(Atlantic, Iowa) – Trees Forever spokesperson Dolly Bergmann reports Atlantic Trees Forever Spring tree vouchers are now available. “With the past year,” Bergmann says, “we have had there are many people needing trees this spring. We ask that you limit one voucher per homeowner so more people can get a start replacing trees that were destroyed or being removed.”

Tree vouchers are a great way to help with the cost of a tree to plant. The vouchers are worth $30 off the cost of a tree, and can be obtained at Pymosa Farms, north of Atlantic. There are a limited number of vouchers available. Those at Pymosa Farms can help you determine what kind of tree would work best in the location you would like to plant a tree. It is important to water the trees this spring and during the summer.

Pymosa Farms is located at 50979 Buck Creek Road, Atlantic, but Bergmann suggest calling owner Tim Reavis, at 402-659-1213 before driving out to the farm to ensure someone is available to help you.

(Sidney, Iowa) – The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office today (Monday) reports the identification of human remains that were located at remote location in rural Hamburg, Iowa near the Missouri River. Authorities say on March 20, 2023, at approximately 1-p.m., the Fremont County Sheriff’s was called by an employee of a real estate company that was scouting the property for deer, when he happened upon human remains. Fremont County Deputies and an Agent from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) responded to the scene. Investigators located and seized several items from the scene to include human skeletal remains, car keys and a gym pass were recovered at the scene.

On April 11, 2023, it was determined that the skeletal remains were those of 30-year-old Salvador Agustin Fonseca, of Springfield, MO. It was determined that the keys were to a 2015 Chevrolet Spark.  On March 6, 2022, during the course of a theft investigation a 2015 Chevy Spark was recovered from approximately the 7- mile marker of I-29 northbound. The vehicle came back to an individual out of Springfield, MO. Deputies tried to locate the owner of the vehicle, but he had left his last known address without letting them know where he had gone to. The last know sighting of Fonseca was February 28, 2022, in Springfield, MO.

It is unknown why Fonseca had stopped at that section of interstate, but it appears that he walked west to the Missouri River.  No foul play is suspected in the death. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa DCI, the Fremont County Coroner’s Office and Iowa State Medical Examiners in Ankeny, Iowa.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet 9-a.m. Tuesday, April 18th, during a regular session. Here’s the agenda:

The order of agenda items may change based on when personnel are available and when time allows.
1. Call to order
2. Approve Agenda
3. Approve minutes from the April 11, 2023 meeting.
4. Public Comments
5. Discuss/Approve a three-year contract, in the amount of $4,450 per year for three years, for Cost Advisory Services to obtain reimbursements for indirect costs expended on behalf of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for Cass County.
6. Second presentation by Jared Wyman on Noble Initiative Community Foundation’s $250,000 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund request for Griswold’s housing development
7. Report from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken
8. Approve Resolution 2023-12 Appointing Norma Hemphill to the Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority (SIRHA).
9. Appointments:
• Massena Township Clerk – Shauna Holaday
• Brighton Township Clerk
• Victoria Township Trustee
10. Supervisor Committee Reports
11. Filed Reports:
• Clerk of Court for the month of March
12. Approve claims
13. Adjournment
14. Next Meeting: Tuesday, April 25, 2023

Join the meeting electronically:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2899195216?pwd=R0hSa2FOOTh0NUdra1ZSdVhVWHpMUT09
Meeting ID: 289 919 5216
Passcode: 012064
Call In:
312-626-6799, press *9 to indicate you wish to speak.

1. Call to order/conflict of interest statements.
2. Approval of agenda Action Item
3. Approval of minutes April 4th Meeting. Action Item
4. Approval of claims posted April 13th. Action Item
5. Supervisor committee reports
6. Secondary Roads report-Chris Fredericksen
7. Nishnabotna Valley REC Utilities permit-Action Item
8. Recess meeting to open hearing-Action Item
9. Open Public Hearing-Action Item
10. Public Hearing FY2024 Shelby County Budget
11. Close Public Hearing-Action Item
12. Consideration of FY2024 Budget-Action Item
13. Set Hearing date for Fiscal Year 2023 Budget amendments-Action Item
14. Set Hearing Date for Fiscal year 2024 Budget Amendments-Action Item
15. Resolution 2023-25 Moratorium on Wind Energy Construction Permits in Shelby County- Action Item
16. Resolution 2023-26 Moratorium on solar energy Construction Permits-Action Item

17. Adjourn

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department say no injuries were reported following a minor accident Saturday afternoon. Authorities says 18-year-old Emmet Long, of Afton, had just picked up his prom date, and was backing a 2018 Ford F-150 out of a driveway. He didn’t see a trailer owned by a man from Minnesota parked on the side west side of Poplar Street, and consequently backed into the trailer’s wheel well, causing about $1,000 damage. The pickup – registered to Nicholas Wilkey,of Afton –  sustained about $500 damage.

