The Exira-EHK School District’s Board of Education held a meeting Monday evening. Superintendent Trevor Miller told KJAN News there were no comments about the budget during a public hearing, and the budget as presented was approved later on during the session. Miller said there is a four-cent decrease in the property tax asking, from $12.04/per $1,000 assessed valuation, to $12.00/$1,000. Miller said they managed to drop the levy four-cents, even though they’ll still be paying on their bond. He recommended, and the Board agreed, to pay their Classified Staff and other personnel not only through April 30th, but through the closure of their contract year.

He said “There’s enough uncertainty going on, and we wanted to make sure that our staff’s taken care of and have one less thing to worry about….As a school district we value our employees  and we want to make sure they’re taken care of so we keep them, and they’ll be back in the fall.” Mr. Miller said also, the Exira-EHK Board approved Certified Teachers, Support Staff and Administrative salaries. The total package increase, including insurance, was 3.5-percent.

The Board also approved Amanda Nelson as School-Based Interventionist, and acted on other personnel matters, including Katie Boehm, who will transfer from 2nd Grade to 5th Grade. Jen Petersen and Connie Jessen will switch from teaching to TLC full-time instructional coaches. Along with that, Irene Blazek was hired as Special Education Instructor, and Cami Bruck was hired as a 2nd Grade teacher.

Trevor Miller said also, the district continues to serve meals to students during the COVID-19 pandemic. He says they handed-out 66 meals the first week. Yesterday (Monday) they were up 126. The meals cover the whole week. The district’s updated, voluntary Distance Learning (Online) plan started Monday. Everyone (Students/teachers/parents) is encouraged to participate in the program.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports several arrests took place from April 9th through the 13th. On Monday, 30-year old Alicia Marie Maxwell was served with a warrant for Assault without intent, Causing Bodily Injury or Mental Illness. She was served with the warrant at the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office and transported to the jail. Saturday night, 32-year old John Phillip Fry was arrested for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order, following a call in Council Bluffs, about an intoxicated subject.

Friday night, 26-year old Kaitlynn E. Schmidt was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following an investigation into an accident on I-680, whereby her vehicle drove off the road and came to rest in an area just north of the exit ramp at mile-marker 1. Friday morning, 32-year old Garrett Duane Hanika, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Hanika was already in the Pott. County Jail when he was served with the warrant. His bond on all applicable charges was set at $7,195 altogether.

Thursday night, 36-year old Joseph Antonia Martinez, of Neola, was arrested in Council Bluffs, for Harassment in the 3rd Degree/threatening bodily injury. And, Thursday morning, 33-year old Manuel Hernandez-Munuz, of Oakland, was arrested in Hancock, following a traffic stop for speeding. He was clocked at 97 mph in a 55 mph zone. Hernandez-Munuz’ vehicle was pulled over at 380th and Mahogany in Pott. County. He faces charges that include Speeding, Providing False information for a driver’s license or ID, and Forgery.

The Iowa Transportation Commission today (Tuesday) approved several RISE grants during its video conference meeting. Among the cities/counties receiving a grant, was:

• Mills County: Up to $2,525,000 from the county share of the RISE Fund was approved for a Local Development grant to assist in the paving of approximately 2,400 feet of Applewood Road, construction of approximately 4,100 feet of 182nd Street, passing/turn lanes on County Road H-10 and Bunge Avenue and overlay of approximately 11,700 feet of Bunge Avenue located south of Council Bluffs. This project is necessary to provide improved access to seven lots totaling more than 680 acres for industrial purposes. This project is anticipated to be completed by July 2021.
• Pottawattamie County: Up to $580,670 from the county share of the RISE Fund was approved for a Local Development grant to assist in overlaying of approximately 2,050 feet of 192nd Street, and construction of approximately 926 feet of Portland Avenue and 687 feet of North 193rd Circle located south of Council Bluffs. This project is necessary to provide improved access to fourteen lots totaling more than 28 acres for industrial purposes. This project is anticipated to be completed by May 2021.

The RISE program was established to promote economic development in Iowa through the construction or improvement of roads and streets.  Iowa cities and counties are eligible for funding in the form of a grant, loan, or combination thereof.  Projects must involve construction or improvement of a public roadway.  There are two RISE project types: 1) Immediate Opportunity, and 2) Local Development.  More information is available at https://iowadot.gov/systems_planning/Grant-Programs/Revitalize-Iowas-Sound-Economy-RISE-Program.

The Iowa Transportation Commission also approved more than  $7 million in funding for 73 new public transit vehicles that will replace vehicles past their useful life. Funds are granted through the Federal Transit Administration’s Grants for Buses and Bus Facilities Formula Program as well as the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program. Vehicle replacement projects were approved for 20 different public transit systems. In southwest/western Iowa:

• Region 12 (Based in Carroll) received $425, 252 for bus or mini-van video surveillance systems and related vehicles.
• Region 13 (Based in Atlantic) received $79,405 toward the 93,418 total cost of a Light Duty Bus. The local share is $14,013.
• and Region 14 (Based in Creston) received more than $427,000 for mini-van/light duty buses and surveillance systems.

Council Bluffs received $1,037,981 in grants from the Bus and Bus Facilities Formula Program. The complete list of funded vehicles can be found at https://iowadot.gov/transit/Funding-programs-and-applications/funding-programs.

WATERLOO, Iowa (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier) — Police in northeastern Iowa say a one-time boxer and suspect in a deadly, botched armored car heist last month is now charged in a fire that destroyed a well-known Waterloo restaurant. The Courier reports that 29-year-old Kevin Cruz Soliveras was arrested Monday on arson and burglary charges in the March 5 fire that gutted the Wishbone Restaurant and Bar.

Police say security video shows Cruz and another person breaking into the restaurant and coin-operated machines there before setting fires in the restaurant. Days later, police say, Cruz was part of a group that hatched plan to rob an armored car outside a Waterloo bank. The robbery failed when guards opened fire, wounding Cruz and another man and killing Bryce Miller.