(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday) voted to approve an amendment to the County 5-year Construction Plan, by moving a bridge project to the current fiscal year. The bridge, #250, is on 710th Street, in the Cumberland area. County Engineer Trent Wolken made the request.

The Board also approved a resolution approving the Cass County Secondary Roads 5-year Construction Program for FY 24-through FY 29, minus the amendment with regard to Bridge 250, which was in the original plan. Wolken also provided an update on the Secondary Roads Department’s activities.

The Board heard a lengthy presentation on the FY 2022 Annual Cass County Audit, from a representative with Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Company, P.C. auditors, and recommended changes to certain procedures. Supervisor Steve Green…

In other business, the Supervisors discussed and acted on a Resolution approving the allocation of ARPA Funds to temporarily expand the role of the Cass County Wellness Coordinator, in order to address local public health priorities and assist in long-term pandemic recovery efforts. They approved $70,000 allocated for a temporary, full-time wellness coordinator, payable in FY 2023-through FY 2025.

In addition, they approved the tax sale of a county-held certificate, and the abatement or compromise of tax for the certificate. And, changes in County Employee benefits, effective July 1, 2023. The changes include:

1. Leave ISAC and elect a stand-alone health insurance plan with Wellmark, saving the county approximately $143,000 from the current premiums. The partial self-fund claims should be between $200,000 and $300,000.
2. Pay to keep the wellness program (approximately $20,000-$25,000), EAP program (approximately $4,000-$5,000) and Accident & Dismemberment Plan (approximately $10,000-$12,000).

Employees will pay a new rate of $400 per month for the family plan, and $100 for the individual plan. And, the Supervisors in Cass County received a report from Cass County Community Services Director/Judicial Mental Health Advocate, Debbie Schuler.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, today (Tuesday), approved requests for ARPA Fund projects from the Sheriff’s, EMA and Auditor’s Departments. The Board approved $28,000 for the purchase of Tasers for the Law Enforcement Center. Sheriff Jon Spunaugle explained his department’s current supply of stun guns are aging-out, and at least a couple have stopped working, even though they were never used and sat on a shelf.

The $28,000 will include an additional 18 extra cartridges to keep the devices charged and ready to use.

The Supervisors also approved a request for Motorola radio reprogramming, from Montgomery County Emergency Management Director Brian Hamman, in the amount of $25,000.

The request does not involve the purchase of any new hardware. And, the Board approved Unisyn Voterscanners for Auditor/Elections Commissioner Jill Ozuna, in the amount of $54,347.

In other business, the Board approved the renewal of Delta Dental Insurance, the rate for which hasn’t changed from last year. And, they approved moving their April 18th Board Meeting from 8:30-a.m. to 5:30-p.m., on that date only, for the purpose of a public hearing.

(Creston, Iowa) – A Union County man was injured during a single-vehicle accident March 28th on Townline Street, near the High School in Creston. The Union County Law Enforcement Center took a report of the accident, after which a responding Creston Police Officer arriving on the scene found a 2015 Ford Fusion SUV, on its top on the road. The vehicle was resting against an Alliant Energy utility pole, which had snapped as a result of the crash.

The driver, 43-year-old Ryan Ray Rinehart, of Creston, was transported by to the hospital in Creston by Medic1 Ambulance, and then by helicopter to a hospital in Des Moines. Authorities say Rinehart showed no signs of alcohol or drug impairment, so it’s unclear what caused the crash. Damage to the vehicle and utility pole amounted to $19,500 altogether. No citations were issued.

(Creston, Iowa) – A man from Creston reported to Police Monday morning, that his 2019 H&H flatbed trailer was stolen from near his residence in the 500 block of S. Vine Street. The trailer was valued at $2,000. It was found at around 11:46-a.m. on Quail Avenue, in Afton.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston say no injuries were reported following a collision Monday evening at the intersection of Sumner and Adams Streets. Authorities say a 2000 Dodge Durango SUV driven by 36-year-old Shaun D. Lott, of Creston, was traveling south in the inside lane or Sumner/Highway 25, and passing through a green light at the intersection. A 2019 Chevy Malibu driven by 25-year-old Bridgette M. Ahrens, of Evansdale, was traveling north on Sumner/Hwy 25.

Ahrens proceeded to turn left onto Adams Street, when her car was struck by the SUV. Lott told police he didn’t have time to stop when he saw the car turning in front of him. Ahrens said she didn’t see the approaching SUV prior to making the turn and didn’t have time to stop. The collision happened at around 5:10-p.m.

Damage from the accident amounted to $7,000. No citations were issued.

(Radio Iowa) – State climatologist Justin Glisan says snow in March made for a split in temperatures in the state. “We had across the state if you look at temperatures, near normal conditions in eastern Iowa, and then slightly cooler conditions as we move northwest where we had more snowpack,” Glisan says, “so the statewide average temperature came in right about 34 degrees, and that’s about two and a half degrees below average.”There wasn’t enough snowfall though to help March hit its average for precipitation. “About one and a half inches of snow liquid equivalent and then rainfall and that’s about a half inch below average,” he says.

