(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council is expected to hold a brief session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in their Chambers at City Hall. Their agenda includes:

• Recognition of departing Second Ward Councilman Lee Sisco and Third Ward Councilman Pat McCurdy, as well as Fourth Ward Councilwoman Linda Hartkopf. The Mayor wishes to honor them for their years of faithful service to the City of Atlantic.
• The session will also include the Swearing-In of re-elected Councilman Jim Behrens, who, due to redistricting will represent the 2nd Ward, and newly elected Councilpersons Emily Kennedy – 1st Ward; Mike McDermott – 3rd Ward, and Shawn Sarsfield – 4th Ward.
• The Mayor will also issue the Oath of Office to re-elected Councilwoman Elaine Otte.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – State Treasurer Roby Smith is excited to launch the newly re-designed  CollegeSavingsIowa.com. “We gave it a fresh look that focuses on learning, investing and saving with the College Savings Iowa 529 plan,” said Smith. “We want future savers to have the tools they need to get started and give resources to help current savers navigate their path. Check it out on all devices, including mobile, to see what we’ve been doing to provide an enhanced experience for everyone.”

Visitors are encouraged to explore the website to discover information about College Savings Iowa, including investment options, tax benefits, qualified withdrawals and the benefits of saving for education. “This easy-to-navigate design of College Savings Iowa’s website matches how easy it is for families to save for education,” Smith said. “And what better timing than during the holiday season! Make sure to check out our Make a Gift page to discover why a College Savings Iowa account could be the perfect last-minute gift you’ve been looking for.”

Visit CollegeSavingsIowa.com to see the new website and to learn more about the Plan. Connect with College Savings Iowa on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, to stay up to date on all current events and updates.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Guthrie County will hold their regular weekly meeting beginning at 9-a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19th. Their agenda is as follows:

• Call Meeting to Order, Pledge of Allegiance
• Approve Consent Agenda
  • Minutes from December 12, 2023
  • Payroll Change Notice – Carly Heckman (Recorder New Hire)
  • Payroll Change Notice – Kelli Smith (Auditor)
• Public Comments: Board Chair will ask audience for comments, limited as described below.
• Department Head Updates; Discuss/Action
  • a.Conservation – Brad Halterman
    • i.   Budget regarding Truck Purchase
• Elderbridge Agency on Aging – Sandra Jackson
  • a. Annual Report and County Report
• Cancel December 26, 2023 Board Meeting and Reschedule for December 27, 2023 at 9:00 am; Discuss/Approve
• Review January 1, 2023 Valuations for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budgeting
• Other Business
• Supervisors Updates
• Annual Employee Evaluations; Discuss/Action
  • IT – Brian Hoffman
    • i. Possible Closed Session to Evaluate the Professional Competency of an Individual Whose Appointment, Hiring, Performance, or Discharge is being considered when necessary to Prevent Needless and Irreparable Injury to That Individual’s Reputation and That Individual Requests a Closed Session per Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(i)
• Adjournment

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Cass County will meet in a regular weekly session in-person and electronically, on Tuesday, beginning at 9-a.m. The Board expects to hear a presentation/request from Massena Mayor Phil Przychodzin, with regard to Clarke Street and Rockport Road.  The Board will discuss and possibly act on approving a Cott Systems quote for Resolution 3 software, increasing from $510/month to $630/month, and an OIB software increase from $150 to $225/month.

Other discussion and possible action will be held with regard to continuing the County Employee’s Accident Insurance Policy, and a business property lease between the County and the Cambridge Law Firm.

The Board also expects to receive a monthly report from Cass/Guthrie County Environmental Health Executive Director Jotham Arber, and a weekly report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken.

Join Electronically via  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2899195216?pwd=R0hSa2FOOTh0NUdra1ZSdVhVWHpMUT09
Meeting ID: 289 919 5216
Passcode: 012064

Call In: 312-626-6799, press *9 to indicate you wish to speak.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak report a man from Union County was arrested today (Monday) at around 2:18-a.m., following a traffic stop near Highway 34 and 8th Street, in Red Oak. Authorities say 38-year-old Steven Marion Bochniak, of Creston, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana- 3rd or subsequent offense, and Child Endangerment.  Bochniak was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Board of Supervisors are set to hold their regular weekly meeting in Red Oak on Tuesday, beginning at 8:30-a.m.  Among the items on their agenda is acknowledgment of receipt of the initial bargaining proposals from AFSCME Iowa Council 61, with regard to the Secondary Roads Department Union Contract. The Board will also act on passing a Resolution authorizing submittal of an application for Fiscal Year 2024 Surface Transportation Block Grant (STGB), and approving the final plans for the L Avenue Pipe Culvert.

