More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.4MB)
Subscribe: RSS
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – Dubuque officials are considering sharing the cost of building a $1.8 million dock that would let river cruise ships stop to let passengers explore the city. A 20-year agreement between the city and Viking Cruises calls for them to split the cost of constructing the dock on the Mississippi River near Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark. Once Viking launches its Mississippi River cruises, the company would have exclusive rights to the dock for its boats. But other vessels would be able to use the dock when Viking boats are not. The dock would be removed from the water and stored in the winter.
The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.
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The Creston Police Department reports four recent arrests. A little after 1-a.m. Sunday, 38-year old David Kopp, of Creston, was arrested for Public Intoxication. He was later released on a $300 bond. Saturday afternoon, 22-year old Kendrick Davis, of Creston, was arrested at the Greater Regional Health Center, for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. He was cited and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear in court. Friday night, 19-year old Seph Fox, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, for Theft in the 4th Degree. He was later released on $1,000 bond. And, a little after 1-a.m. Friday, 31-year old Scott Johnston, of Essex, was arrested in Creston for Driving While Suspended and Carrying Weapons (a Knife over 5 inches). He was released from the Union County Jail on a $1,300 bond.
Creston Police said also, officials with the Fareway Store in Creston reported Friday morning, that at around 3:30-p.m. Jan. 28th, an unknown male subject entered the store and took a bottle of liquor without paying for it. The loss was estimated at $40. A man living the 600 block of N. Elm Street in Creston, reported Friday morning, that sometime between 3:50 am – 7:10 am Friday, someone apparently attempted to steal his 1998 GMC Yukon, while it was parked in the alley behind his residence. The person or persons caused damage to the vehicles’ ignition system. The total amount of damage was estimated at $250.
The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Kansas City Chiefs are celebrating their Super Bowl win with a parade. “The Chiefs Kingdom Champions Parade” is set for 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. Officials announced the celebration Sunday night, shortly after the Chiefs defeated San Francisco 31-20. The festivities will include a victory rally at Union Station about 1:30 p.m., shortly after the parade ends. Details about the parade already had been leaking out in advance, as the city put generators in place near the site of the rally and businesses in the area made plans to close or operate on a reduced schedule.
FOR SALE: 107 Cub Cadet, front snow blade, tire chains, extra rear tires & wheels. Needs a battery. $350 obo.; FOR SALE: 21′ Ercoa Admiral Pontoon, new floor, 20HP, Johnson Hoosier trailer. $1,900 obo. 402-689-4157 (Kimballton)
FOR SALE: 5 HP Briggs & Stratton horizontal shaft engine, runs fine. Asking $45. Also, an older Delta table saw with new blade and belt drive, runs fine. Asking $100. Call 712-304-4998.
FOR SALE: TV converter box with three-prong cord. Asking $10. Call 402-506-0787.
FOR RENT: A trailer house with a big lot in Lewis.Can be SIRHA approved. Call 712-249-6729.
FOR SALE: Sears 10 inch table saw, belt drive, 110v or 220v. Cast Iron top. Call 712-766-3281.
WANTED: Looking for a good set of snow tires. Size 215/75/R15. Call 712-784-3894 or 712-249-7622. Located in the Walnut area.
FOR SALE: I have 3 German shepherd pups left. Almost 8 weeks old eating solid food for 3 weeks. Have shots and very friendly. Would like $300 a puppy. Call or text 402 378 8115. Located by Oakland.
The Atlantic City Council will meet in a regular session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday (Feb. 5th), in their chambers at City Hall. On their agenda is action on an Order to close select streets on June 13th, from 7-a.m. To 11:30-p.m., for the SHIFT ATL Block party. The affected streets include: Chestnut, from 7th to 6th, and 6th Street from Chestnut to Poplar. The event will include a beer garden, live music and smoke-off competition, with the proceeds benefiting SHIFT ATL accomplish their Atlantic revitalization initiatives.
The Council will also hear a report from Parks and Recreation Department Director Bryant Rasmussen and key accomplishments of the department in 2019, along with outlining goals for 2020. They will then act on a Resolution setting Feb. 19th at the date for a Public Hearing on approving “Fiscal Year 2021 Maximum Property Tax Dollars.”
