The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday (April 1st), will act on approving various contracts and agreements with area construction and other companies. First off during their 5:30-p.m. session at City Hall, the Council will hear from Annette Renaud, with Alliant Energy. Afterward, the Council will vote on approving the lease of land at 106 State Street (the former City operated, truck parking lot), for the purpose of a concrete recycling operation, as well as landscape stone product sales.  Duane Murphy, President of Murphy Contracting has proposed leasing the site, which is expected to produce $7,200 (paid in two installments of $3,600 per year) in annual revenue for the City on land that is currently unprofitable.

In other business, the Council will act on approving a retainer agreement with Otto, Lawrence and Wiederstein, of Atlantic, for legal services, and they’ll act on approving a 5-year contract with Medivac Ambulance Service. The cost of the service will be shared with Cass County, with the Board of Supervisors having approved their portion of the agreement last Wednesday. The City’s cost amounts to $50,400 for FY 2015-16, and $55,200 for FY 2016-2020, and 9.52% increase. The current rate for ambulance service has not changed in 5-years.

The Atlantic City Council is also expected to act on approving a Resolution approving the contract and bonds for the 2015 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project, and a Resolution calling for a loan agreement as well as the issuance of General Obligation Corporate Purpose Bonds and levying of taxes to pay for the bonds, the issuance of which amounts to $1.55-million. In addition, the Council will act on approving a Resolution for a loan agreement and issuance of $405,000 in Taxable G.O. Economic Development Grant Bonds. The Council authorized the processing of both bonds during their meeting on March 18th.

And, at the end of regular business, the Council will enter into a closed session for the purpose of discussing Collective Bargaining Strategy.

College graduates searching for jobs in Iowa have an easier time than in most states, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce that takes an in-depth look at online job postings across the country. Iowa is listed as 11th best, and the most employment opportunities are for college grads with degrees in science, technology, engineering and math.

Tony Carnevale, the report’s lead author and the center’s director, says the national trend is a higher demand for college graduates. “The texture of what employers are looking for is changing, in the sense that they’re much more focused on specialization and degree specialization,” he explains. “They care what you majored in in college, as much as they care whether or not you went.”

The report assessed jobs requiring four year college degrees, and concludes that overall, the sheer number of jobs posted shows that the economy has recovered. Government-listed positions were not part of the report. Carnevale notes another trend is in sales jobs, which traditionally have not required a four-year college degree. Now, two-thirds of sales jobs require a college degree. “And a fair share of them – half, roughly – are selling medical or industrial technology and equipment,” he says. “You’re selling to experts, you’ve got to be one.”

The best states for college graduate jobs are Massachusetts, Delaware and Washington. The worst are South Carolina, Rhode Island and West Virginia.

(Iowa News Service)

Three people have been arrested on separate charges, in Creston. According to the Creston Police Dept., 30-year old Jessica Jo England, of Creston, was arrested early Sunday morning for Driving While Suspended. She was later released on $300 bond.

Friday night, 65-year old Dennis Jay Wilkinson, of Des Moines, was arrested in Creston for Driving While Revoked. He was later released on $300 bond. That same night, 40-year old Michelle Marie Snyder, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a Felony OWI/3rd Offense, charge. Snyder was later released on $5,000 bond.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa Catholic parish has packed tens of thousands of meals to send to east African families. The Daily Nonpareil reports volunteers from the Corpus Christi Parish packed an estimated 30,000 meals on Saturday destined for families in Moshi, Tanzania.
Deacon Monty Montagne says the meals include rice, beans, dried vegetables and vitamins. He says each packet will feed a family of six for one day.

The parish worked with nonprofit Outreach Inc. on the project. According to the parish’s website, it serves the communities of Council Bluffs and Carter Lake and includes the Queen of Apostles, Holy Family and Our Lady of Carter Lake churches. Jennifer Brungardt, a member of the parish’s social concerns committee, says about $7,500 was raised from the three congregations to fund the project.