An Atlantic native who went on to become an orthodontist and long-time resident of Waterloo, has left a huge gift to the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.

Dr. Ross Christensen

Dr. Ross Christensen, a community leader during his lifetime, along with his wife Patricia, extended their community leadership after their deaths through the establishment of the Ross D. Christensen Family Fund with the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa (CFNEIA). The more than $4 million gift is the largest in the history of CFNEIA, and increases the total asset size of CFNEIA to more than $85 million. Grants from the Ross D. Christensen Family Fund will support charitable causes in northeast Iowa that carry out the mission of CFNEIA.

Dr. Christensen passed away in November 2011, and Patricia, his wife of 49 years, passed away in April 2014. Their son, Dr. Greg Christensen, and daughter, Lisa Kempston, will serve as advisors for the donor-advised fund during their lifetimes. Over their 52 years in Waterloo, the Christensens carried out their belief that a person should give back to their community by volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club, Allen Hospital, Waterloo School Board, Wartburg College, University of Iowa, McElroy Trust, United Way, Silos and Smokestacks, Cedar Valley Arboretum and Botanical Garden, CFNEIA and many other nonprofits and groups that work to improve their community.

Dr. Christensen was born in Atlantic, the son of European immigrants. He left Atlantic and received a BS and DDS from the University of Iowa, and then his masters in orthodontics in 1966, also from the University of Iowa. Dr. Christensen moved his family back to Iowa from the east coast in 1968.

Prominent party voices continue to stream into Iowa to campaign with the two major party candidates for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat. First Lady Michelle Obama will headline a rally at the University of Iowa today with Democrat Bruce Braley. Last week Republican Joni Ernst’s campaign sent out video links of late-night comics who’ve made fun of the first lady for misstating Braley’s name seven times during an event at Drake University. Ernst herself brought it up with reporters on Monday.

“This is kind of her ‘Mulligan’ event, I think, to try and get things right after she messed up so badly the last time she was in town,” Ernst said. On Wednesday evening, Ernst will be on the University of Iowa campus for a rally with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee will make stops in Sioux City and Council Bluffs today (Tuesday) with Ernst. During her solo stops, Ernst is stressing her work as a Republican state senator. The event in Council Bluffs takes place in Club Room at the Hy-Vee Store located at 2323 W. Broadway Street, beginning at 11:30-a.m.

Braley’s been traveling the state focusing attention on issues like retirement security. On Sunday during a rally in Des Moines, Braley got a big crowd reaction with this statement: “Unlike Joni Ernst, I will never ever vote to privatize your Social Security,” Braley said, to cheers. Ernst has said it might be an option for younger workers. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, a rising populist voice in the Democratic Party, campaigned alongside Braley on Sunday.

A dozen current members of the U.S. Senate have flown to Iowa this year to campaign on behalf of either Braley or Ernst and that pace will continue through Election Day.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — More than 2.3 million voters have already cast ballots for the November midterm elections, and both Republicans and Democrats are claiming the early voting numbers work to their advantage. In Iowa, where a Senate race will help determine which party controls the chamber in January, Democrats hold a narrow lead out of almost 200,000 ballots cast.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Three Iowa companies have received U.S. Department of Agriculture grants for research projects officials hope will lead to new technologies that advance agriculture. Small Business Innovation Grants were awarded to Harrisvaccines in Ames, which has recently developed a new vaccine for a pig virus; Agren Inc. in Carroll, a consultant that helps farmers deal with environmental issues; and Diamond V Mills in Cedar Rapids, which develops animal food. Each company receives more than $99,000.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — There’ll be more space for classrooms under an expansion at the Nahant Marsh Education Center in Davenport. The center is at a former contaminated marsh cleaned up more than a decade ago. From the late 1960s until the 1990s, Nahant Marsh was used for skeet and trap shooting by a sportsmen’s club. It led to the contamination of the marsh with lead shot that was cleaned up in 1999 under the Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund program for $2 million.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad says he wants to make sure Iowa has great parks and cultural offerings for residents. The incumbent Republican governor, who is running for a sixth non-consecutive term, released a plan Monday he says would better organize the state’s recreation and cultural resources. He calls it a quality of life effort. Under the plan, the state would create an oversight board to coordinate the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Economic Development Authority, the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Transportation. That board would oversee quality of life efforts, as well as come up with a long-term plan for new investments.

U-S Senate Republican Nominee Joni Ernst, from Red Oak, is set to visit Atlantic this Thursday. Officials with her campaign say Ernst will be at the Cass County Community Center at approximately 4:45-p.m.

To attend, make your reservation by calling 701-373-5848, or by e-mailing josie@joniforiowa.com.

