(Atlantic, Iowa) – During their meeting Wednesday evening, the City Council in Atlantic passed two resolutions calling for Public Hearings on the Dissolution of the Community Promotion and Cable TV Commissions. City Administrator John Lund noted in his agenda notes, that the Personnel and Finance Committee reviewed the issues on January 27 and recommended the CPC be dissolved. The committee cited issues with attendance and engagement with the Community Promotion Commission. The Committee’s meetings require posting agendas and minutes, Lund said, while another issue is that amount of red tape for a body that distributes funds for important, annual community events planned and executed by the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber Executive Director Bailey Smith, and Brian Ruge Chamber Board President, said they were caught off-guard when they first learned of the plan to dissolve the Commission.

The dissolution means the Chamber of Commerce will receive $45,000 under the new L.O.S.T. progress budget, and Produce in the Park will receive $8,500. The remaining funds will be under the City Council’s discretion to allocate annually, depending on need and resource availability. Atlantic City Clerk Barb Barrick explained the procedure of dissolving commissions or boards approved by the City Council.

The Council set April 19 as the date for that public hearing. During the April 19th meeting also, there will be a Public Hearing on the dissolution of the Cable Television Commission.

City Administrator John Lund has said well before COVID-19 pretty much ended in-person meetings for a while, the Commission was informally dissolved for similar reasons as the Community Promotion Commission. He added “There were rarely any issues to discuss…”and the Commission members “…had no objections to the termination of the Commission.”

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Lottery has begun the process of transitioning from a 365 day to 180 day time limit for redeeming winning lotto tickets that was approved by the Lottery Board in December. Lottery spokesperson, Mary Neubauer, says 180 days is the standard for most lotteries in the country. “That’s still approximately six months — gives you plenty of time, to make decisions, you know, consult a financial planner or a lawyer if you need to, but get into claim the prize. It makes the process more secure, because obviously, with the passage of time, it gets harder and harder for everyone to remember all of the details involved in a ticket purchase, or even to hang on to a ticket,” Neubauer says.

The first step in the process is what’s called a step down, where the lottery gradually drops the limit on advance ticket purchases. “The number of drawings for which you can buy plays in advance in Powerball, Mega Millions, Lotto America, Lucky for Life, will be limited and the number will become less and less as we get closer to that changeover date,” she says. Players are normally able to purchase tickets for ten straight drawings which could lead to several tickets with different expiration times. “You might have a ticket that spanned multiple drawings, and some of those plays would have 365 days for you to claim the prize, and some of them would have 180 days,” Neubauer says. “That would be confusing for players and the lottery.”

Neubauer says the step down allows them to make a good transition to the new time limit. She says it is a temporary change for those who like to buy several tickets in one stop. “So I would just say to players, we know this is a bit of an inconvenience, please bear with us. It’s all part of this prize claim change that’s being made,” she says. “And by late April, everything will have gone back to normal and the prize claim change will have been made, and you’ll be able to buy tickets again for up to ten drawings in advance.”

Neubauer says the impact of the change has a little bigger impact than other changes because the step down is happening for four games.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Bicycle Summit will be held today (Thursday) in the Des Moines metro area to promote cycling as a form of transportation, recreation, and health. Mark Wyatt, executive director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, says the conference will feature a variety of experts in the field of cycling and trail development. Wyatt says people who will attend include cycling enthusiasts, bike retailers, city planners, trail builders, tourism officials, and more.

Workshops will include topics like, “Building Sustainable Bike Trails,” “Seven Interventions for Bike and Pedestrian Safety,” and, “How to Maximize Your Trail Brand.” Wyatt says Iowa easily has more than two-thousand miles of dedicated bike trails, and he says more are needed as there are still “trail impaired” areas. The summit opens at 9 A-M at the Courtyard Marriott Conference Center in Ankeny.

(Radio Iowa) – Five Iowa companies are receiving more than eight million dollars in state water infrastructure grants.

AgCertain in Boone is getting a grant of three-point-nine million dollars for a new system that the company says will reduce city water usage by 85 percent and lower costs by one-point-two million dollars. Arconic in Davenport will use the two-point-two million dollar grant for a system it says will cut their water use by nearly 77 percent. C-J Bio in Fort Dodge says its one-point-eight million dollar grant will reduce its water draw from the city by 600-thousand gallons a day and their wastewater discharge will drop by 760-thousand gallons a day.

Prairie Farms, Dubuque says it will use the 275-thousand dollar grant to cut water used and wastewater from its dairy operations — saving them 85-thousand dollars in water costs. Hormel Foods in Dubuque says its 57-thousand dollar grant will help reduce water demand from the city by nine percent and waster water discharge by nearly 12 percent.

