The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), approved a joint agreement between Cass and Montgomery Counties, for interim County Engineer services in Montgomery County, using Cass County Engineer Charles Bechtold. County Auditor Dale Sunderman read from the motion to approve the agreement, which stipulates Bechtold will serve as the interim Montgomery County Engineer until June 30, 2019, or until Montgomery County hires a full-time professional engineer. Bechtold said he didn’t have a problem with filling the temporary post, as long as most of the necessary paperwork for Montgomery County road and bridge projects can be reviewed and approved electronically, and the scope of the work is defined.

Bechtold also said he would be willing to help Montgomery County in the search-hiring process for a new Engineer. The timing for getting an Engineer in place is critical, he said, because the County’s Iowa DOT Budget Amendment has to be filed before June 1st. In Cass County, Bechtold said that’s not a problem. And, while the Cass-Montgomery County matter was approved, the Supervisors tabled action on a FY 2020 Employment Agreement with Bechtold until their meeting May 14th at 9-a.m.

In other business, the Board approved the first amendment to the Child Support Staffing Contract with Child Support Recovery, incorporating the program budget for State Fiscal Year 2020. Auditor Dale Sunderman explained Cass County is paid to administer flow-through funding from State funds.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports 30-year old Christopher John Hazen, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a hold for another agency Monday night, after a deputy was called to a residence in the 18,300 block of School Hill Avenue, in Council Bluffs. The deputy was sent to investigate a suspicious vehicle and found a running pickup truck just east of a residence. Hazen was located and taken into custody.

Monday afternoon, 42-year old Gordon Lee Nash, III, of Holstein, was transported from the Woodbury County Jail to the jail in Pottawattamie County, where he was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for Probation Violation. And, a traffic stop Monday night in Council Bluffs resulted in the arrest of 21-year old Eduardo Andy Mora, for Driving While License Suspended or Revoked. His bond was set at $1,000.

ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa man has again been sentenced to four years in prison for beating an 11-year-old boy. Sioux County District Court records say 37-year-old Matthew Spaans was re-sentenced Monday. The Iowa Appeals Court in December ordered a resentencing after ruling that the trial judge considered an improper factor a year ago when sentencing Spaans the first time.

Spaans and his wife, Nina Spaans, of Hawarden, pleaded guilty to four counts of child endangerment. She received a four-year suspended prison sentence and was placed on two years’ probation. Court records say Matthew Spaans beat his stepson with his hands, a 56-inch sword and another item. The documents say the boy was told to make up stories about his bruises or his next beating would be worse.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports four recent arrests, two of which occurred Saturday. At around midnight, authorities arrested 30-year-old Jacob Le Miller, of Harlan, on a Class-D felony charge of operating while intoxicated 3rd offense. The charges was the result of a traffic stop along Highway 44.   Miller was transported to the Shelby County Jail and held under bond and was then released the following morning after posting the required $5000 surety bond. And, at around 9-p.m. Saturday, Shelby County authorities were called to a disturbance at a residence along Highway 44. Further information revealed that a party involved had left the scene.  Authorities located the vehicle traveling on Highway 44 and performed a traffic stop and upon further investigation it was determined that 42-year-old Jennifer Marie Rowedder, of Harlan, was intoxicated and charged with operating while intoxicated 1st offense.  Rowedder was transported to the Shelby County Jail without incident and held under bond until being released by the magistrate the following morning on her own recognizance.

And, there were two separate arrests on April 19th. At around 9-p.m., deputies arrested 45-year-old Bruce Daniel Peters, from Walnut, following a traffic stop for speeding along Highway 59 in Shelby County.  Upon further investigation Peters was taken into custody for operating while intoxicated 1st offense, and he was cited for speeding.   Peters was transferred to the Shelby County Jail without incident and released later that night after posting the $1000 cash bond. Also arrested, following a traffic stop in Earling April 19th, was 25-year-old Brett Scott Wilke, from Irwin.  Wilke was stopped around 1-a.m. for speeding, and upon further investigation was placed under arrest for operating while intoxicated 1st offense. Wilke was transported to the Shelby County Jail without incident and held till the following morning after he was released on his own recognizance.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones will administer the Oath of Office to the City’s newest Police Officer, Wednesday. Officer Dustin Gelner began working with the Atlantic Police Department on April 24th. Originally from Vinton, Louisiana, Gelner met his wife Michelle, an Atlantic native, while serving in the armed forces for five-years. Michelle Gelner is a nurse at CCMH. Both moved to town and have found a home to raise their family. The couple has a two-and one-half year old son, and recently welcomed a daughter, who is now three months old. The event is part of the regular City Council meeting, which begins 5:30-p.m. at the Atlantic City Hall.

The Atlantic City Council will act on approving an application for the Ba-Da Ba-Da Bing Bang Rally set for May 18th. The rally of vintage military equipment has been a popular event over the past few years, and requires certain temporary road closures for a 3-p.m. “cruise” beginning and ending at the Armory (American Legion Memorial bldg.). The route follows Poplar Street south of 7th Street, then west to 10th, continuing onto Sunnyside Lane to 22nd Street all the way to Highway 71. A rest stop will be taken at Wal-Mart, before the military vehicles proceed to head back to the Armory using 14th, Plum Street; Roosevelt Drive; 11th Street; Linn Street; 10th Street; Chestnut Street; 7th Street; 3rd Street, and finally Poplar. There will be an Atlantic Police escort for the participants.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will hold a Public Hearing on the sale of 602 Spruce Street, followed by a Resolution acting on the sale of the property. They will also act on approving a Resolution authorizing a Loan Agreement and the Issuance of Bonds for a General Obligation Solid Waste Management Note. City Administrator John Lund points out the City is a member of a 28-E organization that operates the Cass County Landfill. The City, he says, is required to support the Landfill financially, if the Landfill determines it is necessary. The Landfill has implemented a per-capita fee of $12 per residence ($85,344), payable in four equal installments over the course of the fiscal year. Since the City does not have the ability to foot that kind of financial obligation out of the General Fund over the long term. “Bonding for this type of debt is not logical,” he says. That leaves the City with one alternative: working with local banks for a paper debt and to make an immediate payment of the principal and any interest. Since it is still a debt, Public Hearings and the proper paperwork are required.

The Council will act on a Resolution approving the contract and bonds for the 2019 Palm Street improvement project, and a Resolution setting May 15th as the date for a Public Hearing on amending the FY 2019 Budget

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — Officials in eastern Iowa and other states along the Mississippi River are preparing for record or near-record crests. The Rock Island gauge at Davenport showed the level Tuesday morning at a little more than a foot under the record crest of 22.6 feet set in July 1993. It’s expected to crest Wednesday evening a few inches short of the record.

The Muscatine gauge showed the river more than 3 feet below the July 1993 record of 25.6 feet. It’s expected to crest a little more than a foot under the record at Muscatine, where officials have placed new berms and are preparing to divert downtown traffic.

The National Weather Service says showers and thunderstorms are forecast through Wednesday afternoon, dropping enough rain to alter the predicted river crests.
The service also says storms and flash flooding are expected for portions of Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.