w/ Ric Hanson

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Iowa authorities have recaptured a man who escaped from a work release program in Council Bluffs over the weekend.  Fred Scaletta with the Iowa Department of Corrections says 56-year-old Carroll Wayne Walker was arrested on Sunday, and is being held in the Pottawattamie County jail.

Walker failed to report to work and didn’t return to the work release facility on Friday. He escaped less than a month after the Parole Board allowed him to transfer there on March 1.  Walker is in the middle of a ten-year sentence for second-degree robbery that he began serving in 2006.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A film that documents the dangers faced by one of the busiest fire fighting units in America will be showing in theaters across Iowa this month (April), including here in Atlantic. “BURN” follows Detroit’s Engine Company 50 as they battle both fires and city hall. John Jensen, a Des Moines firefighter who helped organize screenings of the film in a dozen Iowa cities, says Detroit has one of the highest arson rates in the world. “The economic downturn has left all these houses and buildings (in Detroit) abandoned and there’s people just going around setting them on fire,” Jensen says. “They have 500 structure fires a month.”

The firefighters in Detroit are put at an even greater risk due to a lack of funding and broken down equipment. Jensen film saw “BURN” while attending a conference in Phoenix. “It was very inspiring to me because, in the movie, one of the (firefighters) is injured in a wall collapse and he becomes paralyzed. They follow him through his rehab,” Jensen said. “It hit me right in the heart.”

Tickets to see “BURN” at theatres in Iowa are $15. A portion of the profits from the film will go the Leary Firefighters Foundation, an organization founded by actor Dennis Leary which purchases new equipment for firefighters. The film will be shown in Atlantic on April 24^th and 25^th, beginning at 7:30-p.m.

(Radio Iowa)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A monthly economic survey index for nine Midwest and Plains states jumped last month, suggesting improving economic growth for the region over the next three to six months.  The Mid-America Business Conditions index hit 58.2 in March, compared with 53.1 in February and 53.2 in January.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he credits the index jump to “the strongest new-orders growth in two years.”  The survey of business leaders and supply managers uses a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth while a score below 50 suggests decline for that factor.

The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

A public hearing is set to take place during the City Council meeting Wednesday evening in Atlantic, with regard to the issuance of a maximum of $7.28-million dollars in Sewer Revenue Bonds. City Administrator Doug Harris has previously reported to the Council, that current interest rates makes it beneficial to issue the bonds, rather than draw down the remaining $6.6-million from the State Revolving Loan Fund (SRF) to finance the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The total amount of the issue is $7.28-million, according to Harris, because the City is required to establish a sinking fund which provides bond holders with some additional security, and, it will ultimately be used to pay off the final payments. Harris estimates a savings to the City of $23,500 per year for the first 17-years of the bond maturity structure, for an overall savings of $391,177.  The Council will consider a resolution to enter into a SRF agreement for the bonds, following the public hearing.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, will hold a public hearing as well, on the plans, specifications, estimated cost and form of contract for the Parks and Recreation Department’s Maintenance and office facility. As we reported last Friday, the Parks and Rec Board on Thursday, approved a base bid and alternate additions for the project, from Iron Specialties, of Atlantic, for $291,362. If the bid is approved by the Council following the public hearing, the project would be paid for using 2012 Bond proceeds.

The Council will also act on a resolution approving the contract and bonds for Dostals Construction Company, with regard to the Sunnyside Tennis Court reconstruction project, in the amount of $295,000. The revised start date for the project is May 1st, with completion expected by no later than July 31st. If the project is not finished, the contractor would be subject damages amounting to $500 per calendar day. The Council will also act on resolutions: approving the contract and bonds amounting to $227,538 for a sanitary sewer relining project; and the 2013 Street Improvement project, which amounts to slightly more than $1.75-million.

Prior to adjournment, the Council will enter into a closed session, as allowed by the Code of Iowa, Chapter 21.5 (i), which pertains to personnel and/or legal matters. The Atlantic City Council meeting begins at 5:30-p.m., Wednesday, at City Hall.

Authorities in Montgomery County said Saturday, no injuries were reported following a collision between a pickup and a car Friday afternoon, in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, a 1995 Chevy pickup driven by 62-year old Valerie Carmona, of Red Oak, was traveling south on Broadway at around 2-p.m., when her vehicle was hit by a 1993 Ford Taurus, driven by 91-year old Esther McHenry, of Red Oak, who was traveling east on Corning Street.

Officials say Carmona claims she had the green light, and proceeded into the intersection, but as she continued into the intersection, the traffic signal turned red. McHenry told authorities she had the green light and proceeded into the intersection, where the collision occurred. Damage from the accident amounted to $1,500. No citations were issued.

Representatives with the Cumberland Volunteer Fire Department and the Atlantic Food Pantry received ceremonial checks for $2,500 each over the weekend, as part of a seed company’s contest.

Ruth Steffen (Center, pink jacket) hold a ceremonial $2,500 check for the Cumberland VFD. Representatives with the Dept., including Chief Sean South (on the far left), and the Atlantic Food Pantry along with Bob Sloss (Far right) also appear in the picture. (Ric Hanson/photo)

The checks were presented to CFD Fire Chief Sean South and a representative with the Atlantic Food Pantry’s by Bob Sloss, District Sales Manager for Kruger Seeds, a division of the Monsanto Seed Company, during an event held Saturday evening at the Cumberland Fire Department. Sloss said for the past three-years, Monsanto has sponsored a program called “America’s Farmers Grow Communities.” He said it’s the company’s way of giving back to those communities, whose farmers purchase their products.

In years past, according to Sloss, the company has given one award per county to farmers who have entered their names in a contest. No purchase was necessary. The winners choose a non-profit organization of their choice to receive a check for $2,500. This year, awards are being presented to 1,271 counties in 39 states, and there’s a twist to the monetary amounts being donated. He says because Cass County was in a USDA declared disaster area due to the drought of 2012, the donation doubled to $5,000. Ruth Steffen was the winner in Cass County, and she won the right to choose the recipients of the funds.

Ruth selected the Cumberland Fire Department and Atlantic Food Pantry, each of which received checks for $2,500. Steffen says she selected the Cumberland Volunteer Fire Department because she has had to call them several times over the years, and their assistance has been invaluable. CFD Chief Sean South said they would use their funds to help with the purchase of a new grass rig, which is used to fight grass and other small fires. The truck is currently under construction, and should arrive later this Spring.

He said the 2013 Chevrolet will replace a 1979 Ford grass fire fighting truck that has 124,000 miles on it. That vehicle was purchased used, one-year after it came out of the factory, and was owned by a farmer. The department took sealed bids on their used truck Saturday night, during their Pork Chop Supper, which is their biggest fundraiser of the year. They will continue to receive bids until the new unit arrives. The new truck cost $45,000, and will be equipped with some pieces of equipment from the old truck.  South said they already have the necessary funds to purchase the new truck, and the money raised from Saturday’s supper will help to replenish the funds used from Certificates of Deposit (CD’s) to help pay for the new truck. He said donations such as the one from Ruth Steffen and Monsanto, as well as others, are greatly appreciated.

The Atlantic Food Pantry will use their $2,500 donation to buy basic necessities to help families in need.