(Story County, Iowa) – A vehicle eluding law enforcement crashed into the rear of a another vehicle Wednesday night, resulting in the death of the driver of the second vehicle. The accident happened on Highway 210 near 630th Avenue, west of Maxwell, in Story County, at around 9:40-p.m.

According to the Iowa State Patrol, a marked law enforcement vehicle with its emergency lights activated, was pursing a 2018 Mazda 6 traveling at a high rate of speed and driven by 30-year-old Micah William Denman, of Ankeny, when the Mazda crashed into the rear of a 1987 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by 51-year-old Duane E. Sievert, of Maxwell.

The Chevy then traveled off the road and rolled over. Sievert died at the scene. He was wearing a seat belt. The crash remains under investigation. Denman is charged with homicide by vehicle. He was booked into the Story County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – The University of Iowa is joining 15 of the nation’s most prominent universities in a new effort to help students from rural areas enroll — and succeed — in college. Brent Gage, in the U-I’s enrollment management office, says the STARS College Network, STARS for Small-Town And Rural Students, will strive to create new pathways to higher education for students who might not otherwise recognize the full range of opportunities available to them.

Gage says, “It brings some of the nation’s top universities together to provide a place for students from rural communities to learn, how does the admissions process work and how can I dream a big dream about maybe going to an institution that has a very complex and intricate admissions process?” The network includes Brown University, Cal Tech, U-S-C, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Columbia, Yale and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Gage says the nationwide program is designed to empower students to find the best institution for them, whether or not they ultimately choose to enroll at Iowa. “This effort is really to provide a free resource to say, ‘Hey, we’re here to help. What questions do you have and how can we help guide you through that process?'” Gage says. “So, not only can a student from California work with the network to come and study at the University of Iowa, but if a student from a small town in Iowa always dreamed of going to MIT, this network can help explain how to get there.”

The U-I will be working with guidance counselors, principals and other administrators in high schools across Iowa to get the word out. Gage says it’s the university’s mission to open new doors for students throughout the state. “For a lot of students, they just don’t have the resources to be able to crack the code on how this works,” Gage says. “This is a benefit for us because Iowa is going to be exposed to students from all over the country that maybe didn’t know a lot about our great institution, while learning about all of these other places that are providing these resources and support.”

One element of the program will bring students from rural communities to campus over summer break to help them prepare academically and for college life. All programming is free to students who register with STARS. Learn more at: starscollegenetwork.org.

(Radio Iowa) – House Democrats are proposing a cap on the price of insulin, a freeze on tuition rates at community colleges and the three state universities and several other policies they say would lower costs for Iowans. Jennifer Konfrst, a Democrat from Windsor Heights, is the House Minority Leader.

“We are heading into budget season here at the legislature,” she says, “and now is the perfect time to talk about ways that we can help Iowans’ budgets at home while we’re working on the state budget.” Republicans hold a majority of seats in the House and Senate and control what gets debated and passed into law Konfrst says Democrats are hoping to work with Republicans on property tax relief, but they also hope to convince the G-O-P to take more steps to promote construction of affordable housing. House Democrats also propose a new state tax credit for child care costs.

“While we recognize the state legislature can’t control all the ups and downs of the national economy, we can take action to help lower costs for Iowa families and reduce the living expenses of everyday Iowans,” Konfrst says. Representative Molly Buck of Ankeny says another proposal from House Democrats would let the state labor commissioner investigate businesses accused of withholding wages, even if a formal complaint hasn’t been filed against the business.

“One in every seven workers in Iowa are shorted an average of $300 per week,” Buck says. That figure comes from a report issued last fall by Common Good Iowa, a research and advocacy group. The state’s Workforce Development agency is currently using a federal grant to investigate businesses that may be mis-classifying employees as independent contractors in order to avoid payroll taxes and the costs of employee benefits.

Atlantic, IA – Officials with SHIFT ATL, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, issued a public statement following Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Atlantic City Council, with regard to fundraising for the Splashpad Project. The statement reads…

“We are very grateful for the decision made this evening by the Atlantic City Council to allow the Splash Pad fundraising committee to act within their roles at full capacity to fundraise and move forward on this project, just like other community amenities that started as grassroots fundraising efforts within our community and like we see in other progressive cities.

Although we did not feel it was necessary to speak on our own behalf at the council meeting after this decision was made, we still need to clarify a few points that have recently been publicly stated in regard to our organization.

Our mission, vision and community commitment was called into question in March during a public meeting stating that our mission was focused on “housing”. Our mission, vision and “who we are” is, and always has been directed toward community betterment for Atlantic. Our mission, vision and who we are, is the same today as it was at our inception in 2019, with overall community at the forefront.

Vision: To SHIFT the direction of Atlantic’s social and economic development opportunities by leveraging partnerships and strengthening social bonds within the community.
Mission: To revitalize Atlantic through projects, services and programs that will enhance the community and foster a sense of development and growth.

