The ballot is set for the June 7^th Primary in Shelby County. Running for seats on the Shelby County Board of Supervisors are incumbents Steve Kenkel and Charlie Parkhurst. Loren Christensen of Elk Horn is also in the running for a seat on the Board. All the Supervisor candidates are Republicans.

Others running for election June 7^th include Republican Neal Gross, for Sheriff, and incumbent Democrat Auditor Marsha Carter. Mark Maxwell, a Republican, is also running for Auditor, in Shelby County.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Thursday) approved a revised request for the commitment of $25,000 from the Local Option Sales Tax in support of an Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s application to Vision Iowa for a Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant. The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department had originally sought $40,000 to help secure a $360,000 grant for proposed improvements and further development of the campground at the Schildberg Recreation Area, and the Pellet Wildlife Refuge Park, but Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring removed $15,000 from the request after the decision was made to eliminate the Pellet Park from the plan.

Herring said he might have pushed too hard to have the Pellet Wildlife Refuge included in the plan, when it was obvious not all the parties involved felt it was necessary at this time. Last week, the Board asked Herring to come up with some figures with regard to how proposed improvements to the campground at the Schildberg Recreation Area, would benefit the county as a whole, and not just Atlantic.

He came up with some numbers that the Board liked, including estimates that the proposed campsite improvements at the Schildberg Rec Area would increase the Local Option Sales Tax revenues by a conservative one-percent, or $6,300 per year, based on a six-month, May through October season. He said 20 camping pads fully used at $15 per night, would generate $300 per day over 180 potential days in the season. Overall, if there were overall 90 days with 50-percent usage, that $300 would turn into $27,000 of gross income.

Herring said based on national statistics, where visitors spend $289 per day for food, entertainment, gasoline and so on, while camping, at least $180,000 would be injected into the local economy. The International Convention and Visitor’s Bureau projects that money will roll over in the local economy, 3 ½ times, or $630,000.

During discussion, Supervisors Frank Waters and Mark Wedemeyer, who were previously opposed to committing $40,000 toward securing the CAT Grant, said the new data swayed them enough to allow a $10,000 commitment, but in the end, a motion for $25,000 was approved by a vote of 3-to-2, with Schelling, McFadden and Rieken in favor, Wedemeyer and Waters opposed. Both men said they were NOT opposed to the project, just the amount of financial commitment from the County, in light of a desire to reduce the debt and focus on bridges and roads.

In other business, the Cass County Board of Supervisors set $9.00 per hour as the rate of compensation for precinct election officials. Previously those persons had been paid the ongoing minimum wage of $7.25/hour. Precinct officials typically put in 15-to 18-hour days during the day of elections.

Two women were transported to the hospital following an accident Wednesday night, in Crston. Authorities say vehicles driven by 59-year old Lavon Schlapia and 18-year old Bailey Rowan, both of Creston, collided at the intersection of Taylor and Maple Streets at around 9:25-p.m. The women suffered unknown/possible injuries and were transported by ambulance to the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston.

Officials say Schlapia was traveling east on Taylor Street and making a left turn onto northbound Maple, but didn’t see the car driven by Rowan that was traveling westbound on Taylor. Damage from the collision amounted to $4,500. Schlapia was cited for Failure to Yield upon left turn.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a Nebraska sheriff’s deputy was arrested after a Council Bluffs casino incident. Court records say 44-year-old Thomas Flynn is charged with public intoxication. Iowa online court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for Flynn. The Omaha World-Herald reports that Flynn is a sheriff’s deputy in Douglas County, which includes Omaha.

A police report says a Council Bluffs officer was sent to help security officers at the Horseshoe Casino on Friday. The report says Flynn was unsteady on his feet and verbally combative. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says Flynn has been placed on desk duty pending an investigation.

Flynn was shot while on duty in 2011. The following year his department named him Deputy of the Year and gave him two medals.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A man who fled from authorities after being charged in a fatal Omaha crash is now on the federal immigration agency’s most wanted list.  Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse (Sass) announced Wednesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement has added 19-year-old Eswin Mejia, a Honduras national, to its list of wanted suspects. The agency’s listing says Mejia came to the country illegally in 2013.

Authorities haven’t seen Mejia since he posted bail and was released from jail in February.  Federal officials previously declined requests made by Omaha police to detain Mejia. Mejia was charged with felony motor vehicle homicide and drunken driving after a pickup he was driving crashed into an SUV driven by 21-year-old Sarah Root, of Council Bluffs, who was killed.

Area business owners or their representatives, and members of organizations with an interest in the future of childcare in Atlantic and Cass County, should make reservations now to attend a free lunch buffet in Atlantic this Friday, April 1^st, to discuss the successes, challenges, and future of childcare in Atlantic and Cass County. The event takes place at the Pizza Ranch in Atlantic from noon until1-p.m., Friday.

During the meeting the Ann W. Wickman Child Development Center Operating Committee will explain the successes that have been achieved in our community around childcare, the current state of childcare in our community, and how our work together can improve the long term impact for current and future families and employees.

If you are an area business owner or organization leader and would like to attend the luncheon, Friday, make your reservation by email at dhaynes@nishnavalleyymca.com or by calling 712-243-3934.