Members of the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, agreed to sign a letter of support for keeping the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 4 Construction Office in Atlantic, instead of moving it to Council Bluffs. The letter will be sent to numerous State officials and legislative representatives. Cass-Atlantic Development Executive Director Russell Joyce spoke to the Council before asking for their signatures.

Joyce said he learned this past January from a retired DOT employee, that the District Engineer and Director of the IA DOT plans to transition the office to Council Bluffs over a period of time. The move would mean all new hires at the Omni-Center in Council Bluffs, and a request from the legislature to appropriate millions of dollars for the structure. Joyce said several area legislators, the Governor’s Office and DOT Commissioners were unaware of the plan. He said he eventually heard from the Director of the DOT, Mark Lowe, who said in a lengthy e-mail, that the change was an administrative decision made in Ames. The Director said he felt “There was a greater depth of talent in the metropolitan area than there was out here in rural Iowa.”

Joyce said “I take a little bit of offense by that because the last number of years, a number of young professionals have moved to the Atlantic area, regarding career opportunities, and [while] they might make a little more money somewhere else, the fact of the matter is they enjoy the lifestyle here and want to be part of the community here.” Joyce said the Director’s reasoning is not legitimate enough to warrant the move. He said most of the District Engineers, and area governmental organizations, including County Boards of Supervisors, Regional Council of Governments and others have written similar letters of support, requesting the offices be kept in Atlantic because of its centralized location to the 13-county district served by the District 4 Office.

In other business, the Council approved, by a vote of 6-0 (with Councilman Dick Casady absent), the third and final reading of an ordinance pertaining to zoning regulations, with regard to fencing in Light Industrial and Commercial Zones, and by a vote of 5-to1, approved the first reading of an amended ordinance with regard to Speed Regulations on Sunnyside Lane, from 10th to 22nd Streets. The current version stipulates a speed limit of 25-miles per hour on Sunnyside from 10th Street south, two-thousand feet, before it becomes 35-mph for the remaining 1,650-feet to 22nd Street. Councilperson Hayes was opposed to the amendment as written.

The Council approved the first reading of an amended ordinance that repeals and replaces a Chapter pertaining to trees and responsibilities within the Right-of-Way, and the approved the first reading of an amended ordinance with regard to Urban Deer Population control. The change reflects the Police Chief’s sole authority to determine the limits on the number of deer harvested within the City Limits of Atlantic, and the number of hunters authorized to hunt, during specified dates and times. The Council waived both the second and third readings and passed the Ordinance as written.

(Radio Iowa) — Farm Bureau officials have announced the organization’s new “Health Benefit Plans” will go on sale November 1st. A state law approved this past spring authorized Farm Bureau to sell what some call “skinny insurance plans.” The plans are NOT insurance. Premiums are lower because the plans do not comply with all the requirements of the Affordable Care Act.

Advocates say the “Farm Bureau Health Plans” will help Iowans who are not getting health care coverage through an employer, but make too much money to qualify for federal subsidies to buy individual insurance policies. Farm Bureau Health Benefit Plans will be managed by Wellmark, but sold by the Farm Bureau to Farm Bureau members who live in Iowa.

The Iowa Insurance Commissioner is advising Iowans who have questions about the plans to “contact Farm Bureau directly” and talk to a licensed insurance agent to discuss what options may be available. There is a three-million dollar cap on the total amount that will paid out during the lifetime of someone who is covered by one of these Health Benefit Plans. In addition, applicants will have to answer questions about their health and underwriters may deny coverage based on factors like pre-existing conditions.

(Radio Iowa) — Ames Police were called last (Tuesday) night to an apartment building where a man had set himself on fire. Nearby residents used a fire extinguisher and a blanket to extinguish the fire after the man doused himself with gasoline and set himself on fire outside.

Ames Police and Fire crews were called to the apartment complex (at 4714 Mortensen Road) on the city’s southwest side around 10:40 p.m. The man was flown to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with life-threatening injuries.

A news release states there were “erroneous reports of a police pursuit preceding the incident.” Ames Police say there was NO such chase.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The government says 38 people in seven states have gotten sick from eggs produced by an Alabama poultry farm. The Food and Drug Administration says the illnesses are linked to salmonella-tainted eggs from Gravel Ridge Farms, which is north of Birmingham in Cullman.

The agency issued a recall notice last month, and it provided an update Tuesday.
The FDA says 10 people were hospitalized after coming in contact with cage-free eggs from the farm, but no one has died. The government says recalled eggs were sold to several grocery stores in Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Most of the illnesses are in Tennessee, where 23 people have been affected. Alabama has had seven cases and Ohio has four. Single cases have occurred in Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky and Montana.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests dating back to Sept. 18th. Most recently, on Monday 47-year old Binte Binios, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI 1^st Offense. Binios was taken to the Cass County Jail and was released later that day on his own recognizance. And, 32-year old Claire Marie Cornett, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Harassment 3^rd Degree. Cornett was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $1,000 bond.

On September 27th, Cass County deputies arrested 35-year old Jeffery Leroy Carpenter, of Atlantic, on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Harassment 3^rd Degree. Carpenter was also charged with one count of Harassment 2^nd Degree (Serious) upon his apprehension. On October 3rd, Carpenter was also charged with Probation Violation. Carpenter remains held at the Cass County Jail on 8,000 bond.

On September 26th, 30-year old Joseph Paul Hinton, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Criminal Mischief 3^rd Degree, and Domestic Abuse Assault. Hinton was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

On September 25th, Cass County deputies arrested 25-year old Taylor James Gardner,  of Wray, CO, on two District Court warrants for Probation Violation. Gardner was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond. September 19th, 44-year old Brad James Smith, of Atlantic, was arrested for OWI 1^st Offense. Smith was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance. And, on Sept. 18th, 19-year old Travis Joseph Osborn, of Atlantic, was arrested on two District Court warrants for Probation Violation and one Atlantic Police Department warrant for felony Theft 2^nd Degree, and Unauthorized Use of Credit Card. Osborn was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $21,000 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A federal judge’s ruling could mean more Iowa students with learning disabilities will qualify for special education programs. The Des Moines Register reports an administrative law judge ruled last year that Iowa education agencies violated the Disabilities Education Act by denying an Urbandale student’s access to special education classes. The student was denied services because she was performing well in her classes.
The Iowa Department of Education challenged the administrative judge’s ruling, but a federal judge affirmed the decision. Attorney Curt Sytsma, who represented the student, says students throughout Iowa could benefit from the ruling. Iowa Department of Education spokeswoman Staci Hupp says most students evaluated for special education already receive services so the ruling’s impact could be minimal.
The state will pay $317,769 in legal fees to the student’s lawyers.