Iowa is among three “shining stars” in the Midwest, according to the latestly monthly economic survey of business leaders and supply managers in nine states. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says Iowa, North Dakota and Oklahoma are all energy-producing states and their economies are prospering. Goss predicts Iowa and some of the other farm states in the region may soon take a big hit.
“Agricultural equipment sales are still doing reasonably well but I don’t see that can hold up,” Goss says. “That’s going to come down and punch some of the growth we’re now seeing in South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa, pulling that down, Kansas down as well.”

Goss says there is some weakness in non-durable goods like food production while biofuels and ethanol production are not holding up. “The 2012 drought has yet to put a dent in business activity for agriculture equipment manufacturers in Iowa, but has negatively influenced retail sales,” Goss says.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, is expected to discuss a report from the Community Development Committee, with regard to the creation of a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Policy. Councilman Shaun Shouse, Chair of the Committee, has been working with City Attorney Dave Weidersteen and the Committee, to come up with a draft TIF policy for the Council to review.

The City of Atlantic currently does not have a TIF policy in-place for commercial and industrial development. The result has been inconsistencies in how the funds have been awarded, and complaints about how those funds are distributed for some projects and not for others. City Administrator Doug Harris says without a TIF policy, the use of TIF funds are subject to abuse and waste. Among the many questions a TIF policy needs to address, according to Harris, is: What projects should be eligible? And, how much of the incremental tax revenue should be used as an individual development incentive, and how much should be used to fund needed public improvement projects which benefit the community as a whole, and help minimize future property tax requirements?

Mayor Dave Jones established a TIF Task Force to develop a fair and uniform policy to answer some of those questions. The task force in-turn, met with the Community Development Committee, which considered the task forces’ input in the development of the Committee’s recommendations, which may be adopted by the Council, in the form of a resolution.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will consider a proposal by Syngenta crop products, to develop an advertising campaign with the City, to promote its “Agrisure Viptera” corn seeds, for local farmers. Advertisements would be placed in store front windows, on street lamps, park benches and other such locations. As part of the company’s public relations campaign, Syngenta would include Atlantic in advertisements targeting local farming communities. The City would work with the company to promote town events, living and other attractions, as part of the campaign.

And, Atlantic resident and businessman Jim Tyler, will address the Council during the Public Forum segment of their meeting, to talk about the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources, and his property at 100 West 2^nd Street, which has been classified as a contaminated site, under Iowa law.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports his office received a call for assistance Monday at Rapp Park, north of Shenandoah. The call came from Iowa Department of Natural Resource Enforcement Officer Deb Howe.  Officer Howe was at the park with several individuals suspected of Iowa Code violations.  Deputies from the Page County Sheriff’s Office responded. Those Deputies handled violations of the Iowa Code that did not deal with Fish and Game violations. After an investigation, Deputies issued 35-year old Aaron E. Howell of Shenandoah,  a citation for improper use of registration.

Also on Monday, Page County Deputies responded to a report of a motor vehicle in the ditch on East Washington Street just east of the West Nodaway River Bridge.  After an investigation, it was determined that 37-year old Tabatha Louise Hawk, of Clarinda,  was driving a 2004 Chrsler Sebring registered to Dennis Hamilton also of Clarinda.  The car was westbound on East Washington when it went off the shoulder and then into the ditch on the north side.  When it entered the ditch, the car sustained front end damage.  Hawk was cited for Failure to prove security against liability (no insurance) accident related and Operation of a vehicle without a valid driver’s license.  There were no injuries reported.

Rescue crews from Anita and Wiota Fire and Rescue have been called to the scene of a personal injury accident on Interstate 80 in Cass County. The accident was said to have taken place at around 12:50-p.m. between the 70- and 71-mile markers in I-80 Eastbound. No other details are currently available.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Animal control workers have removed a total of about 50 cats and carcasses from a house in Sioux City.  Cindy Rarrat, of Sioux City Animal Adoption & Rescue Center, says conditions inside the house Monday were unbearable and unfit for humans or animals.  Law officers executed a search warrant around 4:30 p.m. Monday, and workers started removing the animals. No one was home.  Neighbors say no one has lived in the home for a couple of months.  The hungry, thirsty cats were taken to the rescue center.

A technology change coming early Wednesday morning by cable TV service provider Mediacom means viewers in the KJAN listening area may experience blank channels, but no loss in programming. Officials with Mediacom say their customers in a 10-county area of western and southwest Iowa will see channel location changes as a result of a digital upgrade. The upgrade affects Mediacom customers living in the following 15 communities located in western and southwest Iowa:  Atlantic, Audubon, Avoca, Bedford, Carroll, Glidden, Clarinda, Corning, Denison, Essex, Glenwood, Harlan, Red Oak, Shenandoah, Villisca. The changes will affect consumers using a direct cable connection to a digital television, and will require those viewers to re-scan their televisions using the remote control.

The company says there is no impact or re-scanning needed for televisions connected to either a Mediacom set-top box or one of the digital adapters widely distributed in recent weeks as part of the company’s digital conversion.  Throughout the upgrade, much of the attention has been directed to consumers using older, non-digital televisions and the use of digital adapters to provide reception for channels 23 and higher.

