A ceremony held Saturday afternoon in the Atlantic City Park for the re-dedication of a Soldiers Monument began with a a loud boom.

The replica miniature civil war era cannon and Cannoneer.

The sound of a replica, miniature canon built by Atlantic’s Steve Livengood echoed through the downtown area, and was one of many, similar events held throughout the country in commemoration of the Sesquicentennial (150th Anniversary), of the American Civil War, which was fought from 1861 to 1865. The original dedication ceremony for the monument in Atlantic was held 94 years ago, on July 10th, 1919. It’s dedicated to the memory of those who fought in the Mexican, Civil, and Spanish-American Wars.

Helping to commemorate the ceremony in Atlantic were members of the Col. William H. Kinsman Camp 23, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, Uniformed Group, Company B, 10th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. American Legion Post 43 and VFW members were also on hand to provide a 21-gun salute.

Dave Hancock (podium), Steve Livengood (left), Dave Jones, Mark Wedemeyer & civil war re-enactors.

Dave Hancock, of Atlantic, was Master of Ceremonies for the event. His great grandfather is among the 640 veterans whose name is listed among the plaques surrounding the monument’s base.

Hancock said it was in the memory of his great-grandfather and all those who lost their lives in the war, that the re-dedication took place. Also speaking at the event was Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones, Mark Wedemeyer, Chair of the Cass County Board of Supervisors, and Atlantic City Councilman Steve Livengood, who also provided a history of the monument from its inception, up to and including a recent renovation. It began with a petition with 141 names which was presented before the Supervisors in 1915.

The monument cost a total of around $26,916, which includes an architects fee and a little more than $3,000 for the foundation, which is 22-square feet wide at the top, 26-square feet wide at the bottom, and 10-feet deep. It’s made up of concrete, reinforced steel, cement, sand and crushed stone. The entire monument is 62-feet 10-inches tall.

Livengood became involved in the restoration of the monument a few years ago, when a citizen asked about a missing shield on the Lady Liberty statue which rests atop the monument.

Lady Liberty sits atop the Soldier’s Memorial.

The shield had fallen off and was being stored in a Parks and Rec building.As the Council’s liaison to the Park Board, Livengood began the process of finding someone to repair the statue. It was repaired by Steve Nelson, of Nelson Machine and Forge, in Marne. The re-dedication was preceded by a bugler calling soldiers to Assembly.

Cass County Supervisor Mark Wedemeyer made official, the re-dedication, which concluded with the placing of colors, the Pledge of Allegiance, the setting of a Civil War soldiers’ field pack, wreath and flag at the base of the monument, a performance of TAPS, and a 21-gun salute.

The Color Guard stands by.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Public Health says there are now 60 confirmed of the rare food-borne illness cyclosporiasis, up from 45 cases reported Friday.In the KJAN listening area, 3 cases have been reported in Dallas County,  2 cases in Mills County, and 1 case in each of Monona and Pottawattamie Counties.

The illness is most commonly contracted by eating food or drinking water contaminated with human feces containing the cyclospora parasite. Iowa typically has just one or two cases a year, usually travelers. Officials believe fresh vegetables may be the culprit, but the investigation continues.

Consumers should wash fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of the illness, which causes diarrhea that lasts an average of 57 days.

Neighboring Nebraska reported 35 cases as of Friday. A Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a message Saturday asking if more cases had been confirmed in Nebraska.

No injuries were reported after an SUV containing fireworks erupted into flames Friday after it rolled over on southbound Interstate 29. According to newspaper and television reports, the accident happened near the South 24th Street exit off I-29, at around 12:30-p.m. The vehicles’ occupants were able to escape just before flames consumed the SUV. The fire raged on for about 20-minutes. Traffic was backed up in both directions on the interstate for several miles but began flowing again by around 2-p.m., Friday.

w/Marissa Hovde

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The Iowa State Patrol reports an Audubon County man was injured during a crash Friday night, just east of Brayton. 51-year old Randy Doss, of Exira, who was not wearing a seat belt, was transported by Exira Rescue to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic, before being flown by Mercy 1 helicopter to the University of Nebraska Medical Center, in Omaha. Officials say Doss was traveling east on 320th Street at around 10:52-p.m., when he failed to negotiate a curve in the road.

Doss’ 1997 Ford F-150 pickup continued off the road and rolled into the north ditch before coming to rest in a farm field. A report on his condition was not available early Saturday morning. The accident remains under investigation.

THE AMBER ALERT THAT HAD BEEN ISSUED EARLIER IN THE EVENING IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. THE IOWA STATE PATROL REPORTS THAT THE MISSING CHILD HAS BEEN LOCATED IN CEDAR RAPIDS…IOWA. THEREFORE…THE AMBER ALERT IS CANCELLED.

(There is an update to this story…please see the later posting)

One person was seriously injured during an accident late Friday night, near Brayton. According to dispatch reports, the accident happened just after 10-p.m. on County Trunk Road one mile east of Brayton. A single occupant of the vehicle was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital before being flown by Mercy 3 Helicopter to a hospital in Omaha. The chopper departed CCMH at around 11:35-p.m.

Medivac Ambulance was called to assist Brayton Fire and Rescue at the scene. Additional details are currently not available.

