(Radio Iowa) – Authorities are trying to track down the owner of an unoccupied vehicle that was pulled out of Clear Lake Monday afternoon. According to the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s office, a fisherman discovered the vehicle near a Clear Lake boat ramp, submerged in about nine feet of water. A dive team brought the vehicle to shore. All the windows were closed, the vehicle was unoccupied and it was likely underwater for several years according to investigators. The sheriff’s office says there’s no indication the vehicle is linked to foul play or ongoing investigations in the area.

Authorities aren’t sharing the exact type of vehicle that was submerged in Clear Lake, but have indicated it is a model from the 1980s.

A public hearing will be held 9:15-a.m. Wednesday (Aug. 11th) in Greenfield, with regard to a Fiscal Year 2022 Adair County Budget Amendment. The hearing is part of the Adair County Board of Supervisor’s meeting that begins at 9-a.m. in the Adair County Courthouse Courtroom**. The Budget amendment does NOT call for an increase in taxes. Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg explained last month, the amendment is with regard to money that had been bonded for the Sheriff’s and Recorder’s Office, but that was not spent in FY2021. The money has to go back in, hence the need for the Public Hearing to adjust the budget. Following the hearing, the Board will act on passing a Resolution approving the Budget Amendment.

In other business, the Board will act on an FY22 Appropriations Resolution, and receive information from representatives with Avatara, with regard to discussion on Information Technology.

(**The meeting may also be attended by calling (605)-313-6157, and using access code 526272#.)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken says work on the Olive Street and Boston Road bridge replacement projects continues. Tomorrow (Wednesday) morning, he says they’ll be pouring the concrete deck for the Olive Street Bridge and then allowing that to cure.

(Next week they’ll begin pouring the Boston Road bridge decking next Tuesday)

He said also, work on a box culvert project for Indian Creek Road north of Highway 6 continues. Old beams off the old bridge at that site will be repurposed, according to Wolken. They were being moved Tuesday to a site just north of Griswold, with the intent to use them as bridge beams for the Seattle Road Project. Another project that begins Wednesday, is with regard to a box culvert on Victoria Road.

(A grading and box culvert project is set to begin Wednesday (Aug. 11^th), on Victoria Road/G-61, on the Cass-Adair line.)

The road is expected to re-open no later than Oct. 15^th. In other business, the Cass County Board of Supervisors voted appoint Mary Robinson to the Cass County Board of Health, for the remainder of the term ending Dec. 31, 2023. And, they voted to re-appoint Kip Harris to serve on the County Compensation Board (representing the Supervisors). One position is left to fill on the Compensation Board. The Board meets once annually. There were no candidates who expressed interest in serving on the County Board for Condemnation in Eminent Domain proceedings. Persons interested much live in and own property in, Cass County. There was no action taken on filling the County Conservation Board opening, and the position remains open. The term ends Dec. 31, 2022.

The Board also discussed how funds the County received from the American Rescue Plan for COVID recovery, could be used. Board Chair Steve Baier said their booth at the Cass County Fair received suggestions. Unfortunately, the rules don’t allow for the way most people want the funds to be used.

Supervisor Mark O’Brien said another idea was to enhance our local and community food systems to enhance our self sufficiency. It came from the Healthy Cass Organization.

Board Chair Steve Baier says as someone with experience in selling beef to meat lockers, he understands the difficulty producers have in getting their product to market.

But he said the question remains, how does a producer find a market when the lockers are full and keep the food supply flowing smoothly. In the meantime, the Board is still seeking suggestions for ARP funding. Contact your local Supervisor or attend one of their weekly meetings in the Cass County Courthouse Supervisors’ Board Room.

Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will meet in a regular session Wednesday evening, in the High School Media Center. The session begins at 6-p.m. and will be broadcast live via YouTube. Among the action items on their Consent agenda is –

• Approving the resignations of: Kassidy Edwards, Middle School Special Ed Teacher; Katy Christianson, Freshman Girls Basketball; Bus Mechanic Nathan Renz, and Food service workers Stephanie Kloewer and Angela Hillhouse.
• Approval of contract recommendations for the following:
  • Michaelin Julh and Stephanie Kloewer, HS Spec. Ed Paraeducators (internal transfers)
  • Kerry Jepsen, HS Spec. Ed Para; Trena Page,Audrey Stewart, Jen Renz and Aliyah Jordan as Washington Spec. Ed. Para’s
  • Emily Hansen, Melissa Smith and Lindsey Mitchell, Food Service.
  • Scott Dickerson, HS Night Custodian
  • Sarah Rose, HS Student Council Sponsor, and Angela Sieh, MS Student Council Sponsor.
  • Clint Roland, Asst. MS Football Coach
  • Katy Christensen, Vol. Volleyball Coach
  • Abby Becker & Don Pobanz, Vol. Cross Country Coaches.

The Board will also act on 2021-22 TLC Mentor Contracts for: Stacy Johnson; Tracy Daugherty; DeLana Harris; Jenny Madsen; Chelsey Lee; Angela Oglesbee; Liz Reid; Allison Berryhill; Kathy Hobson; Mandi Brauer and Rhonda Hawkins. Each Mentor receives a $2,500 stipend, for a total cost of $32,199.75. In other business, the Atlantic School Board will act on a Middle School Classrooms Construction Plan for the Achievement Center (alternate education site while the Middle School is being cleaned-up and reconstructed, following the July 27th fire).

