(Radio Iowa)- I-S-U Extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil says plants that started popping out or blooming early in the recent above-normal temperatures should be okay as the cold returns.

“Most plants that come out relatively early in the spring, especially things like our spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips, they tolerate below freezing temperatures, especially in the upper 20s, fairly well and often come through with very little if any damage,” Steil says. He says temperatures well below normal would impact how the plants bloom. “Down into the lower 20s or teens then yeah, those flowers probably would be damaged and it would cut the bloom time short,” he says, “but many of those plants that bloom early in the spring are used to kind of fluctuating spring temperatures and can tolerate light freezes with very little damage.”

Steil says there are a few things you can do to protect smaller plants. “With perennials or spring bulbs, we might put an extra layer of mulch around them to protect them from some cold or even put a frost blanket over, and that’s not really practical or possible with larger plants like trees and shrubs,” he says. “And so, the good news is that they fare just fine long term. It’s just they get some damage, they see shorter flowering, they may have to send out a second flush of leaves because the first flush was damaged.” Steil says it is not fun to have the time you can enjoy spring flowers cut short.

“That’s always hard to see and disappointing, especially if flower shows are cut short,” he says. Steil says the good news is those flowers will be back next year.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop at around 9:15-p.m. Wednesday, in Red Oak, resulted in the arrest of a man from Pottawattamie County. Red Oak Police report 24-year-old Austin Keith Shannon, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the intersection of N. 8th St. and Highway 34, for Driving While License is Denied, Suspended, Canceled or Revoked. Shannon was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on bond amounting to $491.25.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans on a Senate committee are advancing a proposed amendment to the Iowa Constitution that would make a single-rate “flat tax” the only legal kind of state income tax. The proposal cleared the Senate Ways and Means Committee with yes votes from the 11 Republicans on the panel, but none of them publicly discussed the proposal. Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames is one of the six Democrats on the panel who voted against it.

“By flattening the income tax, which you’re principally going, what you’re doing is reducing taxaction on high income earners,” Quirmbach said. Iowa has had a graduated income tax for decades, with higher rates for Iowans earning higher incomes. Quirmbach says in a few years the state will have to raise other taxes, like the sales tax, if the state income tax is permanently flattened to one single rate.

“What cuts in services are you proposing? What increases in other taxes are you proposing?” Quirmbach asked. Senator Cindy Winckler, a Democrat from Davenport, says Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania are the only states that have a flat income tax requirement in their state constitutions.  “They all have quite different make up of industries and revenue streams,” Winckler said. “We can’t identify that one size certainly fits all.”

Under current law, Iowa’s individual income tax is scheduled to shrink to a flat rate of three-point-nine percent by January of 2026. Governor Reynolds has proposed a lower rate, to take effect retroactively to January 1st of this year. The governor has also said her ultimate goal is to eliminate the state income tax by January 1st of 2027.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday (March 20), reviewed bids for construction of the Atlantic Splashpad, and awarded a contract for the project to the Henley Group, LLC, in Muscatine. Their bid was $552,084, which was below the engineer’s estimated cost of $611,328, or $59,244 less than expected.

Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm said the Henley Group has completed four similar projects, with other such projects under contract. The company came highly recommended when their references were checked-out. Sturm said they plan on getting construction underway beginning this Summer, with complete by the end of the Summer.

Mayor Garrett hugs City Clerk Barb Barrick

In other business, Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett presented City Clerk Barb Barrick with a plaque for her service to the City. Barrick’s last day is Friday. She has accepted a position with the City of Huxley. The Council tabled a Resolution approving a professional services agreement with Barrick, that would temporarily provide City Clerk Consulting Services to the City.

The Council, upon recommendation by the City’s Personnel & Finance Committee, approved the appointment of Rich Tupper as Acting City Clerk.

Rich Tupper sworn-in as Acting City Clerk

The Council also passed an Order to Adopt a Memorandum or Understanding (MOU) between the City and the Nishna Valley YMCA, for 2024 management of the Sunnyside Pool, and a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the AFSME Council 61, with regard to City Employees represented by the Union. They tabled, however, a contract extension with Retail Coach, until a City-proposed renewal fee can be presented to the retail recruiter for their approval. Retail Coach had proposed a $15,000 contracted for their services, with $10,000 up-front.