*Please note, this is a public meeting; however, it may be conducted via ZOOM

Join Zoom Meeting:     https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85039693411

Meeting ID: 850 3969 3411

Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 If you are calling in, Press *9 to raise your hand if you wish to speak.31

(Elk Horn, Iowa) – The Exira/EHK School District’s Board of Education will meet 5-p.m., Tuesday (Dec. 19), in the Conference Room at the High School, in Elk Horn. Discussion/update items are expected to focus on the Weight Room Renovation and District Facilities. Among the action items is:

• Approval of a snow removal bid at Elk Horn.
• A request to the SBRC for a Modified Supplemental Amount of $160,211 for At-Risk/Dropout Prevention.
• the 2023-2024 Early Retirement Notification Incentive.
• the purchase of a 12 passenger van from Bob Brown Chevrolet.
• A 2024-2026 Superintendent Sharing Agreement.
• A 2024-2025 Superintendent Contract.
• And, action on the resignations of
  • Cindy Gries: Food Service
  • Dee Hill-Borger: Associate.
• And the hiring of Riley Simpson as Elementary Special Education Teacher.

Read the full agenda HERE.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Cass County (IA) was arrested at around 1:21-a.m. today (Monday, Dec. 18), following a traffic stop at 110th Street and Highway 48. Upon further investigation, Deputies arrested 36-year-old Joshua Kenneth Wolcott, of Griswold, for Driving While Revoked. Wolcott was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

And, Saturday night, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 40-year-old Gary Allen Honeyman, of Villisca, for Obstruction of Emergency Communications. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

(Radio Iowa) – State Ombudsman Bernardo Granwehr says complaints to his office about government services were down in the latest fiscal year compared to the past two. “The COVID pandemic really contributed to a surge in complaints in our office, and quite a bit, I think, from the corrections area,” he says. “And so what we are seeing, I think, in terms of our, statistics, and sort of the drop in cases is really kind of a pulling back of some of those pandemic era cases. ” Granwehr says many of the complaints from inmates revolved around health related issues and conditions of confinement. He says some of the complaints were justified, but for many they advised the person making the complaint to first go through any grievance process.

“Because we certainly don’t want to be a substitute for an established grievance process, we instead want to provide oversight if the grievance process maybe failed in some sort of, in some way,” he says. While the number of complaints dropped, they were still the third most his office received behind each of the last two years. Granwehr says outside of complaints about corrections there were concerns raised about the Health and Human Services Department He says families of Medicaid members were concerned they didn’t get enough information that the estate of the person covered would have to repay those fees to the state when they died.

“A little bit of a surprise for people who use those services, and are pleased to report the since that time, the Department of Health and Human Services has really placed an emphasis on providing estate recovery information,” he says. Granwehr says that information in the enrollment notices and letters let people make an informed decision prior to signing up for those Medicaid benefits. He says they don’t want to discourage complaints to his office, but says everyone needs to follow the processes of the government agency first.

“Because obviously, we can’t we can’t evaluate it if we don’t give it a chance to work. But you know, obviously, yeah, that is definitely the first option. And then after that, we can take a look at it and see if, you know, the process worked appropriately and the complainant was fairly treated,” Granwehr says. The nearly six-thousand cases in the last fiscal year was a drop of seven-and-a-half percent from the previous year.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa [KETV]— A shots fired call led Council Bluffs police officers to a man in critical condition Sunday night. KETV reports police found the victim, who is in his 60’s, at a home near Harrison Street and Kanesville Boulevard around 6:30 p.m. The shooter escaped, but police were questioning several people in the home.

A description of the gunman was not available. Paramedics took the victim to Nebraska Medicine. His name has not been released as of this (Monday) morning.