City Administrator John Lund says the Iowa Department of Management requires the City of publish in the newspaper and the City’s website as well as any social media page, the Maximum Tax Levy & Rate. Lund says “While it appears [in looking at the numbers] the City is going wild, asking for a year-to-year increase of 5.62%…the devil is in the details.” He says “The total tax rate will also include voted general fund levy, debt service levy, and capital improvement reserve levy.”
The City’s debt service levy of $4.23, according to Lund, is completely hidden in the published notice. It accounts for slightly more than $1.07-million the City will tax, as compared to the more than $1.04-million in the previous year. Lund says “On the property tax statements, the City will show an increase of 2.71%, NOT the 4.67% shown on the public notice.” “Over the long term,” he says, “the City is expected to see less and less in dollar increases from property taxes due to the structural limits outlined in the State Code, and the declining taxable value realized from the multi-residential rollback.”
Lund said also, that while 2.71% is the increase in dollars generated, it will not reflect the impact on the property taxes levied against individual properties. “There is no way to know,” he says, “what the impact will be in year-to-year impact on taxpayers. However, when other authorities set their levies, a taxpayer can calculate the changes in their property taxes using the formula:
(Assessed Value) x (Property Class Rollback = Taxable Value
(Taxable Value) x (Combined Levy of all Taxing Authorities) /1,000 = (Gross Taxes Due)
(Gross Taxes Due) – (Applicable Tax Credits) = (Net Taxes Due).
Lund said also, he’s forecast a less than one-percent increase in the FY 2022 budget. After the Council sets the date for a public hearing on the FY21 Maximum Property Tax Dollars, they will act on a Resolution setting the date for a Public Hearing “On a proposal to enter into a General Obligation Solid Waste Management Loan Agreement and to Borrow Money [in a principal amount] not to exceed $90,000.
The Cass County Landfill has instituted a per-capita fee of $12 per resident, to be assessed annually. The amount the City pays is $85,344, payable in four equal payments over the course of the fiscal year. The final action item on the Council’s agenda, is a Resolution “Establishing the Allocation of Revenues from the City of Marne through Compensation for Specified Activities” (with regard to time and work performed by the Atlantic City Clerk and her Assistant). Marne pays Atlantic $5,000 per year for those services. The Resolution would set a schedule for how those funds are dispersed.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A survey report suggests the economy continues to grow in nine Midwest and Plains states. The Mid-America Business Conditions index jumped to 57.2 in January from 50.6 in December. The survey was conducted before much of the bad news was reported about the coronavirus outbreak that originated in China. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says the outbreak could harm the regional economy in the weeks ahead. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota. Survey organizers say any index score above 50 suggests growth. A score below that suggests decline.
(Radio Iowa) — The spread of the coronavirus and the recently signed phase one of a trade agreement has put a lot of focus on China. Iowa State University agricultural economist Wendong Zhang is from China and says many Americans don’t fully understand the size and population of China. During a presentation in Le Mars, he says the Wuhan (WOO-hon) area at the heart of the outbreak is an example. “Most people in Iowa and across the U-S never even heard about the city — but that city is actually is home of 11 million people — that’s how big China is,” Zhang says. “…there’s a hundred million people who share my last name — that’s how big China is. That’s how big China is. That’s one of the reasons we are talking about China and demand.”
He says the coronavirus could cause issues with carrying out the trade agreement with China. “There are significant challenges logistically in terms of meeting the targets outlined in the baseline trade deal. Especially when you think the soybean export season is November to April. We will likely see the virus stay there for an extended period of time. We likely won’t see that go away until May,” Zhang says. Zhang says the trade deal between China and the United States is significant.”This is a really good thing for U-S agriculture — but there is still a whole lot of concerns about whether these promises are too good to be true,” according to Zhang. “Because these promises will reach a level we really haven’t seen before, and the 88-page agreement doesn’t have a whole lot of concrete details.”
He says the Chinese people are in desperate need of protein.”Pork, beef and poultry, because China currently has African Swine Fever where they lost 40 percent of their hog inventory, which is larger than the entire U-S inventory,” he says. He says China has a lot of other needs as well. “There’s also a growing demand for the consumer products as well — infant formula, wine, peanuts and fruits, vegetables, avocados,” Zhang says.
Zhang says the Chinese have more respect for the food safety inspection process in the U-S than they do for their own country. Zhang says it is unknown how much impact the coronavirus will end up having on the trade situation.