(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Board of Supervisors in Montgomery County will meet in a regular weekly session, beginning at 8:30-a.m. Tuesday, at the Montgomery County Courthouse. On their agenda under New Business, is:

a. Approve/Disapprove Homestead & Military Credit Applications with action as necessary
b. Approve correction on the Memorandum of Understanding Between Montgomery County and Montgomery County Development Corporation
c. Courthouse tuckpointing discussion

*Please note, this is a public meeting; however, it may be conducted via ZOOM
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(Radio Iowa)- Two people are jailed after a standoff late Friday, an incident that started when police spotted a wanted man walking into a house in Webster City. The officer was able to identify the man as 24-year-old Ty Christian Pippin, of Webster City. Due to the potential for firearms to be involved, additional law enforcement including the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department and Iowa State Patrol were called in to secure a perimeter and ensure the safety of the public. After a brief standoff, law enforcement officers entered the residence in an attempt to locate Pippin. He was eventually located hiding in the basement area and surrendered without incident.

Pippin was arrested on an outstanding warrant from Hamilton County for contempt of court and an outstanding warrant from Webster County. Also arrested was 18-year-old Bridjett Joyce Humlicek, of Webster City. She was charged with interference with official acts and accessory after the fact.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston say two men were arrested on separate charges, Saturday. A around 1:30-a.m. 44-year-old Brady Gale Richert, of Creston, was arrested at the intersection of Fremont and Elm. Richert was charged with Public Intoxication 1st Offense, Disorderly Conduct-Fighting/Violent Behavior, Harassment 2nd Degree-Threaten Bodily Injury, and Violation of No Contact/Protective Order. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $1,900 cash or surety bond.

And, at around 8:25-a.m., Saturday, Creston Police arrested 25-year-old Clayton Levi Miller, of Des Moines. He was taken into custody at the Creston/Union County LEC. Miller was charged with a Union County Warrant for FTA (Failure To Appear) on an original charge of Possession of Controlled Substance-Marijuana 1st Offense. Miller was booked into the Union County Jail and later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Recent rains have given some hope that Iowa will pull out of the drought conditions that weren’t helped by a drier than normal spring. D-N-R hydrologist, Tim Hall, says some areas saw several inches of rain in a short time — which he says is good — even if a lot of it ran off the ground without sinking in. “Any rain we get is good for the environment. If it runs off quickly, it ends up in the stream. Stream flows were way down, so getting some increased rainfall in our stream system is great,” Hall says.

He says there weren’t any reports of significant flash flooding, which is a good indicator of just how dry it is. “We’ll take what we get, and we’ll we’ll count it as a good thing. And we’ll hope to get some more,” he says. Hall says the impact was immediate on some of the waterways that have restrictions on them for irrigation. “We had some streams that were dropping and dropping and dropping and then you get an ice rain like this and those stream flows pop back up higher. So it certainly helps the situation with folks who are wanting stream flow water for irrigation,” according to Hall.

He says we need more consistent rains at about one inch each week. “No single storm event is going to eliminate drought in the state of Iowa,” he says. “It’s gonna take sustained rainfall events over a long period of time to do that.”

The recent rains should show up in the U-S Drought Monitor which comes out Thursday.

(Red Oak, Iowa) –

Monday, July 17
8:00 AM 4-H/FFA Horse Show Entry Time – Horse Show Arena
9:00 AM 4-H/FFA Horse Show – Horse Show Arena
3:00 PM Awardrobe Clothing Event Judging – Wilson Performing Arts Center
4:30 PM 4-H Table Setting Event Judging and Display – Wilson Performing Arts Center
5:00 PM Educational Presentations, Extemporaneous Speaking & Working Exhibits – Wilson Performing Arts Center
7:00 PM Program and Announcement of Awards: Fashion Show participants & Share the Fun – Wilson Performing Arts Center

Tuesday, July 18
9:00 AM Entry and judging of 4-H Ag & Nat. Resources, Creative Arts, Family and Consumer Sciences, Personal Development & STEM Exhibits – 4-H Exhibit Bldg.
4:00-6:00 PM Enter, weigh-in and check papers for 4-H/FFA Poultry – Livestock Pavilion
6:30 PM 2023 Fair Welcome: Andrew Herzberg, President Montgomery Co. FairBoard – Fairgrounds Auditorium:

• Montgomery County Fair Hall of Fame; Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame
• Presentation of County Youth Council Scholarship
• Rotary Club “Service Above Self” Awards
• Presentation of John Hossle Scholarship
• Bake Sale of Food and Nutrion Exhibits
• Announcements and Crowning of Fair Queen
• 4-H Pie Auction

Following the Welcome: Religious Rally – Fairground Auditorium
8:00 PM Montgomery County Youth Council Gaga Ball Tournament – Gaga Ball Pit

(Radio Iowa) – The 2024 Iowa Caucuses are now a little less than six months away and the intensity of the G-O-P presidential contest is growing. Two-thousand evangelical Christians heard from six candidates Friday in Des Moines. Former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson interviewed each candidate onstage, with the war in Ukraine as the top topic. Bob Vander Plaats is president and C-E-O of The Family Leader, the group that hosted the event. He urged the crowd to look for an authentic candidate who meets the highest standards.

