(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, gave permission for City Administrator John Lund to book a fireworks show for July 4, 2022. Previously, the Personnel and Finance Committee had discussed offers from two local vendors, with the desire, regardless of which company was chosen, to have a “Mind blowing fireworks.” Lund said “While there is a desire to support local business, it’s going to be very difficult to chose between two companies.”

He said the company that have previously performed a fireworks show at the Atlantic Municipal Airport – Viking Pyrotechnics, Inc., out of Shannon City, Iowa – has the required Class-B license.

The City received complaints about the fireworks display this past July, saying the show was too short and didn’t have the “Wow” factor. J &M Displays, the company that put on the show offered to give the community a free show (Valued at $6,000) in 2022, but the display would have been held July 2nd instead of July 4th. Mayor Dave Jones said people in other communities he’s spoken with also experienced a brief fireworks display this year.

Lund said Viking Pyrotechnics has the Fourth of July open, for now, but they need to know soon if the City wants to book that date. The only other thing he needed to know, is if the Council wants to stick with the $6,000 price tag for fireworks, or spend a little more, like the benchmark Exira Fireworks Show that’s put on. It was the consensus of the Council, that the City spend up to $10,000 for a 20-minute show, and that Lund show arrange with Viking to make it possible.

(Radio Iowa) – Advocates for rural Iowans called for rejection of Plan 1 for redistricting, while most of the speakers at a public hearing last (Wednesday) night praised the newly drawn boundaries for legislative and congressional districts. Steve Woodhouse, who did not give his address, was among those who argued the proposal isn’t fair to rural Iowans. “My concerns are just basically because there seems to be a huge divide between the wants and needs of rural Iowa versus that of urban,” Woodhouse said, “and I don’t think it’s going to be balanced enough with this map.”

Thomas O’Donnell, who did not give his address, says the map reflects Iowa’s population as it is now, with metro areas getting more representation.  “The people who may oppose this map, particularly Republicans who are thrown into the same districts in the General Assembly, have to face the reality that population in rural areas is declining,” he said.

The redistricting plan continues to use a major street in Sioux City as a dividing line for legislative districts, so the largest Morningside University residence hall is in different Iowa House and Senate districts compared to the rest of Morningside’s campus. Valerie Hennings, a Morningside social sciences professor, says that makes voting decisions more confusing for students.  “We have had that line down Peters Avenue for the past decade and it has presented a challenge to our undergraduate population when it comes to their first time voting,” she said.

Most of those who spoke last (Wednesday) night praised the redistricting plan. Kim Hagemann lives in an unincorporated area of Polk County. “I know that you’re not hearing from hoards of people or people that are super mad, but supporting a fair process doesn’t tend to get people to speak out and chant loudly,” she said.”I’m here to say: ‘Pass the map! Pass the map! Pass the map!'”

Ellen Johnson, who did not give her address, recited a poem, asking legislators to approve the “first draft” of redistricting. “In our state there’s no room for partisan pandering. Each district’s border is just a bit meandering, but they’re pretty compact and I hope you’ll quickly act so in Iowa we can avoid gerrymandering,” she said.

The governor has set October 5th as the date for a special legislative session for lawmakers to approve or reject the first redistricting plan.

(Radio Iowa) – A non-profit called the Campaign Legal Center has filed an ethics complaint against Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne and six other House members, accusing the group of failing to report stock trades in a timely manner.

National Public Radio was first to report Axne, a Democrat for West Des Moines, along with three other Democrats and three Republicans in the House were being cited by the group. A law passed in 2012 requires members of congress to file a public report when they buy and sell stock. According to the Campaign Legal Center, Axne didn’t report any stock transactions in 2019 and 2020. A spokesperson for Axne says the congresswoman has publicly disclosed her assets, but does not personally manage or execute the stock trades for her retirement account or accounts she has with her husband or her small business.

Axne’s spokesperson says the congresswoman will take all necessary steps to ensure disclosures of stock trades are accurate and in accordance with the law. The chairman of the Iowa Republican Party says it is clear Axne hid stock trades from public scrutiny and he calls her explanation for he lapse a pathetic excuse.

Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a Republican from Ottumwa, is updating her financial disclosure form after the Cedar Rapids Gazette reported she failed to list her salary as a state senator on the document. A spokesman for Miller-Meeks told the Gazette the congresswoman had no outside income, assets or liabilities to disclose.