DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new audit report blames the national Democratic Party’s involvement in the Iowa caucuses for problems that delayed the results for days at the beginning of the 2020 presidential nominating battle. The report was commissioned by the Iowa Democratic Party. It criticizes the national party’s role in delaying development of an app used to report results and in demanding a last-minute data conversion tool that failed on caucus night in February. But the report also says the state party should have bolstered its back-up phone system for compiling results after the rollout of the app was slow. That phone system was overwhelmed on caucus night.

The Atlantic City Council will meet in-person Wednesday at 5:30-p.m.  The meeting will be held in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. (There is no Zoom option – updated 12/16).

On their agenda is an Order to Appoint Katherine Smith to the AMU Utility Board of Trustees. Once approved, Smith will succeed Joyce Jensen, who has resigned. She will fill the remainder of Jensen’s term through April 1st, 2023. The Council will also act on approving “A Revolving Forgivable Loan Program (RFLP)with SHIFT ATL and providing for an Appropriation.”

The City Council adopted a Resolution during their meeting on Sept. 18th, in support of a proposed partnership with SHIFT ATL for housing rehabilitation. City Administrator John Lund says the resolution offered general endorsement of the partnership in addition to financial support, but the Council felt that a specific monetary commitment to the non-profit organization was not yet in either party’s best interest, and that further discussion would be held. Lund says the Personnel and Finance Committee met Dec, 9th to review a detailed proposal for housing rehabilitation with representatives from SHIFT ATL. Several possibilities were considered. The proposal supported by the Committee is for the City to establish a Non-Profit Housing Rehab Loa Fund, which would be financed through three potential resource pools: A Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Low-to-Moderate Income (LMI) Fund; LOST (Local Option Sales Tax) Fund; or an Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund.

The exact amount of support is either not yet known or being disclosed at this time, as there is a real estate offer pending, and Lund says “It is not in the interest of the City to disclose precise figures at this time. Lund says the housing rehab project would offer multiple benefits to the City, and is recommending the Council approve the RFLP. In other business, the Atlantic City Council will:

• Consider matters tabled during their last meeting, with regard to Tree Trimmer licenses for Cook Sanitation and Top Hand Tree Service
• Hold the First Reading of an Ordinance “Amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Atlantic, by amending Chapter 106 entitled “Collection of Solid Waste.”
• and, act on an Order to approve a Change Order for the Atlantic Golf & Country Club Fairway Drainage Project.

Two area school district Board’s of Education will hold their regular (separate) monthly meetings, Monday evening. The Exira-Elk Horn Kimballton School Board meeting will be held in the Conference Room at the Elk Horn Building, beginning at 6-p.m.  On their agenda is:

• Discussion with the Negotiations Committee
• Discussion and/or action on approving an At Risk/Dropout Prevention application requested modified supplemental amount equal to or less than $142,667.
• Discussion/action on the Return to Learn Plan
• D/A on approving revisions to various Board Policies.
• Approve personnel hires: Jessica Allen – Instrumental Music, & Brianna Sampson – Paraeducator.
• Action on any other personnel matters to come before the Board (including transfers and resignations)

The CAM School Board meets 6:30-p.m. Monday in the CAM High School Superintendent’s Office, and will hold an Organizational session to appoint the Board Secretary as Temporary Chair, followed by an election for an Oath of Office administered to both the Board President and Vice President’s positions, and appointment of a Board Secretary/Treasurer. Among other administrative business for the New Board is establishing their meeting dates, time and location.

The CAM School Board will also discuss and act on: SBRC request for Modified Supplemental Amount of $20,640 – Open enrollment out; SBRC request for Modified Supplemental Amount of $160,906 – At Risk/Dropout Prevention Program.

A woman from Pocahontas County (in northwest Iowa) died in a single-vehicle, rollover accident Saturday afternoon, about 10-miles west of Pocahontas. The Iowa State Patrol reports 19-year old Rebecca Hansen, of Pocahontas, was driving a 2006 Pontiac Torrent eastbound on Highway 3 at around 2:23-p.m., when the SUV went out of control and into the north ditch.

When the vehicle rolled over, Hansen – who was not wearing her seat belt – was ejected, and died from her injuries. The accident remains under investigation. Pocahontas Fire/EMS assisted the Patrol at the crash scene.

