(Harlan, Iowa) – Shelby County Auditor Mark Maxwell reports the Shelby County Board of Supervisors met in a regular session Tuesday morning, Dec. 19, 2023. During their session, Ryan Bervin from Assured Partners Insurance, provider for Shelby County Employee Insurance program, was present to give a yearly update concerning Insurance rates for fiscal year 2025 and monies allotted to the Shelby County Self Insurance Fund. Bervin said there is a new accident policy available to all employees. Insurance claims have been steady, wellness participation and other factors have translated into favorable policy renewal costs.

Wendy Mueller of West Central Development was present to give the annual report to the Supervisors her organization requested $3500.00 for fiscal year 2025.

Todd Valline, Director of the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce and Industry, highlighted just a few of the current happenings and projects his organization is involved in. This week thru Friday the promotion at participating businesses earns a raffle ticket for a drawing to give out prizes to individuals for every $25 in purchases. Valline also served notice that the Ballpark to Ballpark Trail is accepting donations and Panama Transfer has pledged up to a $25,000 matching donation.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was presented to the Supervisors for consideration. The MOU details the background and duties concerning a partnership with the Harlan Fire Department abilities to support Shelby County EMS with manpower in situations calling for assistance. Parkhurst made a motion to permit the chairperson to sign the document, Schaben seconded the motion, the motion passed.

The Board passed a Resolution amending the Shelby County Handbook, by adding an EMS Pay Scale. The resolution states that Shelby County voters passed a public measure establishing a 75-cents per thousand dollars of taxable valuation levy for the establishment of a County operated Emergency Medical Services Department. The establishment and organization of the department was abruptly and unexpectedly placed on Shelby County to be completed by December 1st and the employment wage scales had not been determined as of December 1st. The following employees wage scale will be placed as an addendum to the County Employee handbook.

Shelby County Engineer, Brandon Burmeister, gave an update on current and upcoming projects in his department. Burmeister also asked for approval to change the wording in the County Utility permit applications. Parkhurst made a motion to approve the changes, Schaben seconded the motion. The motion was approved. The Supervisors then considered the promotion of Chris Fredericksen, who has been Assistant Engineer for over six years to County Engineer effective 01-22-2024. Parkhurst motioned to permit the chairperson to sign the contract, Schaben seconded the motion, the motion passed.

The 28E agreement between the City of Harlan and Shelby County has found cause to be amended. The payments for the patrol will be reduced to the County by $20,000.00. The $20,000 will be paid directly to the Sheriff and Deputies by the City of Harlan that are involved with the administration of the amendment provisions. Shelby County may not pay the Sheriff an amount greater than the amount on the County budget, using Shelby County funds. This amendment will allow administrative payments from the City of Harlan to the Sheriff and Deputies involved in administrative work concerning the 28E agreement. Schaben made a motion to approve the addendum, Parkhurst seconded the motion. The motion passed with ayes by Kenkel, Schaben and Parkhurst.

Auditor Mark Maxwell reports a public hearing was held Dec. 19th to gather public information and comments made about the proposed Ordinance 2023-10. The ordinance, as passed, will allow Shelby County to receive the 1% income taxes approved by voters and collected by the Iowa Department of Revenue to be returned to Shelby County to be used for EMS expenditures. A second public hearing was held with regard to an interfund loan which may be needed to fund Shelby County EMS for beginning cash flow purposes.

The resolution directs that $125,000 be advanced to the Emergency services Fund from the Self Insurance Fund, in order to pay startup costs and to ease the initial cash flow burdens on the EMS department. The advance shall be treated as a loan (the “Loan”) to the EMS Fund and shall be repaid to the Self Insurance Fund out of property tax revenues and/or EMS Department revenues. Payments on the Loan are subject to the Board of Supervisors determination that there are funds available for such purpose which have been allocated to or accrued in the EMS Fund. Once appropriated, payments may be made on the Loan each year on October 1st. Total Balance to be paid by April 15th 2, 2026

The Supervisors then considered allowing the Chairperson to sign a lease agreement for Heartland Family Services for office space at the Annex Building. This is a renewal of a lease from calendar years 2022 and 2023 and will extend the lease for two more years if approved by the Shelby County Supervisors and signed by Heartland Family Services. The motion was approved unanimously.

The annual Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) wellness participation document was presented for consideration of approval. The agreement – which was approved  – allows for employee and County participation in ISAC sponsored wellness incentives.  The Board accepted a recommendation by the Shelby County Veterans Commission appoint Tom Kallman to the Veterans Commission Board.

In other business, a steel door at the Annex has deteriorated and rusted and bids have been received. The low bid was received from Leinen Construction. The Auditor asked for the Supervisors permission to sign the low bid and agreement. The Board approved the bid as presented.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – No one held the winning ticket for the Powerball jackpot in advance of Monday night’s drawing. That bumps the top prize up by about $47-million to an estimated $685-million for Wednesday night’s drawing. There were two tickets that claimed a $1-million prize in the Powerball drawing Monday night. Those tickets were sold in New Hampshire and California.

The winning numbers were 5,12, 20, 24 and 29. The Powerball number was 4.

