Iowa Department of Human Services officials are trying a variety of approaches to encourage more employees at its six facilities to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Reports show 36-percent of employees at D-H-S offices declined the shot as of May 7th. That’s the same percent that declined it five weeks before. Director Kelly Garcia says they’ve hosted town halls with medical experts and union representatives to address vaccine concerns.

Garcia says, “What we’re hoping to do is that different people need different types of messaging, and a reason to kind of come on board.” Garcia says she did her best to address employee concerns directly at a recent town hall at Woodward Resource Center.

“What are they worried about — fertility came up,” Garcia says. “They were worried about why it makes you ill if you get the second. So why do some people have a really strong reaction to the shot? They had some really great questions.” Recent polls have shown between 20 and 25 percent of Americans say they will not get the shot. The state health department’s coronavirus website shows more than one-point-two million Iowans are fully vaccinated.

The Creston Police Department released details Monday on three weekend arrests.

On Friday, May 14th at 12:30 p.m. Creston Police served a warrant on current Union County Jail inmate 28-year-old Kegan Kirscher of Lorimor. The Clarke County Warrant was for the charge of Violation of a No Contact Order. Bond on the new charge was set at $300.

Also on Friday at 7:17 p.m. Officers arrested 43-year-old Toby Simpson of Creston on a Union County Warrant for Violation of Probation on the original charge of OWI 1st Offense. He was later released from the Union Count Jail on $1,000 bond.

On Saturday, May 15th at 2:38 a.m. Officers arrested 36-year-old Amanda A Hensley of Bedford in the 100 block of West Taylor Street. She was arrested on a Nodaway County, Missouri Warrant for Failure to Appear on the original charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance. She was held in the Adams County Jail awaiting extradition to Missouri.

A public hearing will take place during Wednesday evening’s meeting of the City Council, in Atlantic. The hearing at 5:30-p.m. in the Atlantic City Hall Council Chambers, is with regard to an annual budget amendment. City Administrator John Lund says “If the City overspends on any of the nine state-defined budget activities (i.e: Public Safety; Public Works; Health & Social Services; Culture & Recreation; Community and Economic Development; General Government; Debt service; Capital Projects and Business Type/Enterprise) during the fiscal year,” it is “Required to pass a budget amendment,” which the City, he says, chooses to do in a single amendment towards the end of the fiscal year, to reconcile the budget with final expenditures. Lund calls it “A routine matter.” The amended budget includes $541,700 in revenue, and $364,700 in expenditures.

In other business, the Council will act on approving a Resolution awarding a contract for the West 22nd Street sidewalk project, for which Snyder and Associates have solicited bids. The bids will be opened prior to the start of the Council’s meeting, and the recommended project award recipient along with final amount for construction will be explained during the Council’s meeting. The project came about after a petition signed by 94 citizens was presented to the City Council, requesting the construction of a walking path on the south side of W. 22nd Street.

The Council will also act on setting (2021) wages for pool personnel, with regard to the Sunnyside Pool. The YMCA’s Aquatic Program Director & Sunnyside Pool Manager, Chelsie Huddleson, recently announced her acceptance of a new job. The City is working with her and the YMCA on how to manage the pool this season.  The Council’s final order of business, is a closed session to discuss a real estate issue/dangerous building, as allowed under the Code of Iowa.

A heads up to KJAN listeners that our FM frequency 101.1 is offline on Monday due to technical issues. You can still listen on AM 1220 or online at kjan.com. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to get the FM signal back on-air as soon as possible.