Red Oak Police say no injuries were reported following a collision between two snowplows Saturday morning. The accident happened at around 7:20-a.m. on Highway 34. One of the plows, a 2013 International driven by 47-year old Vince Edward Abraham, of Villisca, was clearing snow from the intersection of Highway 34 and Old Highway 34/200th Street. The plow was on the north side of the intersection. The second plow, a 2009 International driven by 32-year old Jacob Matthew Jackson, also of Villisca, was on Old Highway 34 and crossing the intersection from the south to the north. As he approached the first plow, Abraham began to back up and struck Jackson’s vehicle on the side.

Damage to the plows was estimated at $5,000 each, with most of the damage done to a salt spreader attachment, which was included in the damage estimate. No citations were issued.

Council Bluffs Police report that at around 8:30-a.m. Saturday, emergency crews responded to the 5 mile marker of I-80 west bound, for reports of numerous crashes involving tractor trailers. At the time of the incident it was snowing and the roadways were ice and snow covered.

All photos are courtesy the Council Bluffs P-D

The first crash involved a semi that was heading west on I-80 at the 5 mm. The driver lost control of the vehicle on the snow and ice sending him into the median. The semi crashed through the metal guard rails between the bridges over Valley View Dr and Mosquito Creek. The semi continued down the hill and landed on Valley View Dr blocking the entire width of the roadway. Luckily no vehicles were on Valley View at the time the semi crashed. The occupants of the semi were not injured. Valley View Drive was closed down from approximately 8:10 AM to 1:30 PM while the crash was cleaned up.

The Second Crash occurred shortly after the first one while first responders were heading to the crash on Valley View. It involved a Nissan Rogue and a Tractor Trailer. Authorities say based on Police investigation and driver statements, the Nissan Rogue was ahead of the semi going west on I-80 when the driver of the Rogue lost control on the icy roadway. The driver of the semi attempted to take evasive action to keep from hitting the Rogue and lost control of the semi causing the trailer to jack knife. The back of the trailer went up onto the concrete bridge rail, knocking the tandem wheels off the trailer. The trailer continued to slide down the bridge rail with a portion of the box hanging over the edge of the bridge rail. The semi – trailer combo came to rest with the Nissan Rogue’s hood slightly under the trailer. The tandem wheels from the trailer landed down on the roadway by the 1^st crash. There were no reported injuries.

I-80 West Bound lanes were shut down for several hours while the crash was cleaned up. Special heavy duty tow truck equipment was brought in to lift the trailer off of the bridge rail and removed from the interstate. Approximately 50 vehicles had to backed up the interstate to a turnaround where they were rerouted east on I-80 to HWY 6 (Exit 8). I-80 West Bound traffic was rerouted at Exit #8 (HWY 6). Exiting traffic was detoured west on Hwy 6 to Kanesville, Kanesville to So 7^th St., So 7^th / So Expressway to the interstate access ramps on South Expressway.  Heavy truck traffic caused some traffic jams and delays along the route. Officers were dispatched for traffic control at So 7^th and Kanesville / Broadway until the traffic was cleared.

The Council Bluffs Police Department would like to remind motorists to use EXTRA CAUTION DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER Use Your Headlights, Slow Down, Give Extra Stopping Distance & Remember Elevated Surfaces Freeze Quicker and “Please, Please, Please Give Road Crews, First Responders and Vehicles on the Side of the Roadway Extra Space.”

(Radio Iowa) – President-elect Joe Biden says he had to do a bit of persuading to convince former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack to agree to serve again as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Biden introduced Vilsack and four other members of his domestic policy team, Friday — three of whom served in the Obama Administration. “They bring deep experience and bold new thinking. Above all, they know how government can and should work for all Americans,” Biden said. “For secretary of agriculture, I nominate Tom Vilsack, an outstanding two-term governor of Iowa, the best secretary of agriculture I believe this country has ever had.”

