The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, rejected an offer from a local couple to purchase an abandoned house at 203 Locust Street. The City had earlier been awarded title to the property, and was prepared to sell it to Rob and Marlo Stamp, until some last minute offers were received. A public hearing was held, during which City Attorney Dave Wiederstein said he had received word another party was interested in the property. That being the case, the Council decided to request sealed bids for the property, but no deadline was set for the receipt of bids. A condition of the bids is that the prospective buyer must agree to demolish the current structure in a timely manner.

In other business, the Council received a report from Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm, with regard to the Street Maintenance Study. The Study, which was commissioned in 2010, indicated street repairs are the highest priority of the community’s citizens. Sturm said there are just under 50-miles of streets in Atlantic, of which 12.5-miles are comprised of concrete, 26.5 are asphalt, seven are seal coated and 2.5-miles are gravel. Sturm went on to describe the types of problems each road-style can expect to have over the course of its lifespan.

The streets are rated on a score from zero to 100, with 100 being the score needed for an entirely new street. The options given for any given condition include reconstruction, rehabilitation, deferred action, preventative maintenance and routine maintenance. Sturm said the study shows the City has made substantial progress over the past eight-years, having completed the repair or replacement of half of its streets.

He said it should continue with efforts to catch-up with backlogged projects….but it won’t come cheap. He says the City needs to spend anywhere from 750-thousand to One-million dollars per year in order to continue playing catch-up to get to the rest of the streets.

Sturm said once the City is caught-up on its street projects, it could expect to spend 400-to 500-thousand dollars per year just to maintain a high level of service on them. A copy of the report is available for viewing in the City Clerk’s office.

Americans will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John Kennedy tomorrow (Friday). An Iowa reporter from Adair County who became know for his coverage of the presidency was in Dallas, Texas on that fateful day. Hugh Sidey was Time Magazine’s White House correspondent for nearly 50 years and was on the press bus when the fatal shots were fired.“I remember lounging in the bus, watching Kennedy’s car go around the curb up ahead, ”Sidey said. Reporter Lee Kline interviewed Sidey at the family’s newspaper office in Greenfield shortly after the assassination. He talked about his feelings.

“Actually there’s almost a physical reaction, your stomach or something tightens up,” Sidey said. He described the area where the shooting took place as a “strange tableau.” “Women were lying down on the ground and men had their arm around their families. I remember one man sitting on the curb pounding the ground just out of frustration. Obviously something was wrong and we immediately then began to sense that perhaps he’d been shot,” according to Sidey.

Hugh Sidey later became personal friends with Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He died on this date ( November 21) eight years ago, one day before the anniversary of his biggest story.

(Radio Iowa)

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have taken a man into custody on suspicion of starting a house fire in Council Bluffs.  A woman was inside the house when the fire started around 1:15 a.m. Thursday. Authorities say the woman and the man were outside the house when firefighters arrived. After questioning the man, officers him away.

Police haven’t released the names of the man and woman or any other details about the fire.  No injuries have been reported.

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Authorities in Red Oak say a Nebraska teen was arrested early this (Thursday) morning, following an accident and pursuit. According to the Red Oak Police Department, the 17-year old male from Bellevue, NE., was charged with interference with official acts and providing false identification in connection with the incident which occurred shortly after midnight.

Authorities say officers were on stationary patrol at the intersection of North 2nd and East Hammond Street when they saw a Ford Explorer turn north and hit a retaining wall. The SUV then continued north towards officers’ patrol vehicles. Officers also noticed the vehicle had a flat front right tire.

When officers initiated a traffic stop, the SUV continued northbound on 2nd Street and ran a stop sign at the intersection with Corning Street. The vehicle then turned eastbound on Joy Street, where it made a complete stop. The suspect then exited the vehicle and fled on foot eastbound. The juvenile cut through the alleyway southbound in the 300 block of Joy Street before being caught by officers between Joy and Corning Streets.

The suspect was taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, and transported to Sarpy County, where warrants have been issued. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office assisted Red Oak Police in the investigation.

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Officials with Atlantic Municipal Utilities are proposing an electric and water rate increase. Councilman Dana Halder reported to the City Council Wednesday night he sat in on the AMU Board meeting on November 18^th. Halder says the board reviewed the budget and set Dec. 2^nd at 5:30-p.m. as the date and time for a public hearing on the proposed 5-percent increase each for the water and electric. The meeting will be held in the basement meeting room in the AMU building. If approved, it would be the second consecutive year for rate increases from AMU.

Last year, electric rates went up 12-percent, and the water rate was increased 4-percent. AMU General Manager Steve Tjepkes has said the proposed electric rate increase is due to EPA regulations for the coal-fired power plant in Council Bluffs, from which AMU receives additional energy. AMU’s cost related to the Council Bluffs plant improvements and EPA compliance will amount to $500-thousand next year, and about $1.2-million in 2015.

Tjepkes reports also that the proposed increase in Atlantic’s water rates is driven by changes that require parts of the system to be lead-free, which entails the removal of some parts and replacement of those items with non-lead parts. Those costs are estimated at 30-to 35-thousand dollars.

If approved, the average household in Atlantic would see a One-dollar increase in their water bill each month, while the electric bill would increase two-to three-dollars per month. Councilman Halder reports also, the AMU Board discussed and approved a resolution pertaining to a metering charge.Halder says AMU has the ability to receive by radio waves the meter reading. If residents don’t allow the utility to install the new meters, after a certain amount of time there will be a $25 charge.

Police in Red Oak say 30-year old Matthew Lee Gusman, of Red Oak, was arrested Wed. afternoon. Gusman was taken into custody at around 3:20-p.m. in the vicinity of Broadway and 1st Avenue, and charged with Theft in the 5th Degree. He was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $300 bond.

Police in Lenox arrested one person on a drug charge Wednesday evening. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports officers with the Lenox P-D arrested Nathan D. Simington, of Lenox, at around 7:10-p.m.  He was taken into custody on an Adams County warrant for Possession of Marijuana, resulting from a traffic stop on July 27th in Adams County.

The Adams County K-9 unit located items in the vehicle during a search, which led to Simington’s arrest. His bond was set at $1,000.

A Cass County man was arrested Wednesday afternoon by officers with the Atlantic Police Department. 30-year old Jacob Michael Leary, of Atlantic, was arrested on an Adams County warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine. The charge was result of a traffic stop on Sept. 18th, where Adams County deputies made contact with Leary, for Driving While Suspended.

The Adams County K-9 Unit was called-in and located drug paraphernalia and Meth in the vehicle. Leary was also charged with Possession of Narcotics with the intent to deliver, and driving while suspended. His bond was set at $1,000.