The Atlantic City Council meets 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21st, in their chambers at City Hall. During their session, the Council will act on an Order to approve select streets for the Atlantic Homecoming Parade that takes place Oct. 11th. The parade is expected to begin that day at 2:30-p.m., but set-up will likely be earlier. The route begins at 10th and Linn Streets and proceeds west on 10th to Chestnut, north on Chestnut to 3rd Street, then east to Walnut, and finally south on Walnut, to 6th Street.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will discuss and act on a Resolution “Approving the Veteran’s New Housing Forgivable Loan Program policy.” City Administrator John Lund said in his agenda notes, “Housing continues to be one of the top concerns we hear about concerning rural economic development.” Housing is not only an issue in Atlantic, he says, but across the State.

Home Base Iowa reports nearly 200,000 individuals retire from the military every year, and their initiative is designed to bring those persons home to Iowa. The Veteran’s New Housing Forgivable Loan Program revolves around a $15,000 incentive for new housing. The first part is a zero-percent, deferred and forgivable loan up to $10,000 to cover the down payment and closing costs, when buying a newly constructed home within the City Limits. And additional $5,000 deferred and forgivable loan is being offered to cover the costs of purchasing new appliances or making improvements to the property.The program is currently seeded with $90,000 from the EDR (Economic Development Revolving) Fund, which Lund says should secure six forgivable loans. The City may pursue replenishing the loans through a TIF (Tax Increment Financing), but specific projects will need to be identified, and can occur later.

Issues of credit worthiness, income and employment verification are important to lenders, and the City Council, Lunds says will accept the findings of those institutions when it comes time to contributing City funds to the closing process. Lund says the only requirements are that the applicant was Honorably Discharged to the U-S Military, and have not held residence in Atlantic for the past 24 months. Lund says that particular time-frame was selected to ensure the City is not just giving “free money” away to existing residents, but still extending the opportunity to Atlantic graduates that chose to enter the military, and may now be considering moving back to the area.

The program requires the applicant to live in the property for five-years, with an equal percentage of the loan being forgiven for each of those five-years. If the property is sold, transferred to someone other than a spouse or heir, is cashed-out for equity, and is not converted to rental property, the outstanding balance is owed immediately. The same goes for if the applicant lied on their application. Unusual, or tragic circumstances that may require a veteran’s family to leave the area do allow for Special Review by the City Council, to determine if the outstanding balance will be pursued, or not.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on passing a Resolution “Amending the City Financial Policy to add Section 204” (A Federal Procurement Policy), with regard to Federal Disaster funds from FEMA. Cass County was declared an eligible county to apply for disaster relief funding from FEMAm following flooding this past Spring. The Policy outlines uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal awards.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest Monday night of 53-year-old Russell Lee Peterson of Ellston. Peterson was arrested at 8:41pm at 201 N 2nd Street in Red Oak for Threat of Terrorism and Aggravated Assault. Peterson was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $5,000 bond.

ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Services were held for a northwest Iowa sheriff’s deputy who died after her patrol vehicle crashed. A Mass was held Monday morning in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for Deputy Stephanie Schreurs, who died Tuesday. She was injured Aug. 9 when her vehicle ran off a road while entering a sharp curve in Lyon County. She was flown to a Sioux Falls hospital.

Vehicles from numerous law enforcement agencies joined in burial procession through Sioux Falls and to a cemetery in Alvord, Iowa. Many of the emergency vehicles activated their lights and sirens during the procession.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has ordered all state flags lowered to half-staff in honor of Schreurs, a 24-year veteran of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Monday, said there were a few arrests made over the past four days. At around 12:30-p.m. Sunday, 35-year old Joshua James Black, of Omaha, was arrested after a TV was damaged in the Pott. County Jail. He was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree and returned to his cell, where he was being held on two counts of Child Abuse in the 2nd Degree (Child under 12), and Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. Bond was set at $1,000 on the latest charge.

A little after 11-p.m., Sunday, Sheriff’s Deputies in Pott. County arrested 33-year old Cody William Finney. Finney was taken into custody at the Stone Quarry in Macedonia, following an investigation into an assault. He faces charges that include Assault w/intent to inflict serious injury, Domestic Abuse Assault by strangulation, w/bodily injury, and Driving While License Suspended. His alleged victims were a 17-year old male and a 34-year old female.

At around 12:10-a.m. Saturday, 44-year old Angela Kay Pendgraft was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop for speeding on Highway 59.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests. Saturday night, 32-year old Dustin Carl Donaldson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested by Adair Police on Pottawattamie County warrants for: Burglary in the 2nd Degree; Domestic Abuse Assault resulting in injury/1st offense; and two counts of Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree.

He was also charged with OWI/2nd offense, after an Adair Police Officer stopped Donaldson’s pickup truck suspected of being involved in a hit-and-run on Interstate 80. Following standardized field sobriety tests, Donaldson blew a 0.179 on the Preliminary Breath Test (more than twice the legal limit). He was arrested on the OWI charge, and cited for Open Container – Driver, and Driving While Suspended. His bond was set at $2,000 on the Adair County charges. Donaldson was being held without bond on the Pott. County warrants.

Saturday morning, 28-year old Bobby Joe Lee Mumford, of Adair, was arrested on I-80 at mile marker 80, by an Iowa State Patrol Trooper. He was charged with Driving While Barred after being pulled over for Driving Too Close and having an expired paper registration tag in the rear window of his vehicle. Mumford was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $2,000 cash or surety bond.

And, on August 12th at around 7:25-p.m., 18-year old Riley Aaron Evenson, of Adair, was arrested by Adair Police for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense. His arrest followed a traffic stop for reckless driving. Evenson was later released on a $1,000 cash or surety bond.