Mediacom Group Vice President Steve Purcell says their key message is for the majority of consumers who have digital-ready televisions.  Purcell says “If they don’t use Mediacom equipment – if their cable connection goes directly into the TV – those viewers will need to use their remotes to re-scan the TV for an updated channel set on October 3rd.” Purcell says “We don’t alter channel locations often, but we’re doing it now as part of a bandwidth conversion that includes adding 40 new high-definition channels on October 4th.”

Purcell emphasized that the changes in channel alignment are effectively “behind the scenes” for televisions connected to set-top boxes or digital adapters.  Without that equipment, channel locations displayed on digital-ready televisions will be altered and a blank screen will display on the old location.  Completion of the auto-scan function will ensure that all channels will display in their new locations.

The changes in Mediacom’s network will be made after midnight and prior to 6:00 am on Wednesday, October 3rd.  An expanded high-definition lineup will arrive the following day, October 4th. The main message the company wants to pass along to its consumers, is that you are NOT losing any channels. You will simply need to RE-SCAN or re-run the auto-tune feature for their TVs.  They will need to do this on Wednesday, Oct. 3rd, any time after 6:00 am.  If they don’t do this simple exercise, you will see blank channels.

Newer televisions manufactured since 2007 come with built-in digital tuners to receive digital signals.  Digital televisions do not need Mediacom’s adapter, just a cable connection to the TV. Digital adapters are available from Mediacom.  This is a rent-free lease for up to three adapters, effective through December 2013.  The equipment lease fee thereafter will be $0.99 per adapter.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Department reports one person was taken into custody Monday night, following a disturbance at 202 Church Street, in Audubon. 65-year old James Steven Nellor, of Audubon, was arrested on a charge of Public Intoxication. Officials say Nellor was brought to the Audubon County Jail, appeared before the magistrate and pled guilty to the charge, before being released. Sheriff’s deputies were arrested at the scene of the arrest, by officers with the Audubon Police Department.

The state task force examining the time kids spend in the classroom wants to require a new minimum number of classroom hours each school year, instead of the traditional 180 days. Superintendent Leonard Griffith with the Paton-Churdan School District, says schools would be required to offer one-thousand-and-eighty classroom hours each year regardless of the weather. “The snow days where you only got a couple hours in, that used to count as a school day even though we know that here wasn’t more than a couple hours, and now there will be, so that’s good. And it allows a lot of flexibility,” Griffith.

Districts that had added days to the end of the school year in the past to make up the days lost to snow or heat could adjust their schedules to get in the require school hours. “It leaves it up to the local district to direct their day to how they need. It even opens the window if you do have those weeks of heavy snow, you might go to four longer days the next week,” Griffith says.

The panel cites research suggesting student achievement increases when classroom time is extended. The change is one of several recommendations the panel will make to lawmakers to extend school time to boost student achievement. There are nine task forces that are making recommendations as part of the effort to reform the state education system.

(Radio Iowa)

In an update to a story we first posted on KJAN.com early this (Tuesday) morning, and broadcast on our news reports, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office says deputies and emergency crews responded just after 3:30-a.m., to a report of a two-vehicle accident on westbound I-80 east of mile marker 61. Officials say a 2007 Ford Edge driven by 33-year old Michael Paul Miller, of Glendale, AZ, was westbound on I-80 when it collided with the rear of a 2011 International semi driven by 41-year old Abdikarim Hamud,  of St. Paul, MN. Following the collision, the SUV slid into the median.

Miller and three passengers were transported to Cass County Memorial Hospital by Anita Rescue and Medivac Rescue with various injuries. Hamud was not injured. Damage to Miller’s vehicle is estimated at $10,000, while damage to the semi was estimated at $1000.

After Miller was checked at the hospital, he was arrested on charges of OWI 1^st Offense, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, and two counts of Child Endangerment Causing Bodily Injury. Miller was also cited for Failure to Maintain Control. In addition he received  citations for Failure to Secure a Child, Driving While Suspended, and having No Insurance. Miller remains at the Cass County Jail awaiting hearing before the magistrate. His bond was set at $5000.

A pickup traveling through a field in Shelby County Monday afternoon, started a grass and field fire that consumed the truck. Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen told KJAN News the incident, which took place about three-miles west of the Harlan Municipal Airport, was reported at around 3:30-p.m.

Bissen said the truck, registered to Boeck Construction, out of Manilla, was on the scene while terrace work was underway, when it became stuck in a grassy ditch. Bissen says the truck started the grass on fire, before the flames spread to a partially combined corn field. He says they were able to get the fire contained before it spread to any standing corn.

Bissen said the pickup truck was totaled destroyed by the fire. The loss was estimated at $10,000 to $12,000. Firefighters from Harlan and Shelby were on the scene near 630th and Ironwood Road for about two-hours. No injuries were reported.

Bissen reports also, fire fighters from Harlan were called out early this (Tuesday) morning, with regard to a fire alarm at the Elm Crest Retirement Community. Crews were cancelled en route, because it turned out to be just a faulty smoke detector in the kitchen of the nursing home.