“God has called us for such a time as this. Pinch yourself! We’re on a front row seat of this. He has us in the crosshairs of it,” Vander Plaats said. Vander Plaats has said it’s time for the G-O-P to turn the page from former President Trump. David Johnson of Grimes, who attended Friday’s Family Leadership Summit, says he’s tired of the way Trump is acting these days. “I was a big Trump supporter for the last two times he ran, but I’m just wearying of his meanness, for lack of a better word,” Johnson says. “He wants to throw anybody under the bus who ever disagrees with him about any aspect of anything.”

Trump is due in Cedar Rapids tomorrow (Tuesday) to tape a program with Sean Hannity that will air on the Fox News Channel. It’s Trump’s first appearance here after complaining last week that Governor Kim Reynolds is maintaining neutrality in the 2024 presidential race — after he set her up to be governor in mid-2017 by naming Terry Branstad U-S ambassador to China. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says some of the Iowans he met this weekend were riled by Trump’s remarks about Reynolds. “I think she’s been a model public servant,” DeSantis said, “and anybody who’s a Republican that’s trying to denigrate her I think is way off base on that.”

DeSantis has joined the list of candidates who say they’ll visit each of Iowa’s 99 counties before the Caucuses.

(Radio Iowa) – A ban on most abortions in Iowa is in effect today (Monday). The ban has been in effect since about 2:45 Friday afternoon. That’s when Governor Kim Reynolds signed the bill that bans abortions after cardiac activity can be detected, which is around the sixth week of a pregnancy. “Protecting unborn human lives from the atrocity of abortion, a worthy battle and one I will never concede,” Reynolds said in remarks at the bill signing, held on stage before a gathering of 2000 evangelical Christians in Des Moines.

The law includes exceptions for certain medical conditions. Rape victims who become pregnant will have to prove they notified police or a health care provider within 45 days of the attack or they will not be allowed to have an abortion in Iowa. Incest victims will have to have notified a doctor or police within 140 days of the attack that led to their pregnancy. “It’s unquestionable that the act completely prevents the vast majority of patients from accessing abortion at all,” said

Peter Im, a staff attorney for Planned Parenthood Federation of America. A Polk County district court judge has indicated he will issue a ruling, perhaps as early as today (Monday), on whether the law can be enforced while the lawsuit challenging the abortion ban makes its way through the state court system.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic has a lot on their plate for Wednesday’s 5:30-p.m. meeting, at City Hall. Among the action items, is an Order setting the date of a Public Hearing as August 2nd, 2023, to repeal Chapter 24 of the City’s Code of Ordinances, entitled “Parks and Recreation Board,” and discontinue the Parks and Recreation Board. In his agenda notes, City Administrator John Lund said that after a review, the City of Atlantic’s Personnel and Finance Committee recommended “with all respect due to the Board and the service of its members,” that the Parks Board be dissolved. Their recommendation follows the Committee’s meeting on July 10th, when they reviewed the situation of losing yet another Director for the Parks & Rec Dept, with regard to last month’s resignation of Wyatt Adderton.

On a related note, the City Council, Wednesday, will act on passing a resolution “Creating the Position of Code Enforcement and Animal Control Manager, approving a job description, and setting compensation for FY 2024,” following the Personnel & Finance Committee’s recommendation to re-orient the City’s limited resources towards Code Enforcement and Economic Development. In doing so, the Committee has recommended that the duties of Parks Director be split between the immediate Supervisor, the Public Works Director, and a new position, Parks & Recreation Coordinator, will be a revamped position of the current Assistant Parks and Rec Director. John Lund notes “this will save the City $71,904 and an potential City health care plan enrollee.”

The Committee recommends the following:

• The Parks Coordinator position be set at $50,000, and increase of $4,419.71 for the Assistant Parks Director position.
• Resetting wages for seasonal parks staff to a range of $14-to $17 per hour.
• A promotion for Code Enforcement, Animal Control, and Wastewater Operator Kris Erickson, to Full Department Head (an increase o $4,853.35)
• Adding a second Code Enforcement Officer (Cost to be determined)
• Compensation increase for the Public Works Director to offset increased responsibilities with the Parks Dept. in addition to the three other departments he currently supervises, aligning overall compensation above those he supervises, and for merit for the cost-saving proposal relating to the 2024-2030 Street Improvement Program, an increase of $11,025.00.

