The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday) voted unanimously to include on the ballot for the November General Election, a Public Measure that would, if approved by the voters, allow for the appointment of township officers (namely the Township Clerk and Trustees) by the Supervisors, rather than by election. A Victoria Township official asked the Board to consider placing the Measure on the ballot. Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman said Iowa Code allows the Supervisors to place the Public Measure on the ballot. The last time it came up for a vote in some of the townships, was two-years ago.

Currently, only four townships have their officers chosen by election. They include Benton, Edna, Union and Victoria. If, during the election, any of those individual townships fail to approve the measure, the procedure for electing their officers would remain unchanged. The Measure must be approved by a majority of voters in each township. 12 townships within the county have their officers selected by appointment, through the Board. A template for the Resolution approved by the Supervisors was put together by ISAC (The Iowa State Association of Counties).

The Supervisors also voted to award a tuckpointing contract for the courthouse and jail, to Karr Tuckpointing, LLC, in Vinton. Karr’s bid for tuckpointing the courthouse was $70,972, with the correctional facility an additional $13,171, for a total of $83,268. The contract will not include a sealing treatment, until more research can be conducted by the board, on the need for the substance. The use of water repellent/sealer was bid separately by both Karr and Schoonover Tuckpointing. The contract will also stipulate that work will not begin on the project until the Spring of 2013.

The Harlan City Council held their first meeting of the month Tuesday afternoon, in the Council Chambers. During the meeting, City Administrator Terry Cox reported to the board, that the “Today in America” TV show hosted by Terry Bradshaw, is interested in highlighting the City of Harlan during a segment called “Best Place to Raise a Family”. Cox said there’s been good discussion between the producers of the show and himself. He said he expects a phone call next Tuesday, August 14^th, to further discuss the segment.

Cox said the city of Harlan would have to pay $19,000 for the 5 minute video to play 20 times. Mayor Gene Gettys said in the last ten days, conversations have “moved very quickly” and that Harlan “clearly fits the mold” of a place to raise a family.

In other business, the Harlan City Council approved the extension of the downtown upper story/façade grant program to include an extension of one-block off the square perimeter and to allow the merchants to apply for both the upper story and façade grants. The matter was discussed last week during a Personnel and Finance meeting. The Committee opted to bring the subject to the Council for a decision.

Also during the Committee meeting, City Administrator Terry Cox requested a motion to extend the $1,000 purchase price of the lots located in the G.H. Christiansen subdivision to expire on June 30^th, 2013. The Harlan City Council on Tuesday approved the extension.

Mayor Gettys read an Ordinance was to add no parking signs on the north side of Victoria Street from the west side of the driveway at 1632 Victoria Street west to 19^th Street, in Harlan. The council finalized the ordinance. A second ordinance pertained to an amendment to the usage charge in chapter 99, with regard to water usage.

The addition states monthly user charges will be based on water usage for the previous month. Also to be in effect, an annual operational maintenance rate increase of 3% each year thereafter, both changes to be effective January 1^st, 2013. It was only the 1^st reading only of the ordinance, and has not been finalized.

w/ Chris Parks

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Atlantic (KJAN studios the official weather reporting station) = .15″ thru 7-am.

Harlan (Ray Book/NWS spotter)=.77″

Unofficial amounts (various spotter reports):

At the “Valley” (Hwy 71, S.  of I-80 in Cass County)= .25″; Shenandoah = .78″; Clarinda= .69″; Audubon= .55;  E. of Oakland=.45″; Massena=.4″; South of Avoca=.3″; Exira=.25″; Red Oak=.15″

Bid letting is set to take place early next year in Mills County, for the construction of a new, combination jail/law enforcement center. The project received the green light Tuesday night, when voters in the County approved a $6.4-million dollar bond issue.

Unofficial results from the Mills County Auditor’s Office show the bond issue referendum received just over 69-percent of the affirmative vote, 987-Yes to 441-No. A 60 percent super majority was necessary in order for the bond issue to pass. A previous bond issue for a new jail in Mills County was rejected by the voters nearly 5-years ago.

The new facility will be built on nearly three-acres of land next to the Mills County Engineer’s Office on Railroad Avenue. Supporters of the project said a new jail was necessary to replace the current facility, which was built in 1915, and no longer meets state inspection requirements.

Firefighters from Anita and Wiota were called to the scene of a structure fire early this (Wednesday) morning. Dispatch reports from the Cass County Communications Center at 3:38-a.m. indicated a machine shed or garage was on fire, near the intersection of Highway 148 and White Pole Road, or Highway 6, on the south side of the road. No other details are currently available.

An Atlantic teen and a passenger in his vehicle were injured during a rollover accident Sunday evening on the north side of town. According to officials with the Atlantic Police Department, a vehicle driven by 18-year old Tyler Doll, of Atlantic, was headed south on North Chestnut Street at around 6-p.m, when it went out of control on the curve heading east on Commerce Street. The vehicle rolled onto a fire hydrant, sustaining $5,000 damage. Doll, and a passenger in the vehicle, were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, for treatment of their injuries. Police cited Doll for Failure to Maintain Control and operating a vehicle with an expired license.

The Iowa Lottery says Curtis Scheffler, of Harlan, was the latest big instant/scratch game winner in Cass County during fiscal year 2012, winning $3,000 in the “Match 2 Tripler” game, with a ticket purchased at the 21st Century CoOp C-Store, in Massena. The Lottery says Fiscal Year 2012 ended June 30th, and they released a review of its top prize winners for the year on Monday.

Players in Iowa have up to 365 days from the date of the drawing to claim prizes in Powerball, Mega Millions and Hot Lotto. Players have up to 90 days from the date of the drawing to claim prizes in Iowa’s $100,000 Cash Game and the Iowa Lottery’s Pick 3 and Pick 4 games. If the expiration date falls on a weekend or holiday when the lottery’s offices are closed, the winner has until the close of business on the next business day to turn in the ticket.

Prizes in instant-scratch and pull-tab games must be claimed within 90 days of the end of the game. Scratch-game prizes can be claimed at any Iowa Lottery retail location where the games are sold, while prizes in pull-tab games must be claimed at the location where the tickets were purchased. Prize money left unclaimed after redemption deadlines is invested in the lottery’s future prize pools.

Players may visit an Iowa Lottery retailer or go to one of the lottery’s offices in Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Storm Lake, Mason City or Cedar Rapids to claim prizes. Winning lotto numbers may be checked by visiting the lottery website at www.ialottery.com or calling the winning numbers hotline at (515) 323-4633. They may also be checked by visiting a lottery retail outlet or calling the lottery at (515) 725-7900 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.