Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones and Councilman Dana Halder are asking residents to try and resolve any differences they have in-person, when it comes to noise issues. Jones said the City received a letter from a resident who asked the Council to consider creating an ordinance that would address noise issues, especially with regard to lawn mowing and yard waste removal.

Jones said an unidentified female resident called him Saturday night and other members of the Council Sunday morning, to complain about a neighbor who was using a skid loader to remove tree and other yard debris Saturday evening. Halder said he received two calls from the complainant. One came just after 8:30-p.m. Saturday, the other at around 7:30-a.m. Sunday. Halder says he promptly investigated the situation and found no valid reason for the complaint. He said he arrived with 10 minutes of each call received, saw the person operating a skid loader in a valley, cleaning up some brush about 80-yards from the woman’s property line.

Halder said he spoke with another neighbor who said they didn’t have a problem with what was happening. Halder said also, that the man in question had apparently built a new house and was trying to clean-up the brush piles before wet and stormy weather arrived. He said the irony was, that as he was leaving, Halder had the windows down on his vehicle, and could hear the woman talking in her backyard…over the noise of the skid loader.

He said the man with the skid-loader confirmed the next morning that he was trying to get the land waste cleaned-up before the weather. When he arrived Sunday morning, the skid-loader, which he described as having a small motor, was on a trailer. Halder said he thinks the matter could have been handled better by the citizen. He said they need to “work a little harder to get along,” and understand people sometimes can’t mow and work outside when it’s convenient for their neighbors. He says talking with your neighbor when you have an issue, according to Halder, makes for a better level of understanding , and equates to “Honey going a lot farther than salt, I guess.”

He said none of the neighbors he spoke with had a problem with skid loader noise on the days and times in question. Atlantic does have noise ordinances that pertain to Amplified sound, barking dogs, disorderly conduct, engine brakes and identified “Quiet Zones,” but nothing specifically pertaining to the operating of equipment during certain hours.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones expressed his gratitude Wednesday evening for the outpouring of support the community and residents of Cass County showed during Monday evening’s Honor Flight motorcade from Atlantic to Des Moines. During the Atlantic City Council meeting, Jones also thanked the two Atlantic natives (Jeff Becker and Roger Underwood) who made the trip possible, and former Council member Steve Livengood, who was instrumental in organizing the local effort.

The veterans and their guardians boarded three buses in Atlantic as they prepared to visit the nation’s war memorials in Washington, D-C. Jones said they were ecstatic at how residents of the community and county showed their support. He said “They were hoopin’ and hollerin’” He said it was a great atmosphere, with the motorcycle escort to Des Moines, and seeing all people lining the streets of the communities the motorcade passed through, including Wiota, Anita, all the way to near Adair.

Jones said everything went pretty smoothly in D-C, although it was a bit on the hot side.

The East Mills School Board has decided to close an elementary school in Malvern in a cost-saving measure. The Daily NonPareil reports the Board voted on the matter during a special meeting Tuesday. The  decision means students will not be attending Chantry Elementary School in Malvern next school year. The building will be shut-down as part of a strategy to address declining enrollment and financial troubles.

An Underwood teacher has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of Prohibited Acts, in connection with the use of allegedly stolen prescription pads to obtain pain medication in Nebraska and Iowa. The Council Bluffs Daily NonPareil reports Samantha Telleen entered her plea to the reduced, Class-C felony charge Tuesday, in Pottawattamie County District Court. In exchange for the plea agreement, eight additional counts of Prohibited Acts were dismissed.

The Mayor of Council Bluffs is advising residents to prepare for minor flooding near the Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park. The Daily NonPareil, citing information from the National Weather Service, says   an increase in Missouri River water levels, caused by heavy rains near Sioux City and Sioux Falls, S.D., could raise the river to flood stage of 30 feet by this weekend or earlier.

BLAIR, Neb. (AP) – Federal regulators have appointed a new senior inspector at the Nebraska nuclear power plant that recently reopened after nearly three years offline. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Wednesday that Max Schneider will be the new senior resident inspector at Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant just across the Missouri River from Iowa.

Fort Calhoun resumed generating power in December after a prolonged outage to address regulators’ safety concerns and make sure flood damage was repaired. Fort Calhoun is owned by the Omaha Public Power District.

The NRC keeps at least two inspectors at every nuclear power plant. Schneider will join resident inspector Jacob Wingebach at Fort Calhoun.

No serious injuries were reported following a single-vehicle accident between Red Oak and Stanton Wednesday evening. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports Pamela A. Sandell was driving a 2001 Buick Park Avenue east on Highway 34 at around 5:45-p.m., when she suffered from an apparent medical issue and briefly lost consciousness.

Her car crossed the westbound lane of travel and entered the north ditch, where the vehicle hit a residential driveway at 2365 State Highway 34, before vaulting into the air over the driveway and crashed down into the east side of a drainage ditch. The impact caused the car’s airbags to deploy.

Sandell suffered only minor abrasions and bruises during the accident. Officials say she refused medical treatment at the scene. Her car sustained $7,000 damage, and was considered a total loss. No citations were issued.

No injuries were reported following a collision Wednesday morning between a semi and Ag equipment, southeast of Stanton. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says the driver of a tractor, James A. Herzberg, of Villisca, was cited for Driving Left of Center following the crash just east of Q Avenue on 250th Street, at around 9:15-a.m., Wednesday.

Authorities say Herzberg was operating a John Deere 4040 tractor pulling a Rhino 12 high capacity hay rake, and had observed a semi driven by Marvin G. Reents, of Clarinda, approaching from the rear. Herzberg moved the tractor and rake north, into the westbound lane in anticipation of an upcoming turn, and to allow the semi to pass him on the right because the road ahead was clear.

Herzberg noticed the semi was pulling into the left lane as if to pass tractor, so he tried to return to the eastbound lane, when the hay rack and tractor were struck by the right front side of the semi. The semi, owned by Reents, sustained $8,500 damage. The rake and tractor sustained a combined $16,000 damage.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report the overnight arrest of 23-year old Nicholas Allen Philby, of Red Oak. Philby was taken into custody for Driving While Revoked on an original charge of OWI. He was arrested following a traffic stop at 250th Street and L Avenue, southwest of Stanton. Philby was being held in the Montgomery County Jail Thursday morning in $1,000 bond.

One of the big draws for people who attend the Iowa State Fair each year is the food and fairgoers will get to sample several new item this year. Fair spokesperson Lori Chappel says five of the new foods will be involved in a contest. “They’re all quite decadent,” Chappel says. The contestants include the Three Buck Bowl, which features two crispy potato skins filled with scrambled eggs, salsa, and shredded cheddar cheese. Another offering is Funnel Cake Sticks, which are made with vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry funnel cake batter, served on-a-stick and topped with icing.

Another sweet treat in the contest is The Brownie Blitz. “It’s cream cheese brownie bites, with whipped cream, chocolate syrup and coconut. It comes in a bowl,” Chappel says. There’s also Smoked Brisket and Bacon Mac N Cheese. “It’s macaroni with smoked brisket chunks and apple wood smoked bacon in a creamy three cheese sauce,” Chappel says. The fifth entry is a healthier offering – Caprese Salad On-a-Stick. It’s a skewer of cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.

All five of the food items in the contest will be sold for $3. Fairgoers who sample the foods can vote for their favorite, with the winner to be announced on August 12. The 2014 Iowa State Fair runs from August 7-17 in Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa)