The Atlantic City Council held a work session Wednesday evening to discuss housing needs and a vision for the City’s 5-year Capital Improvements Plan (CIP). City Administrator John Lund said the City has more than 10.27-million dollars in proposed Capital Improvements, but the resources available (including incoming revenue) to cover about 8.68-million dollars worth, without raising taxes. That leaves a deficit of 1.596-million dollars the City will need to trim from its project wish list.

A list of priorities was included in the draft, FY 2017-2021 plan. The list was created through a survey of Council members and Mayor. Lund said those surveyed didn’t want to let equipment and vehicles for the fire, police and street department fall into disrepair, especially in a tight budget situation, so those items were high in the priority list.

The storm sewer system also rated high on the list, especially with regard to Bull Creek. Mayor Dave Jones said there are some safety issues pertaining to the creek, especially in the area of 17th to 9th Streets, where children are at play. He said steep drop-offs in the creek are dangerous and in the downtown area, enclosing the creek to prevent kids playing in it is being studied.

Lund said they are waiting on estimates from Snyder and Associates Engineers on the cost of the clean-up project. The Storm Water Fund, which is supported by user fees, will help to deal with the project and future housing developments will benefit from the Fund as the City deals with storm water mitigation prior to property completion.

The main area of discussion Wednesday night focused on the streets and roads, the improvements for which would cost more than $6.375-million under the draft CIP. Councilman Bob Cord said the list created is a start for the Council to make decisions, but the City shouldn’t be “micromanaging” the list of priorities, because Street Department Superintendent Derald Anderson and his crew are more aware of what streets need to be taken care of first.

Synder’s Dave Sturm and Anderson, said they’ve made a great deal of progress on maintaining and repairing City streets over the past few years. That being the case, Mayor Dave Jones and the Council suggested the Department should focus next on the downtown alleys resurfaced or repaired. Anderson said a few of the City’s Streets will need major work in the next five-years, including Plum Street, from 10th to 14th, which handles a great deal of high school traffic.

In other business, the Council approved the appointment of Jennifer Miller to the Planning and Zoning Commission. Miller replaces Denise Masker on the Commission.

Police in Red Oak responding to a domestic situation Wednesday night arrested one person on an assault charge, 38-year old Ronald Gordon Bingham, Jr., of Red Oak, was arrested at around 9:55-p.m., for Simple Domestic Assault. Bingham, Jr. was brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held without bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

A survey by an insurance company finds uses other than talking are becoming bigger issues for the distraction of drivers on cellphones. State Farm Insurance spokesperson, Ann Avery, says the have data from seven years of driver surveys. “Talking on a hand-held cellphone has decreased while driving from 65 percent in 0-9 to 51 percent in 2015,” Avery says. “Texting while driving has stayed about the same — a slight increase — but accessing the internet while driving has more than doubled, from 13 percent in 2009 to 29 percent in 2015.”

There are some other numbers in the survey that raise concern. “Some significant increases in drivers who report they’re using G-P-S, or reading and responding to emails, or reading and updating social media networks,” according to Avery. The survey found 88 percent of drivers now have a smartphone. People in the 40 to 49 year old category saw the biggest jump from a regular phone to a smartphone, moving from 47 to 92 percent. Ninety-nine percent of the drivers aged 18 to 29 have smartphones.

Avery says as the number of smartphones has increased, so have the things you can do with them.”The number and types of distractions that are available on cellphones have grown over the years and that’s worth noting and could be something that is reflected in the numbers,” Avery says. “But regardless of what the distraction is — we want to remind people — that despite what the demands on your attention are, please stay focused all the time on your driving.”

Drivers were asked in the survey what it would take to get them to put their phones down while on the road. “And their answers were: causing a crash while reading or responding to a text message, financial and/or legal consequences that might result, and thirdly, getting caught by police. So, these responses do highlight that there are some things that will deter people. It encourages us to consider a multi-pronged approach to curbing distracted driving.”

Talking on the cellphone while driving is legal in Iowa. Texting while driving is a secondary offense, which means police can’t pull you over just for texting. Police must stop you for something else before they can ticket you for texting while driving.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Court of Appeals rules banning restitution is not part of a ruling that bans mandatory life sentences for juveniles. The case involves Shannon Breeden, who helped her boyfriend murder Paula Heiser of Davenport in 2002. Breeden, who was 16 at the time, was allowed to plead guilty to the lesser charge of attempted murder in exchange for testimony against her boyfriend. She was given a mandatory sentence of 25 years and ordered to pay 150-thousand dollars restitution to Heiser’s estate.

Breeden was later resentenced to a prison term not to exceed 25 years after the U-S Supreme Court and subsequent Iowa Supreme Court rulings that mandatory sentences for juveniles were unconstitutional. The restitution amount stayed the same, and Breeden appealed, saying the restitution should be unconstitutional for juveniles the same as mandatory sentences.

The Iowa Court of Appeals says it will not expand the ruling on mandatory sentences to include restitution, as that is an issue for the Iowa Supreme Court to decide. The appeals court issued a similar ruling in another case involving Diamonay Richardson of Cedar Rapids. She was 16 when she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 2013. She also appealed the restitution in her case.

(Radio Iowa)

Citing a shortage of lots available to construct new homes in Atlantic, and in an effort to spur the construction of new homes in the community, local developer Don Sonntag told the City Council Wednesday, that he and his grandson will offer incentives with regard to the purchase of lots he owns for the purpose of new home construction.

