Governor Terry Branstad and officials with the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Council of Foundations today (Wednesday), announced the funding of the 2011 County Endowment Fund Program. Officials say about $10-million in funding will be distributed to 85 community foundations across the state.

In western Iowa, that includes: The Empowering Adair County Foundation; The Adams, Audubon, Cass, Guthrie and Harrison County Community Foundations. The Community Foundation of Carroll is also included as a fund recipient.

Each of the 85 community foundations participating in the program, will receive approximately $118,000. In turn, they will grant 75-percent of those funds to charitable projects and programs in their counties, and use the remaining 25-percent to grow a permanent, unrestricted endowment fund. That fund will be used to attract additional donations and provide a source of permanent funding for charitable projects in the county.

The County Endowment Funding Program is made possible through monies the State generates from gambling revenues. 14 Iowa Counties were not eligible to share the funds, because they have state-licensed casinos in those counties.

An Essex woman plead guilty Tuesday in Montgomery County District Court, to two counts of homicide by vehicle/reckless driving, in connection with the November 28^th, 2010 crash near Red Oak, that claimed the lives of two Cumberland children, Maliki and Alex Todd, and critically injured the boys’ mother, Nina McNeese.

The crash occurred when a car driven by 18-year old Karli Jo Brown passed two vehicles on a hill, and hit McNeese’ vehicle head-on. Court documents said Brown was driving 74 mph in a 55 mph zone and texting on her cellphone at the time of the crash.

Brown, who turned 19 this past May, had faced charges which included the two counts of vehicular homicide by reckless driving, and one count of serious injury by vehicle. She had previously pleaded Not Guilty to the charges. In return for her guilty plea however, prosecutors dropped a charge of serious injury by motor vehicle. Brown faces the possibility of a 10-year prison sentence on each count. Her sentencing is set for 1:30-p.m. Monday, November 7^th, 2011.

The Atlantic Board of Education will consult with a financial expert handling the sale of its bonds for the Middle School Heating, Ventilation and Cooling and Renovation project, before making a firm decision on how to cut costs from a recently announced $750,000 increase in the price of the project. The Board Tuesday heard from their architectural consultant on areas where the district could save about $350,000. They also discussed financing options if all of the “Project creep” costs were to be implemented. Design Alliance Architect Jerry Purdy will draw up a list of areas where he thinks costs could be saved without compromising the integrity of the project, such as declining to remove a concrete wall in order to get to the old boilers and take them out…not installing a proposed stage extension over the orchestra pit in the auditorium, and, using a newer, different type of plaster system on some walls, instead of the proposed three-coat system.

Purdy said the biggest cost savings could be realized in holding off on the construction of, and drainage for, the Middle School Parking lot. He says that can be tabled for another two or two-and a-half years, until the necessary funding is attained to complete it as desired. School Administrators will check with Piper-Jaffrey’s Travis Squires to explore the benefits of an additional bonding for the additional costs. Board Secretary Mary Beth Fast said the options right now, appear to be limited, according to her initial e-mails with Squires. One option involves financing the full amount, $1.5-million over the life of the sales tax. The second, if $700,000 is financed, could be accomplished by short-term borrowing, or Bond Anticipation Note  (BAN).

Much of what is decided could boil down to whether the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL), is approved by the voters during next Tuesday’s School Board elections. A renewal of the PPEL, which would begin in the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2013 and each year for 10-years thereafter, would allow the district to tax property valuations at not more than 85-cents per thousand dollars. School officials say if it passes, it would give the district some “Wiggle room,” to help cover the costs, and in terms of timing. If it doesn’t the district would likely need to borrow for the project, sooner.