(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Fire was dispatched to 117 Broadway in the Highland Addition, for a house fire. Police arriving on the scene shortly after 8-a.m. reported heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof. Cass EMS was requested to treat a resident suffering from smoke inhalation. Marne and Lewis Fire were requested for Mutual Aid in the form of manpower and airpacks. Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel…

Atlantic Fire units returned to the station at around 9:55-a.m. No injuries were reported. Cappel says the fire began in the ceiling, and is believed to be the result of an electrical issue.

The AFD was assisted at the scene by the Atlantic Police Department, Cass County County Sheriff’s Office and Cass EMS.

(Photos by Ric Hanson; 8:25-a.m., 1/6/25)

(Radio Iowa) – Community members in Perry gathered on Saturday to mark one year since a 17-year-old gunman opened fire at Perry High School. The attack killed 11-year old Ahmir Jolliff and fatally wounded principal Dan Marburger. Six others were injured, while the gunman took his own life. At the vigil, Reverend Andrea Brownlee said the community is no stranger to heartache, and she asked the crowd to reflect on one question.

Around 50 community members, dressed in the school colors of blue and white, stood together downtown while religious leaders led prayers and read passages on grief, loss and hope. Marlene Johnson, a retired teacher, attended the service and says after the tragedy last year, she felt anger and was in disbelief.

At the public library, residents could meet with a counselor provided by the school. The library will also have counseling services available today (Monday) and Tuesday.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council’s agenda is packed for their first meeting of the year on Wednesday. The Council will gather for their session at City Hall beginning at 5:30-p.m. On their agenda, is action on:

• Approving First Whitney Bank & Trust as the City’s Official Bank for the City Checking Account for 2025, and the Atlantic News Telegraph as the City’s Official newspaper for Legal Publication in 2025.
• Appointing Shirley Jensen, Ali Pieken and Mary Strong to the Parks & Rec Commission.
• Passing a Resolution “Approving additional (one-time) compensation for the Atlantic Police Chief” (in the amount of $10,264.80), for his nearly 228 hours of overtime + holidays, multiplied by his current hourly rate of $45.12.
• Passing a Resolution “Approving Campground Phone Compensation” for the Wastewater and Street Departments, with regard to the Schildberg Campground. The City’s Personnel & Finance Committee met Dec. 31, 2024, to review the matter, and endorsed compensating the Schildberg on-call phone the same as it would a Public Works Union member carrying their department’s on-call phone, at $40 per day. The phone is only required to be used by staff for six-months out of the year, as the other six-months the phone is held by the campground host, as part of their responsibilities.
• The Council will act on passing a Resolution “Establishing Signatories to City Checks and Payables,” which is a routine matter when there is a change in individuals occupying the Office of the City Clerk.
• They will hold the First Reading of an Ordinance “Vacating the street located between 3009 Palm Street and 3101 Palm Street. City Administrator John Lund notes improvements to the Right-Of-Way have been completed following a process that began in Nov., 2022, and it is now time to divide and vacate the ROW, which can only be done by Ordinance.

The Council’s final order of business, Wednesday, is a Closed (Exempt) Session (per Iowa Code) providing for the Strategy Meetings of Public Employers for Collective Bargaining.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports three people were arrested on drug charges this (Monday) morning (Jan. 6th). Authorities say that at around 12:22-a.m. 32-year-old Ashley Dawn Vandel, of Creston, was arrested at Division/Howard Streets. Vandel was charged with Possess Drug Paraphernalia. She was taken to the Union County Jail and later posted a $300 bond before being released. Also arrested in connection with the same incident, was: 38-year-old Melissa Kay Stephenson, of Leon. Stephenson was charged with Possess Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine, 1st Offense, and Possession of a Controlled Substance, Marijuana 1st. Stephenson was taken to the Union County Jail where she was being held on a $2,300 bond; and 40-year-0ld Santos Olivera-Martinez, of Creston, was arrested for Possess Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine, 1st Offense. Martinez was taken to the Union County Jail where he was being held on a bond of $1,300.

At around 12:45-a.m. Sunday, Creston Police arrested 39-year-old Jordyn Dell Lavola Swanson, of Creston, on charges that include Interference with Official Acts, Public Intoxication, and Disorderly Conduct – Loud Raucous Noise. Swanson was taken to the Union County Jail and later released of her own recognizance. Early Saturday morning, 30-year-old Paul Reymond Harpin, of Creston, was arrested for OWI – 1st Offense. Harpin was taken to the Union County Jail and posted a $1,000 bond.

