(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Fire Department was paged-out to a garage fire this (Wednesday) afternoon. Fire Chief Tom Cappel said the call about the blaze at 1313 Poplar Street went out at around 4:17-p.m.  Upon arrival, crews encountered heavy black smoke and flames coming from the structure, which was detached from the nearby house.

Crews went into an instant “attack mode,” which involved taking down the power lines down and get the flames knocked down so they could release some of the heat. One of the garage doors had already fallen down. Cappel says the residents told him they were spraying ether into the engine of an old car, but the vehicle back-fired.

Atlantic Municipal Utilities helped to shut-off the power, Atlantic Police were on-hand to assist with traffic control. Cass EMS was on the scene in a stand-by mode, but was not needed. There were no injuries. Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon was also at the scene. He provided KJAN with these pictures:

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic this (Wednesday) evening, voted unanimously to approve the sale/transfer of certain City-owned property in the southeast Urban Renewal Area. While it was not specifically stated in the Resolution as spoken, Councilman Mike McDermott said afterward, it calls for the City to sell the property to Vision Atlantic, for the price of One-dollar.

Prior to the Council’s vote, they heard from Jackie Sampson, a life-long City resident, who is on the leadership board for the non-profit Vision Atlantic organization. Sampson said the turning the land over to Vision Atlantic would have far reaching opportunities for economic development project. The Lakin Foundation, she said, is willing to invest in the project by means of capital for a housing project, and an endowment for a child development center. Sampson said the Lakin Foundation believes in Atlantic, and this is something that is desperately needed.

Vision Atlantic Vice-President Nicholas Hunt, said the development project would yield a much greater return on the City’s investment when it purchased the property from the Comes Family Trust, than if it were to used for farming. The fastest way to get the money invested back, is to develop the land for housing.

Vision Atlantic V-P Nick Hunt delivers a passionate appeal to the Atlantic City Council to accept a proposal to turn over the land in question.

“Every City and town in southwest Iowa wants housing, and they want childcare,” he said, and Vision Atlantic is getting the City both, with no risk nor indebtedness to the City. We are doing this because…the City did not want to develop the land on its own and take on the risk” associated with such a move. Vision Atlantic, Hunt said, is comprised of volunteers, who negotiated a deal for the land. They’ve been working with the Charles E. Lakin Foundation for over a year and a-half. He said they have been willing to commit $8.6-million dollars towards the YMCA and also to the childcare center, as an outright grant, plus a $23-million “loan” for begin the process of establishing the infrastructure.

The Committee has also raised over $7.6-million dollars in private donations for the project, Hunt said. Everyone they’ve talked to, he said, believes in the project. “They all agree that we need housing, they all agree we need childcare, and they all believe in the YMCA, which is a great asset to the community.” Nick Hunt closed by saying “No one has profited from all this activity and volunteer time and effort. The money spent and donated have all been for the City of Atlantic,” as it will bring in more tax dollars and added business revenue, jobs, school, other institutions and churches.

“I’d say no city has been given a better deal than this one [meaning the City of Atlantic], Hunt said. “This is a gift. We all just need to cooperate and not fight it, but to work for Atlantic and work for this great project. Every investment has risk. But doing nothing…not investing in this City, also has risk.” That risk he said, is for the City to stagnate, and die. That’s something he doesn’t want to see. Hunt said “I refuse to give up on Atlantic, and I’m asking you (the Council) to believe in the future.”

DES MOINES – Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed SF 2391, a bill for an act prohibiting the misbranding of certain food products, and providing penalties, and HF 2649, a bill for an act excluding the net capital gain from the sale of certain livestock from the computation of net income for purposes of the individual income tax into law.  

Gov. Reynolds released the following statement in response to signing SF 2391: 

“This legislation prohibits companies from exploiting the trust consumers have with our livestock producers and misleading consumers into buying products they don’t want. This is about transparency. It’s about the common-sense idea that a product labeled chicken, beef, or pork, should actually come from an animal.” 

(Radio Iowa) – Feeding America’s latest annual study shows that the hunger problem in Iowa is getting worse. Food Bank of Iowa CEO Michelle Book says the new “Map the Meal Gap” report covers 2022.

“Twenty-22 is higher, the highest it’s been since 2017, food insecurity in the state of Iowa. But we also know that in addition to what these numbers reflect with 2022 that we’ve seen a 30 percent increase year over year in ’23 and ’24,” Book says. The report shows nearly 11 percent of Iowans and 15 percent of Iowa children aren’t getting enough food.

“Appanoose County is the highest level of food insecurity according to the Map the Meal Gap at nearly 15 percent of the population. Wappello County, where Ottumwa is, comes in a near second at about 14.2% or 5,000 residents in Wappello County being deemed in need of food assistance,” she says. Other counties facing food insecurity issues are Crawford, Lucas, Clarke and Des Moines counties.

Book says Iowa’s wages are not keeping up with the cost of living. “The last thing they spend money on is food at the grocery store, they’ve got to keep a roof over their head. They’ve got to keep an operating vehicle. They’ve got to pay the utilities at the end of the day there’s just not enough money for food,” Book says. The complete report can be found on line at FeedingAmerica.org

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic firefighters were dispatched at around 4:17-p.m, to a garage fire at 1310 Poplar Street. Atlantic Police reported the structure, which is detached from a residence, was fully engulfed in flames. Residents of the home were safely evacuated. A vehicle was said to be inside the garage.

Cass EMS was sent to the scene as a precautionary measure. Cass County EMA Coordinator Mike Kennon was also on the scene.

Additional information was not immediately available.

DES MOINES – Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed HF 2545 into law, a bill which improves educational standards and requires teaching on: World War I, World War II, the Holocaust, Cold War, 9/11, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and amendments, the Emancipation proclamation, and more. 

Gov. Reynolds signed the bill at Beit Shalom Jewish Community alongside leaders from around the state and members of the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities. Gov. Reynolds released the following quote in response to signing HF 2545:  

“As part of a broader update to our educational standards designed to promote a deeper understanding of both American civics and Western history, this bill specifically requires that students be taught about the Holocaust. It also requires instruction on the broader context of World War II, as well as the significance of ancient Israel.

“At a time when so many young people today fail to learn the lessons of history, this legislation will help to keep Iowa on a different and better path. It will also ensure we provide our students with the foundation necessary to be active participants in our democracy – the best form of government in the world.”