The City proposes the $15,000 be broken into three payments: $5,000 up-front, $5,000 after a three-month review, and the last payment after a six-month review.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, this (Wednesday) evening, heard from an Atlantic resident with regard to junk – illegally parked vehicles, campers and utility trailers and tires – which says she said has “run amok in the City.” The woman acknowledged there is a process in-place to deal with issues such as those she described, and that it’s most likely a “Very tedious process to cite people for the ordinance violations,” junk related.

She asked the City to become more aggressive in dealing with personal vehicles, ATV trailers and so on, parked on the grass, in some cases for months at a time. She said she “Doesn’t want the City to run around and clean up just because 20,000 RAGBRAI ® riders are coming.” She said her concern is with the people who come to the City on a daily basis to shop, eat and visit persons in the hospital or nursing homes. She asked what type of impression the City is leaving with those people. “I want to make the best impression that we possibly can, so I would plead with you to be more aggressive because I feel our City is run amok with the amount of ordinance violations.”

Cole Loward (foreground) and Kris Erickson talk to the Atlantic City Council (3-2024) Ric Hanson photo

She said the City should get the word out that is not “going to be complacent with all these ordinance violations. It hurts our property values, it’s hurting out community.” Code Enforcement/Animal Control Officer Kris Erickson she has conducted several property inspections and Code Enforcement Office Cole Lowary, said they recently abated a property to the tune of $700, which was billed to the property owner. Erickson said she and Lowary, along with two Street Department employees, cleaned-up the property of person who refused to do so. “Most of what we’ve written-up lately, they’ve complied. So, we are seeing compliance with people,” even with the swings in the weather and temperatures.

Erickson said if they are notified of a potential ordinance violation, she and Lowary have five-days to investigate it. Each case is documented with photographs. If the complaint is deemed valid, then they must wait seven-days to see if the property owner takes care of the eyesore, under most circumstances. If the issue continues, the owner receives a notice of violation.  In that case, the problem area must be cleaned-up within two-weeks. The timeline is different for properties with a dangerous structure. Anything extreme that causes “Danger, stress [or] discomfort to the public, it is a nuisance. Those we deal with as quickly as we possibly can.”

If an abate is conducted (Property clean-up) by the City, the property owner has 30 days to pay the bill, or it will be assessed to their property taxes. Erickson said if a reported property violation is not visible from a City right-of-way, “we can’t write it up, because we cannot trespass. If we send a notice stating we are going to be there if they don’t, that is not trespassing,” because they were fully informed Code Enforcement was going to be there. “If a neighbor gives us permission to access their backyard to be able to see an issue they’re reporting, we can use the neighbors property. We cannot walk on their property to write-them-up, so if it cannot be seen by a street, alley or sidewalk, our hands are tied.”

(Hartley, Iowa) – A single-vehicle accident Wednesday morning northwest of Hartley, in O’Brien County, claimed the life of a 16-year-old male. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened at around 8:30-a.m. at 300th Street and Van Buren Avenue.

Authorities say 16-year-old Joshua Cruz Salzillo, of Hartley, was driving a 2000 Honda Accord that left the road as it was eastbound on 300th Street. The car struck a creek embankment, causing fatal injuries to Salzillo, who was not wearing a seat belt and died at the scene.

The Patrol was assisted at the crash site by the O’Brien County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa DNR.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa lawmakers have voted to establish the crime of organized retail theft. Senator Scott Webster of Bettendorf said groups often steal merchandise with the intent to sell it later. “Not that long ago we had one happen just up the road in Ankeny where several firearms were stolen and then sold online,” Webster said. “HyVee, a grocer within our state, that’s constantly dealing with this problem (as well as) Home Depot, Lowes.”

The bill passed the House in February and it cleared the Senate today. Senator Tony Bisignano of Des Moines said the bill’s needed. “We’re seeing more and more of theft. It’s becoming a profession and it’s becoming organized,” Bisignano said.