Because the vehicle’s owners knew each other, the pickup and its occupants were allowed to continue to the prom. The pertinent accident information was provided to police the following day. No citations were issued.

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department report three weekend arrests. Two arrests took place Sunday:

44-year-old Marcus Cardiss Williams, of Creston, was arrested a little after 3-a.m., for Domestic Abuse Assault, Strangulation with Bodily Injury. Williams was taken to the Union County Jail where he is being held on $5000 cash or surety bond. And, at around 10:10-p.m., Sunday, 23-year-old Bradford Guy Boyer, of Kent, was arrested at the intersection of Highway 34 and Lincoln. Boyer was charged with OWI 1st Offense. Boyer was taken to the Union County Jail where he was later released on $1000 cash or surety bond.

And, at around 12:15-a.m. Saturday, Creston Police arrested 33-year-old Chevy Van Sauer, of Creston, on a Union County Warrant for Harassment 1st Degree, an Aggravated Misdemeanor. Sauer was transported from Adair County Jail to the Union County Jail where he was later released on $2000 cash or surety bond.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council’s agenda is packed this Wednesday evening. City Administrator John Lund says “This is the big Budget meeting,” so the agenda packet for the Council is bigger than normal. The meeting takes place at 5:30-p.m. in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall, in Atlantic.

First-up, is a presentation by Dolly Bergmann on the City being designated once again as “Tree City USA. It includes a signing of a related proclamation by Mayor Grace Garrett. Next-up is a Public Hearing at 6-p.m. on the Status of Funded Activities for the CDBG-CV Project, and what Lund says is needed as part of the “red tape” required of the CDBG CV program. The project is being funded through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) by the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

The Council will then review and act on, make a recommendation to committee, or reject a bid for 1014/1016 3rd Street Place. Dexter Dodson, with the Atlantic High School, has placed a bid to build a single-family home on the lot, using students in the Building Trades Program. If the bid is accepted, it will be sent to the City Attorney to draw-up the paperwork for the sale. In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on an Order to Approve an Agreement with Fusebox Marketing for website design & development, website hosting, security, & site health, website enhancement plan and photography and video services. The agreement is with regard to the re-launching of the City website, which is currently not user friends, and makes basic tasks exceptionally time consuming. The contract amount of $12,350, John Lund says, is considerably less than was budgeted for in the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Progress fund for website updating.

Then the Budget discussion begins. It includes a Public Hearing on the proposed, FINAL, Fiscal Year 2024 Budget for the City of Atlantic, and a resolution adopting the FY24 Budget, which totals $14,794,803…an increase of 4.36% ($618,676) from the FY 2023 Budget ($14,176,127). Under the Budget, the City’s combined property tax levy will increase from $16.56/$1,000 to $16.79/$1,000, which Lund says is “To favorably position to the City if the State Senate’s version of property tax reform is implemented.” The Legislature has yet to come to an agreement on the State’s Budget that they can forward to the Governor for her signature, but Lund says the budget must be adopted before the legislative session ends. While the outcome is unknown at this time, “this budget,” Lund said, “will proceed on the idea that the current system will remain in place.”

The budget includes a seven-percent increase in compensation to all City employees, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing unionized employees to see this benefit. No increases to existing, non-utility fees are proposed. The final budget must be certified by the County Auditor and submitted to the State, by April 30, 2023. There will also be a public hearing, Wednesday, on the adoption of the City’s FY2024 10-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), followed by action on a resolution adopting the CIP, which amounts to $21.926-million, of which $8.375-million is financed by new debt.  John Lund says that’s a reduction in debt funding by $1.625-million and over $3.54-million in total capital improvements required.

