Officials in Harlan discussed at length the Hotel/Motel tax at a Personnel and Finance Committee meeting Thursday. The meeting in the City Council Chambers was held to as a means of moving forward discussion of the tax money, and how it can be handled. City Attorney Joe Lauterbach presented his report regarding 4 questions on the tax and then gave a recommendation to the committee. The questions ranged from the City’s responsibilities with the money to the 20% administration fee going to the Chamber of Commerce.

Lauterbach told the Committee and the public in attendance that they must move forward, Lauterbach1: “The last thing I ever want to see is the City and Chamber at loggerheads. I am moving on and I can look back at this thing. I’ve been the City Attorney 1991 and having them at loggerheads makes no sense at all. I think you have to work things out and move forward.” He also spoke about the detriment this is doing to the community. “We are trying to sell Harlan and Shelby County to people who want to be involved. When they see the Chamber and the City at odds with one another, are they going to come around here? The less negative vibes we created at these meeting, the better off we will be as a county and community.”

Jerry Henshied was in attendance and gave his input on the 20% fee. “Anytime you have a tax you have to have someone to administer it. The property tax is Terry Cox and he administers it. Somebody has to take care of the tax and do something with it. The state road tax, if it says for roads, of course it is for roads. But someone has to over see it. For tourism, someone has to over see it. Is someone supposed to do this for nothing? I mean it is incidental to it.”

Shelby County Chamber Director Dawn Cundiff told the Committee there is a lot of time spent on how to use the tax. “I really think there is a lack of knowledge on how much time it really does take. The Chamber has been taking care of this for the lifetime of the Chamber. Everything we do, whether it be retail or business there is that for tourism, as well as signage, marketing and advertising.” After more discussion, Lauterbach made a recommendation to the Committee.

“What I’m saying is go forward and fix it. If you don’t like the way the ordinance was written, then fix it. If we are going to continue to administer this and you are going to give us the $70,000 over the next 10 years or whatever it is per year, we are going to take 20 percent. Then the City Council says we aren’t going to do this, and then they amend the ordinance and we move forward. That is what I am suggesting.” The Committee then agreed to not go back and ask for reimbursement on the previous Hotel/Motel Tax money.

The next motion was made by Committee member Dave Miller: “I think the ordinance as passed is a little open ended. I would like to see more finite detail on that. I would like to see more details in it. That would be my recommendation. I would like to encourage a motion that we place the disposition funds on hold to the Tourism Committee until we have a lot more in depth ordinance in place.” The motion was approved by the Committee. Before the ordinance can be re-written, the Harlan City Council and the Shelby County Supervisors must approve the minutes from the Personnel and Finance Committee Meeting Thursday. Both organizations will meet on Tuesday, December 18th.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

In a regular meeting Thursday, CEO Darrell Wenzel reported to the board HMU was in discussion on changing all street lights in the city to LED lights. The project will cost $353,761. However, Wenzel said the annual savings in kilowatts will be over 800,000, which is a savings of $82,000. HMU will work on the project for the next 4 years. Wenzel said because HMU is doing it over a 4 year period, they will not have to contract a lighting design engineer.

He said a Utility company in northwest Iowa hired an engineer and their cost for the project doubled. HMU will use only in house labor to get the work done. Once the project is complete, HMU will save over $8,000 per year on maintenance. The other benefit to switching to LED lights is the warranty. The current street lights only have a 1 year guarantee while LED lights have a 10 year warranty. In other business, the board approved a new 30 year agreement with Western Area Power Administration or WAPA.

During the meeting, Wenzel said WAPA is “a source we would never want to give up.” HMU uses electricity from WAPA throughout the year and peaks during the summer.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A judge has declared a mistrial in the case of two black men wrongly convicted in the 1977 murder of a retired white police officer who sought millions of dollars from the city of Council Bluffs and two officers they claim framed them for the crime.  On Friday, Judge Robert Pratt declared a mistrial after determining a jury couldn’t reach a unanimous decision.

