Plans for the “Christmas in Atlantic” celebration are getting underway with the nominations for the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce’ annual Elect-a-Scrooge contest having been announced Friday.  The “games” begin November 1st. Megan Roberts,  Executive Director of the Atlantic Chamber says “In the Elect-a-Scrooge Contest everyone is a winner. The participants always have fun, the Food Pantry gets a large donation and the community truly supports this holiday time of giving a hand up to those in need.”

Scrooge candidates raise funds and non-perishable items for the Atlantic Food Pantry from November 1st to December 2nd, and the Scrooge who raises the most serves as the Grand Marshal in the Lighted Christmas Parade on December 3rd, in downtown Atlantic.

Candidates for the 2011 “Scrooge” contest include: Aaron Siggins, with the Atlantic Hy-Vee store; Janet Cappel, from Cappel’s Ace Hardware; Nancy Fredrickson, with Geis Perry Jewelry; Brad Peerbolte, with Peerbolte Chiropractic; and, Karen Nelson, from the Handbag Ranch.

Each candidate will accept donations at their listed businesses and many have special promotions in the works. One dollar or one non-perishable item equals a vote for the Scrooge candidate. For more information contact the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712.243.3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com

Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation announced Friday evening that Interstate 680 in Pottawattamie County will be reopened at approximately 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2nd. The Iowa DOT’s fast-track flood recovery effort and accelerated pace of construction by the contractors has led to the quick reopening. Working 24 hours a day at times since construction started Sept. 28th, Peterson Contractors Inc. of Reinbeck and Reilly Construction Company Inc. of Ossian and their subcontractors, consultants and suppliers have completed work in only 34 working days.

All four lanes of I-680 will be reopened to traffic. The ramps at the 130th Street interchange (exit 1) will remain closed due to the closure of the intersecting local roadways.

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, Iowa Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa DOT Director Paul Trombino III will be hosting a grand reopening ceremony at 1 p.m. at the I-680/130th Street interchange. Joining them will be U.S. DOT Federal Highway Administration Administrator Victor Mendez, Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan and Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle. The Nebraska Department of Roads has also been invited. Members of the public are welcome to attend.

For complete details on the grand reopening ceremony, visit: www.iowadot.gov/floods/I680_opening.html

In an update to a story we first brought you Thursday morning on KJAN. Authorities in Pottawattamie County have released additional details about a traffic stop that resulted in the recovery of 226-pounds of marijuana.  Pott County Sheriff Jeff Danker says 63-year-old Richard Giffels, of Springfield, Oregon was arrested after the GMC pickup he was driving was stopped for speeding by Deputy Brian Miller. The vehicle was pulled over on eastbound Interstate 80 in Council Bluffs, at around 11:25-a.m., Wednesday.

Giffels faces charges which include possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, a drug tax stamp violation, prohibited acts and excessive speed.

Atlantic Police say no injuries were reported following three separate accidents Thursday. The first took place just before 10-a.m., at the intersection of Highways 6 and 71. Officials say vehicles driven by Atlantic residents Pauline Elming and Charles T. Smith, were traveling east on Highway 6 and passing through the intersection, when Elming began to slow down and was rear-ended by the Smith vehicle. Damage from the accident amounted to $3,000. No citations were issued.

The second, chain reaction accident happened just after Noon, Thursday, at the intersection of 7th and Olive Streets. According to Atlantic Police, vehicles driven by Christina Blake, of Wiota, Kelsey Schmidt, of Massena, and Amanda Lovejoy, of Atlantic, collided as all three were traveling east on 7th Street.  The Blake and Schmidt vehicles were stopped at the traffic light at 7th and Olive, when Lovejoy failed to stop in time. Her vehicle hit the back of Schmidt’s car, which was shoved forward into the back of Blake’s vehicle. Damage from the mishap amounted to $4,300. Officials say Lovejoy was cited for Failure to Maintain Control and/or reduce speed.

Thursday’s third accident happened just before 2-p.m., at 5th and Olive Streets in Atlantic. Officials say vehicles driven by Judith Camblin and Merlin Eshelman, both of Atlantic, collided when Camblin failed to observe a stop sign as she was traveling east on 5th Street. Her car collided at the intersection with Eshelman’s vehicle, as he was headed north on Olive. The damage amounted to $6,500.  Judith Camblin was cited following the accident investigation, for Failure to Obey a Stop or Yield sign.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Revenue report that on Wednesday, October 26th, the Department issued an Assessment Limitations Order, or “rollback,” on property values in Iowa. The Order adjusts the property values used by local governments to compute property taxes for agricultural, residential, commercial, and industrial property.   State law allows no more than a four percent (4%) increase in taxable values for these property classes from year to year in order to cushion the impact of inflation. The Order sets forth the following taxable values:

• The taxable value for residential property is 50.7518% of the assessed value. This is an increase from the 2010 level of 48.5299 %.  (Residential assessed value in Iowa is $135.8 billion; the taxable value is $68.9 billion, which is 50.7518% of the assessed value.)  Residential property includes farm dwellings.
• The taxable value for agricultural property is 57.5411% of the assessed value.  This is a decrease from the 2010 level of 69.0152%.  Agricultural property is assessed at its productivity value. (The 2011 assessed value is $47.6 billion; the taxable value is $27.4 billion, which is 57.5411% of the assessed value.)
• No adjustments were ordered for the commercial, industrial, railroad, and utility classes, because their assessed values did not increase enough to qualify for reductions. Utility property is limited to an 8% annual growth. Railroad property is adjusted by the lowest percentage applied to commercial, industrial, and utility property.

County auditors will apply the adjustments to each property class to compute the taxable values used for property taxes. Tax liabilities based on the 2011 taxable values and payable in fiscal year 2012-13 will not be determined until local taxing bodies establish their property tax needs early next year.

Additional information about the rollback can be found at: http://www.state.ia.us/tax/locgov/propequalroll.html

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet Monday morning at the Courthouse, in Atlantic. During the 9-a.m. session, the Board will hear a tourism report from Kenner Baxter, with the Western Iowa Tourism Council/Region 1. They’ll also discuss a Continuity of Government (COG) Plan , which would allow the local government to continue its essential operations, should a catastrophic event occur. And, a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP).  COOP is a Federal initiative, required by Presidential directive, designed to ensure that agencies are able to continue performance of essential functions under a broad range of circumstances.

The Supervisors are also slated to discuss the future of the County’s Public Safety Communications Center, including a potential relocation of the Comm. Center. Other county business includes discussion and possible action on: a revision to the County government’s cell phone policy; a revision to the indigent burial policy; approving renewal of a third party administrative contract for partial self-funded health insurance, as it pertains to County employees, and a management contract for the courthouse boiler or boilers.