Iowa D-O-T Planner Scott Suhr says there has been a change in the plans with regard to eastbound traffic during the Highway 6/7th Street construction project, in Atlantic. Suhr says the East “Road Closed” barricade on US 6 has been moved to the west of Orcheln’s east driveway to accommodate access into the businesses during the first phase of the project.

Motorists wanting to access businesses east of Orcheln’s may do so by using US 6 /7th Street from the east. This will be in place until the west part of the project has been completed. The Plum street access will be closed until the west half of the project has been completed. This condition will remain in place until sometime in mid- July.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation Division (DCI) have released more information about the arrest last week in Taylor County, of a man and woman charged with Child Endangerment. Authorities say on Friday, May 22nd, the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call for a child not breathing at 608 Washington St., in Bedford.  When Deputies arrived they located a three year old female child unresponsive.  The child was pronounced deceased by the Taylor County Medical Examiner.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was called in to assist with the suspicious death of the child. The child’s father; 25-year old Charles Hall, and his girlfriend, April Clair, also 25, were arrested and charged with Child Endangerment.

An autopsy was conducted at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny on May 23rd.  The autopsy results are pending and the investigation continues by the Iowa DCI.   

(Updated in a separate story Wed. afternoon listing additional charges)

A man wanted on an Audubon County warrant for Child Endangerment was arrested this (Wednesday) morning, in Atlantic. 29-year old Daniel Raymond Jensen was taken into custody by Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies at a residence in the Sycamore Village Mobile Home Park on East 4th Street, at around 10-a.m.

Atlantic Police Assisted in handling the incident, along with the Cass County k9 unit. Jensen was transferred to Audubon County where he was being booked into their jail late this morning. Another man not directly involved in the incident was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia, and released.

A key legislator says all the “tweaking” that can be done has been done and state budget negotiations are nearing an impasse. Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs is among the handful of legislative leaders who’ve been meeting privately for weeks, trying to bridge the differences between Democrats and Republicans.  “I would say we have significantly closed the gap,” Gronstal told reporters this morning. “We closed it a little more yesterday, but I would say there’s still a significant gap.”

Gronstal, who is the top-ranking Democrat in the legislature, says that spending gap is less than 100-million dollars and the “biggest sticking points” remain. Democrats want to spend more on public schools than do Republicans and Democrats are pressing for more spending on government health care programs. “To the extent we underfund, don’t provide enough resources for health care, we raise all the rest of Iowans health care plans because of uncompensated care in hospitals and doctor’s offices and other health care providers across the state,” Gronstal says.

House Speaker Kraig Paulsen of Hiawatha, the legislature’s top Republican, says negotiators have “made progress,” but it’s difficult to bridge the gap. “Iowans picked a Democratically-controlled Senate and a Republican-controlled House. That’s not necessarily a recipe for a quick resolution,” Paulsen says. “It doesn’t mean we’re not committed to finding it.” Republicans are insisting on a seven-point-one BILLION dollar overall spending plan for the state budgeting year that begins July 1st.

Democrats and Republican Governor Terry Branstad favor an overall spending level that’s about 200 million dollars higher. Paulsen says Republicans in the House have proposed a budget that fits with the amount of taxes the state is expected to collect next year.  “Let’s remember that the ongoing revenue is $180 million, roughly, more than we had last year,” Paulsen says. “I mean, only in government is $180 million of new spending a cut.” For the past several weeks, the discussion among legislative leaders has centered on ways to use some of the state’s billion dollar surplus on some one-time projects or programs.

Paulsen says Republicans are willing to do some of that, but Gronstal suggests that well has been tapped out. “We are nearing the end of our ability to tweak things any further,” Gronstal says. The next state budgeting year starts July 1st and Gronstal gave this answer when asked how this budget dilemma might get resolved: “I’m not making any predictions on that, but in a timely way. We will not engage in a game of shutdown.” Gronstal, Paulsen and a handful of other legislators plan to meet late this morning (Wednesday) to resume budget negotiations.

There are a few policy matters involved as well. Senate Democrats, for instance, stuck anti-bullying policies for schools into a catch-all budget bill. Paulsen gave this answer when asked if House Republicans might accept that approach to making those policies state law: “I didn’t show up this morning prepared to say no to a whole host of things, so we’ll just roll with it,” Paulsen told reporters. It’s unlikely either the full House or Senate will meet for votes on Thursday or Friday.

(Radio Iowa)

Glenwood Police report two recent, separate arrests. Officials say on Tuesday, 33-year old Joshua Morrison, of Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. Morrison was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail until making an appearance before the magistrate. And, on Sunday, 48-year old David Craigmile, of Glenwood, was arrested for OWI. Bond was set at $1,000.

Iowa Department of Transportation Planning Coordinator Scott Suhr, today (Wednesday), provided an update on the Highway 6/7th Street construction project, in Atlantic. Suhr says the contractor is milling the asphalt surface off of US 6 through Atlantic, and will be working on that for about 3 days. The schedule for the remaining of the week (weather permitted) is as follows:

• Milling the asphalt surface off of US 6
• Removal of concrete on the east end of project
• Removal at Plum Street
• Sanitary sewer at Plum Street
• Pavement removal from Plum street to 400 feet east

A public hearing will be held Thursday morning, in Atlantic, with regard to a change of zoning classification from General Agricultural to a Light Industrial District, for a 1.32-acre parcel of land in Cass Township on property owned by Todd Leighton. The hearing at 8:40-a.m., is part of the Cass County Board of Supervisors’ regular weekly meeting. Following the hearing, the Board will act on approving the zoning change.

In other business, the board is expected to act on: Approving the placement of outdoor warning sirens for the City of Lewis, on County-owned property just east of the Lewis School building and west of the road; They’ll also act on authorizing County Auditor Dale Sunderman to sign on behalf of Cass County, for liability, property, medical, life and other insurance documents and claims.; Action will be taken as well on allowing business property tax credits for credit on taxes payable in 2015-16, and, on appointing a Cass Township Trustee to fill a vacancy term through 2016. The final action item is with regard to the appointing of a commissioner to the Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority, representing Cass County. This would replace a motion set in place May 6th.

The Supervisor’s meeting takes place in their Board Room at the Courthouse, in Atlantic.