OAKLAND, Iowa – July 15, 2016 – The Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 4 Office in Atlantic report, that in the next few weeks, motorists will see crews working at the intersection of U.S. 59 and U.S. 6 near the new Riverside High School. The Iowa Department of Transportation will begin installing a four-way stop at the intersection complete with stop signs, flashing beacons, rumble strips, new pavement markings and pre-warning signs. The work is scheduled to be completed July 28th, weather permitting.

The Iowa DOT has been working with the Riverside School District and the architect the last several years to improve safety at this intersection. One of the changes this group developed was moving the entrance into the school to line up with westbound U.S. 6 and installing the four-way stop. The new four-way stop is being installed prior to the beginning of the school year to allow motorists to become more familiar with the new safety feature.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.

Officials with the Atlantic High School are warning area businesses and residents about a phone scam. According to A-H-S Principal Heather McKay, someone identifying themselves as “Amy from AHS” is calling, asking businesses to renew their advertising, with regard to a poster.

McKay says that person is NOT from the Atlantic High School or authorized to act on behalf of the school, and the caller is trying to perpetrate a fraud.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission approved one of two requests for hardship payments Thursday for those impacted by the downsizing of the greyhound racing industry in the state. The commission approved 30-thousand dollars for Richard Barrett, who says he couldn’t find a job making what he lost working video equipment at the Council Bluffs greyhound track. They voted against any payment to Davyana Haverty, who said she lost her job at her parent’s kennel and the money she had counted on to pay for college. Commissioner Jeff Lamberti says they examine each case individually.

“We have to look at what was in the legislation — which wasn’t a lot with respect to hardship quite frankly — then we came up with rules,” Lamberti says. “And what we were really looking at was like the first case where somebody lost their job, had no other opportunities, skills that weren’t easily transferable to another industry. And I think that’s why we approved that hardship claim, it was directly related to it.” Lamberti says there appeared to be less of hardship in Haverty’s case.

“When I personally looked at the other situation I think there was opportunity to go out and find another job from the time it closed. She’s young, she can go get a job just like any other kid would,” according to Lamberti. “And while it is admirable to want to go to college debt free — I am not sure that’s the job of the commission or the intent of that hardship fund.” The casinos that operated the greyhound tracks in Council Bluffs and Dubuque are paying into a fund to handle the hardship cases, with the maximum payment of 100-thousand dollars.

“I think as we’ve gone through these…we tried to send the message that we are going to set a pretty high threshold in terms of that hardship. WE’ve had people who initially filed and then withdrew as they had a job opportunity and chose not to take it. Well, that’s not a hardship,” Lamberti says. He says Barrett’s case was a good example of how someone was directly impacted by the closing of the track.

“He got a job, but it was substantially lower than what he had done and it wasn’t in his field. And so he had a real hardship. We set the bar high because we probably couldn’t logistically handle 500 claims,” Lamberti says. He says each person making a claim has to fill out the proper supporting paperwork.

Lamberti says the field staff goes out and investigates each of the claims and writes up a full report for the commissioners to review. Claims had to be filed by June 30th to qualify for any payment. There were 20 claims submitted with the commissioners approving four — including Barrett’s claim — five claims have been denied, two were withdrawn and the rest are pending.

The commission has approved a 100-thousand dollar payment, a 50-thousand dollar payment, and two 30-thousand dollar payments. The agreement reached by legislators and approved by the governor closed the Council Bluffs Greyhound track and shifted the management of the Dubuque dog track away from the casino there to the Greyhound Racing Association.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A task force formed by county supervisors is expected to recommend raising the minimum wage to $8.75 in Polk County on Jan. 1st. The task force informally backed the proposal at a Thursday afternoon meeting and is expected to formally vote on the recommendation to send it the county board next month.

In September Johnson County became the first Iowa community to increase the minimum wage above the national rate of $7.25 an hour. The county’s rate is rising in 95-cent increments and will reach $10.10 next year. Cities inside the county have the option of passing an ordinance exempting them from the county rule.

The Cass County ISU Extension Office says efforts are currently underway to strengthen and build on the long and strong historical presence local food and agriculture has had in Cass County. In late 2015, Cass County Extension and the Cass County Local Food Policy Council began a collaboration through a grant project in partnership with the ISU Community Design Lab, ISU Extension and Outreach and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. The group has been building a comprehensive history of local food and agriculture activities and working to identify interested partners.

In the spring of 2016, the group began formally working together as the Cass County Food System Action Coalition. The goal of this newly-formed coalition is to identify current ag-related resources and needs to make fresh, local food products more widely available to residents. The process involves community networking, analysis of local data, public input session, project prioritization and design implementation and documentation.

Depending on the community, the process might result in more community or school gardens, establishment of a CSA or food box program, the addition of edible plants to existing parks or public spaces, or new facilities where farmers and entrepreneurs can process food.

The local coalition of partners is now looking for input from local residents about their food systems. Several dates have been set at local events where residents are invited to come and share their food stories, discuss the changes they’d like to see, and explore new ways to increase food access in Cass County. Members will be available this Saturday, July 16^th, from 9 AM to Noon at the Atlantic Farmers Market in the Orscheln’s parking lot, and on Monday, July 18^th from 4 to 6:30 PM at the Anita Farmers Market at the bandshell park. Organizers expect additional dates to be added in communities around the county in August.

The coalition is also still looking for steering committee members, as well as folks who are interested in participating in special projects as they develop. For more information or to get involved in the project, visit the Cass County Extension website at www.extension.iastate.edu/cass, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132 or email Program Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies, Thursday afternoon, arrested a man wanted on a Montgomery County warrant for Theft in the 2nd degree. 46-year old Bradley Gene Adolphson, of Emerson, was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 bond.