The Council will act on passing a resolution “Creating the Position of Parks & Recreation Coordinator,” along with the job description, and setting compensation for FY 2024, and a resolution “Setting Wages for the Atlantic Parks and Recreation, Public Works and Code Enforcement and Animal Control Departments.” You can view the rest of the Council’s agenda here: July 19, 2023 City Council Meeting

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The management and staff of the Sunnyside Pool in Atlantic have extended their heartfelt appreciation to Shift ATL and the generous donors who have contributed to enhancing the pool experience this season. Through a successful fundraiser held at Sunnyside Range, Shift ATL raised a sum of $550, which they used to purchase exciting water toys and engaging activities for the pool. Additionally, the pool was given brand-new guard umbrellas for the season, generously donated by Lindeman Tractor, Little Raskals Daycare, and Rush CPA & Associates.

Sunnyside Pool’s management team states “It’s amazing to have organizations and businesses who support and share the vision of creating a fun and enjoyable environment for all ages. Everything donated adds up to make such an impact on the facility and what is offered.”

Community members and supporters who are interested in further contributing to the pool’s continued enhancement can visit their Amazon wishlist at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/I0H5WJMHJ13M?ref_=wl_share . By searching the wishlist, individuals can select items that align with the pool’s needs and contribute directly to its ongoing effort to enrich the pool experience for everyone who visits.

Sunnyside Pool staff would like to extend gratitude to all who have supported the pool thus far this season. The final date for the regular season hours (Daily 1-7pm, additionally 12-1pm Monday – Friday for adult swim) is expected to be August 20th. Being half way through the season, a half price membership option is now available for purchase at the pool in addition to the new option of a punch pass. With a pass purchase, community members are helping foster a vibrant community space that promotes recreation, togetherness, and lifelong memories and we thank you for that!

(Audubon, Iowa) – The Audubon School District’s Board of Education will hold a work session prior to their regular meeting, Monday. The work session for Policy Review begins at 7-p.m. in the Elementary School Workroom, and will be followed by the regular meeting.

Their agenda is as follows:

7:00 Board Work Session – Policy Review – 104, 104R1, 213, 402.2, 402.5, 408.1, 503.7, 503.7E1, 503.7E2, 505.4, 505.5, 507.2, 507.2E1, 507.2E2, 507.2E3, 507.2E4, 601.1, 603.5, 605.1R1, 605.2, 605.3, 605.3R1, 605.3E5, 605.5, 605.7R1, 607.2, 607.2R1, 804.5, 804.5E1

Call to Order

2.0 Approve Consent Agenda

2.01 Agenda

2.02 Minutes – June 19, 2023

2.03 Warrants and Financial Reports

3.0 Public Comments – Please contact the Supt. or Board President (Board Policy #213)

4.0 Action Items

4.01 Approve Ahlers Cooney as Board and District Legal Councel

4.02 Approve Courtney Walter and Carrie Nelson as Equity Coordinators

4.03 Approve Cass Muzney as Asbestos Manager

4.04 Approve Level I and II Investigators

Level 1 – Eric Trager, Quentin Stanerson, Sam Graeve, Jill Hermansen

Level 2 – Coby Gust

4.05 Name Banking Depositories and Limits

Depositories – Audubon State Bank, Landmands Bank, Iowa School Joint

Investment Trust (ISJIT)

Limits – $3,500,000 Total – Maximum Withdrawal/Transfers of $800,000

4.06 Approve Second Reading – 200.4, 210.5, 216.2, 401.5R1, 401.10, 407.2, 501.2, 604.6, 607.1, 701.2, 701.5, 705.1, 705.1R2, 708, 804.7R1

4.07 Approve First Reading – 104, 104R1, 213, 402.2, 402.5, 408.1, 503.7, 503.7E1, 503.7E2, 505.4, 505.5, 507.2, 507.2E1, 507.2E2, 507.2E3, 507.2E4, 601.1, 603.5, 605.1R1, 605.2, 605.3, 605.3R1, 605.3E5, 605.5, 605.7R1, 607.2, 607.2R1, 804.5, 804.5E1

4.08 Approve Milk Bid Renewal

4.09 Approve Student Handbook Changes

4.10 Approve Sports Booster’s Concession Stand Project

4.11 Approve LED Lighting Project – Elementary

4.12 Approve $250K Loan from General Fund to Management Fund – Insurance

4.13 Approve Change Orders

4.14 Personnel

5.0 Communication & Updates

5.01 Superintendent Report

5.02 Principal’s Reports

6.0 Adjournment

Next Regular Meeting: Monday, August 21, 2023