A mentally challenged Carter Lake man who disappeared Monday afternoon has been found safe. Police in Council Bluffs late this (Tuesday) morning said they received a tip around 9:20-a.m., that 23-year old Brandon Bequette was in the area of Big Lake Park. Officers responded and made contact with Brandon at that location.

23-year old Brandon Bequette

After checking his welfare and ensuring he was alright, Brandon was released to a family member. He had last been seen at the Lake Manawa Wal-Mart store in Council Bluffs at around 1:15-p.m., Monday, as he left the store and area westbound on foot.

The Council Bluffs Police Department would like to thank the public and our local media outlets for their help in safely locating Brandon.

An Atlantic man escaped injury after the SUV he was driving ran into the rear of another vehicle Monday afternoon, in Union County. The Union County Sheriff’s Office says 27-year old Timothy Weaver, of Atlantic, was traveling east on the Highway 34 Skyline Bridge at around 1-p.m., Monday, and was unable to stop in-time, before hitting the rear of a 2013 Ford that was stopping for a construction zone red light. The driver of the other vehicle, 50-year old Mark Tylavsky, of Des Moines, was also uninjured.

Damage from the collision amounted to $3,000. No citations were issued.

A traffic stop early this (Tuesday) morning in Clarinda, resulting in one person being arrested on drug and other charges. Police Chief Keith Brothers reports 22-year old Dalton Christopher Wise, of Clarinda, was taken into custody at around 1:45-a.m., for allegedly possessing a drug believed to be methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license.

Wise posted $1,000 bond, and was released pending an initial appearance before a magistrate. All reports have been referred to the Page County Attorney’s Office for review and decisions regarding the filing of formal charges.

The Cass and Adair County Boards of Supervisors will hold their regular, weekly meetings Wednesday morning.

In Atlantic, the Cass County Board will present the County’s initial Collective Bargaining proposal to a representative with AFSCME Union local #1414. The Union last week presented its proposal for the FY 2017-through ’19 contract pertaining to Deputies and Jailors it represents.  The Cass County Supervisors will also act on approving final plans for Bridge #20 (Whistler’s Bridge), located about 2-miles south of Cumberland on 690th Street. The meeting begins at 8:30-a.m.

In Greenfield, the Adair County Board of Supervisors will hear from: County Treasurer Brenda Wallace, with regard to Scanner bids; County Conservation Director Kevin Blazek, with regard to the Lake Orient Safe Room project, and Midwest Partnership’s (MWP) Sarah Gomez, with regard to MWP activities and business. Their meeting begins at 9-a.m., Wednesday.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The public has gotten a look at the new Air Force Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program in the Sioux City School District. The JROTC program was formally introduced Monday in a ceremony featuring some of the 150 students enrolled in it. The program is a partnership between the school district, the city and other organizations.

The school district announced in December that it was one of two districts picked nationwide by the Air Force to add the JROTC program for the 2015-16 school year. The Sioux City Journal reports the idea was pitched about four years ago to Superintendent Paul Gausman.

Lt. Col. Larry Brockshus says the curriculum consists of aerospace science, leadership, and wellness and physical fitness, and classes will rotate each year. Brockshus says the program is not a binding military commitment.

The Iowa Finance Authority is providing low-interest loans to help development of rental housing for communities with a growing workforce. I-F-A executive director, David Jamison, says the housing must be targeted towards low-to-moderate income renters. The Workforce Housing Loan Program is available to all cities in Iowa on a competitive basis, and part of the process depends on whether the housing provides a long term asset to a community.

“We look at the construction material, the type of constructions, trying to distinguish between essential amenities or luxury amenities obviously, quality construction, and that there’s quality in the energy efficiency,” Jamison says. The program gives special consideration to projects in cities with populations less than 50-thousand people as these communities often have fewer opportunities to apply for grants.

“It goes to their tax base, their access to different federal and state programs. The skills sets, for example a larger community might have someone who is very good at writing grant applications, whereas a smaller community the city clerk might have a full-time job somewhere else,” according to Jamison. The program has a total of five million dollars available and the maximum loan amount per project is the lesser of one million dollars or 50-thousand dollars for each assisted workforce housing rental unit. The loans have a one-percent interest rate and with a maximum term of twenty years.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold its regular monthly meeting Wednesday evening at a different location. Normally, the Board meets in the Media Center at the High School, but on Wednesday, their 5:30-p.m. session will be held in the Media Center at Schuler Elementary.

During their meeting, the Board will hear from Derek Bair with regard to Construction Technology. They’ll also act on approving various contracts and/or Letters of Assignment for nine district personnel, including: Emma Walker – Assistant Varsity Girls Basketball Coach and Co-Freshman Volleyball Coach; Michelle McLaren, Co-Freshman Volleyball Coach, and six Food Service personnel, as well as an Amended Contract for Kelly Juhl.

The Board will also act on approving various District Policies, including one pertaining to credit cards, and, on approving the District’s Annual Report. The report from Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein, says “During the 2014-15 school year, the district saw increased student performance in reading, math and science on the Iowa Assessments, continued to increase the graduation rate while decreasing the district’s dropout rate, and high school students continued to score above the state average on the ACT.”

Amstein says also, “Over the past year and into next year, the district will continue to reduce costs associated with operating expense.” He went on to say “…funding from the state over the past six-years continues to be quite inadequate and as like other districts across the state, our school district has experienced some financial pains.” Amstein says “Over the past six-years, the district’s unspent budget [The maximum amount the state allows districts to spend on educating students] has been decreasing. At the end of the 2014-15 school year, the unspent budget authority still remains in the upper range that is recommended by the Iowa Association of School Boards.”

The district, according to Amstein, “Will continue to look for ways to protect the unspent budget and still provide the educational opportunities for our students to assist them in becoming the best and brightest in Iowa.”