Who we are: SHIFT ATL was officially born in June 2019 by a group of young(er) professionals who believe in creating a positive “shift” for the Atlantic community. We aim to be a development catalyst organization by identifying the needs and wants of residents, and creating an actionable plan to move forward. We also serve as a conduit and connector for those that have a passion project but not necessarily the means or backing to get started. Getting the right people and
pieces in place to support new and expanding businesses, organizations and projects is at the heart of how we operate.

We also wanted to address the comments sent to the media (in regards to our proposed partnership agreement with the City for the Splash Pad project) that stated the City’s local auditor raised multiple questions, one in specific stating “the biggest concern of the Auditor’s according to John Lund, is that SHIFT is an unaudited organization. While they do have a CPA, they are still unaudited.”

We contacted the local Auditor to confirm the listed concerns said to be raised by them, most specifically the above mentioned statement, and they stated that is NOT the position of the Auditor and/or their office and that they did NOT make this comment. SHIFT ATL would be a private organization making a donation to the splash pad project, and therefore, the City is not responsible for the records of our organization, nor any other person, business or organization
looking to make a donation for the splash pad.

SHIFT ATL whole-heartedly supports this project and the fundraising/Splash Pad committee, and we will continue to be advocates and supporters of this committee as the project moves forward. We wish the fundraising committee and the City the best as they continue to navigate the undertaking of funding the splash pad project. We remain committed to supporting their efforts.

Lastly, we would like to add specific context and clarity to remarks made in the aforementioned press release from Monday about our nonprofit and how we are audited. The IRS heavily scrutinizes organizations with a tax exempt status, as they rightfully should. Since our inception, all required quarterly reports and annual taxes have been submitted on
time and with the help of Rush CPA, an outstanding local accounting firm. The published concerns about SHIFT ATL being an “unaudited” organization could be perceived as extremely derogatory to someone not familiar with accounting practices for a 501(c)3. Integrity and financial transparency create the foundation in which we have built this non-profit, and we are proud of the fact that the IRS sees nothing in our financial reporting to flag an audit.

All of Shift ATL’s annual reports are accessible via our website and our financial statements or balance sheets are available upon request at shiftatl.org or shiftatlantic@gmail.com. We encourage anyone wanting to know more about what we do and how we utilize our resources, to please reach out!”

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports that on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at 10:16 p.m., officers with the Oskaloosa Police Department were dispatched to 709 D Avenue West on the report of a shooting. Responding officers found an adult male with a gunshot wound. Officers and EMS rendered aid at the scene. The man was transported to a Des Moines area hospital, where he remains.

As a result of the overnight investigation, officers with the Oskaloosa Police Department and agents with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are seeking help from the public to locate 22-year-old Gavin Jones. He is a white male, 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds, with brown hair. Jones is currently wanted on the charge of Willful Injury Causing Serious Injury for his involvement in this shooting. Jones maybe traveling in a stolen silver 2019 Toyota Corolla with Iowa license plate KYP677.

Gavin Jones

Jones should be considered armed and dangerous.  Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jones is asked to call 911 or the Oskaloosa Police Department at 641.672.2557.

Authorities say “This incident appears to be isolated, and there is no known ongoing threat to the public.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic met for about an hour this (Wednesday) evening, and voted to give the Splashpad Fundraising Committee free-reign to pursue funding for the project, which is estimated to cost around $600,000. During the Parks and Rec Board meeting on March 20th, tempers flared when the suggestion was made to use the non-profit SHIFT ATL organization as a means to apply for and write grants for the project. Councilman Gerald Brink thought that should be left to new Parks and Rec Director Wyatt Adderton.

During that meeting, Adderton offered to be the Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee and an intermediary to foster communication between the Committee and City Hall. Since then Councilman Brink says he’s had conversations with many people, and it’s time to move on.

Brink said in the past, a group in town decided they wanted the Trojan Head painted on the water tower, and it got painted.

Brink asked “Why in the world are we creating such a fiasco.?”

Brink said it’s important to let those who want to take charge of the fundraising, to do with out interference from the City.

Councilpersons McCurdy and Hartkopf agreed. Brink then made the recommendation to turn the fundraising effort over to those who want to take on the task. Brink made the motion. The Council’s decision was met with a a round of applause.

On a related note, the Atlantic City Council approved an Order to have Snyder and Associates as the engineers for the Splashpad Project, at a cost of $85,000 (The Parks Board had previously endorsed the agreement), the funds of which will come from a Splashpad Project Fund City Administrator John Lund created last year with surplus LOST/Hotel-Motel tax funds. The Council also passed an Order to approve Snyder’s as the engineers for the Soccer Field Project.