The President of the Iowa State University student crew Club, Saturday, told WHO-TV,  that winds forecast to remain low, instead picked up suddenly, causing a boat to capsize before the crew could return to shore, drowning two members on March 28th.

According to Alexis Aurandt, that after crew members rowed onto the lake, the winds picked up out of nowhere, and the crew’s boat was surrounded by 1-foot waves. She says after the crew turned to get back to shore, a wave went under the boat and knocked it over.

Crew members were not wearing life vests but all crew members had passed swim tests. The university and a national rowing association are investigating the accident.

A report from the Shenandoah Police Department says a man from Oakland was arrested in Essex on an OWI charge, early Sunday morning. Authorities say Shenandoah Police attempted to stop a vehicle for a registration violation in Essex, a little afterr 2 a.m. The vehicle initially failed to stop.

Upon further investigation, officers arrested 43-year-old Caleb Francis Bryant on charges of Operating While Intoxicated — 3rd or Subsequent Offense — and Driving While Barred. Bryant was being held in the Page County Jail on $6,000 bond.

The Atlantic City Council has a lot on the docket for their meeting 5:30-p.m., Wednesday, at City Hall. There are three public hearings. The first is with regard to the Council authorizing an application for financial assistance to USDA Rural Development, for the purchase of equipment, furniture and/or vehicles for the Atlantic Fire Department. The Dept. needs 25 units of 1 3/4 inch diameter fire hose, 50-feet in length, at a cost of $2,750. If approved, USDA-RD would cover 35% of the costs, or $926.50. The City’s Fire Equipment Reserve Fund would cover the $1,787.50 match required for the grant.

The second public hearing is on an Ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances, by amending a chapter entitled “Zoning Regulations,” by striking the residential district language and the first setback in C-1, to 10-feet, and replacing it with (Option1 )”Other permitted Uses – 10 feet.” The second amendment (Option 2) would change the definition of “District” to say “Zoning District.” The Planning and Zoning Commission formally recommends the Council adopt both options  to eliminate confusing language and better accommodate commercial property within its proper zone.  The proposed changes surfaced when Armstrong Real Estate requested to rezone 1007 W. 6th Street from C-1 (Highway Commercial District) to L-1 (Light Industrial District), in order to further develop the property.

The third and final hearing for Wednesday’s meeting, is with regard to the Atlantic Animal Shelter Building Addition. Iowa Code requires competitive bidding on public improvement projects valued at more than $139,000, and prior to the acceptance of bids. The project was originally estimated to cost around $151,620, but the lowest bid ended-up being $180,300. The Council rejected all bids in April 2020, due to the uncertainty concerning the pandemic, cost overruns and because the project was a “want,” not a “need.”  The project was gifted $135,000 from the Lorraine Eppelsheimer Estate to benefit animals at the shelter, with the provision the dog and cat areas be separate. The proposed addition includes new floor and office space, an increase in the number of cat cages in a separate area from the dogs, proper food storage, as well as an exam and grooming table, in addition to a more efficient water heater.  The Council is expected to pass a Resolution later in their meeting accepting a low bid from Henningsen Construction and awarding a contract for, the Animal Shelter Project.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on:

• A Resolution “Authorizing Third Quarter Budget Transfers”
• A Resolution “Agreeing to apply for financial assistance with [USDA-Rural Dev,] to purchase [Fire Dept. equipment].
• A Resolution “Authorizing [an] application to the Rural Iowa Housing Assessment Grant Program and Commitment of required matching funds,” with regard to housing assessment data collection. April 16th is the application deadline. A funding decision is expected by May 21st.
• The Council will act on a Resolution appointing a Housing Committee Chair and Committee members, as part of the Rural Housing Readiness Assessment process in establishing a City Housing Committee. Bob Camblin has already developed a working group of community stakeholders that have an interest in housing. They have already met twice over the past year, but there are no limits to those willing to serve on the Committee. Members must participate in training with Iowa State University, including attending meetings that last 2-to 3 hours.

The Council is also expected to act on approving an Order for a Letter of Intent for the SHIFT ATL application for the Rural Innovation Grant valued at anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000, and with regard to a housing rehab project at 1310 Chestnut. They will also act on a Resolution “Declaring the Bull Creek Restoration Project a Community Priority.” The current concept calls for the relining of Bull Creek, just east of Harl-Holt Park, in order to stabilize the creek walls and prevent future erosion.  Federal funding is available for such local projects, but the application deadline is April 16th.

Among other business, the Atlantic City Council will review and act on a recommendation on a Right-of-Way agreement with Massena Telephone Company, for the installation of fiber optic lines along 7th Street, from the school bus barn to Hospital Drive, and north on Ash Street, to Atlantic Carriers (Phase 1). And, one of the last action items for the Council is to set April 21st at the date for a Public Hearing on approval of the FY 2022 Budget.