Police in Glenwood are asking for your help in finding the person or persons responsible for the theft of lawn and garden equipment. Officials say two John Deere lawn mowers, a 2010 Z-925 and 2013 Z-930m, along with two Echo lawn trimmers, along with a black H&H tandem-axle trailer, were taken from Jim Hughes Realty at 410 S. Locust Street in Glenwood.

The thefts occurred sometime between 7:30-p.m. Oct. 15th and 8-a.m. Oct. 16th. Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call the Glenwood P-D at 712-527-4844

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies Corey Larsen and Kyle Quist along with their K-9 partners Mufasa and Vader, respectively, attended the Heart of America Police Dog Association annual certification in Kansas, October 5th through the 10th.The event, which features certification competitions, was attended by 28-k9 teams from Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas.

All members of the organization can submit a case for consideration of the Patrol Case of the Year award as one of their best cases for the year between certification periods. The cases are read to all members of the organization and all details such as names, departments, areas, etc., are anonymous. The members of the organization vote for the case they believe to be the best one submitted for the year.

K9 team Quist and Vader received this award for Patrol Case of the Year for an incident that occurred in Audubon County, when the K9 team was called to assist multiple agencies with a domestic situation involving a firearm. At that time, the suspect fled on foot, and K9 Vader tracked the suspect through a field. Suspect was apprehended by Vader’s bite. That subject was arrested on multiple charges after medical clearance.

Deputy Quist and K9 Vader ran a tracking distance and also won a Master Tracker award. This award is granted to one of two competing K9 teams who were considered to be the best in their certification. The judges lay similar tracks for the two competing teams of roughly a mile in length and attempt different techniques to make the K9 teams lose the track. The judges ascertain how well the K9 stayed on track and how the K9 worked on different surface conditions and terrain.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says it’s very proud of their K9 teams and the hard work they do.

Four separate accidents on a Highway 34 construction zone late last week in Mills County, resulted in two people being sent to the hospital. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says one of the injury accidents happened at around 7:50-a.m. Friday, about a mile northwest of Pacific Junction. Officials say a 2008 Chevy driven by Anthony Bartel, of Glenwood, was traveling westbound in the right lane of the single lane road, when a 2001 Ford driven by Brandon Foster, of Randolph, Failed to Yield and pulled away from the stop sign at the intersection with 195th Street, before hitting Bartel’s vehicle. Bartel was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs.

The second accident resulted inDonna Sumner-Johnson, of Pacific Junction, being transported by medical helicopter to Creighton Hospital following the crash on Highway 34, at around 10:17-a.m., Friday. The accident happened as a 2009 semi driven by Patrick Hogan, of Omaha, was traveling west on Highway 34 and a 2002 Toyota driven by Sumner-Johnson was traveling south on 195th Street. The Toyota failed to yield from the stop sign entering a construction zone and hitting the semi. The car then traveled down an embankment and came to rest in a corn field.

The other two accidents happened Thursday and Saturday, but no injuries were reported in those crashes.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Oct. 16th of 31-year old Trent Matthew Suhr, of Walnut. Suhr was taken into custody on charges of OWI 3rd or Subsequent (D Felony), Driving While Barred (Agg), and four charges of Driving While Revoked. He was brought to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $12,000 bond.
On October 18th, Cass County deputies arrested 24-year old Tyler Lee Mills, of Atlantic, on a charge of Violation of a No Contact Order. Mills was taken to the Cass County Jail where he pled not guilty and was released the following day.
Also on Oct. 18th, 35-year old Tamara Lynn McCoy, of East Moline, IL, was arrested in Cass County on a charge of OWI 1st Offense. McCoy was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on $1,000 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Three Iowa companies have received U.S. Department of Agriculture grants for research projects officials hope will lead to new technologies that advance agriculture. Small Business Innovation Grants were awarded to Harrisvaccines in Ames, which has recently developed a new vaccine for a pig virus; Agren Inc. in Carroll, a consultant that helps farmers deal with environmental issues; and Diamond V Mills in Cedar Rapids, which develops animal food.  Each company receives more than $99,000.

The USDA says the grant program was created to stimulate technological innovations in the private sector and to strengthen the role of federal research and development in support of small businesses.  More than $18 million in grants were announced Monday by the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

The Atlantic Police Department is being used in a phone scam. Police Chief Steve Green reports a resident of Audubon County received a phone call from a number that came up on their caller I-D as 712-243-3512….the administrative number for the Atlantic P-D. The person receiving the call was told that they were going to be arrested within 30-minutes if they did not pay $100 by means of electronic payment.

Audubon County Sheriff Todd Johnson, Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren and Chief Green want to let you know that caller ID’s can be “spoofed” through computer manipulation, and that the Atlantic Police Department does NOT CALL and collect money by telephone, e-mail or social media.

The Chief reminds you also, that you should not send money or divulge any personal or financial information to anyone you do not personally know.