Officials with the Danish Villages Improvement Organization (DVIO) aim to change the so called “Food desert” for the Danish Villages of Elk Horn and Kimballton. A “food desert is an area where access to affordable, healthy food options are limited or nonexistent because grocery stores are too far away. DVIO Board Member Klare Chapman says the need became obvious, after results of a survey confirmed it was a top issue for the community.

Theo Ramsey of Ramsey’s Market/Fresh Out of the Box will be speaking at a meeting of the Danish Villages Improvement Organization (DVIO) on Wednesday, August 18th, 7pm at the Kimballton Town Hall. The public is encouraged to attend and learn more. Theo will be discussing his innovative grocery locker system which brings groceries and hardware to small towns across Southwest Iowa. They are a rural company focused 100% on rural needs. Theo and Bonnie Ramsey currently own and operate brick and mortar grocery stores serving Lennox & Manning and are now expanding to serve communities throughout the region by providing next day grocery and hardware delivery, 7 days a week, to refrigerated and frozen lockers located in each participating community. Currently, Shelby and Walnut have the lockers in place, with Griswold adding theirs in November.

DVIO, which serves both Elk Horn & Kimballton is considering whether or not the Fresh Out of the Box locker system would be a good fit for the Danish Villages.

The locker will work like this:

• You place your grocery order online.
• You will get a notification your delivery is ready and a code.
• You punch in your code into the screen on the locker and the lights above the doors your order is in will light up.
• You open the doors and take your groceries.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he’ll be voting in favor of the trillion-dollar infrastructure bill when it comes up for a vote this (Tuesday) morning. Grassley, a Republican, says the bill is truly a bipartisan measure which he says will make a “significant investment” in Iowa’s future. “I often hear from Iowans in my 85 county meetings I’ve been in so far this year about the need to fix Iowa’s aging infrastructure,” Grassley says. “We finally have a bipartisan package that delivers critical improvement for Iowa’s roads and bridges, locks and dams, and airports.” The legislation includes 65-billion dollars for improvements to broadband and Grassley says many Iowans in rural corners of the state are in dire need of better access to high-speed internet service.

“I think the emphasis upon broadband is because telehealth has come into vogue because of the pandemic,” Grassley says, “and distant learning and a lot of families haven’t been able to access this.” Before he decided to vote “yes” on the 2,700-page bill, Grassley said he had concerns that it might include new social programs and not enough “traditional, physical infrastructure,” things like roads and bridges. He says he no longer has those worries about “liberal priorities” being contained in the massive measure.

“There’s no mileage tax, no Green New Deal, no amnesty for undocumented immigrants in this bill,” Grassley says, “and the only reason I emphasize that is because there’s a lot of talk about that stuff being in this bill.” After the infrastructure bill is passed, Democrats will move on to the three-point-five trillion dollar budget bill, which he says is sure to contain some of those social programs. Grassley says he and the rest of the Republicans will likely vote against the budget, which he says will “further feed the fires of inflation.”

(Carroll, Iowa) The Iowa Transportation Commission met in Carroll this (Tuesday) morning, and approved an application from Audubon County for a RISE (Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy) grant. The Commission also approved RISE settlements with the Cities of Ames, Boone and Grimes. For Audubon County, up to $261,253 from the county share of the RISE Fund was approved for an Immediate Opportunity grant to assist in the paving of approximately 285 feet of 100th Street, grading 173 feet of 100th Street, and intersection improvements to County Road M-66 and 100th Street located south of Manning.  Officials say the project is necessary to provide improved access to the proposed expansion of Puck Enterprises, a liquid manure application equipment manufacturer, to support a commitment of the creation of 30 new full-time jobs out of 40 RISE-eligible created jobs and $7,565,413 in associated capital investment.  The project is anticipated to be completed by October 2022.

Iowa cities and counties are eligible for funding in the form of a grant, loan, or combination thereof.  Projects must involve the construction or improvement of a public roadway.  There are two RISE project types: 1) Immediate Opportunity, and 2) Local Development.

Projects funded by the RISE program promote economic development in Iowa through the establishment, construction, and improvement of roads and streets. The RISE program is targeted toward value-adding activities that feed new dollars into the economy and provide maximum economic impact to the state on primary or secondary roads, and city streets open for public use. While all counties and incorporated cities in Iowa are eligible to apply, funding is generally limited to industrial, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, and professional office developments, with few exceptions.

More information is available HERE.

The broadcast News at 8:05-a.m., from Ric Hanson.

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A pursuit in Creston early Saturday morning resulted in a crash. According to Creston Police a 2004 Ford F-150 pickup driven by 31-year-old Melvin Stewart Alexander, of Creston, was involved with a pursuit with officers at around 2:00-a.m. Saturday, when the pickup ran off the road, and in attempts to beat a train at a railroad crossing, struck a railway crossing arm. As Alexander was jumping out of the pickup, the vehicle struck a drainage tube off the Supreme Cleaners parking lot at Montgomery and Division Streets, before coming to rest.

Alexander was not injured in the crash. The pickup sustained $6,000 damage and was declared a total loss. Damage to the railroad crossing arm was estimated at $1,340, while the drainage tube owned by Supreme Cleaners, sustained $50 damage. The police report did not indicate if Alexander was arrested, or will face any charges, despite (according to the report) having operated the vehicle in a “reckless, erratic, careless and/or negligent manner,” and illegally driving around grade crossing gates.