Other Atlantic City Council business includes action on passing resolutions; Adopting wages for Seasonal Parks & Recreation Pool Employees for the 2023 Season; Setting salaries for Appointed Officers and Employees of the City of Atlantic for the FY beginning July 1, 2023 and continuing through June 30, 2024; and, a resolution approving the sale of City-owned real estate (1410 Chestnut), following  a public hearing on the matter; and, a Resolution Designating the distribution of sales tax revenues to various funds for specific purposes. The Council will hold the third & final reading of an Ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances, by removing a chapter pertaining to “Peddlers, solicitors, mobile food vendors and transient merchants,” and establishing a new chapter entitled “Mobile Food Vendors,” as previously mentioned in our newscasts/posts.

Other matters include an amended Sewer Service Charge Ordinance, which phases-in increases over a two-year period, beginning July 1, 2023 and July 1, 2025. Current charges for the wastewater utility have not changed in nearly 10-years, according to Lund. The new rates fall inline with the increased Consumer Price Index and increased construction costs. Effective July 1, 2023, the minimum charge (under 3,000 gallons) would be $30, with gallons in excess of 3,000, $6.00. There is a one-dollar increase each of the following years (2024- & 25) of one-dollar per year, to a final rate of $32/<3,000-gallons, and $6.25/>3,000-gallons.

And finally, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, will hold public hearings on the Dissolution of the Community Promotion Commission and Cable Television Commission.

Check out the agenda here:

Click to access April192023CityCouncilMeeting.pdf

(Red Oak, Iowa) -A Public Hearing is set to take place 5:30-p.m. Tuesday in Red Oak, with regard to the proposed FY23/24 Montgomery County Budget. The hearing serves as part of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors meeting, which normally takes place at 8:30-a.m., Tuesdays. The budget calls for proposed tax rates of 8.14979/$1,000 taxable valuation for Urban Areas, and 12.72979/$1,000 taxable valuation, for Rural Areas.

The hearing will be followed by a Resolution adopting the FY 24 Budget. Additional business during the meeting includes action on a resolutions approving; Elected Officials’ Compensation, effective July 1, 2023; and, an Opiod Settlement Agreement; Destruction of Noxious Weeds.

The Board will also act to approve of additional heavy gauge Cato cable, needed for the approved ARPA funding network upgrade, in the amount of $1,500.  The meeting is accessible by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86185141628. Or by dial-in at: +1 312 626 6799 (Meeting ID 861 8514 1628).

If you are calling in, Press *9 to raise your hand if you wish to speak.

(Bettendorf,Iowa) – The operator of a tow truck who was assisting with a broken down bus, was struck and killed early this (Monday) morning, in far eastern Iowa. The Iowa State Patrols the unidentified accident victim was not in the tow truck when they were hit by a 2015 Jeep Patriot SUV. The accident happened on westbound I-80 at mile marker 302, a little after 2-a.m. The drivers the of Jeep and disabled bus were also not immediately identified.

The accident remains under investigation, and charges are pending.

(Radio Iowa) – One of the nation’s largest state gatherings of agricultural education students is getting underway at Iowa State University. Scott Johnson, executive director of the Iowa F-F-A Association, says it’s gratifying to see how membership in the organization has continued growing in recent years, and this 95th annual Iowa F-F-A Leadership Conference at I-S-U’s Hilton Coliseum promises to be the biggest yet. “I think we could be expecting an attendance record here for our conference this year,” Johnson says. “I don’t know if 7,000 is possible, but I think we’re in striking distance of that, and that would be around 200 more than our previous attendance record, which was set in 2019.”

F-F-A members can range in age from 12 to 21 and the statewide membership numbers recently reached a milestone, which Johnson says they’ll tout during the event. “We’re really excited to welcome 258 of our 260 FFA chapters, based on our online registration numbers,” Johnson says. “The 19,000 members actually represents record membership that we just set about a month ago and we’ll recognize the 19,000th member on stage as part of the conference on Tuesday.”

While there’s a focus on farming, Johnson says the organization makes a positive difference in students’ lives by developing their potential for leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. He says the conference provides ag-ed students the chance to take part in a wide range of career development and leadership skills-building events. “We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 different competitive events in a variety of structures, some things that are speaking-based, some things that are skills attainment, assessment and judging-based,” Johnson says. “What we would consider non-competitive events involves a career show that’s coordinated by the Iowa FFA Foundation. Some FFA chapters in attendance will go on tours.”

The conference opened Sunday in Ames and will conclude Tuesday night. The Iowa FFA Association was organized by delegates from 23 schools at Iowa State College on May 17, 1929.