The Atlantic Police Department is raising funds for the department’s Christmas Programs benefiting Cass County residents. Atlantic Police Lieutenant Devin Hogue says one of those programs is The Family Dreams Christmas.

(He says the program is put on by the Atlantic Police Reserve Dept., and will take place Saturday, Dec. 21st. Applications to be considered for the program must be picked up from 8-a.m. To 4-p.m. Monday-through Friday, and returned by 4-p.m. Dec. 11th.)

The applications will be reviewed that evening. Each family selected will receive a full Christmas dinner, and then go shopping at downtown stores on Dec. 21st.

Another program, run by the full-time Police Officers, is “Shop with a Cop,” on Dec, 22nd. There is no sign-up or application process for that program.

(He says the P-D solicits on their own the names of children for the shopping trip.)

Last year a total of 10 families were served in the Family Dreams Christmas, and 35 children went “Shopping with a Cop.” Anyone can make cash/check donations throughout the year for those programs, by simply stopping by the Atlantic Police Department, Monday-through Friday, 8-a.m. To 4-p.m. For questions or inquiries call the Atlantic Police Department at (712) 243-3512.

Atlantic Police Lt. Devin Hogue

Lt. Hogue, by the way, was nominated for the 2019 Scrooge competition. The goal of this program is to raise money and canned food items for the Atlantic Food Pantry. Hogue is accepting donations made to his Venmo account, or made in person. You can also drop off donations at the Atlantic Police Department. Canned food items can be dropped off at the police department or the city hall office. He said also, if your child is at the Washington or Schuler Elementary Schools, they are holding a canned food drive until November 26th. All items collected will go towards Houge’s score in the Scrooge competition. There will also be a grade level competition. The winning classes in each grade level will be invited to the free merchant movie on December 8th that will be chaperoned by the APD and each student will receive a snack purchased with funds from our non profit.

All money and canned food items donated on Hogue’s behalf, will be turned in at the end of the month and will go to the Atlantic Food Pantry.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a Waterloo woman was taken to a hospital after a fire at her home. Firetrucks were dispatched to the house a little before 10 p.m. Thursday, and firefighters say flames were coming through some windows as they arrived. The woman already had escaped. She reported that a space heater had caught some bedding and other items on fire in her room on the ground floor. Her name hasn’t been released.

Atlantic Fire and the Cass County Sheriff’s Office responded Thursday evening to a vehicle fire, on eastbound Interstate 80. The blaze just east of the Highway 71 exit was reported at around 6:27-p.m. Atlantic Firefighter Gene Schmeling told KJAN the vehicle, a Toyota, was fully engulfed in flames when they arrived on the scene. The lone occupant of the vehicle, a female, was out of her SUV and was not injured. Crews remained on the scene until about 7:15-p.m.

(Radio Iowa) — Rocker Brett Michaels spent Thursday in Sioux City visiting with members of the Iowa Air National Guard 185th Refueling Wing touring their base. The former singer for Poison and reality T-V star is bringing his Hometown Heroes concert tour to the Tyson Events Center tonight (Friday). “To be here with all these amazing men and women who give us such incredible freedoms…we got off the bus and it’s already been a great party. Everyone here has been amazing, and I am honored to be here and to thank them for the freedoms that they allow us,” Michaels says.

Michaels says this show will be extra special since it happens on the weekend leading up to Veterans Day. “And the best part of the night is during ‘Something to Believe In’ we bring our military men and women, our first responders, teachers, utility workers and fans. We grab a bunch of them and bring them up on stage — and it is awesome,” Michaels says. Colonel Larry Christensen is one of the Hometown Heroes.

“It’s a great opportunity to represent not only the 185th, but the Iowa National Guard, the people of the Siouxland Community, all the employers out there, and also all the veterans,” according to Christensen. “I was talking to him and I was thanking him for coming and I said ‘that’s a really great morale boost.’ He says ‘you don’t realize how much a of morale boost it is for his crew.’ So, he’s just as excited as we are.”

Michaels will perform with Night Ranger, Lita Ford and Joe Nichols.

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa wants to buy more land in North Liberty. The Iowa Board of Regents is being asked next week to approve spending nearly $2.2 million for about 22 acres adjacent to 38 acres the university already owns north-northwest of its Iowa City campus. It’s unclear what the university has planned for the land, and officials have declined to outline the university’s intentions.

A sign that’s long been in place on the 38 acres says a University of Iowa health care facility is “coming soon.” The 22 acres are owned by a church.

(Corrects gender of fatality to a man) — One person died and another was injured during an accident late Thursday night, in Crawford County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a crossover-type SUV driven by 48-year old Karry Schurke, of Denison, was traveling east on Crawford County Road E-16 at around 11:20-p.m., when for reasons unknown, his vehicle crossed the center line of the road. A semi, driven by 33-year old Leonel Pena, of Sioux City, was traveling westbound. Pena took evasive action by braking and steering left to try and avoid the SUV, but Schurke then tried to get back in his lane. Unfortunately, the semi and SUV collided in an off-set head-on manner.

The SUV came to rest facing north in the eastbound lane, and the semi entered the south ditch. Schurke died at the scene. Pena was transported by ambulance to the Crawford County Hospital.