving While Suspended, and OWI/1st offense. He was subsequently booked into the Cass County Jail

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa fifth-grade teacher already charged with lascivious acts with a child now faces 84 counts of sexual abuse and other charges. Police say 36-year-old Curtis Van Dam, of Sioux Center, also is charged with 14 counts of sexual exploitation by a teacher. Jail records say he remained in custody Thursday.

Police say the charges stem from incidents involving numerous children between August 2013 and last month. A news release says the crimes occurred at various locations, including Sioux Center Christian School, where Van Dam worked. Police began investigating after a complaint was filed alleging inappropriate conduct between Van Dam and a student at the school.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce want you to “Get a kick start to your holiday shopping and purchase discounted AtlantiCash, presented by Hanson’s Fine Jewelry, this Saturday only at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce. Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, said “We wanted to think of something new and exciting to do for the community to encourage them to do their holiday shopping locally,”

From 8-a.m. until 11-a.m. Saturday, November 11th only, AtlantiCash will be available in packs of $100 for $80, a 20% discount. Community members can purchase up to three packs. For each pack purchased, merchants will be entered into a drawing for an additional $100 in AtlantiCash. Payment must be made at time of purchase in the form of cash or check only. There is a first-come, first-purchased basis with only a limited amount of AtlantiCash available. Smith says “The really awesome part about this promotion is the money goes directly back into Atlantic. By offering it at a discount, community members can purchase their AtlantiCash and spend it holiday shopping in Atlantic or give it as a gift.”

The Holiday Open House will also be taking place Saturday beginning at 9-a.m.  Businesses will be offering a holiday sneak peek as well as treats, giveaways and special promotions. Community members can receive double stamps on their Shop Local Passport, presented by First Whitney Bank & Trust, by shopping at participating businesses. You can find a complete list of Holiday Open House and Passport participating businesses at www.christmasinatlantic.com.

Pick up your Christmas Brochure from area retail businesses, like the Chamber on Facebook or follow on Twitter to find dates and details to celebrate Christmas in Atlantic. You can find a complete list of activities at www.christmasinatlantic.com. Capture the Christmas magic with #MyAtlanticIA and post to the Atlantic Area Chamber’s Facebook page or Instagram (AtlanticIowaFan). Contact the Atlantic Area Chamber with any questions at chamber@atlanticiowa.com or call 712.243.3017.