No injuries were reported following an accident Wednesday evening, in Atlantic. According to the Police Department, vehicles driven by Cole Holaday, of Marne, and Brett Imhoff, of Atlantic, collided at the intersection of 7th and Chestnut Streets at around 7:50-p.m. The accident happened as Holaday was turning  south onto Chestnut from westbound 7th Street. In doing so, he failed to yield to Imhoff’s eastbound vehicle.

Holaday was subsequently cited for Failure to Yield prior to making a left-hand turn. Damage from the accident amounted to $3,500.

A public hearing was held Wednesday morning in Greenfield, with regard to a Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Amendment. Adair County Auditor Mindy Schaefer told KJAN News following discussion, during which the Board of Supervisors heard no comments or objections, the Board voted to approve the amendment, which Schaefer says is strictly for the Secondary Roads Department. It will allow the department to finish using already bonded for Tax Increment Financing (TIF) money, and the spending of the bond proceeds in a timely fashion, as required.

The Board also heard one of three presentations with regard to a possible Geographic Information System (GIS). The system integrates hardware, software, and data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information. Schaefer says the board will hear two more presentations during their meeting next week, and on October 16th, they will make a decision on whether or not to pursue GIS and how to pay for it.

And, the Adair County Supervisors heard from Larry Burger, with Speer Financial Services, with regard to General Obligation (G.O.) and TIF Bonds. Schaefer said the Board will move ahead with the process of acquiring a TIF Bond, and hold a public hearing no later than December 1st, so it can be certified as debt. The approximately $5-million TIF Bond will be used for additional road projects in the Urban Renewal Area that was approved earlier this year. Schaefer said the Bond would be paid-off within five-to seven years.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Mercy Medical Center-Sioux City official says it’s treating four people for neuroinvasive disease stemming from a West Nile virus infection.  The virus is carried by mosquitoes and infects the brain and spinal cord. It can cause brain damage, paralysis and death.

Bertha Ayi is medical director of Global Infectious Disease Services at Mercy, and she told the Sioux City Journal that Mercy has seen six patients from Sioux City between the ages of 40 and 80 test positive for the virus this year. One patient died.

The Iowa Public Health Department says 26 human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Iowa so far this year. Ayi is urging the people to protect themselves by wearing insect repellent outdoors and avoiding mosquito-infested areas though November.

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (2.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The National Weather Service says several rounds of thunderstorms are expected across Iowa today through Friday evening. There is a threat for severe weather over central and western Iowa this afternoon and evening with the potential for large hail and damaging winds. An isolated tornado is also possible. Additional storms are expected to develop over northern Iowa by Friday afternoon. Large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes are possible with this activity. One final line of storms will arrive Friday evening and will bring and additional severe weather threat. Storms will end Saturday as much cooler weather arrives. Sunday will remain cool with a few showers forecast over the northern half of the state. Seasonal and mainly dry conditions are expected for the start of next week.

Police in Red Oak report one person was arrested Wednesday night on an assault charge.   30-year-old Paul Silas Ratley, of Fayetteville, NC, was  arrested in the 1800 block of East Summit Street, on charges of Simple Domestic Assault, and 5th degree criminal mischief.

Ratley was being held without bond at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center.

Lora Kanning, Interpretive Naturalist from the Cass County Conservation and Jim Reimer, Area 6 Representative from the Iowa Waste Exchange will be among the speakers involved in the Food Waste Reduction Workshop on October 15th, at the Council Bluffs Public Library. The workshop will focus on methods to reduce food waste and divert it from the landfill.

Attendees will also hear from Iowa Waste Reduction Center specialists as well as a panel of representatives from area organizations and businesses who will identify the challenges to food waste reduction and diversion. Panelists include representatives from GreenRU, Food Bank for the Heartland, Iowa Western Community College and the Cass County Landfill.

Registration for the one-day workshop is $10, which includes lunch. For more information and to register, visit foodwaste.iwrc.org.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa National Guard says more than 1,000 full-time employees have been furloughed because of the partial government shutdown. The Guard says most of the furloughed employees are federal technicians that are uniformed members of the Guard. About 45 are civilian federal government employees. Colonel Greg Hapgood says about 50 employees remain on duty.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa state senator has resigned after a special investigator found it likely he violated ethics rules by taking money from political entities connected to former presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and then denying he’d done so. Senator Kent Sorenson told The Associated Press yesterday evening that he’s resigning.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say the department vigorously investigates all allegations of racial profiling. Sergeant Daniel Blom says the Des Moines Police Department investigated 20 public complaints in the past two years and none were allegations of racial profiling.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A northern Iowa man whose car careened into a sinkhole has filed a lawsuit seeking money from Mitchell County. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that Mark Evans of Osage filed the lawsuit, which claims the county should have done more to prevent his car from plunging into the hole created by flooding. Evans says he was driving about 4 a.m. on May 26th when he hit a black snow fence placed by a county worker about 20 feet from the sinkhole and drove into it.

The Atlantic City Council voted unanimously to approve making a contribution of $3,008.80 to the Cass County Agricultural & Educational Association (commonly referred to the as “Fair Board”) for the newly constructed cattle barn on the Cass County Fair Grounds.

Last August, the Board asked the Council to waive the $3,500 building permit fee for the construction of the open cattle barn. The Council came to the conclusion that the old fee schedule be adjusted for such structures, and later amended the building permit fee schedule, to reduce the per-square foot fee, and cap the total building fee for unattached, accessory structures, at $500.

Under the new fee, the Fair Board would have only had to pay the $500 fee, but it is not retroactive, and therefore does not apply to permits issued prior to Sept. 4th. The Board paid the $3,500 fee, but then stopped payment on the check while the matter was being debated and resolved among City officials.

With the Council’s approval Wednesday night, the Fair Board will write a check for $3,500, which the City will cash. The City will in-turn write a check to the Fair Board minus the $500 permit fee the Board would have been charged under the new fee structure. Councilperson Kathy Somers explained that having the City make a contribution to the Fair Board in the manner approved, is no different than the City approving tax abatements and other incentives in town. She said “So why wouldn’t we want to support our own County Fair with an improvement to their building in Atlantic?”

The main reason the Council decided to make the donation as described, was so that there would be a clear “paper trail” showing the Fair Board paid the original building permit fee as required under the old fee structure.