The Atlantic City Council met on Wednesday evening in the Council Chambers at City Hall and one of the big agenda items was approval of a Veteran’s New Housing Forgivable Loan Program policy. When the policy was brought up for discussion Councilman Chris Jimmerson stated he thought the program should include the opportunity for some current local Veteran’s to take advantage. Under the initial proposal the policy would require someone to have not lived in Atlantic for the past 24 months to qualify.

The program is in coordination with the Home Base Iowa program that aims to bring retiring Veteran’s to or return to Iowa to build their lives after the military. The initial 24-month requirement was with the thought that they wouldn’t just give money to someone already here. Jimmerson contended that Veteran’s already living here have proven they want to be here and would give them incentive to build a new home. The program involves the opportunity for up to $15,000 in incentives to build and improve a new home in the Atlantic city limits. The initial program would have $90,000, or the opportunity for 6 potential recipients. The council decided to amend the requirements to allow for 2 of those recipients to be local and keep the 24-month away requirement for the other 4 slots.

That amendment was unanimously approved and then the full amended policy was unanimously approved by the council as well. The The program is seeded with $90,000 from the EDR (Economic Development Revolving) Fund. The City may pursue replenishing the loans through a TIF (Tax Increment Financing), but specific projects will need to be identified, and can occur later.

In other business the Council approved street closures for the Atlantic Homecoming Parade on October 11th and a portion of 6th Street near the city park for the Atlantic First Responders Family Night Out event on Sunday, August 25th from 4:00pm-7:00pm.

The Council also passed a Resolution “Amending the City Financial Policy to add Section 204” (A Federal Procurement Policy), with regard to Federal Disaster funds from FEMA.

Officials with Cass County Health System have announced that the August 26th session of “Healthy U” in Atlantic has been canceled. The program, “Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery,” was to be presented by Keith Lodhia, MD, MS. but has now been called off.

An Omaha man was sentenced for sex trafficking involving force on Tuesday in US District Court in Council Bluffs. US Attorney Marc Krickbaum announced that 40-year-old Terrance Terrell Jackson Sr. was sentenced to seven years in prison to be followed by seven years of supervised release. The sentence was handed down by US District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger.

Jackson Sr.’s conviction was the result of investigation conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. On May 11th an undercover officer responded to and internet advertisement offering sexual services for a person identified as “Savannah”. A meeting was then arranged at a Lincoln, NE hotel and “Savanna” was arrested by law enforcement.

Authorities determined Jackson had placed the ad and drove the girl to Lincoln for the meeting. Investigation determined that Jackson had been advertising meetings with the girl since late 2017 in locations in Omaha and Council Bluffs. It was also determined that Jackson physically assaulted the girl to ensure she would participate in acts of prostitution. The girl was hospitalized on several occasions due to the abuse.

The investigation was done by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, Lincoln Police Department, Omaha Police Department, and Council Bluffs Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

A small child escaped harm during an attempted carjacking in Council Bluffs on Wednesday morning. Council Bluffs police were called to a possible carjacking that had just occurred at a Casey’s gas station located at 510 23^rd Ave. in Council Bluffs at 7:15am Wednesday.  A small child was still inside the vehicle at the time of the incident.

Soon after officers arrived on location the vehicle was found a short distance away from the original scene with the child still in his seat unharmed.

Council Bluffs Police are still investigating the incident and are searching for two possible suspects. If anyone has information on this incident please contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712-328-4765 or Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst announced on Wednesday that she will hold a town hall meeting in Fremont County on August 28th as part of her 99 County Tour for 2019.

The meeting will be held at 10:30am at the Riverton Community Center at 803 Summer Avenue in Riverton on Wednesday, August 28th. The public is welcome to come and talk about issues with Senator Ernst.

DES MOINES – Today, Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation today for Madison, Marion, and Warren counties in response to Aug. 20 severe storms and tornadoes.

The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for these three counties.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $41,560 for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

Disaster Case Management is a program to address serious needs to overcome a disaster-related hardship, injury or adverse condition. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org.

Iowa residents of counties impacted by the recent severe weather are asked to report damage to help local and state officials better understand the damage sustained. Damage to property, roads, utilities and other storm-related information may be reported. This information will be collected by the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and shared with local emergency management agencies.

OSKALOOSA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested three people who they say weighted down the body of woman and put her in a southern Iowa river to conceal her drug overdose death.

The Iowa Public Safety Department said in a news release Tuesday that 27-year-old Cody Vancenbrock, 34-year-old Holly Kelly and her husband, 28-year-old Nicholas Kelly, face a variety of charges, including abuse of a corpse. Mahaska County court records don’t list lawyers for any of them.

The department says 24-year-old Ashley Shafer died after Vancenbrock injected her with methamphetamine on Aug. 5 at the Kellys’ Oskaloosa apartment.

The department says her body was driven to a rural area of Mahaska County, weighted down and put in the South Skunk River. The body was found and recovered the next day.

Charges against Vancenbrock include involuntary manslaughter.