• October 1-5: 1 or more hour of physical activity
  • October 2 – Healthiest State 14th Annual Walk
• October 6-12: 5 or more fruits or vegetables
• October 13-19: 2 hours or less of recreational screen time
• October 20-26: 0 sugary drinks – drink more water!
  • October 23: 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Summit

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County, today (Tuesday), said a juvenile was arrested late this morning at the Southwest Valley Middle School in Villisca, on a Threat of Terrorism charge. The arrest occurred a little after 11-a.m. The unnamed juvenile was taken into custody, processed at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, and transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Vision Atlantic, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has partnered with the Charles E. Lakin Foundation, to address housing in Atlantic. Christina Bateman, Board President of Vision Atlantic, says the mission of Vision Atlantic is to “Empower growth, enhance lives and create a thriving community together.” She adds, “We’re poised to transform Atlantic for generations to come.”

After thorough research with community partners over recent years, Vision Atlantic has pinpointed three critical areas that are pivotal for stabilizing and enhancing Atlantic’s population: expanding housing, childcare facilities and amenities. Collaborative efforts with community stakeholders, generous donors and foundational support channel an estimated $75.5 million into these vital projects. This includes $48 million directed towards new housing, $11.5 for a new state-of-the-art child development center, and $16 million for the expansion of the local YMCA.

Contributions towards a $30 million fundraising goal have been robust, with over $9.7 million pledged by local donors. The Charles E. Lakin Foundation has committed a remarkable $8.6 million, significantly supporting the new child development center and YMCA expansion. As part of the Foundation’s $165 million contribution to ‘Revitalize Southwest Iowa’, Vision Atlantic has received $23 million, which will serve as capital the organization will use to construct 144 housing units in the new Camblin Hills Housing Development. The $23 million will reoccur yearly, giving Vision Atlantic the ability to accomplish other housing and commercial goals once this project is complete.

Steve Wild, President of the Charles E. Lakin Foundation, remarked, “Atlantic isn’t just waiting for a brighter future, they’re building it. Our investment and Vision Atlantic’s bold leadership are the catalysts propelling this community into an era of prosperity.”

Camblin Hills Housing Development sits on 49 acres and will include single family homes, town homes, duplexes and tiny homes, with lots also available for purchase. A biking/walking trail will be nestled in, offering a safe, family-friendly environment for any buyer. Once the $23 million capital is paid back to the Foundation, 5% of the interest paid will be donated back to Vision Atlantic to be used as an endowment to fund the new child development center, generating an estimated $1.1 million each year.

Christina Bateman said “We are extremely grateful to the Charles E. Lakin Foundation and all our local businesses and residents who have already committed financial support to help make this once-in-a-lifetime project a reality. This incredible generosity from the Foundation is not only going to change Atlantic for the better, but all of Southwest Iowa.”

Infrastructure for Vision Atlantic’s transformative project is slated to begin this fall with construction beginning spring of 2025. All 144 housing units will be completed by the fall of 2030 and will produce an estimated $1.1 million yearly in additional tax revenue to the City of Atlantic and Cass County. The Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of Atlantic is slated to be completed by November 2026 with the YMCA expansion complete by September 2027.

Over the past 11 months, Vision Atlantic’s Project Committee has raised $18.3 million dollars, 60% of a $30 million goal. If you are interested in helping transform Atlantic, whether it’s through monetary donations or acts of volunteerism, please contact Vision Atlantic at visionatlanticiowa@gmail.com.

Follow Vision Atlantic on Facebook for behind-the-scenes access to project updates or www.visionatlantic.org.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-O-T has released its review of speed cameras under new rules created by the state legislature. Cities and counties had to apply to the D-O-T and show the camera is placed in an area due to the number and severity of traffic accidents there. There were 139 requests and only 11 were approved.

That includes four in Cedar Rapids, and Davenport, and one each in Des Moines, Leclaire, and Marshalltown.

(Stock photo via Canva)

The D-O-T also denied 66 locations where cities wanted mobile speed cameras but approved 143 mobile locations in Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Des Moines, Fort Dodge, Marion, Muscatine, Sioux City, and Waterloo.

A mayor of a city that the Iowa Department of Transportation decided couldn’t continue using speed cameras is responding. Prairie City mayor Chad Alleger says the denial of their three fixed cameras is a surprise because the cameras reduced speeding near schools.

The DOT says a seven-member panel made the decisions based on the law, which says cameras can be approved if they’re appropriate, necessary, and the least restrictive way to address traffic safety at those locations. Mayor Alleger believes they made a good case to keep the cameras.

