Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Seth Staashelm, Saturday, released the link to a new website designed to inform the public about possible renovations to the Sunnyside Pool, and garner input on the expected, future project.
During the March 27th Parks and Rec Board meeting, Staashelm said the Sunnyside Pool Steering Committee looked at several pool renovation and or construction concepts provided by Waters Edge Aquatic Design out of Lenexa, KS., and came to the conclusion a $4.5-million dollar pool renovation would be the best out of four plans presented by the company, using some elements of each plan.

The new website provides illustrations of past conceptual pool plans, plan features, and the version selected by the steering committee, with the idea of having those plans made available to the public for further scrutiny and input. You can find the link to the Sunnyside Pool Renovation website here:
https://sunnysideswimmingp.wixsite.com/poolplan

Later, there will be tri-fold handouts available, along with a traveling display with 3-D renderings of the pool layout and design. That information will be made available during local events such as Produce in the Park, AtlanticFest and other activities or events. The plans presented is not the final picture of what the pool will look like, and will likely be tweaked, depending on public feedback.

Once enough feedback is received, it’s expected the process will begin to request a bond vote. The earliest any work on the project could begin, according to Staashelm, assuming a bond is approved, would be in 2020.

ORANGE CITY, Iowa (AP) — A 19-year-old Orange City man has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting two teenagers. The Sioux City Journal reports that Axel Reyes pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit sexual abuse last week in Sioux County District Court.

Investigators say they learned in September that Reyes had provided alcohol to a 14-year-old, and that Reyes had sex with her while she was intoxicated. He was arrested Feb. 3 after authorities completed their investigation. While in custody, another 14-year-old reported that Reyes had sexually assaulted her against her will in January.

On Friday, a judge sentenced Reyes to two separate two-year prison terms to be served at the same time. Reyes must also register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A 22-year-old western Iowa woman has been arrested following a crash in Omaha that left her young son critically injured. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports that the crash happened late Thursday night on Interstate 80 in Omaha. Police say Jeanica Lovejoy told officers she was driving when she and another woman in the car began arguing. She says the other woman grabbed the wheel, sending the car into a light pole.

When officers arrived, no one was there. Officers later found Lovejoy and the boy at an Omaha hospital, where the boy was being treated for critical head injuries. Police say Lovejoy had been drinking, and that she had a blood alcohol content of .198 — more than twice the legal limit to drive.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Iowa’s weather for March was one of clouds, rain, snow,warmth and some severe storms. State climatologist Harry Hillaker said the month continued a trend of being warmer. He says the month will average around one degree above normal, with a lot of extreme temperatures in the first half of the month and slightly above normal in the second half, despite a lot of cloudy days.

Hillaker says both ends of the thermometer got some action. “Lowest temperature we had for the month — got down to minus 9 degrees on the morning of the 15th in Stanley in Buchanan County in northeast Iowa,” Hillaker says. “And just four days later it got up to 84 degrees in Sydney in the far southwest corner of the state.”

Hillaker says that was the second day we had temperatures in the 80s. The other was on March 6th, which he says is pretty early in the month for temperatures to climb that high. In Atlantic, the average High for the month was 51, while the average Low was 30.

The month was just slightly wetter than normal. Hillaker says the one change was the southern part of the state got much more rain, where it was needed to help the drought situation. “For the state as a whole, roughly two-point-six inches of rain for the month. About a third of an inch more than what is typical for March,” according to Hillaker.

Rainfall in Atlantic for the month of March amounted to 2.26-inches. Snowfall was just one-half inch. Hillaker says statewide, the snowfall total didn’t set any overall records.
He says we had around five inches of snow on average, which is typical. There was one big snowfall on the 12th and 13th where the northern part of the state got hit hard — and that followed the pattern of this winter.

Hillaker says it looks like March will end up being the 9th wettest on record.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN weather data)

A key senator introduced legislation this past week that would get rid of Iowa’s popular “bottle bill,” but Senate Ways and Means Committee chairman Randy Feenstra says it’s just a conversation starter and will not be voted upon by ANY senate committee this year. “But I want it out there for discussion,” Feenstra says.

