The office of Senator Charles Grassley has announced Iowa’s senior Republican will hold town hall meetings in western and southwest Iowa, near the end of this month, and in early September. Three of the meetings will focus on agriculture, in advance of the upcoming session in Congress, over the farm bill.

Grassley has scheduled stops August 29^th in Carroll, from 3-to 4-pm in the activity center/gymnasium at the New Hope Village, and from 5-to 6-pm in Denison, at the Denison Municipal Utilities’ Community Room. On August 30^th, the Senator will be at the Public Library in Harlan, from 8-to-9am, at the Oakland Community Building from 10-to 11:30-a.m., from 1-to 2:30-p.m. at the Montgomery County YMCA in Red Oak, and he’ll be in Atlantic, at the Cass County Community Center, from 3:30-to 5-p.m.

His other stops include: August 31^st – at the Onawa Community Center, from 7:30-to 8:30-a.m., the United Western Coop in Missouri Valley, from 10-to 11-a.m., at the Glenwood Senior Center, from 1-to 2-pm, the Sidney Senior Center, from 3-to 4pm, and in Shenandoah, at the Shenandoah Medical Center’s Rapp meeting room, from 4:45-to 5:45-p.m.

Senator Grassley wraps up his town hall meetings on September 1^st, in Taylor County, at the Farm Bureau meeting room in Bedford, from 8am-9am, at the Corning Community Building, from 10:15-11:15-a.m., and in Audubon, at the Economic Development community room, from 1:30-to 2:30-p.m.

Amber Russell, ICAPP director of Prevent Child Abuse Iowa said in a news release, “As a recipient of ICAPP funds, The Cass County Child Abuse Council, is among leading organizations in the state that are taking on the national issue of child abuse,” and they are proud to partner with Cass County. Russell said child abuse is preventable, but it will take individuals and organizations coming together to tackle the issue from a statewide, community, and individual level.

Kristen Templeton, group facilitator, said the ICAPP funds will ensure the Cass County Child Abuse Council can expand community awareness.The local council meets quarterly, and is currently seeking new members. In addition to the Parents as Teachers program, the council conducts community awareness. In April, the council and Washington Elementary School in Atlantic partnered up to promote Pinwheels for Prevention. Students participated in a coloring contest and the pictures were displayed in downtown Atlantic business windows to raise awareness in Cass County. Prizes were awarded to the winners of the contest. Pinwheels were also displayed on the Cass County Courthouse lawn.

ICAPP funding derives from federal and state appropriations, and birth certificate fees. Every year, Iowans also have the opportunity to support ICAPP by donating a portion of their state income tax return through the Check Off Child Abuse campaign. All funds raised directly support child abuse prevention programs in local communities.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors have sent a letter to the County Board of Health, in support of the Behavioral Health Unit (BHU) at the Cass County Memorial Hospital. The BHU employees 21-people.

The facility, which serves the mental health needs of patients in Cass and other counties, is in danger of closing, because, according to officials, since CCMH became a critical access care facility, in-patient behavioral services have become a financial burden. Unlike other services the hospital provides, the costs to care for mental health clients, especially those who come from outside of Cass County, are not reimbursed on a cost-basis. Last year, the unit lost $500,000 in un-reimbursed costs.

During Wednesday’s meeting in Atlantic, Cass County Supervisor Chuck Rieken read a portion of the letter that‘s been mailed to the Board of Health. Rieken said “It is the Cass County Board of Supervisors position and belief that the behavioral unit is an indispensable part of this community but by providing necessary mental health services to those residents in Cass County as well as others who reside or who are placed here in various residential care facilities.”

Rieken and the other Supervisors have said many people are very much in favor of the facility staying in Cass County. He said the current BHU is highly efficient. The average stay for a mental health client at the facility is approximately seven days, or about four-days less than at other, similar facilities.

Supervisor Mark Wedemeyer, said he’s been asked why the BHU should be kept in Cass County. He says because in the long-run, it will save the County money. If it were to close, the county would have to send it’s clients to one of a handful of other such facilities in the State.

The Board of Health is scheduled to make a decision on the matter at a future meeting.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones is warning motorists not to try and travel on 22^nd Street, due to the dangers resulting from construction currently taking place in the area. Jones issued his warning and plea during Wednesday’s City Council meeting. He says 22^nd Street is closed to thru traffic, and is unsafe due to a sharp drop-off.

Jones, who is also an insurance agent, says your insurance may not cover any accidents you get into, when traveling on a closed street.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, tabled action on one of the matters placed before them, and agreed to place another item on the agenda for a future meeting. The Council tabled a Resolution granting a sewer line easement to Andrew J. Knuth. Knuth had offered to pay the City $50 for a ten-foot sewer easement on the north side of the City lot which abuts his law office at 3^rd and Walnut Streets to install a PVC pipe, but some members of the Council thought that was not enough money, would create problems for future, possible owners of the four vacant adjacent lots, and would it benefit Knuth more than the City. 

Councilpersons Shaun Shouse, Steve Livengood and Kathy Somers expressed concerns about the placement of the sewer line under a potential building. City Attorney Dave Weidersteen said the terms of the easement state the sewer line must be placed so that a building cannot be placed on top of it, but if a change is needed in later years, that can be accommodated. Knuth said the line would be placed as close to his building as possible. The City paid $200,000 to have an old hotel on the lot torn down, in hopes of selling the property to future businesses. Councilman Shouse raised the issue of compensation for the easement, and how an easement would affect the value of the property.

Councilperson Somers asked if Knuth would be interested in buying an adjacent lot. He said he would, but it would only be to install private parking for his business. That would also serve to increase the amount of street parking spaces available for restaurants in the area, especially during the lunch hour, and provide the City with some much needed property tax income. Attorney Dave Weidersteen will draw-up an agreement with Knuth for a fair price on the lot, which will be presented to the Council for its approval during their meeting on September 7^th. 

The Council also voted to place on their next agenda, a request to accept $1,000 compensation from Atlantic resident Ed Leistad, who said he purchased a lot at 706 Walnut Street, under the assumption it was 100-feet, when it was actually only 50-feet. Liestad said he can’t do anything with a 50-foot lot, and offered the money to terminate the purchase agreement. He had originally paid the City $5,000 for the property. After much discussion, the Council agreed it would be in the best interest of everyone involved to accept the proposal, and will include it in a Resolution at their next meeting.

But Councilman Shaun Shouse warned in the future, persons bidding on City property should do their research beforehand, so mistakes aren’t made that would cost the City lost revenue.

The Massena City Council is set to meet this evening during a special session. During the meeting, which begins at 6-p.m., the Council will discuss, and possibly act on, making a payment to the local Red Sox baseball team, to assist with field repairs on the City Ball Field.

The Council will also discuss nuisance properties and receive Mayor Mike Cormack’s report, before they adjourn for the evening.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a man from Grant was arrested Wednesday night on a district court warrant. 48-year old Scott Timothy Brown was taken into custody at around 8:30-p.m., on a warrant for Failure to Appear or pay child support.

Brown was being held in the Montgomery County jail on $1,000 cash bond.

Wednesday was the first day of school for many students in western Iowa, while today marks the start of classes in AHST, Riverside and Shenandoah. Some districts in the southwest corner of the state are adjusting to changes in enrollment after local families were forced to relocate because of flooding. Jay Lutt is superintendent for the Farragut and Hamburg school districts. He says some parents who lived in Hamburg, but worked across the river in Nebraska City have relocated their families in Nebraska, at least temporarily.

“I know there’s some people that are trying to move back in,” he says. “The mandatory evacuation has been lifted and so we have families that are moving back (to southwest Iowa) and some that it’s still going to take a month or so to get moved back or into housing, so it is very fluctuating.”

Officials are still gathering data, but the superintendent estimates about 15 students have been lost to flood-related moves. Mike Eldridge is the junior-senior high school principal for the Sidney Community Schools. Several families in the town of Percival, which is in the district, were forced to relocate. Eldridge says some moved to another town within the district, but others have gone across the river to Nebraska. Eldridge estimates five or 10 students have left, but he says those numbers aren’t having major impact for now.

“We’ve had a lot of new students move into the district, not necessarily because of the flooding,” Eldridge says. “But we look like we may kind of stay level in regards to enrollment where we’re not going to show a huge decrease and we’re not going to show a big increase.”

School also started Wednesday in Council Bluffs. A spokeswoman for the district says she wasn’t not aware of any families leaving the district because of the floods, but at least 35 students have reported a different home address because of flood-related moves. The district is helping to transport 13 of those students to school in Council Bluffs from their temporary housing locations.

(Radio Iowa)

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Some residents of Mills County who were evacuated because of flooding on the Missouri River are being told it’s OK to return, but just be careful. The county’s emergency management agency on Tuesday reopened some areas that had been under a mandatory evacuation order. About 50 residents and businesses are affected. County spokeswoman Sheri Bowen says there’s still a risk because the flooding isn’t over.

All residents in the re-entry areas need to contact building and zoning and public health offices to determine if a free property inspection and damage assessment is needed. Bowen says residents need to make sure their homes and businesses are safe. She says the inspection is required prior to electricity being restored to the property.