(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with SWIPCO (Southwest Iowa Planning Council), in Atlantic, report Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding continues to spur downtown revitalization in rural Iowa communities, and a recent project in Atlantic is nearing completion.

The building located at 509 Chestnut Street is nearing completion of two one-bedroom upper-story apartments. SWIPCO helped the building owner apply for the Upper Story CDBG in the Fall of 2021 and the project was awarded funding in 2022. The grant is awarded to the City of Atlantic, and the owner is the sub-recipient/developer of the project. SWIPCO administers the grant, with funds running through the city.

The upper story housing project (pictured to the right) received $199,999 in CDBG funding, with $243,209 in match funds provided by the owner. The units are nearing completion and are required to be rented to a low to moderate income tenant for a period of 5 years, with maximum allowable rents set under the HOME program. The Upper Story Housing Conversion program is part of a federal initiative to provide more available and affordable housing in geographical areas of need. The program provides assistance for the conversion of existing downtown building space into new residential units.

The building was one of seven buildings on Chestnut Street, between the Fourth and Sixth blocks in downtown Atlantic, that were assisted with the downtown facade program in 2020. The buildings had their front facades updated, which included tuckpointing, painting, windows, etc, with a collaboration of 50% CDBG, 25% City, and 25% owner funding.

For more information on the Downtown Revitalization or Upper Story Housing Conversion CDBG grants, please contact SWIPCO at 712-243-4196.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Auditor of State Rob Sand, Thursday, released an audit report on City of Shenandoah, Iowa.

The report said the City’s receipts amounted to more than $11.8-million dollars ($11,869,174) for the year ended June 30, 2023, an 8.4% decrease from the prior year. Disbursements for the year ended June 30, 2023 were slightly more than $11.6-million ($11,642,816), a 4.1% increase over the prior year. The significant decrease in receipts is due to a prior year bond issuance. The increase in disbursements is due primarily to increases in business type activities for golf course repairs, water capital outlays and public works street repairs during the year.

Sand reported four findings related to the receipt and disbursement of taxpayer funds. They are found on pages 54 through 57 of this report. The findings address a lack of segregation of duties, disbursements exceeding budgeted amounts before amendment, deficit fund balance and co-mingling of City funds with the Shenandoah Library Foundation. Sand provided the City with recommendations to address each of the findings.

Three of the four findings discussed above are repeated from the prior year. The City Council has a fiduciary responsibility to provide oversight of the City’s operations and financial transactions. Oversight is typically defined as the “watchful and responsible care” a governing body exercises in its fiduciary capacity.

A copy of the audit report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s website.

(Fairfield, Iowa) – A collision between a pickup truck and a tractor Friday evening in Jefferson County (IA) resulted in two people being transported to the hospital. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2008 Ford F-250 driven by 58-year-old Charles Heisel, of Fairfield, and a 2002 John Deere tractor driven by 45-year-old Orlado Oregon-Espino, were traveling east on Highway 34 near Farifield, when the pickup rear-ended the tractor. The accident happened at around 6-p.m., Friday.

Authorities say following the collision, the pickup came to rest on the road. The tractor ended-up in the south ditch. Heisel was transported by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Oregon-Espino was transported by Jefferson County EMS to the Jefferson County Hospital, in Fairfield.

The State Patrol was assisted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and ambulance services, Fairfield Fire Department and Police, and MedForce Air Ambulance.

WAUKEE — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports a boil advisory issued on Dec. 7 for the southwest side of Waukee has been lifted.

The advisory was issued due to a water main break near the intersection of 6th Street and Crosscreek Road, resulting in pressure loss. Repairs to the main have been completed, and the affected area has been disinfected and flushed. Water samples have tested negative for bacteria.

The incident affected 1500 connections in the area, including the neighborhoods west of Ute Avenue between Westown Parkway and Interstate Parkway and the east side of Ute Avenue between Westown Parkway and Interstate 80.

(Atlantic, Iowa)  – The Atlantic Chamber Ambassadors were hosted by K5 Investments on Thursday, December 7th, 2023, for a ribbon cutting ceremony for their AirBNB space on Spruce Street in Atlantic.

K5 Investments is also known as the Kennedy Family. Zak, Emily, Cassidy, Clara, and Cadence have traveled a lot throughout the years and stayed in many Air BNBs. As they traveled, they took notes on what worked well for their family and what they wished they could find in a space. When a family friend, “Cookie” Smith made the decision to sell her home, the Kennedy’s thought this would be the perfect opportunity to own their own AirBNB and make it the best space to entertain large groups.

