Fourth District Judge Kathleen Kilnoski today (Monday), sentenced former Harlan City Administrator Terry Cox to two years of probation.

Terry Cox

In addition, Cox was ordered to pay fines amounting to $1,624, and restitution in the amount of $7,500 to the city of Harlan. In April Cox plead guilty to charges of 2nd Degree Theft and Tampering with records. Judge Kilnoski sentenced Cox to up to five years in prison on the Class-D theft charge, and up to two years in prison on the tampering charge, an aggravated misdemeanor, but suspended both sentences.

The Atlantic City Council will meet 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in their Chambers at City Hall. On their agenda is discussion and action with regard to RAGBRAI preparations, pertaining to street closings and restricted parking for the July 21st-22nd event that will bring perhaps thousands of riders into Atlantic for their first overnight stop.

Atlantic Police Chief Dave Erickson has proposed closing the following streets from 6-a.m. July 21st through 2-a.m. July 22nd:

• Chestnut Street from the Court House Driveway access (in the 700 block) to 2nd Street, to allow set-up of a stage and vendor access).
• 6th Street from Locust to Walnut (The entry point to the entertainment area, bike parking, and vendors)
• Poplar Street from 7th to 5th (for bike parking & portable restrooms)
• 7th Street, from Poplar to Walnut (which will serve as the entertainment area and crowd area, while the bands play).
• 10th St., at the intersection with 7th, for eastbound traffic (only at the peak times for riders getting to, and leaving, Atlantic).
• 14th Street, from Olive to Plum Streets (On Monday, July 22nd, while the riders are leaving town).

The order to temporarily restrict parking those days will affect:

• 10th, from 7th to Olive, on the north side.
• Palm, from 9th to 10th, on the west side.
• E. Mahogany at 9th Street, north & west sides.
• W. Mahogany at 10th St., west side.
• Ed Podolak Drive, from Linn to Olive, north side.
• Linn Street, from 10th to Ed Podolak Drive, east & west sides.
• 14th Street, by the Heritage House, south side.
• Olive Street & Roosevelt Drive, 100-feet north on the east side.
• and, 10th and Olive, one-half block in all directions.

The Council will also act on an Engineering Agreement with Snyder & Associates, for the Atlantic Animal Shelter Building addition. Funds for the addition, which will allow cats to be held in separate quarters from dogs, was made possible through a gift of $135,000 from the estate of Ms. Lorene Eppelsheimer. The addition will be 18-by 36-feet, or 648-square feet in all. Estimates are that the engineering and project management costs will run $120,350. The balance of the funds will be used for additional cat cages and comforts for the cats.

There will also be a public hearing during Wednesday’s meeting, with regard to the sale of 411 Walnut Street (The Atlantic Senior Center). During their meeting June 5th, the Council accepted a bid of $55,445 from the Elks Club for the purchase of the facility. A public hearing must be held in accordance with Iowa Code before the Council can, by Resolution, execute the final sale of the property.

Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) have announced that Dr. Emily Chang, OB/GYN, will join the medical team at CCHS on Monday, November 11, 2019. In a press release, Dr. Chang said “In just a limited time at Atlantic and the hospital, I can tell that there is a strong sense of community, and people are proud to work there. I like to be in a work environment that values open communication, teamwork, and empathy.”

Dr. Emily Chang, OB/GYN

CCHS CEO Brett Altman said, “We believe that Dr. Chang is an excellent fit for our community’s needs. She will provide the full spectrum of obstetric and gynecological care including gynecological surgeries. We are impressed by both her extensive knowledge and compassion for patients, and we are thrilled to bring her onboard full-time to provide women’s health care in our community.”

Dr. Chang has worked in both Illinois and Iowa and brings more than a decade of experience to CCHS, most recently having practiced the past six years at Obstetrical & Gynecological Associates next to Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Dr. Chang is certified through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a Fellow of the American Congress of Obstetrics and Gynecology, as well as a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Chang received her BA degree from Illinois Wesleyan University in Mathematics and Natural Sciences and a Bachelor of Medical Sciences from Midwestern University in Illinois. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2003.  She completed her residency at Mercy Hospital & Medical Center in Chicago. Dr. Chang will work closely with Dr. James Brown in transitioning his practice before his retirement in May 2020. She will care for patients at Atlantic Medical Center and Cass County Memorial Hospital.