Don Sonntag (Standing) speaks about a shortage of housing lots in Atlantic.

Sonntag has purchased lots along Olive Street on the south end of town, and will start next year getting houses built in the area next year. He will also donate at a reduced price, those lots that remain available, to anyone who wants to build a home in 2016. The project does not have to be associated with Sonntag Development in order to qualify.

Sonntag said he would also donate certain right-of-way areas to the City if it will help create more lots for home construction. He also has a few lots in the Mollett Addition (3rd Street Place, off Mulberry Street), that he would give away for free, to someone who promises to build a house in the subdivision beginning in 2016.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors is taking applications for various county board and commission appointments to be made at the organizational meeting January 4, 2016 and during calendar year 2016. Auditor Dale Sunderman says the County looks for diversity in the appointments and welcomes all applicants at least 18 years of age. Terms and dates of appointments vary. The positions are unpaid.

A brief description follows:

• Board of Health: Five member board to provide guidance and oversee operations of county Public Health department.
• Cass-Audubon Border Economic Development Agreement Board: Six voting members and two non-voting members. One at large member appointed by Cass County Board of Supervisors. Promote development of Valley Business Park property.
• Cass County Food Policy Council: Approximate ten member council that serves the entire Cass County area and works to bring together community members and organizations to promote stable food systems and access to healthy locally produced food for all the residents of Cass County.
• Civil Service Commission: Three member commission to oversee examinations, promotions, and discipline issues relating to Deputy Sheriffs.
• Compensation Board for the Condemnation of Private Property: 28 member commission representing realtors, farmers, bankers, auctioneers and city property owners to be available to the chief judge of the judicial district to assess damages to property taken by eminent domain.
• Conservation Board: Five member board to provide guidance and oversee operations of county Conservation department.
• Judicial Magistrate Appointing Commission: Six member commission (three appointed by the board) responsible for appointing two county magistrates. Magistrates are required to be attorneys and have jurisdiction over simple misdemeanors, including scheduled violations, county and municipal infractions, and small claims.
• Township Trustee/Clerk: Four member board (three trustees and one clerk): townships of Benton, Bear Grove, Brighton, Cass, Franklin, Grant, Grove, Lincoln, Massena, Noble, Pleasant, Pymosa, Victoria, and Washington (townships of Edna and Union elect officers). Township governments responsible to provide vital functions such as fire protection/emergency medical service and responsible for any township owned public cemeteries. The xext appointments will be in January of 2017 (one township trustee and one township clerk).
• Veteran Affairs Commission: Three member commission to provide guidance and oversee operations of Veteran Affairs department. Terms begin July 1.
• Zoning Board of Adjustment: Five member board to review county zoning ordinance and hear requests for variances or special exceptions to the ordinance.
• Planning & Zoning Commission: Five member commission to review and enforce county zoning ordinance and make recommendations on any proposed changes to same.
• Weed Commissioner: Supervise the control and destruction of all noxious weeds in the county. Term March thru February.
• Western Iowa Tourism Council Region #1: Promotion of Tourism in Tourism Region #1 This list is not all inclusive.

Applications for the various positions are required and can be obtained at the office of the Cass County Auditor and are also available on the county website: http://www.casscountyiowa.us/. Additional information may be obtained by calling the office of the Cass County Auditor: 712-243-4570.

At the organizational meeting to be held Monday, January 4, 2016, the Cass County Board of Supervisors will be making appointments to: Cass County Food Policy Council (if new applicants); County Weed Commissioner (1); County Civil Service Commission [for appointment of deputy sheriffs] (1) County Conservation Board (1); County Resource Enhancement Committee (1); County Zoning Board of Adjustment (1); County Zoning Commission (1); County Board of Health (2); Cass County Housing Commission (3); County Condemnation in Eminent Domain (28+); Cass-Audubon Border Economic Development Agreement Board (1); Western Iowa Tourism Council Region #1 (1 and 1 alternate) Mid-year appointment: Veteran Affairs Commission (1) in June, 2016.

A Red Oak man was arrested on Wednesday on multiple warrants by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.  At 3:50pm Deputies arrested 34-year-old Jacob A. Cochran of Red Oak on the following warrants: 2 for Violation of Probation, 1 for Burglary 1st Degree, and 1 for Domestic Abuse Assault.  Cochran was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $140,000 cash bond.

On Wednesday the Harlan Police Department released details on a number of recent arrests.

On December 3rd Harlan Police arrested 27-year-old Theodore Behrens of Harlan following a traffic stop.  Behrens was taken to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Failure to Have a Valid Driver’s License.

Also on December 3rd Officers arrested two individuals from Harlan following a traffic stop.  24-year-old Shawn Mosher and 26-year-old Sarah Koester were taken to the Shelby County Jail facing multiple charges.  Mosher was charged with Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Aiding and Abetting in the Delivery of a Controlled Substance, and Ongoing Criminal Conduct.  Koester was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Prohibited Acts penalties.

Finally on December 3rd Harlan Police responded to a call of a disturbance at the Harlan Community School that occurred during the elementary students’ Christmas program.  Questioned in the incident were 53-year-old Kenneth Smith of Harlan and 47-year-old Demetrius Moungo of Harlan.  Smith was later cited for Disorderly Conduct.

On Tuesday, December 8th Harlan Police arrested 61-year-old James Todd for Trespassing.  Officers were called to Casey’s General Store for a man that had been banned from the store and property and Todd was arrested.