Iowa House District 20 Representative Ray Sorensen, in his newsletter to his constituents, Sunday, said “The self-imposed deadline of second funnel for the Legislature was this week and we are hopefully seeing a light at the end of the session tunnel. Policy bills from the Senate must be out of committee in the House, and likewise House bills must be out of committee in the Senate in order to continue being considered. The exceptions are bills with tax implications or appropriations. The purpose of the first and second funnel deadlines is to narrow what the chambers will deliberate and focus our attention on budgets and tax reduction policies.

(R) Rep. Ray “Bubba” Sorensen

The budget for the coming year will be roughly $8 billion dollars. The exact number for the final budget is still in negotiation between the House, Senate and the Governor. As we narrow our discussions on policy, we are working hard to put together a fiscally responsible budget. Fiscal responsibility is a core principle of mine and we will continue to work hard to fund the priorities of Iowans while also finding ways to return unneeded tax dollars to hard working Iowans.

A year after state legislative sessions were upended, a sense of normalcy is starting to return to capitals across the nation: Legislatures are once again fighting governors over who controls a state’s purse strings. It appears these fights are just the beginning of struggles across the country, and in our state, over who will control the new wave of federal funds. I’ll keep you posted as this continues to unfold.

After some deliberation and compromise with the Governor and the Broadband Bros, I think we can achieve our goal of connecting all Iowans, especially those stranded out in the Broadband deserts, and not with slow and outdated technology, but with download speeds aimed at not only catching Iowa up, but creating an economic growth driver for our great state.

When the governor introduced her bill, it made significant changes to the existing broadband grant program and focused on increasing broadband speeds around the state. We believed the emphasis should be placed on connecting Iowans who currently do not have access.

The product of those conversations and negotiations resulted in a bill that focused on both speed of deployment and internet speeds. Grant funds will be eligible at varying based on the current internet speed (or lack thereof) available to Iowans. Broadband infrastructure projects must deploy fiber to Targeted Service Areas to receive grant funds, except for Tier 1 areas where projects must be capable of 100/20 to receive a 50% match, opening it up to fixed wireless.

• Tier 1 areas have speeds of 25/3 or less and are eligible for up to a 75% match.

• Tier 2 areas have speeds from 25/3 to 50/ and are eligible for up to a 50% match.

• Tier 3 areas have speeds from 50/ to 80/ and are eligible for up to a 35% match

House File 848 sets the framework for aggressively building out Iowa’s broadband infrastructure to ensure all Iowans have access to broadband internet. However, this policy bill will have limited effect without a significant financial investment in the grant program. Iowa has some catching up to do in broadband infrastructure and connecting those stuck with little to nothing. I agree with the Governor’s bold goal of $150 million a year for the next three years.

Another priority we’ve worked on this session has been addressing child care access. There isn’t one single solution to this complex issue and that’s why my Economic Growth Committee and subsequently the House passed many bills to address the crisis through a multi-pronged approach. Together, these bills increase the child care workforce, increase provider rates to maintain existing child care facilities, provide incentives to develop new child care facilities, and help hard-working families afford the high cost of child care. Unfortunately, some of the bills passed in the House did not survive the second funnel deadline, but many of these bills are still alive in the Senate and are awaiting further action. The Governor has indicated that she shares our priority in increasing access to affordable, quality child care. So, now we are looking for the Senate to move on the surviving bills so we can start chipping away at this problem.”

A man who allegedly contacted several city officials and offices was arrested Friday after Des Moines Police say he made threatening remarks about a mass shooting. KCCI TV says court documents show 59-year-old Richard Wisecup, of Des Moines, called an employee of the city manager’s office on Friday evening.

Document say In a voicemail, Wisecup said, “I can see why people snap and people go on shooting sprees.” The criminal complaint said Wisecup listed multiple government agencies he was unhappy with, including Mayor Frank Cownie, the Des Moines Police Department, the Des Moines City Council, the County Attorney and the Board of Supervisors.

The County Attorney and Board of Supervisors previously had a no contact order issues against Wisecup that he violated. The criminal complaint states Wisecup said, “and I’m right there. I’m right there. I’m one step away from being right there and doing the same thing that all those other people have done.”

Police arrested Wisecup for threat of terrorism and violation of a no contact order. He’s being held in the Polk County Jail on $110,000 bond. His preliminary hearing is set for 8 a.m. on April 13.

IOWA CITY – The Iowa Department of Corrections, Saturday, reported 44-year-old inmate Terry Scott Dudley was pronounced dead Friday, due complications related to his suspected suicide. His death occurred at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where Dudleyhad been transported to on March 31st, after staff at the Anamosa State Penitentiary found him unresponsive in his cell.

Dudley had been serving a life sentence for the crime of Murder 1st Degree from Polk County. His sentence began on May 30, 1998. The incident remains under investigation.