Authorities in Montgomery County report the arrest of three individuals over the weekend. On Saturday, 17-year old Edward Richard Lockerby, of Prescott, was taken into custody at around 12:30-p.m., on a charge of harassment. He was brought to Montgomery County Corrections Center, booked-in, and later released to the custody of his mother. That same day, at around 1:50-p.m., 48-year old David Alan Adist, of Prescott, was arrested by Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies, for violating a Protective Order. Adist was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on full bond.

On Sunday, 30-year old George Allen Westbrooke, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 4:30-p.m.. Westbrooke was taken into custody on a valid Adams County warrant for Burglary in the 3rd degree, Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree, and Trespassing. He was transported to the Adams County Jail and held on $5,000 cash bond.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education (BOE) is expected to discuss, but take no immediate action on, future Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) for the district. The discussion will include Design Alliance Architect’s representative Jerry Purdy. Much of the talk is expected to revolve around the district’s need for classroom space , especially in light of a report last month by Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein, that current enrollment numbers in kindergarten have been up, and are expected to remain nearly the same for the 2013-2014 school year.

In other business, the Atlantic BOE will act on approving: Design Alliance’ architect’s proposal for renovation projects; a bid for Driver’s Education Instruction; and, the Cass County Educational Opportunity Center (CCEOC) handbook.
The meeting begins at 7:30-p.m., in the Atlantic High School Media Center.

The Iowa Department of Revenue has set the value that’s used to determine the property tax values for the state. The department’s Julie Roisen, says the “rollback” value as it is known is mandated by state law. “The rollback calculations are designed to keep agregate taxable values across the state for residential, agricultural and commercial properties, if they qualify, to keep them from growing more than four-percent statewide,” Roisen says. The taxable value was raised to 52-point-eight-one percent, compared to the previous rate of 50-point-seven-five percent in 2011 to show the changes in property value.

“The aggregate taxable value has grown, and so therefore, the local governments may see a higher collection depending on what they did with their (tax) levees,” Roisen says. County auditors use the figure set by the department to each property to compute the tax value that’s used for property taxes. “The whole idea is to keep the statewide taxable value from shooting up dramatically,” Roisen explains. “Now it does not speak to an individual particular property at a parcel level. If the assessed value of an invididual property grew dramatically for whatever reason, they would see an increase in their tax burden, because their assessed value grew, and then you apply the rollback.”

The tax values based on 2012 will be paid by property owners in fiscal year 2013-14 will not be determined until local taxing bodies establish their property tax needs early next year.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowans who still smoke cigarettes are the targets of this week’s Great American Smokeout, the biggest annual event to get people to kick the habit. Chuck Reed, the Iowa spokesman for the American Cancer Society, says November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. “When you look at the fact that cancer affects one in two men, one in three women in their lifetime, that’s such a huge number,” Reed says. “We like to remind people to get their screenings and do what they can to avoid cancer and in November, quit smoking. Tobacco use accounts for 30% of all cancers worldwide.”

Lung cancer deaths are about equal to the number of deaths from prostate, breast, colon and pancreatic cancers combined. The Smokeout is scheduled for Thursday and is in its 37th year. “Back then, it was done by a newspaper editor who just wanted people to quit for one day, just to show yourself you can do it, and since then, we’ve tweaked it a little bit,” Reed says. “We’d love for you to quit for one day but more importantly, it’s a great day to make a plan to quit for good.”

Many chapters of the American Cancer Society across Iowa are hosting special events, like offering a free cold turkey sandwich to anyone who brings in a pack of cigarettes and vows to quit. “There are those events going on around the state,” Reed says. “I encourage everyone to check your local newspaper or wherever you get your information. There’s numerous ones going on around the state. This day does get pretty good awareness about quitting smoking and hopefully, living a healthier lifestyle.” Estimates find that 23-hundred Iowans will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year and 18-hundred will die from it. Learn more at: www.cancer.org

(Radio Iowa)

REMSEN, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating a rollover crash that killed one northwest Iowa teen and injured two others. KTIV television reports the crash happened around 2:30 Saturday afternoon in Plymouth County, Iowa. The Remsen fire department found that 17-year-old Matthew Gerrietts had been thrown from the SUV he was driving. He died at the scene. Gerrietts’ two passengers, 16-year-old Mindy Gerrietts and 15-year-old Phillip Renken, were taken to an area hospital for treatment of their injuries.

An Omaha man was arrested Saturday following a scuffle with an off-duty police officer at a casino in Council Bluffs. According to the Omaha World-Herald, the unidentified officer suffered minor injuries when he was allegedly attacked by 21-year old Miles A. Adams. The incident happened at the Horseshoe Casino, at around 11-a.m., Saturday, when the officer went to investigate a report of a man acting strange in a public rest room at the Hilton Garden Inn.

The officer and at least one security guard wrestled Adams to the ground. Both Adams and the officer suffered minor cuts and scrapes during the scuffle. The were taken to Mercy Hospital for treatment. Adams was subsequently taken to the Pottawattamie County Jail on Assaulting a Police Officer, Possession of Methamphetamine, and Public Intoxication charges.

Flood recovery, appropriate prioritization of flood control in river management and water allocation are the top items on the agenda for the State Interagency Missouri River Authority’s Nov. 14^th meeting in Council Bluffs. The Iowa DNR says the group will get an update on the continuing dry conditions, and in a related matter, will discuss two U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ reports.

One report provides a five-year plan for managing surplus water in the Missouri River system of reservoirs. The other is a report on the corps’ start-up efforts to change the permanent allocation of Missouri River water for municipal and industrial use. Also on the agenda are updates from the state hydrology work group, the sediment management meeting, the county official coalition and a committee working on the Missouri River Recovery. MidAmerican Energy will discuss its perspective on operation of the river.

The Missouri River Authority is an interagency, interstate group that makes recommendations on policies affecting the Missouri River. The group will meet from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Iowa School for the Deaf, Lied Multipurpose Complex, 3501 Harry Langdon Boulevard, Council Bluffs. The meeting is open to the public.

Interested persons can attend the meeting on a conference call by dialing 866-685-1580. Then they should follow the prompts, typing in the conference code of 4510673319 followed by the pound (#) sign.

Atlantic is one of three cities to host public meetings across the state in the next three weeks, to gather input on proposed water quality standards designated use changes for a fourth batch of select rivers and streams. The meetings, which are hosted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), are being held to gather input on changes designed to help protect aquatic life and recreational uses. The meeting in Atlantic will take place from 3-to 6-p.m. Tue., Nov. 13^th, at the historic Rock Island Depot at 102 Chestnut Street.

Those not able to attend the meetings may submit written comments or questions through Dec. 10 to: Rochelle Cardinale, DNR, 502 East Ninth St., Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034; by fax to 515-281-8895; or by email to rochelle.cardinale@dnr.iowa.gov.

For a list of stream designations being revised in the water quality standards, please refer to the list posted at: www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/RegulatoryWater/WaterQualityStandards/DesignatedUses/UseAssessments.aspx

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest Saturday morning of 30-year old James Brown Lockman. The Red Oak man was wanted on a warrant out of northwest Iowa’s Ida County, for Violating the terms of his Probation. Lockman was being held over the weekend in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, on $5,000 cash bond.