Last week’s killer tornadoes missed Iowa, but dozens of Iowans are responding to help residents in other states recover and rebuild. Volunteers from Iowa’s Red Cross chapters, from Sioux City to Des Moines to the Quad Cities, are loading up emergency response vehicles or hopping on planes. They’re heading for states as close as Illinois and as far away as North Carolina and Alabama. So far, the Red Cross has opened 25 shelters in 11 states after the tornadoes injured hundreds of people and killed at least 39. Iowa church groups are also responding. Volunteers from a West Des Moines church are in Harrisburg, Illinois, working to clear fallen trees with chainsaws. To donate, visit RedCross-dot-org.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

Members of the City Council in Atlantic will act on adopting the Fiscal Year 2013 budget during their meeting Wednesday evening, at City Hall. A public hearing on the budget will precede a vote on approving a resolution adopting the budget. City Administrator Doug Harris says following the hearing, the Council can reduce, but not increase the Municipal Budget, which calls for expenditures of more than $13.6-million dollars. Harris says that’s a decrease of over $9.8-million (42%) from the current FY 2012 budget. If approved, the budget would result in a Total tax levy rate of $17.24 per thousand dollars valuation on regular property, or $3.00 per thousand, on Agricultural land. During the public hearing, any resident or taxpayer may present objections to, or arguments in favor of, any part of the proposed budget.  The meeting begins at 5:30-p.m., Wednesday.

Harris says the FY 2013 budgets for the City’s 15 Operating Funds total $10.1-million, which is an increase of nearly $1.1-million (12%) over the current year. He says the “Lion’s share” of the increase is due to the $725,000 increase in the Wastewater Fund, to pay for a portion of the news Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements being funded out of current revenues, and, the cost of principal payments to the State Revolving Loan (SRL) fund.

Other factors contributing to the large increase in the Operating Budget, include the use of some fund balances from the Storm Water Fund ($200,000) and the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Fund ($650,000), for one-time capital improvement projects. Those changes aside, Harris says the rest of the Operating Budgets are up 1.5%, or $107,000.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will hold the second reading of an ordinance calling for the speed limit to be changed on 22nd Street, from Highway 71 to Olive Street, and from Chestnut Street to Highway 6. The ordinance states the speed limit on those sections of 22nd Street, will be reduced from 45-, to 35-miles per hour. Some councilpersons have already received feedback from the public in opposition of the change in the speed limit, which was reviewed last month by the Community Protection Committee. Councilman Steve Livengood will report on the CPC’s findings and recommendation, during Wednesday evening’s meeting.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were arrested on drug charges this past week. On Friday, 38-year old Victor Bruce Ingram, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving Under Suspension. And, 43-year old Curtis Lee Clark, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine.

On Sunday (March 4th), 18-year old Mikala Nicole Dixson, of Shenandoah, was arrested on a charge of Simple Assault. And, last Thursday, 57-year old Henry Thomas Toogood, of Ft. Worth, TX, was arrested for Failure to have an Iowa Sales Tax Stamp and Failure to hold a Peddlers License.

Residents of Pottawattamie County have an opportunity to attend one of several listening sessions scheduled to take place throughout the County, with regard to possible county-wide trails. The Pottawattamie County Conservation Board will meet with residents to gather public input on the future of multi-use trails. Mark Shoemaker, executive director of the Pottawattamie County Conservation Board, says the meetings are to being held to discuss where the trails should be located. He says anyone attending the sessions will discuss the future of the multi-use trails and asked to offer their opinions on where the lines should be drawn as to where the trails should be. 

Shoemaker says there are some short trails already in place, in Pottawattamie County. That includes the Wabash Trace, in Council Bluffs, several trails within the Council Bluffs city limits, some short trails in Oakland and other communities. Some trails are under development in other communities within the County. The main purpose of the meetings is to eventually connect the trails to every community in Pottawattamie County.

The County-wide trail planning listening sessions will be held in  four cities across the county. They will be held March 8^th, from 7-to 9-pm at the Neola Community Center; at the Carson Community Center, March 10^th, from 9am-11am; and at the AHST High School in Avoca, March 14^th, from 7-9pm. The final session will be held March 22nd, at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Looft Hall – Room 10, from 4-to 6-pm. Shoemaker says even if a meeting will not be held in your community in Pottawattamie County, you are still welcome to attend one of the meetings elsewhere in the County. The Pottawattamie County Conservation Board is also scheduling a water trails meeting at the Botna Bend Park in Hancock on Wednesday, March 21^st.

(courtesy Joel McCall/KNOD, Harlan)

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Police in Red Oak report the arrest Sunday, of 33-year-old Kevin Duane Staley. Staley was taken into custody on charges which include two counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and gathering where drugs are used. Staley was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $10,000 bond. Also arrested Sunday, was a 17-year-old Red Oak male, and 21-year-old Kirstin Lynn Wilwerding, of Omaha. The pair face charges of gathering where controlled substances were used. Wilwerding faces an additional charges of unlawful possession of prescription drugs. She posted a $1,000 bond, while the teen was released to the custody of his parents.

Police in Red Oak say one person was arrested early this (Monday) morning on a couple of charges. 24-year old Richard Dean Pierce III (no address given), was taken into custody a little after 3-a.m. in the 400 block of East Washington Street. Pierce faces an aggravated misdemeanor charge of 1st Degree Harassment, and a felony charge Violation of his probation. He was being held in the Mongtomery County Jail on $7,750 bond, pending a court appearance.

This is the 5th of March and “Take 5 Iowa Day,” as parents are encouraged to take five minutes to talk with their kids about the importance of living drug free. Peter Komendowski, president of the Partnership at DrugFreeIowa.org, says studies repeatedly show teens who learn about the risks through ongoing dialog with parents are up to 50-percent less likely to ever use drugs. Komendowski says, “The whole idea behind Take 5 is really a reminder that parents and children need to connect and parents need to take a very strong, positive initiative to talk to their children.” In recent months, Iowa has seen increased reports of teenagers using new synthetic drugs and many of them are ending up in hospitals. He says it just reinforces the need for parents to set aside time to talk with their young sons and daughters about making healthy choices.

“It’s so hard to get children to talk about what their peers are saying and what’s going on at school,” Komendowski says. “Children are afraid to disclose to parents how many threats they encounter in the course of a day. We see enough children end up in emergency rooms to know that’s just the tip of the iceberg.” A study found 90-percent of parents say they talk to their kids about drugs, but only 20-percent of kids say they’d had such a talk with their parents.  “We know it’s difficult and we know it’s challenging,” Komendowski says. “We’re asking parents to dig a little deeper and try talking a little bit longer. Children really do want to engage. It’s just a strange territory for them to talk about the world of their peers with parents.” He says research shows when parents ask questions, set boundaries and monitor friends, it can reduce the odds of teenagers ever using drugs.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

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