(Radio Iowa) — The Rocklin Manufacturing building in downtown Sioux City has been added to the National Register of Historic Places for its role in helping produce materials for U-S war efforts. Known earlier as the Albertson and Company building and built in 1912 (at 110 South Jennings Street), the building housed various machinery manufacturing endeavors until 1914 when shop foreman, Swedish-born Frans Oscar Albertson founded Albertson & Company, which took over the manufacturing plant. Rocklin Manufacturing Company took over the building in 1942 and during World War II manufactured equipment for Chrysler, International Harvester and Allis Chalmers while supplying the Chicago Ordnance District, the Detroit Arsenal and the Tank Automotive Center in Detroit with products. Company President Ross Rocklin is the third generation of his family to manage the business.

He says the manufacture a product called the Rocklinnizer, which is added to tools and dies to make them last longer.  They also make another product, a microwelder which repairs molds and dies made of steel. Rocklin would eventually play a key role in providing spring and shock mounts for the national missile defense system. The company received the rare and coveted Ordnance Corps flag from the U-S Army in 1944for outstanding contributions in the field of ordnance production. “They provided us that flag based on really exception performance in support of the war effort,” Rocklin says. “That’s a rare flag — there are only 13 of them out of 22 applicants that received it. It’s something that we proudly display in the entryway of our building.”

The company also has one of Sioux City’s most prominent murals painted on the side of its building facing Gordon Drive from the end of Jennings Street. Rocklin is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year.

The Atlantic RAGBRAI Committee reports they are still trying to find housing for at least 20% of the registered riders in the event, before they arrive in town this Sunday. Billie Hoover and Mike Waters are on the Committee. With temperatures expected to be in the 90’s and the Heat Index around 100 degrees, those riders are going to be looking for a place to cool down and hydrate themselves. Billie Hoover says the month started off slow for persons willing to make room in their homes and properties for the riders, but since then, the community has made a concerted effort to fill the need.

She said they’ve placed over 80% of their requests, and they thank those who have agreed to provide housing or yard space. The riders won’t only be looking for relief from the heat and humidity. Mike Waters said they’re also looking for an escape from the mosquitoes.

Most of the registered riders have already communicated with their hosts, and are grateful for the chance to get a room, or set-up a tent on a homeowner’s property. Residents shouldn’t be too concerned they’ll find their lawn or properties trashed when the bicyclists leave July 22^nd. Hoover says many of those taking part in the rider are professionals and otherwise responsible adults who come from all across the State and Country to enjoy one of the premiere biking events in the U-S.

Hoover says most the groups left looking for a place to rest for the night are looking for indoor housing. If you’re willing to help the riders find housing or a space to pitch a tent, call the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712- 243-3017, or online at atlanticragbrai.com, and fill-out the housing form. Waters said “Atlantic is all about friendliness. We’re open. It’s going to pay dividends in the end, so open your hearts and your houses if possible, and give us a try. Hoover added, “Let’s show some of these folks some good old Atlantic hospitality.”

On a related RAGBRAI note: The Iowa National Guard’s water buffalo will appear along the RAGBRAI route Sunday, in Marne, and on Monday between Earlham and Winterset, for those riders needing to refill their water bottles.

(Radio Iowa) — All this week, law enforcement officers in Iowa and across the nation will put a special emphasis on cracking down on risky motorists through Operation Safe Driver Week. Dave Lorenzen, chief of Iowa Motor Vehicle Enforcement, says this time of year, people are often traveling unfamiliar roads. “Mix that in with the trucking population and the number of commercial vehicles that are moving up and down the roads on a daily basis, traffic counts are at an all-time high,” Lorenzen says. “So, it’s just an opportunity for us to concentrate on making sure that folks are following the laws, being attentive to all of the safety aspects of sharing the road with those larger vehicles.”

Lorenzen says patrols will be ticketing drivers who break common driving laws. “We don’t like to give citations but to affect driver behavior, sometimes there has to be that ultimate consequence,” Lorenzen says. “Most folks know when they’re speeding, they know they are not supposed to have their phone in their hands, they are not supposed to be doing things that are distracting them, and they know they are supposed to be belted in. Those three main things are no surprises to people. It’s just sometimes we become a little less attentive than we need to.”

We’re in the midst of what’s considered the “100 Deadliest Days” of the year, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when crash fatalities historically climb, especially for teen drivers.
(By Julie Englander, Iowa Public Radio)