Terry Harrington and Curtis McGhee, both of Omaha, Neb., filed the lawsuit, saying they deserved payment for spending 25 years in prison.  Harrington sought more than $60 million and McGhee more than $50 million, alleging retired officers Dan Larsen and Lyle Brown coerced witnesses into lying and hid evidence.

Both men were sentenced in 1978 to life in prison, but were freed in 2003.

A Shelby County man who is well known to law enforcement officials, was arrested Thursday night after trying to elude a Harlan Police Officer and then engaging in a scuffle with him. According to the Harlan Police Department, an H-PD officer on routine patrol saw 24-year old Kurtis Kobold, of Kirkman, at a business in the 600 block of Durant Street. When the officer, who knew Kobold had an active warrant out for his arrest, approached the man, he and Kolbold exchanged words.

Kobold took off on foot, with officer in pursuit. About the time the officer tackled Kobold, two Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on the scene to office assistance. During the fight, officials say a loaded .38-calibur revolver that had allegedly been on Kobold’s person, was located by the Police Officer and eventually secured.The officer was later treated for minor injuries he suffered during the fight.

Kobold was taken into custody and brought to the Shelby County Jail, where he was being held on $100,000 bond. Authorities says he faces numerous charges, including: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Assault on a Peace Officer; Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver; Interference with Official Acts, and Carrying Weapons.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad has informed the federal government that Iowa will create a state-federal partnership exchange to help Iowans buy health insurance, a requirement of the federal health care law. Branstad sent the letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Friday. That was the deadline for states to declare whether they will pursue a state-based exchange, accept a federal takeover or seek some kind of combined approach.

Branstad cited the cost of a state-based exchange as a key factor in his decision to reject that option. He says the state-federal model will allow Iowa to keep some control over its health care system and minimize costs.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office said Friday (today) two people were arrested late this week on separate charges. 22-year old John Michael Murphy, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 1:25-a.m. (Friday) near the intersection of Highways 34 and 415th Street. Murphy was charged with OWI/2nd offense. His bond was set at $2,000. And, Thursday night, 65-year old Otis Alvin Turner, of Pacific Junction, was arrested on a charge of OWI/1st offense. Turner was being held in the Mills County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Authorities report also, a Glenwood man reported an incident of 3rd degree burglary. The incident was brought to the attention of Sheriff’s officials at around 2-p.m. Wednesday. It happened somewhere along Deacon Road, in Glenwood.

The Atlantic Police Department reports an accident Thursday evening at 7^th Street and Hospital Drive caused about $4,000 damage to the vehicles involved, but there were no injuries. Officials say a vehicle driven by Tyler Nelson, of Atlantic, was traveling west on 7^th Street (or, Highway 6), at around 5:10-p.m., and approaching Hospital Drive.

At the same time, a vehicle driven by Lee Parrish , of Atlantic, was traveling east on 7^th Street and attempting to turn left into the Atlantic Shopping Plaza drive, when the arrow turned from green to yellow. Parrish proceeded to turn, when his vehicle was hit by Nelson’s vehicle. Parrish was cited for Failure to Obey a Traffic Control device.

The Iowa Board of Massage Therapy has taken action against a Harlan man. Officials said Friday (today), David North of Harlan, advertised his Shiatsu massage therapy practice in the Atlantic News Telegraph when he was not licensed to perform that therapy under Iowa Code. The IBMT seeks to impose a civil penalty upon North amounting to $1,000 per offense, per day up to a maximum of $10,000, based on the allegations.

The Board says the Practice of “Massage Therapy” includes the performance for compensation, of massage, myotherapy, massotherapy, bodywork, bodywork therapy, or therapeutic massage, which comes in several forms.

The Iowa Board of Massage Therapy says North has the right to have a hearing held on the matter within 30-days of its notice to impose a fine. The order was issued December 4^th.