Sheriff’s Deputies in Mills County arrested a Nebraska man a little after 5-a.m. today, following a traffic stop on I-29. 27-year old Keegan David Clark, of Omaha, was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance, Speeding, and Improper use of Median, Curb or Access Facility. His bond was set at $1,000.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Members and employees of the governing board for Iowa’s public universities could soon be barred from gambling on the college teams they help oversee.
A policy proposed by the Board of Regents would bar board members and staff from betting on games involving the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Iowa State Cyclones or the University of Northern Iowa Panthers. The board will consider adopting the policy at its meeting next week in Cedar Falls.

A summary says the goal is to “remove any question of a potential conflict of interest” now that sports wagering has been legalized in Iowa. The prohibition would apply to both in-state and out-of-state casinos and would also bar regents from providing any non-public information to others making bets. Fantasy sports contests would be excluded.

The Harlan Police Department reports four arrests. On Sunday, 38-year old Jeremy Joe Bratetic, of Harlan, was arrested following a call for service. Bratetic was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with public intoxication.

On Thursday, Oct. 31st, Harlan Police arrested: 24-year old Marcus Tyler Morgan, of Harlan, for charged with domestic abuse assault. And, 30-year old Crystal Lynne Gardner, of Exira, was arrested following a traffic stop. Gardner was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, prohibited acts penalties, no valid driver license, and no proof of insurance.

On October 29th, 54-year old Michael Mario Morelli, of Harlan, was arrested for violation of a no contact order.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa government insurance program under fire for spending lavishly on out-of-state travel says it would cost $22,000 for the public to see how it’s been using money to settle recent legal cases. The Iowa Communities Assurance Pool, which provides insurance to counties, cities and other local governments, is refusing to disclose its settlement agreements without that payment.

Settlements are public under Iowa law, and The Associated Press requested those that ICAP negotiated for its members since 2018. Board Chairman Jody Smith first claimed the settlements weren’t ICAP records, even though they release the pool from liability. He later reversed course after AP protested. But he said it would take an employee 439 hours — more than 10 weeks of work — to find the settlements at a $50 per-hour charge.

Some ICAP members have argued the pool is too quick to settle lawsuits. One recent case involved a $250,000 payout to an arrestee whose leg was broken by an Iowa Falls officer. After an AP investigation, ICAP board members are reconsidering their longstanding practice of having public meetings at resorts in Florida and Michigan during peak vacation times.

The Atlantic City Council is set to act Wednesday evening, on an Order to Approve an Engineering Agreement for the Atlantic Golf & Country Club (AGCC), and a Palm Street Drainage Storm Water Study. Their meeting begins at 5:30-p.m.  During their meeting on Oct. 16th, the Council heard from AGCC Board President Lucas Mosier, with regard to stormwater management issues affecting the business and surrounding area Mosier said the water has caused the course to be closed for more than three weeks this year, which means lost revenue. It’s hoped, he said, that a culvert will alleviate the problems with storm-water run-off.

The Golf Course Board has paid for tiling to mitigate the problem, but it all connects to a narrow intake area on the south end of the golf course, on the north end of the Country Club Addition. A constant flow of water for the Addition is overwhelming the existing tile system, rendering it ineffective. Also an existing culvert beneath Palm Street needs to be addressed, according to City Administrator John Lund, as heavy rain events cause significant damage to the stream-banks and bridge just downstream of the culvert. The Community Development Committee met Oct. 30th to review the issue with Mosier, Snyder and Associates’ Engineer Dave Sturm, and Kirk Knudsen. They unanimously recommend the Council provide for an Engineering Study of the entire drainage area. The $10,000 cost of the Study can be paid for in FY2020 through the Storm Water Utility Fund.

The Council will also act on approving a Resolution “Obligating Funds from the Hotel Whitney Urban Renewal Area Fund, for Appropriation to payment of the Annual Appropriation TIF (Tax Increment Financing) obligations,” that are due next year. This will be the second year the City is eligible to capture the taxes paid by the Whitney Group, using TIF. It will also be an annual feature on the Council’s agenda until the maximum payment of $750,000 or 20-years, whichever is first.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on approving the FY 2019 Urban Renewal Report, as required by the Code of Iowa. They will also act on approving a bid from Pierce Pump, Inc., in the amount of $37,340, associated with the Ash Street Sanitary Sewer Replacement Project. And they will hear an annual report from Atlantic Public Library Director Michelle Anderson.

Atlantic, IA – The Parents as Teachers (PAT) program through Cass County Public Health is celebrating Parents as Teachers Day in Cass County on Friday, November 8th.  PAT is a free program for families with children ages 0-5, which provides home visits to help young children grow up healthy, safe, and ready to learn. The PAT educators help connect community partners with parents to prepare children for kindergarten and beyond.

Nancy Gibson, PAT Coordinator, says “Parents as Teachers has been providing services to Cass County residents since 1998, and we are a credentialed, evidence-based program. It is an honor and privilege to serve our youngest residents and be a part of their education system.”  PAT currently has two different educators who provide monthly home visits to families with young children. During these visits, they work on getting a complete health history, doing developmental screenings to catch any delays as early as possible, check on immunizations, and much more. Children in the program also have access to free vision, hearing, and dental checks. The PAT program is partially funded by a grant from Boost 4 Families.

PAT currently has limited openings, parents who are interested in the program can contact Nancy at 712-243-7475. Referrals are also welcome—anyone who knows of a family that could benefit from participating is encouraged to call.