(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council is set to meet 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19th, at City Hall. One of their agenda items is to hold the Second Reading of an Ordinance “Amending the City Code…by dividing the City into five Wards and five Precincts, and outlining and describing each Ward and Precinct,” and repealing Ordinance 934.

City Administrator John Lund says an error occurred two weeks ago with the rules for waiving the second and third readings of the Ordinance to adopt the redistricting maps for the City. That means the Ordinance was not passed by the presumed deadline. In his agenda preview notes, Lund said “[City Clerk Barb Barrick] contacted the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office with the issue. As suspected, they wanted to get their hands on our maps, which were submitted, on time.” Lund said “[The SOS Office] was very accommodating of our error and merely want the ordinance sent to them when it is passed.” He says “Since the second and third readings were not legitimate, the second reading can occur now (at the Jan. 19 meeting).”

The Council is then expected to waive/suspend the rules for the third reading that requires three separate meetings before the ordinance is approved. It must do so by a three-fourths vote of the full Council (6 out of 7 members). If that occurs, they can move on to the third and final reading, which requires a simple majority vote, in order to pass. If approved, the Ordinance may then be sent on to the Secretary of State’s Office.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on an Order to approve an agreement with the City of Massena, for Wastewater Operator Services. The City of Massena was informed by the Iowa DNR that the City must delegate the Operator-In-Charge authority necessary to operate and maintain their wastewater facilities, and an operator with a Grade II license. Massena’s employee only has a Grade I license, but is working on their Grade II license. Massena has already established relationships with surrounding communities for the services they need help with, including the City of Marne and the City Clerk’s Office. Atlantic’s Wastewater Superintendent Tim Snyder (who has a Grade IV license) is willing to assist Massena at a contracted rate.

The Atlantic City Council will also act on a Resolution adopting the Cass County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP), and Resolution repealing a Resolution and “Establishing the use of the ARPA Special Fund,” as determined last week by the U-S Treasury Department that allows for greater flexibility in how the COVID relief funds are used. It also means the Bull Creek restoration project is still on the table.

(Area) Various monthly meetings are set to take place around the area, Monday. First-up, at 5:15-p.m., the City of Atlantic’s Parks and Rec Board will gather in the City Council’s Chambers. Action items include those pertaining to: The Quality of Life Committee; Sand Volleyball Courts; Little League Expansion, and a FEMA Safe Room. And, Director Bryant Rasmussen and the Board will discuss exploring synthetic ice options and enhancing online reservations.

The Griswold School Board meeting takes place at 5:30-p.m., Monday, in the Conference Room. At 6-p.m., the Board will move into a Public Hearing on the 2022-2023 School Calendar, followed by discussion. When they resume current business, the Board will act on setting the meeting date and time for a Special Board/Work Session. They’ll also take action on approving the 2022-23 School Calendar, and the Modified Supplemental Amount (MSA) & a plan for the Dropout Prevention and At-Risk Program. Additional discussion will cover topics such as the Baseball Field and Middle School Gym Maintenance.

At 6-p.m., Monday, members of the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board will meet in the Conference Room at the Elk Horn Building. There, they will receive and recognize a Letter of Intent to Bargain, from the Teacher’s Union. Discussion and/or action items include: Setting the date and time for a 2022-23 Calendar Hearing; A request to the SBRC for funding relating to FY 22 SWVPP increased enrollment (including a resolution to submit a request to the SBRC for funding in the amount of $32,521.50; Action on adopting a Resolution accepting completion of the MS staff restroom renovations in the Exira building; They will also act on: Approving an April 1st-3rd Music Booster trip to Kansas City; A retention stipend for staff, and approve hiring Cody Parmley as Drama/Play Sponsor.

The Audubon School Board meets 7-p.m. Monday in the High School Board Room. Action items include approving: sharing agreements with Coon Rapids-Bayard; the transfer of funds from Profession Development and Home School Assistance to the Flex Funds. Superintendent Eric Trager will report on the Federal Vaccine Mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees (Which was blocked by the Supreme Court last week), and he’ll provide updates on District building projects.

(Scranton, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Greene County, Saturday, said one of the teenagers badly burned in a Greene County cabin fire on New Year’s Day, has died. Two teens, 15-year-old Harley McDonald and 14-year-old Lucas Oakes suffered from burns when a cabin they were staying at near Scranton, caught fire. Oakes suffered burns to mainly his hands and face after he put out the fire on McDonald, who suffered critical injuries. Both teens had been flow to the burn unit in Iowa City, where McDonald later died.

Oakes was released from the burn unit on January 8th and was treated to a “Welcome Back” ceremony with friends and family at the Greene County High School parking lot on January 9th.

Investigators are still looking into the cause of the fire.

Des Moines, Iowa (Via KCCI) – A man involved in a deadly drive-by shooting in the 1990s is now behind bars once again for a different crime. Arrest records show 44-year-old David Flores is being held in the Polk County Jail on suspicion of domestic abuse, several counts of probation violation and one count of operating a vehicle without consent. Court documents indicate an assault on Dec. 31 led to Flores’ most recent arrest.

Flores was convicted in the 1996 death of Phyllis Davis. She was shot when she found herself in the middle of a rolling gun battle north of downtown. Flores’ conviction was later overturned. He later entered into a plea agreement in the case and was sentenced to time served.

In 2014, a warrant was issued for his arrest after he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend, but he went into hiding for several months before being captured in Arizona.