And, Friday evening, 55-year-old Charles Leon Harris, of Creston, was arrested by Creston Police on a Union County Warrant of Failure to Appear on an OWI – 1st Offense charge. Harris was taken to the Union County Jail posted a $1,000 bond before being released from custody.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Extension survey found that average price of an acre of farmland dropped in 2024, breaking a five-year trend of increases. I-S-U extension economist Rabail Chandio conducts the survey and says the one trend that didn’t change is the type of people buying farmland. “The highest demand for our farmland comes from existing farmers. They may be existing local farmers or existing relocating farmers, but 70 percent of all farmland demand came from this group,” she says. Chandio says 23 percent of the farmland purchases were by investors.

“These investors include local as well as non local investors. They may include absentee landowners. They may include people who are next generation farmers or and they are not manually farming. They’re not personally farming, but they do want to keep connected with their legacies, and they’re buying farmland,” she says. Chandio says the investors in Iowa aren’t usually the institutional investors or big companies or individual big name billionaires. “It includes a lot of maybe Iowa residents, or previous Iowa residents, or residents from our neighboring states who are showing interest in our farmland,” Chandio says. “It also includes the demand for recreational ground that is more pronounced specifically for southern Iowa.”

The recreational purchasers are using the farmland in southern Iowa for hunting, and she says that’s whey it had three-point-six percent increase in value. Chandio says Iowa farmland doesn’t usually come up for sale until the owner dies or decides to retire. “Estate sales is the largest category contributing 57 percent of the land that was up for sale this year. Retired farmers is the next biggest category, making up for 22 percent of all land that was available for sale,” she says. Chandio says the long-term landowners have paid it off, and that gives them some protection against economic swings. “Eighty-four percent of all Iowa farmland is owned debt free, so those who already own it are not feeling the interest rates, which is why it is a negative pressure, but it has not been enough to really tip over the markets in the last year either,” she says.

Chandio says the high interest rates create the most pressure for beginning farmers and can really make them struggle.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Guthrie County will gather at 9-a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7th, for their regular weekly meeting. Their session takes place in the Supervisors Board Room at the courthouse in Guthrie Center. Here’s a rundown of some of the agenda items:

• Appoint Cass Township Trustee
• Appoint Member to the Zoning Commission
• Veteran Affairs Quarterly Report; Discuss/Action
• Review and Approve Final Pay Voucher for the F32 HMA Resurfacing Project STBG-SWAP-C039(98) – FG-39
• Review and Discuss Dust Control Policy
• Mental Health Budget for Fiscal Year 2024/2025; Discuss/Action
• Resolution 25-12: – Resolution Establishing a County Compensation Board
• Resolution 25-13 – Resolution Appointing Deputy Auditor
• Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Financial Report; Discuss/Action
  • a. Approve Publication of Annual Financial Report

View the complete agenda here: January 7, 2025

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors will hold their regular weekly meeting at a new time, Tuesday. The Board voted last week to change the starting time of their future meetings to 9-a.m. Previously their meetings began at 8:30-a.m.

During their Jan. 7th meeting, the Board will hear an annual report from Wendy Mueller, with West Central Community Action. And, Kathi Most, from the Red Oak Public Library will present a requested library contract.

The Supervisors will then handle some mostly, administrative matters, such as IRS mileage reimbursement rates for 2025 (.70 cents per mile, effective Jan. 1, 2025), Payable claims, Sheriff’s and Recorder’s report of fees for the month of December, 2024. And, they are expected to discuss and set their FY2026 Budget Work Sessions with departments, along with action as necessary.

Following Tuesday’s meeting, the next session of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors takes place at 9-a.m. on January 14th.

DES MOINES – Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart received a strong vote of confidence from the Democratic State Central Committee at their meeting this (Saturday) morning as she was overwhelmingly elected to a second term as the chair of the IDP.

In a statement from the the IDP, officials say before she was elected, Hart shared her Forward: Victory 2026 plan, which outlines a path to victory for Iowa Democrats in 2026. The plan was endorsed by Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, Iowa Democratic House Leader Jennifer Konfrst, and Iowa Democratic Senate Leader Janice Weiner.

Iowa Democratic Party chair Rita Hart during an appearance on Iowa Press, on Iowa PBS (file photo)

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Iowa Democratic Party for a second term and look forward to implementing a plan that I shared publicly today to help Democrats build a foundation for success in 2025, 2026, and beyond.

The 2024 election did not go how I nor any Democrat in Iowa wanted, but the IDP is stronger than it was two years ago. I am looking forward to continue building on the strong foundation we’ve put in place during the last two years so Democrats in Iowa can win.”