DES MOINES — U.S. Representative Zach Nunn (IA-03) today announced mobile office hours across the Iowa Third Congressional District to assist constituents who may not be able to travel to one of the congressional offices located in Creston, Des Moines, and Ottumwa. At these mobile office hours, Iowans will be able to get help from their congressional office with Social Security, Medicare, passports, visas, veterans’ benefits, military records, tax returns, and other issues with federal government agencies.

In this area, the schedule for October mobile office hours is listed below:

Cass County 
Griswold City Hall 
601 2nd Street, Griswold, Iowa
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Page County 
Shenandoah Public Library 
201 South Elm, Shenandoah, Iowa
Thursday, October 10, 2024
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Montgomery County 
Red Oak Public Library 
400 2nd Street, Red Oak, Iowa
Thursday, October 10, 2024
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Ringgold County 
Matura 
306 South Garfield, Mount Ayr, Iowa
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Guthrie County 
Mary Barnett Memorial Library 
400 Grant Street, Guthrie Center, Iowa
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Adair County 
Adair Public Library 
310 Audubon Street, Adair, Iowa
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Additional dates and locations will be announced in the future.

(Radio Iowa) – Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the Midwestern agricultural sector is now in a “significant recession,” and the region’s economic picture is lagging. Creighton’s monthly survey of business leaders and supply managers in Iowa and eight other states finds the overall Business Conditions Index fell below growth neutral during September — for the fifth time this year.

On a scale of zero-to-100, a score of 50 is considered growth neutral, and the Midwest economy showed a score of just over 48 last month.

Ernie Goss (Creighton University photo)

Iowa’s score was even lower, dropping about a point from August to just above 43 for September, indicating the state’s economy is significantly slowing. Goss says the survey asked about the biggest roadblocks that lie ahead for the region’s manufacturers.

Other challenges they mentioned include continued high interest rates and China’s threatened invasion of Taiwan. With America’s general election just over a month away, we’re hearing a lot about whether the economy is in a recession. From his standpoint, Goss says it’s a complicated answer.

The survey shows the region’s employment index slumped below growth neutral for a ninth straight month, while looking forward, supply managers expect input prices to rise more than six-percent over the next year. According to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report, Iowa lost 3,800 manufacturing jobs, or about two-and-a-half percent, so far in 2024.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowan who became a reality T-V star on the hit show “American Pickers” has died. Fifty-eight-year-old Frank Fritz, a Davenport native, died last (Monday) night according to the administrator of a public Facebook page called Frank Fritz Friends. American Pickers co-host Mike Wolfe posted a tribute on Instagram, calling Frank a dreamer who was just as sensitive as he was funny. American Pickers launched in 2010 and Wolfe said few would have ever dreamed the two would share the cockpit of a white cargo van in front of millions of people interested in their adventures.

Wolfe, along with other friends, were with Fritz last (Monday) night and Wolfe said after sharing so many miles together, he feels blessed that he was there when Fritz took one last journey home. Danielle Colby, who also appeared on American Pickers, referred to Fritz as “road dog” in a post on Instagram, and said she’ll miss his ability to make everyone laugh…and those little glimpses of vulnerability from time to time. Fritz had several health issues and had not been on the program since 2020. He suffered a stroke in July of 2022.

Frank Fritz (right) and Mike Wolfe

Fritz spoke with Radio Iowa a decade ago about being a life-long “picker” who started collecting rocks and beer cans as a boy.

Fritz said his favorite items to “pick” during his adventures were toys, advertising and motorcycles. Fritz bought his first Harley when he was 15 and, by 2014, he had a collection of “at least 70” motorcycles.

In January of 2023, the History Channel aired an episode of American Pickers titled “Frank Almighty” that was a retrospective of some of his favorite finds. It featured Frank at a toy museum in West Virginia as well as a visit to the home of a drummer of “Ohio Express” — one of Frank’s favorite bands.

(Radio Iowa) – A report shows Iowa made significant strides in advancing renewable energy over the last two decades with wind and solar rising to 64-percent of Iowa’s electricity generation last year. Steve Guyer, the main author of the report for the Iowa Environmental Council, says the state’s utilities need to speed up efforts to transition away from coal to reach national and international targets to help stave off climate change.

Guyer says Iowa relied predominately on coal back in the year 2000, but wind generation started to really pick up around 2008.