(Audubon, Iowa) – With the recently announced resignation of Audubon City Clerk Joe Foran, the search is underway to find his replacement. When Foran resigned after 10-years as City Clerk in Audubon, the City Council held a special meeting Nov. 21^st to approve posting the position. The City received about one-half dozen applications before the deadline to apply.

Members of the Council will review the applications and narrow them down to the top three qualified persons as well as conduct interviews with the applicants. A decision on who will become the next City Clerk in Audubon could come this week or next. The new mayor and city council will be in-place in Audubon, on January 2^nd.

(Anamosa, Iowa) – The Iowa State Patrol has identified the man killed early Friday morning in a crash that occurred south of Anamosa. Investigators say a 2014 Chevy Malibu driven by 81-year-old Richard R. Schmidt, of Alburnett, was merging onto Highway 151 Northbound from Shaw Road when it was struck by a 2011 Ford F250. Schmidt died from his injuries.

Two others were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment of their injuries. The State Patrol says all three people were wearing seatbelts.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – University of Iowa Police say multiple people were taken into custody after reports of a shooting early Christmas morning. UIPD issued a Hawk Alert just after 2 o’clock Monday morning for the 200-block of S Van Buren, advising people to take shelter and avoid the area as police investigated the scene.

A couple hours later UIPD posted that multiple people were in custody.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State University Farmland Value survey showed a shift this year in the county with the highest land value. I-S-U’s Rabail Chandio oversees the survey.  “O’Brien [County] was the was the highest value county last year, this year, it has switched to Sioux County, but still in the northwest,” she says. Scott County in eastern Iowa had held the top spot for farmland value for many years before it recently switched to the northwest. Chandio says another shift saw lower quality ground in southern Iowa top the list for increases in dollar value. “Some of the southern counties, although in value (land quality) they are the lowest, they saw the highest increase in land values,” Chandio says. She says the increase in the southern farmland value is tied to uses outside of farming.

“So a lot of demand, investor demand for southern land comes from recreational use from hunting from these kinds of factors. And if you’re going to buy land for hunting, the land quality, the grain prices or the commodity market or the farm sector is not really as big of a factor in your purchase or your pricing of land, ” she says. Chandio says the southern counties have lagged behind other counties in price increases because the normal land value issues don’t impact them as much.

“The northern counties are the rest of the state more so is more affected by the farm environment or the farm economy which is why it’s reacting first,” Chandio says. “But that’s always been the case that the South has a little bit of lag.” Chandio says the purchase of land for recreational uses like hunting hasn’t change the overall profile of land buyers. “The major buyers of farmland still remain the farmers. Last year this number was 68 percent. This number has it has increased even more at 70 percent,” she says. “So 70 percent of all farmland purchases are done by existing farmers, local or relocating. And then 24 percent of the purchases are attributable to investors, which include both local and non local investors.”

Chandio says the investor activity is higher in the southern part of the state and the investors say their primary reasons for buying land are more recreational.

(Creston, Iowa) – Creston Police report there were three people arrested over the holiday weekend. At around 2:30-p.m. Friday, 50-year-old Jennifer Lynn Moon, of Creston, was arrested in the 600 block of W. Prairie, for allowing Animals to run at Large on Public Lands. Moon was cited and released from the scene on Promise to Appear in court.

Early Saturday morning, 47-year-old Scott Arlen Vorm, of Waukee, was arrested in Creston for OWI/1st Offense. Vorm was taken to the Union County Jail and later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

Early Sunday morning, 24-year-old Michael Dawson Stults, of Creston, was arrested in Creston for OWI/1st Offense. Stults was taken to the Union County Jail and also later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – If you got an ugly Christmas sweater, something in the wrong size or a duplicate item as a gift, ’tis now the season for returns — and the lines at customer service counters are likely long. Margo Riekes, spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau, offers Iowans a few tips to keep the line moving smoothly. “Be patient because all of the sales employees, especially the first few days after Christmas, are overwhelmed with all the returns,” Riekes says. “If you’re patient, you’re more likely to get some action.”

Standing in line for 45 minutes may try your patience, but she says to consider what it must be like to be the person hearing peoples’ complaints all day long.  “The customer who’s trying to return the gift should always be calm and polite when trying to do so,” Riekes says. “People will be much more willing to help them.” When returning an item, make sure to keep it in the original packaging and in like-new condition.

“Do not take the tags off the things because once the tags are off, it’s probably impossible to return them,” she says. If the gift giver was thinking far enough ahead to enclose a gift receipt in your wrapped box, it will make the process infinitely easier.

(Winterset, Iowa) – A collision Monday evening in Madison County left one person dead and another injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports the crash happened east of Winterset, at around 6:30-p.m. The Patrol says a pickup driven by 66-year-old Marjorie B. Gregory, of Nevada, MO., was traveling east on Highway 92, east of Nature Trail. A Honda Accord driven by 46-year-old Corey M. Brown, of Creston, and a Honda Civic driven by 32-year-old Peter J. McNeal, of Des Moines, were traveling west on Highway 92, when Gregory attempted to pass an eastbound vehicle.

Her pickup struck the Accord head-on in the westbound lane, and overturned and rolled before hitting the Civic. Corey Brown died at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt. Marjorie Gregory was injured and transported by Madison County Ambulance to Methodist Hospital, in Des Moines.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the scene,