A $22.5-million dollar bond issue for Iowa Western Community College was approved by the voters during a special election held Tuesday in 13 southwest Iowa counties, but a separate $14.3-million dollar bond issue for the Riverside Community School District narrowly missed achieving the necessary super majority of the votes needed for passage. According to unofficial results, the IWCC bond issue received 76.4-percent of the total votes cast in favor of the measure. A 60-percent super majority was needed. 4,511 people voted in favor of the measure, while 1,395 voted against it. In the Riverside District, unofficial results from the Pottawattamie County Auditor’s Office show the bond issue receiving 59 percent of the vote–941 yes to 649 no. Again, a 60 percent supermajority was necessary in order for the bond issue to pass.

School officials seemed confident one-day before the vote the issue would pass. Had it been approved, it would have paid for the  construction of a new 7th through 12th grade not far from the intersection of Highways 6 and 59. The revised plan called for both the elementary building in Oakland and the middle school in Carson to be retained, but with a grade reconfiguration for both buildings. It was the third time a bond issue referendum failed before the voters in the Riverside District.

As for the IWCC bond issue, it’s approval, according to school officials, means a decrease of 10 cents per one thousand dollars taxable valuation in the portion of property taxes residents pay into the school. The Early Retirement and Debt Service levies at the school will both see significant declines in the next fiscal year of $0.18 per $1,000 of taxable value. Iowa Western President Dan Kinney said the bond funds would be used to create lab space for the new Physical Therapy Assistant Program, and the necessary space for a Robotics Technology Program on the Council Bluffs campus. It also provides more classrooms and lab space for the school’s culinary arts and diesel technology programs in Council Bluffs.

At the Harlan campus, the college plans to build an addition to the Shelby County Center with the bond to provide space for additional science and math classrooms. It also plans to create a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Academy in the space to work with area high schools and business and industry leaders.

In Atlantic, money from the bonds will provide additional space and high-speed Internet connectivity for interactive classrooms to help the Design Technology program to grow and provide graduates with the computer skills needed by manufacturers. In Cass County, the Iowa Western bond issue garnered 386 “Yes” votes, and 74 “No” Votes. Not surprisingly, a majority of the votes cast were in the two precincts found in Atlantic.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday is expected to act on a Resolution accepting the 2013 budget for Atlantic Municipal Utilities. AMU says its total budget for 2013 is up 12.1-percent from the current year. The utility says they’ve seen a 35.5-percent increase in electric production costs and a 21.5-percent increase in the cost of transmitting electricity. If the Council feels AMU’s budget report is not detailed enough, or fails to provide a complete financial picture, they have the option of declining it.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will hear a report from Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring. They’ll also act on a resolution accepting work on construction of the City Street Maintenance Garage, and approval of various change orders for HMA street resurfacing and the Wastewater Treatment Plant improvement projects.

The City Council meeting begins at 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, at City Hall.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Saturday of a Cumberland man.  51-year old Kevin Floyd Edwards was taken into custody on a Cass County Sheriff’s warrant for OWI 2^nd Offense and an additional charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Edwards was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on $2000 bond. And, 29-year old Eddie Ray Mack, Jr., of Audubon, was arrested Saturday, on a charge of Violating a No Contact Order. Mack was taken to the Cass County Jail, pled not guilty to the charge, and was released on Sunday.

The Sheriff’s Office says also, 50-year old Catherine Ann Renaud, of Atlantic, was arrested Nov. 28th, on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. She taken to the Cass County Jail where she was released the following day on $1000 bond.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Department, Tuesday (12/4) released a report on arrests from over the past week. Officials say on Sunday, 40-year old Tonya Trimble, of Omaha, was arrested on a warrant out of Pottawattamie County. Last Saturday, 19-year old Corey Morrical, of Malvern, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, Careless Driving and Open Container. On Friday, 37-year old William Fuller, of Shenandoah, was arrested on Possession with the Intent to Deliver/Meth and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, charges. That same day, 26-year old Ronald Hankins, of Tabor, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension, Trespassing and an ATV violation. And, on Tuesday, Nov. 27th, 55-year old Kandyce Arman, of Glenwood, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports one person was arrested Monday night on a drug charge. 30-year old Gary Lillie, of Prescott, was taken into custody at around 8:50-p.m. on a warrant charging him with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana. The warrant was issued following an investigation into an incident which occurred on Oct. 16th, 2012. Lillie was being held in the Adams County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Two Atlantic residents were arrested on assault charges, Monday. According to the Atlantic Police Department, 38-year old Steven Gustin was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault, and 19-year old Andrew Kitelinger was arrested for Serious Domestic Abuse Assault. Both men were booked into the Cass County Jail.