Glisan says the long-term outlook as we start April shows the potential for more rain.”For the month of April, we’re looking at an elevated signal for wetter conditions across basically much of the eastern three quarters of the state — equal chances along the western border. Temperature wise, no clear guidance there,” he says. “Slightly elevated for cooler conditions across northern Iowa and then E-C (equal chances) for the rest of the state.”

Glisan says there’s a short-term indication of drier conditions in April — which would help farmers itching to get into the fields.

(Atlantic, Iowa/KJAN) – The month of March in Atlantic came to a close with weather stats averaging lower than normal. High average High for the month in Atlantic (as recorded here at KJAN), was 47.8-degrees, which was cooler the norm of 48.3. The average Low for March 2023 in Atlantic was 22.6-degrees, which came in a little less than 4-degrees below normal. The warmest day of the month was on the 31st, at 75-degrees. The coldest morning was on the 18th, when the thermometer bottomed-out at 8-degrees.

And, precipitation for the month amounted to 1.01-inches (including rain, melted snow and mixed precip.), compared to the norm of 2.38-inches. We received a total of 6-inches of snow, with the greatest amounts occurring March 8th & 9th.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak, Monday evening, arrested 18-year-old Kaiden Dale Jarvis Schooling, of Red Oak. He faces charges that include: Public Intoxication; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Disorderly Conduct – fighting, and two-counts of Simple Assault. Schooling was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue, Monday night, issued a statement with regard to a report on Sunday of a text message that was sent out, making a threat to do harm at an Atlantic Community School District building on Monday, April 3rd. The Chief says ” After investigating the incident, it was found that the threat was not credible and students and staff were not in immediate danger to attend school the following day. However, due to the seriousness of the threat and the disruption to the school and learning  environment, a 13-year-old juvenile was taken into custody on April 3, 2023 and charged with Threats of Terrorism and transported to a juvenile detention center.

“Additionally,” Hogue said, “On April 3, 2023, the Atlantic Police Department received a report of a threat made on a social media page to do harm at an Atlantic Community School building. An investigation was made into this incident as well and found the no students or staff were placed in immediate danger. However, due to the seriousness of the threat and disruption to the school and learning environment, a 12-year-old juvenile was taken into custody charged with Threats of Terrorism and transported to a juvenile detention center.

“The Atlantic Police Department” Chief Hogue said, “Worked alongside the Atlantic Community School District during the investigation and was assisted by the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Governors School Safety Bureau.

“No other details are being released at this time. If you have information regarding the incident(s), please call the Atlantic Police Department at 712-243-3512.”

Note: A criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant(s) are presumed innocent until proven guilty” in a court of law.

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Republicans say their overall target for state spending in the next budgeting year matches the one Governor Kim Reynolds proposed in January — but they’re still working on the details. Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee have voted to advance four bills with a general outline of WHERE money might be spent in dozens of state agencies, but no mention of HOW MUCH money should be spent.

Senator Tim Kraayenbrink, a Republican from Fort Dodge, says the goal is to come to some agreement on these bills with House Republicans, who are proposing slightly more spending in certain areas. “Our first intent would be to come to an agreed upon amount as well as language,” Kraayenbrink says, “so that we could may substitute or amend or whatever needs to be done to get it off the floor and get out of here in a timely manner.”

Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines, says with the governor’s major realignment of state government operations underway, more scrutiny is necessary. “I believe the public should have a chance to weigh in once they see the budget numbers,” Petersen says, “once they see which staff will be working for the state of Iowa and which won’t.”

Senate Republicans say they’ve met with agency leaders to ask questions, get answers and set up a budget framework — but they’ll figure out the spending details later after negotiations with House Republicans and the governor.

House Republicans released more detailed budget numbers last week and have held some public meetings with state officials to discuss government operations.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa’s spring turkey hunting season is scheduled to start soon. Nate Carr, a conservation officer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says Iowa’s youngest hunters will fire the first shots. “Youth season is going to get us kicked off April 7th,” Carr says. “It’ll go on for a few days and then we’ll get into our regular spring turkey hunting seasons which is broken up into four different seasons.” Those seasons start April 10th, 14th and 19th, with the final season running April 26th through May 14th.

Carr says the turkey has a storied past in Iowa as the pioneers had to hunt to survive. “Back in the late 1800s, early 1900s, early settlers were pretty hard on our wildlife here in Iowa, turkeys included,” Carr says. “They were actually extirpated from the state, which means they were completely wiped out within the state of Iowa and the last wild turkey was seen around 1910.” Carr says it was a lengthy recovery process for the big birds, which vanished from our soil for more than five decades.

“It was a long road to get them back in the ’60s through different reintroduction efforts,” Carr says. “We were able to get some birds from Missouri who really had a similar issue, but they were starting to see their wild population come back. So we transplanted some birds from Missouri, up into Iowa in different locations and have really seen them be fairly successful throughout Iowa.”

The D-N-R usually issues around 50-thousand tags for spring turkey hunting season, with roughly 22-percent getting filled, which equates to a harvest of around 11,500 birds. Learn more at www.iowadnr.gov.