Vilsack is the only member of Obama’s cabinet to serve all eight years in the same role. “He wasn’t anxious to come back. He wasn’t looking for this job, but I was persistent,” Biden said, with a laugh, “and I asked him to serve again in this role because he knows the USDA inside and out. He knows the government inside and out. We need that experience now.” Biden credited Vilsack for leading feeding programs and other U-S-D-A initiatives to lead the nation out of the Great Recession and he said the U-S-D-A has a critical role in the pandemic as studies indicate hunger is an issue for at least one in four American children. “Mr. president-elect, madam vice president-elect, I’m honored by the trust that you’ve placed in me to return to the vital work of the USDA at a very critical moment for so many families and communities throughout America,” Vilsack said.

Vilsack, who’ll turn 70 on Sunday, says he feels enormously lucky and grateful for the opportunities he’s had in life. “Thinking back on the path of my life, where it began in an orphanage in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, to Iowa where my incredible wife Christie and I raised our family…to standing here today being given a chance to serve our country again today,” Vilsack said, “but unfortunately and tragically not all have experienced those possibilities, so I consider it my duty and my responsibility to expand those possibilities to all at the USDA.”

Vilsack promised to assemble a diverse and inclusive leadership team at the agency. A coalition representing Black farmers has criticized Biden’s decision to have Vilsack return to the U-S-D-A, charging Vilsack did not do enough as ag secretary to address racial inequities in loans for farmland. Before Biden introduced Vilsack Friday, he promised his administration would have a national, coordinated strategy to defeat the pandemic. Vilsack, during his remarks, said one of his first tasks will be guiding the department’s pandemic response. “Reviving rural communities and economies,” he said, “addressing dire food shortages and getting workers and producers the relief they need to hang and to come back stronger.”

Vilsack has been president and C-E-O of the U-S Dairy Export Council since February of 2017.

(Radio Iowa) – The state agency that distributes liquor says the fiscal that ended June 30th saw around an eight percent increase in sales compared to last year. Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division spokesman, Jake Holmes says that’s better than they’ve seen in recent years. He says the trend has been around four to five percent in the last five years — although there was a six percent increase last year. Sales in the fiscal year were 367-point-three million dollars and more than 133 million dollars was transferred to the state general fund. Holmes says this is something that’s been seen in liquor sales across the country. “The trend in rising sales isn’t specific to Iowa — especially during the pandemic — it appears more people are consuming during this time,” Holmes says.

The number of liquor licenses approved in the fiscal year was down — which is another indication people are buying the booze and taking it home to drink. “It does seem like specifically with some of the restrictions that those on-premises establishments had over the last part of the fiscal year — it is pretty safe to conclude that not only were people not only consuming more — but were consuming at home rather than at on-premises establishments,” Holmes says.

I-A-B-D had reported earlier that sales went up 18 percent in March after bars and restaurants were shut down by the pandemic emergency order. The bars were allowed to reopen in the spring. Holmes says the shutdown did come at a time that is not during the peak months of alcohol sales. “Typically October, November, December, that’s the busy time generally,” according to Holmes. “Recently we’ve seen more kind of spikes in other areas of the year with those special events and things that typically happen in the summer, there is an increase there too.”

The increase in sales more than offset a deferment of taxes and fees the governor ordered that resulted in decreases in license and tax revenue. Those fees were deferred until the end of December.

(Radio Iowa) – A panel reviewing the state’s tax receipts has concluded there’s a very slow economic recovery ahead and the group is predicting state tax revenue in the current fiscal year will grow by just half-a-percent. However, the Revenue Estimating Conference predicts state tax collections will expand by three-point-seven percent in the budgeting year that begins July 1st. Holly Lyons of the Legislative Services Agency is one of the three panel members. “I think all of us will be glad to see the year 2020 behind us, but this year more than ever, it’s hard look ahead to the next year with any clarity.”

The current state fiscal year ends June 30th. The council’s tax collection prediction for the next fiscal year is nearly 300 million higher. Iowa Department of Management director Dave Roederer (ROH-der-er) says the big question is whether wide distribution of Covid vaccine will stoke the economy. “Do we need economists or do we need psychiatrists to really help us determine what is going to happen?” Roederer asked.

Roederer says the economy won’t start growing until people believe the pandemic is coming to an end and they start spending their money on goods and services again. The Revenue Estimating Conference predicts the State of Iowa will collect eight-and-a-quarter BILLION dollars in the next budgeting year. That total is what the governor will use as the basis for the state spending plan she’ll present to legislators in January.