Feenstra’s goal is to have “stakeholders” convene over the summer to come up with some alternatives. ‘The Bottle Bill has done great things over the last several decades,” Feenstra says. “I think now the state needs to move forward and have a more robust and better recycling plan than just a small percentage of bottles and cans that have five cents on them, so what I’m trying to do is engage all the stakeholders and say: ‘What can we do better as a state. How can eliminate plastics and everything else that’s in the ditch or getting thrown in the dumpster?'”

Earlier this month, supporters of Iowa’s “bottle bill” financed a survey that indicates 88 percent of Iowa voters consider the deposit and redemption system for beer and pop containers is “good for the state.” Critics say the empty containers are filthy and grocery stores should not be required to accept the empty cans and bottles. Four weeks ago, a bill was tabled in the Iowa House that would have repealed the 39-year-old “bottle bill” and raised money to set up expanded recycling efforts.

Supporters of that bill say it’ll take “a few years” to come up with a workable alternative.

(Radio Iowa)

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The driver of a van is dead following a crash late Friday night, in Council Bluffs. Authorities say 67-year old William D. Snyder, of Council Bluffs, died at the scene of the crash that took place at around 11:38-p.m. in the vicinity of 23rd Avenue and S. 35th Street.

Council Bluffs Police say Snyder’s 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager was west bound on 23rd Ave when it lost control and struck a power pole, sheering off the pole. The van sustained heavy front driver side damage before coming to final rest in a field to the west of the roadway. Power was knocked out to several businesses in the area, but crews were working early Saturday morning to restore power to those affected.

South 35th and 23rd Avenue were shut down and traffic was diverted. South bound South 35th to East bound 23rd Ave was still closed this (Saturday) until Mid-American Energy can repair the power poles. The crash is still under investigation by the Council Bluffs P-D’s Special Operations/Traffic Unit, and factors contributing to the accident are not yet clear.

Two people were arrested Friday night in Red Oak, on Theft charges. Red Oak Police say 32-year old Robert Benjamin Harris was taken into custody at around 7-p.m., and 46-year old Shelby Joann Olivares was arrested at around 7:40-p.m.  Both are from Red Oak. Harris was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree, while Olivares was arrested for Aiding and Abetting Theft in the 5th Degree.

Both were brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 each bonds, each.

We kid you not on this April 1st: Governor Branstad has declared April “invasive species” month to raise awareness about the problem. “Millions of dollars, both public and private, are spent each year for the control of invasive plants, insects, diseases and animal species in Iowa woodlands and urban areas,” Branstad says.

Oriental bittersweet, for example, has spread into Iowa. Its vines climb over and smother trees. “Iowa’s woodlands, wild lands and waterways draw hundreds of thousands of tourists and recreational users each year,” Branstad says. “…Awareness of invasive species is an important first step towards behavioral change which can prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species.”

Members of the Trees Forever group and other advocates circled Branstad’s desk as he signed the proclamation. One of them was in costume. “Oh my God, we do have an invasive species here!” Branstad quipped as the woman walked into his office for the event. A man in the crowd then asked Branstad: “Do you have any ash trees up in your place?”

You may have guessed what she was wearing based on that quip. The woman was dressed as an emerald ash borer. By the way, Branstad indicated he’s “not 100 percent sure” on what species of trees are planted at Terrace Hill, but he believes most are shagbark hickory.

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the five MOST COMMON invasive species in Iowa are Bush Honeysuckle, Garlic Mustard, European Buckthorn, Multiflora Rose and Reed Canary Grass. There are some state laws targeting the introduction of invasive species by land AND by water. For example, it’s illegal to transport an invasive species by boat, so boat owners are to clean off any plants, animals or mud that may be stuck to the boat before leaving a body of water in Iowa.

(Radio Iowa)