But Bisignano unsuccessfully argued the bill should be broader than retail theft and apply to groups of people who target construction sites or farms to steal tools and equipment and to groups of “porch pirates” who steal packages. “For four or five people to come into the neighborhood and decide they’re going to go through the garages that night, that’s organized theft,” Bigisnano said. “…Let’s not restrict our mentality to what we see on TV. Let’s not worry about Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive and the Gucci stores. Let’s talk about our neighbors and the things that get stolen.”

Under the bill, the penalties for organized theft from a retail business are linked to the dollar amount of what’s stolen from a store.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Wednesday), released a report on four recent arrests. Authorities say on March 14th, 53-year-old Gary Victor, of Bridgewater, was arrested for OWI/2nd Offense.  Victor was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

On March 12th, 22-year-old Erin Mack, of Audubon, was arrested on warrants for:  Controlled Substance Violation, Gathering where Controlled Substances are Used and Keeping Premises or Vehicle for Controlled Substance Violation.  Mack was transported to the Cass County Jail where she was booked and held pending her later release on bond.

On March 11th, 2024, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 61-year-old Paul Hansen, of Atlantic, on warrants for Purchase / Possess Depiction of Minor in Sex Act – 1st Offense.  Hansen was booked in to the Cass County Jail where he was later released on bond.

And, on March 10th, 28-year-old Kris Sorcey, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI 1st Offense.  Sorcey was transported to the Cass County Jail where he was booked and held pending his later release on his own recognizance.

(Radio Iowa) – A new report from the Alzheimer’s Association details some of the difficulties Iowa’s 100-thousand unpaid caregivers experience while trying to navigate dementia care for a loved one or friend. Lauren Livingston, spokeswoman for the association’s Iowa chapter, says it’s an intricate juggling act that requires patience and the ability to work with multiple doctors, to secure appointments, and to find appropriate doctors in the first place.

“About 70% of caregivers report that coordinating care is stressful, and over half say that navigating the healthcare system is difficult,” Livingston says. “We know dementia caregivers have more stress, face more depression and chronic health issues, and navigating care for their loved one just adds to that.” The cost of care is another tremendous worry. The report estimates the cost of caring for people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias will reach 360-billion dollars this year, a 15-billion dollar increase from a year ago. She notes, that figure does -not- include unpaid care provided by family caregivers and friends.

“Last year in Iowa, family caregivers provided 125-million hours of unpaid care valued at over $2.2 billion,” Livingston says. “That’s really hard to wrap your head around, especially if you think about the fact there’s only 100,000 family caregivers providing all of these hours and value of care. That just really shows the burden of caregiving.” The report finds 60% of healthcare workers surveyed believe the U.S. healthcare system is not effectively helping patients and their families navigate dementia care.

“The Alzheimer’s Association is advocating state lawmakers for funding for a Dementia Service Specialist Program,” Livingston says, “and that would help families with a lot of these care navigation needs, including finding doctors, making appointments, and finding local care and support.”

The report estimates 6.9 million people age 65 and older in the U.S. are living with Alzheimer’s, and over 11 million loved ones are providing care. In Iowa, more than 62,000 people are living with the disease, and there are nearly 100,000 caregivers.

DES MOINES – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is investigating a fuel spill at the East Nishnabotna River in Cass County.

On March 20, the DNR Atlantic Field Office was notified of a fuel spill that occurred at the Casey’s General Store located at 911 SW 7th Street in Atlantic on March 19.

A transport truck was filling an underground storage tank when an overflow of gasoline occurred. An unknown amount of fuel was released. The gasoline flowed across the parking lot to an unnamed tributary of the East Nishnabotna River.

An environmental consulting firm is on-site assisting with clean-up efforts. Residents are advised to avoid the area. The investigation is still ongoing.

To report a release after hours, please call the DNR’s emergency spill line at (515) 725-8694. Quick reporting can help DNR staff identify the cause of an incident. The DNR website has more information about spill reporting requirements.