“Veterans Day” events are underway at the state Capitol. Organizers say much progress has been made to provide relief to veterans in their everyday lives, but the groups involved are pressing for legislative action on a few key issues, like DOUBLING the property tax credit for vets.

(That’s Bob Steben, interim director of the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs) who was among more than a dozen speakers at an hour-long event in the statehouse rotunda. The veterans are also asking legislators to waive vehicle registration and license fees for the vehicles disabled veterans drive. State officials say there are 37-thousand disabled veterans living in Iowa today.

(Radio Iowa)

Members of the Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board, Tuesday night held their regular monthly meeting that was delayed by one-day due to the weather. Superintendent Trevor Miller told KJAN News they discussed the hiring of a professional firm to examine the District’s facilities. (Click on the left side of the audio bar to listen)

They also discussed District Building Alignment.

And, Mr. Miller said the District will host a sub-District FFA contest Feb. 8^th, where 13 different schools and some 250 students will be at the district’s buildings during competitions. That means a 2:30-p.m. early dismissal in-time for the 2:45 arrival of the other teams.

The Board also discussed a possible, out-of-country FFA trip by one of the Exira-EHK Students.

Miller said also, they’re moving forward with refinancing their bonds by signing an engagement letter with Piper-Jaffray to determine if there’s any benefit to refinancing, as far as savings is concerned.

The Atlantic Police Department reports a Polk County man was arrested on drug charges, Tuesday. 36-year old Michael Miller, of Clive, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Miller was booked into the Cass County Jail. Also arrested Tuesday, was 30-year old Ruben Eram, of Atlantic. He was charged with Public Intoxication. This (Wednesday) morning, 31-year old Narson Narios, of Atlantic, was also arrested for Public Intox. Both men were booked into the Cass County Jail.

Investigators in Nebraska are still looking into last weekend’s hit-and-run crash that killed a young woman from southwest Iowa. Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner says they want to clarify what happened Friday night near Waverly, Nebraska, when 19-year-old Merzedes Hart of Council Bluffs was struck and killed by a car. “The involved vehicle left the scene initially,” Wagner says. “We were able to locate that vehicle and driver. He has been interviewed and released. The investigation is continuing.”

The accident happened near Shakers Gentlemen’s Club northeast of Lincoln. The sheriff says the unidentified motorist hit Hart as she walked to her car on U-S Highway 6, then left the scene.  “The driver didn’t come back. The driver thought he had struck a deer,” Wagner says. “We are working to determine and verify his statements to use. No, he didn’t come back to the scene. We located his vehicle at his residence.”

Hart was a student at the University of Nebraska-Omaha and was a member of U-N-O’s track and field team. There was a track meet in Lincoln that weekend. Hart was a freshman, majoring in business.

(Thanks to Brent Martin, Nebraska Radio Network)

Officials at Cass County Health System announced today (Wednesday), that Dr. Benjamin Howard will be joining the Atlantic Medical Center in late July. He is currently a third-year resident at Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency in South Bend, Indiana.  He will provide the full spectrum of family medicine care, including obstetrics.  Dr. Howard will also be on staff at Cass County Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Howard and his wife, Michelle, are both natives of Iowa.  He grew up in Van Meter and Waukee. Michelle is from Johnston. Dr. Howard graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Animal Science in 2010.  He then attended medical school at Des Moines University, graduating in 2014.

The Howards are expecting their first baby in February and will move to Atlantic in July.

Dr. Ben Howard

Sheriff’s officials in Union County say no injuries were reported following an accident at around 7-a.m. today (Wednesday), on Highway 25. 32-year old Jessica Lynn Daluz, of Greenfield, was driving a 2006 Ford Mustang southbound near Creston, and rounding a curve, when, due to frost on the road, the car went out of control and into the east ditch, where it struck a fence. Damage to the car amounted to $2,500, while the fence, owned by a man from Creston, sustained about $500 damage. No citations were issued.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday), held a public hearing on on designating a 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area and on proposed Urban Renewal Plan and Projects related to the proposed Elite Octane ethanol plant project. During the brief hearing, there were no written or oral objections.

Board Secretary/Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman explained all the proper procedures had been followed prior to the Public Hearing that would allow the URA plan approval.

The Board then closed the hearing and approved a Resolution to Declare Necessity and Establish and Urban Renewal Area. They also held the first and second readings of Ordinance #35, which provided for the Division of Taxes levied on taxable property in the 2017 Cass County Agribusiness Urban Renewal Area, and approved the Ordinance on the 3^rd and final reading. And, the Board set their meeting on Jan. 31^st as the date for approval of a Development Agreement with Elite Octane, LLC, including Tax Increment Payments in an amount not to exceed $8.5-million dollars.

In other business, the Cass County Supervisors approved a 28-E Cooperative Law Enforcement Agreement between the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Griswold. The current, 4-year agreement was set to expire at the end of June. Dale Sunderman explained the agreement calls for the City to pay the County $65,565 per year plus 3% per annum for the service.

The agreement is effective July 1^st, 2017, through June 30, 2021. And, Cass County Conservation Department Director Micah Lee presented the Board with his Quarterly Report. Lee said  they had a lot of problems with illegal dumping along the T-Bone Trail off the Dunbar Road access to the trail, this past fall. He said they took three or four pickup loads of furniture and trash bags to the Cass County Landfill. Native high weeds, he said, provide the opportunity for people to try and hide their trash.

Lee said in the past, they have gone through the trash to try and find evidence of where it came from, but the recent junk left behind hasn’t provided much of a clue. He says they Sheriff pays a visit to those who are identified as illegal dumpers.