Pictured (Left to Right): Lana Westphalen, Megan Sramek, Tori Gibson, Steve Andersen, Beth Spieker, Bill Saluk, Connie Wales, Katelyn Burnett, Jeremy Butler, Cassidy Kennedy, Colt Doherty, Clara Kennedy, Kelsey Beschorner, Zak Kennedy, Jennifer McEntaffer, Alisha Wagner, Emily Kennedy, Kathie Hockenberry, Tonya Larsen, Judy Kennedy, Sue Liston, Jim Kickland, Cadence Kennedy, Dolly Bergmann, Elaine Otte, Brian Wedemeyer, Joceyln Lawson, Angela Walton, Alden Harriman

In April of 2023, the Kennedy’s purchased the property at 911 Spruce Street and spent the next six weeks embracing the whirlwind of a remodel. From electrical and plumbing, to flooring and decorating, the home is officially open to the public for rent through the AirBNB app. This 6 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 half-bath house is equipped with anything a family could need while traveling such as, baby toys, a pack & play, air mattress, games and more. The house also features a large dining table, perfect for a sit-down meal for up to 20 people and can sleep over 15 people.

K5 Investments will be hosting a Holiday Open House on Tuesday, December 19th from 5-7PM. The family invites the public to come and enjoy holiday treats while viewing the home, which is beautifully decorated for Christmas.

The Air BNB is located at 911 Spruce Street in Atlantic. For more information about the property or to book a stay through the Kennedy Family, please call Emily Kennedy at 515-321-2005.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has announced the Iowa Youth Straw Poll will take place across the state on Tuesday, January 9. Less than one week before Iowans participate in the Iowa presidential caucuses, thousands of Iowa students will make their voices heard in the Iowa Youth Straw Poll and vote for their preferred candidates for U.S. President. The Iowa Youth Straw Poll is a hands-on educational experience designed to inspire civic engagement. Every public school, private school, homeschool student, and youth group in the state is invited to participate.

Pate says “We’ve seen Iowa’s young people become more and more civically engaged and excited about the elections process. Programs like the Iowa Youth Straw Poll not only give these students an opportunity to make their voices heard, but they get a firsthand understanding of how elections work, so they are better prepared to vote in elections once they are eligible.” Students, teachers, and organizations can register for the Iowa Youth Straw Poll by clicking here. A full list of schools that have already registered can be found here. Teachers and students are encouraged to post photos of their Youth Straw Poll activities on social media, utilizing the #BeAVoter hashtag.

The Youth Straw Poll is one component of Secretary Pate’s Elections 101 curriculum that is available for any school or civic organization to utilize. It is written by Iowa teachers for Iowa teachers. Two additional components of the curriculum include lesson plans on the history of women’s suffrage and women in politics. The curriculum is available for free at Elections101.Iowa.gov.

The Iowa Youth Straw Poll has the support of the Iowa Department of Education and the Iowa Council for the Social Studies and has received national recognition for outstanding leadership in voter education. Pate says “We’ll be live streaming results on January 9, and I encourage everyone to tune in, because historically, the results from these polls have been good predictors of official election and caucus results.”

The last Iowa Youth Straw Poll took place in the fall of 2022 and saw nearly 200 schools sign up to participate.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Board of Adjustment will meet 5:30-p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, 2023 in the City Council’s Chambers at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting it to hold a Public Hearing to consider an application by Dr. Erin Conrad-Schwarte, with Cass County Animal Clinic, LLC, for a property located at 2309 Whitney Street (an east 22nd parcel), that would allow for the operation of a Health and Medical Institution in an “R-2” (Low Density) Single Family Residential District, as allowed by the City’s Zoning Ordinance.

Additional information on the application and Zoning Board options can be found here: Board of Adjustment Agenda Packet 12-11-2023-min

During Wednesday’s (Dec. 6, 2023) City Council meeting, Atlantic resident Shawn Macha – who lives at 1907 E. 22nd Street – said he received a letter about the proposed permit. He expressed his opposition to it, and questioned why it would be approved to begin with.

City Administrator John Lund said the application is for a Conditional Use Permit, and does not mean the area is being rezoned.

Macha said he doubts anyone one wants to live next to dog kennel when the dogs are barking 150-feet from their home.

Brad Strouth lives near the parcel in question. He also thinks the permit shouldn’t be approved.

Macha added…

The Public may comment in person at the hearing or may submit written comments in advance to the City Clerk’s Office, at 23 East 4th Street, Atlantic, Iowa 50022. Questions may be addressed to the Zoning Administrator, John Lund, at johnlund@cityofatlantic.com, or you may call (712) 243-4810.

(Radio Iowa) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says if he’s elected president, he’ll push congress to extend the Trump era tax cuts AND set up new FEDERAL scholarships to help cover the costs of attending a private K-through-12 school. The tax plan President Trump signed into law in 2017 expires at the end of 2025 and DeSantis says that gives the person elected president in 2024 an opportunity.

DeSantis says it would be a disaster to have federal income tax rates go up in what could be a recession.

GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis on the Iowa Press set on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Iowa PBS)

The “National School Choice” program DeSantis envisions at the federal level would be modeled on a tax check-off program in Florida. It lets businesses send corporate income tax payments to a scholarship fund.

DeSantis says he would push to include a wide range of policies into a package to avoid the requirement that 60 senators support it — and pass with just 51 yes votes. He’d include repeal of Biden era spending and some of his own spending priorities, like funding to build more Navy ships.

DeSantis made his comments during taping of Iowa Press which airs Sunday on Iowa P-B-S.