w/ Ric Hanson

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The Shelby County Board of Supervisors moved one step closer to approving the 2014 Fiscal Year budget. In a special board meeting Tuesday morning, Shelby County Auditor Marsha Carter introduced eight options for the 2014 budget. After much discussion from the Board, the taxable valuation increase options were narrowed down to two, and finally one.

Shelby County Supervisor Steve Kenkel said the option they narrowed down called for “Ag property 5-percent, Land 5-percent, no increase for residential and minus 4 to Commercial. That was a total of 4.6percent.”  Auditor Marsha Carter told the board even if the option was approved, the County needed to be aware of changes to Mental Health Dollars.  Carter said “We have always been limited since 1993 when the state as froze our Mental Health tax dollars, they were funding with growth dollars to fill the deficit on the county level. Now the state has regionalized, at this point the max we can tax is $47.28 per capita which is a decrease of about $300,000. So that is taken into consideration when talking about the percentage of increase.”  She said the state could change the number later on and would affect the budget.

Before approving the option, Kenkel said every department was well prepared. “I appreciate the process you guys go through. We spent about three partial days and I thought all the department heads were very prepared when they came. We froze some budgets and we raised some for the cost of business and cut some too. We have a good process here and everything was well put together.”

The Shelby County Supervisors approved the Fiscal Year 2014 proposed Budget and set the hearing for Tuesday, February 19^th at 9-am in the basement of the Shelby County Courthouse.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

An animal rescue operation group is in the process of trying to find new homes for four horses that were found emaciated on a Fremont County farm. The one Arabian and three quarter horses were confiscated from a farm near Farragut, on Monday. Sheriff’s officials and a local veterinarian visited the farm late Monday afternoon, after they received a telephone tip.

The veterinarian examined the horses and determined they had been neglected. Two of the animals were said to be several hundred pounds underweight. A 22-year old man who released the animals while authorities were making arrangements to have them removed from the property, was cited on suspicion of interfering with official acts and livestock neglect. The unidentified man was taken to jail, plead guilty Tuesday, and paid a fine.

The horses were removed from the land by court order. Their current location has not been disclosed. Anyone interested in adopting the animals can call the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office at 712-374-2424. Hooves and Paws Rescue of the Heartland is trying to find homes for the horses.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors are expected to act this (Wednesday) morning, on approving an agreement for the Use of a Local Agency Road as a detour, while a bridge is being replaced. The bridge is located over a small stream one-mile west of Iowa Highway 148 on Highway 92.

In other business, the Board will review and discuss proposed Fiscal Year 2014 departmental budgets. The meeting begins at 9-a.m. in the Supervisor’s Board Room at the Cass County Courthouse in Atlantic.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer said Tuesday there were no serious injuries reported following a single-vehicle rollover accident Monday evening, about two-miles north of College Springs. Palmer says 55-year old Patricia Ann Maca, of Clarinda, was driving a 2004 Chevy Trailblazer west on 270th Street at around 4:35-p.m., when she lost control of the SUV on the loose gravel. The vehicle left the roadway to the north, traveled down an embankment, through a barbed wire fence, and rolled over once, before coming to rest on its left side.

Maca, who was wearing a seat belt,  suffered non-incapacitating injuries, and was transported by ambulance to the Clarinda Regional Medical Center for treatment. The SUV, which sustained $4,500 damage was a total loss. No citations were issued.

The Atlantic City Council today (Wednesday), will hear a presentation with regard to a request from the City’s Parks and Recreation Board, for the partial use of land at the Schildberg Recreation Area as a dog park. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring will make the presentation during the Council’s meeting, which begins 5:30-p.m.  at City Hall.

The Parks and Rec Board has given their approval for the conceptual use of 2.4-acres in the Schildberg Park area, but the City Council has not formally designated the area around the former Schildberg rock quarries as a municipal park, nor have they adopted a Master Plan for its development. A conceptual plan was created a decade ago, and while never formally adopted by the Council, it has been used as a guide for park improvements.

If approved by the Council during their meeting Wednesday, the Parks Board would be responsible for implementing the dog park plan, and the formal process to get the area designated as a City Park. That process includes updating the original concept plan and bringing a proposed Master Plan to Council for a public hearing and adoption.

In other business, the Council will receive an update on the Sunnyside Tennis Court renovation project, which is projected to cost around $241,000. City crews have already removed a fence, light poles, and old asphalt surface for the tennis courts, in an effort to reduce costs. It’s expected the Council will act on setting February 20th as the date for a public hearing and bid letting on the project.

The Council will also consider and possibly act on approving an agreement with Snyder and Associates for engineering services associated with the 2013 Sanitary Sewer Improvement projects, the cost for which will amount to an estimated $238,000. They will also consider and possibly act on the 7th Street Traffic Signal Improvement Project, which includes the final plans and specifications needed to modify traffic lights along 7th Street, at the Plum, Olive, Walnut, Chestnut and Poplar Street intersections.  The estimated cost of the project, which is included in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan, will cost about $179,000, and will likely be paid for using bond proceeds and some operating funds.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is investigating two burglaries that occurred on Monday morning. Deputies first took a report of a burglary in the Locus Grove Township just before 10:30 a.m. It was reported that several items were missing from the home.

Deputies were then called to a home located in the same area for a burglary that had occurred while the homeowner was present at the time. He stated that someone had entered his home without his knowledge and had taken several items from the property.

Deputies are looking for a light colored, older model, four-door car, which has been seen driving in the area over the last few days. The vehicle is possibly occupied by two people described as “thin”. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind residents to be watchful and to report any suspicious activity to authorities.

Anyone with information about this case, or any information on possible witnesses, please contact the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office at 712-374-2424.

Sheriff’s officials in Cass County say one person was arrested early Sunday morning, following a disturbance in Griswold Deputies responded to the town at around 4:30 a.m., and following an investigation, arrested 43-year old Ronald Edward Moyer, of Plantersville, TX, on  a charge of Disorderly Conduct. Moyer was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that morning after pleading guilty before the magistrate.  Moyer was arrested later that same day however in the Griswold area, on a charge of Public Intoxication. He was transported once again to the Cass County Jail and released Monday morning, on his own recognizance.

The Sheriff’s Office reports also, the arrest on Friday, of 19-year old Colton Starlin Ireland, of Massena. Ireland was arrested for  Driving Under Suspension and Reckless Driving.  He was brought to the Cass County Jail and later released on $300 bond. And, two people were arrested in Cass County on Tuesday, Jan. 15th:

27-year old Joseph Duane Tye, of Griswold, was taken into custody on a Pottawattamie County warrant for OWI/2nd offense Tye was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was later released on $1000 bond. 43-year old Randy Lee Rush,  of Atlantic, was arrested Jan. 15th on charges of OWI 1^st Offense and Driving Under Suspension. His arrest took place following a traffic stop. Rush was taken to the Cass County Jail and released on his own recognizance the following day.