(Posted 10:50-p.m., Friday, updated 11:40-p.m.)

The State of Iowa has issued an official AMBER ALERT. Officials say 11-year old Kiley Seane Shannon was abducted from Shellsburg by 37-year old Sean Shannon. Authorities said Shannon, who is Kiley’s father, abducted the girl from her home. Deputies said Shannon does not have parental rights and may be suicidal. They said he has a history of drug abuse. The pair is traveling in an unknown direction in a 1998 Chrysler Cirrus with Iowa license plate number 452 WWY.

Kiley Seane Shannon

Kiley is described as being 5-feet tall, weighing about 70-pounds. She has pony-tail style brown hair and brown eyes, and is believed to be wearing a green, fishnet tank top, jean-style mini skirt and pink flip flops.

Sean Shannon is 6-feet 2-inches tall, weighs 250-pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. He is wearing a white shirt, black gym shorts, white & red tennis shoes, and has a tatoo on the right side of his neck, with numerous other tatoos on his body.

Sean Shannon

If you see the vehicle or the persons described in the alert, call your local law enforcement agency or the Benton County Sheriff’s Office at 319-472-2337.

A special dedication that took place in Shelby County Friday evening was a prelude to a Parish Picnic. Before the kickoff of the 2013 St. Joseph’s Parish Picnic in Earling, the Earling American Legion Post 615 introduced the newest tourism attraction to Shelby County, the Earling Freedom Rock.

The Shelby County Freedom Rock

The Freedom Rock in Earling was painted the last two weeks in June by Ray “Bubba” Sorensen. The special dedication was led by Jack Kenkel who is a member of the Earling American Legion Post. Kenkel said the rock was an idea by the American Legion.

“Part of the Legion’s thrust is to keep patriotism alive. We have an excellent group of Legionars with most of them from that Korea World War II era. I believe we have 7 or 8 of them have been 60 plus in the Legion. There was where we want to build off of their kids, grandkids and let them know what happened as an example today.”

Jack Kenkel

In Kenkel’s speech he gave a tour around the rock from the flag on the west side all the way around to the north side or as Kenkel called it the “Patriot side.”  “That is the Veteran’s who have paid the price since World War II. The last one being native son Paul Finken. We just don’t want to forget them.” It was hard for Kenkel to thank everyone as so many volunteers stepped up and helped with the project but he does have some advice for anyone who did help. “I’d say stop and enjoy the fruits of their labor, be it monetary, sweat equity or just a thank you. Come and see what they put here for I hope a long long time.”

The artist for the Freedom Rock Bubba Sorensen was on hand as well at the ceremony. Sorensen said the inspiration around the paintings on the rock was from a group of local residents.

Ray “Bubba” Sorensen.

“I met with a group of them including Jack and they mentioned Paul who was a high ranking officer. That became the focus on the rock and I will filter around it. I wanted to make sure I painted him first. Then once I got here to Earling I saw the church and saw things to incorporate that would make a great addition. I knew about Firefighter Collins but it didn’t click that he was from Shelby County. Every county has these types of stories so I took it as a jigsaw puzzle and make something interesting to look at.”

Sorensen has painted rocks for the past 15 years and has already completed 7 other Freedom Rocks in Iowa before Earling’s. However, the artist known as Bubba is only getting started on his journey through Iowa because he plans on creating Freedom Rocks in 99 counties.  “I don’t think I can get this done any quicker than 10 years so it has been in the back of my mind that it will take a decade. It has been overwhelming and a lot of work already and I’m in the first year. When you take a step back it will go by quicker than you think. I am going to compile pictures and stories so hopefully people can look at it and enjoy the experience through a book.”

In addition to the original Freedom Rock in Adair County, and the recent edition in Shelby County, similar paintings have been completed in Dallas, Polk, Ringgold, Pocahontas and Mitchell Counties. 37 other Counties including Adams, Audubon, Crawford, Carroll, Fremont, Mills, Monona Page, Taylor and Union, have booked Sorensen to paint a Freedom Rock in the coming years.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The number of confirmed cases of a rare food-borne illness in Iowa has more than doubled in just four days as state and federal public health agencies try to figure out where it’s coming from. The Iowa Department of Public Health says the outbreak of cyclosporiasis (sy-kloh-spor-EYE’-uh-sis) has sickened 45 Iowans as of today.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors chairman doesn’t think on-duty sheriff’s deputies should be allowed to attend their children’s sporting events. Board chairman Larry Clausen said in a memo yesterday that the policy constitutes “a blatant misuse” of tax dollars. But Sheriff Dave Drew said four sheriffs have let deputies attend family events during their one-hour lunches.

MONONA, Iowa (AP) — A man operating a tractor in northeast Iowa has died after a bale of hay fell on him. The Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office says the 63-year-old man was operating a tractor in a field and moving large round bales of hay when he was killed. Authorities have not released the man’s name.

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — A Storm Lake woman has been accused of hitting her teenage son with a vehicle and driving away. Storm Lake police say 33-year-old Esmeralda Vasquez-Espinoza got into an argument with her 17-year-old son last night before the alleged incident occurred. The teen was treated at the scene and Vasquez-Espinoza was charged with misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of an accident and not having a driver’s license.