Guyer says the reduction in coal production over the last two decades reflects another important trend.

Radio Iowa file photo

Guyer says to reduce emissions further, utilities need to shut down the state’s remaining coal plants. MidAmerican Energy, Iowa’s largest utility, says it plans to do that and reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 by investing more in wind and solar, as well as nuclear. Des Moines-based MidAmerican jointly owns six coal plants in the state, and says it has more wind generation capacity than any other regulated utility in the nation.

(Audubon, Iowa) – Iowa Fire Marshal Dan Wood today (Tuesday), approved a requested Burn Ban for Audubon County, effective immediately, and until further notice. The Ban on open Burning was requested by Tyler Thygesen, representing each fire department district in the county. It was instituted in light of the dry conditions, and whereby open burning would constitute a danger to life or property, and will be in-place until that threat has diminished to an acceptable level.

Violation of the burn ban is a simple misdemeanor, according to the Code of Iowa.

For  more information: https://dps.iowa.gov/divisions-iowa-department-public-safety/iowa-state-fire-marshal-division/state-fire-marshal-division-general-information#burn-ban-information

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with the Charles E. Lakin Foundation -in partnership with the Community Foundation for Western Iowa – gathered with local and State officials Tuesday morning at a venue near Atlantic, to announce a $165-million dollar Initiative to Revitalize Southwest Iowa communities. Event guests included Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Director Debi Durham, as well as representatives from the communities of Atlantic, Treynor, Malvern and Stanton, who are currently working through their Revitalize Initiatives.

Charles E. Lakin Foundation President Steve Wild explained the ambitious new project aims to reverse the economic decline plaguing southwest Iowa’s small towns.

Seven of the eight comparable counties” on the other side of the Missouri River, in Nebraska, by comparison, he said, “have experienced consistent growth.” The rural population in southwest Iowa, Wild said, has decreased by a staggering 20-percent, while the population in east central Nebraska has grown by 16-percent.

The Revitalize Southwest Iowa Initiative’s substantial investment, he said will establish 23 funds to diversely benefit 51 cities in southwest Iowa.

Steve Wild, Lakin Foundation President

Steve Wild said “We know our journey will be challenging, but the stakes are too high to falter.” He said it’s their commitment for today and the future. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds thanked the Lakin Foundation for the transformative investment they are making. Communities like Atlantic, she said, are investing in more housing, daycare and other means to draw workers and their families.

Communities like Atlantic, Malvern, Treynor and Stanton share similar goals to invigorate growth.

Reynolds says “This isn’t about imposing cookie cutter ideas from above, but about giving the needed boost to projects that are conceived and executed at the local level.”

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (10-1-24)

Steve Wild said the funds are divided up for distribution to 23 “Anchor cities,” such as those mentioned, and 28 “member cities” who will work together to establish further grants and investments.

He said participating communities must demonstrate need, a local economic commitment, a collaborative and sharing of amenities with other communities. There must also be active participation from local donors, community engagement and participation, and a sustainable development plan, and finally, preparedness to launch their projects. In 2025, Clarinda, Essex, Minden, Oakland and Walnut will hold discussions with the Lakin Foundation on Revitalize Initiatives.

Here’s the breakdown of the investment fund distribution:

$33 million for Cass County and its anchor cities Anita, Atlantic, Griswold and member cities Cumberland, Lewis, Massena

$13.6 million for Fremont County and its anchor cities Sidney, Tabor and member cities Farragut, Riverton, Thurman, Imogene, Randolph

$23.8 million for Mills County and its anchor cities Emerson, Glenwood, Malvern and member cities Henderson, Pacific Junction, Silver City, Hastings

$26 million for Montgomery County and its anchor cities Red Oak, Stanton, Villisca and member cities Coburg, Elliot, Grant

$39.3 million for Page County and its anchor cities Clarina, Essex, Shenandoah and member cities Braddyville, College Springs, Hepburn, Shambaugh, Yorktown, Blanchard, Coin, Northboro

$29.275 million Pottawattamie County and its anchor cities of Avoca, Carson, Minden, Neola, Oakland, Treynor, Underwood, Walnut and member cities Macedona, Hancock, McClelland)

For more information, to: https://docs.craft.do/editor/d/3555920f-b4e6-98aa-66ec-d81a2817fe68/D5AC266B-6320-40B4-AD6F-FE960BF2DBB3?s=bTbT5ANn1zSDTgEF2BjSK3sDDWu1z9vrUcX6b6KZZ86H