The Walnut School District’s Board of Education is expected to decide during their meeting tonight, on whether or not to approve a proposed Charter School in the community. Public meetings on the matter have already been held, and during the Board’s meeting on November 12^th, they discussed, but took no action on the Charter School application, pending review from the State Attorney’s Office.

If the board approves, the application will be sent  on to the State Board of Education for their decision. A Charter School Committee, comprised of group of parents, a school district member and a community member, had first asked the School Board to consider the proposal for a K-through 12 Charter School as an option for their students, during a meeting on October 8th. Tonight’s Board meeting begins at 6:30-p.m.

No injuries were reported after a pickup struck a storage/utility building Sunday, in Montgomery County. Sheriff’s officials say a 1994 Chevy pickup owned and operated by Daniel Larsen, of Villisca, was backing out of the driveway from his residence, when the brakes failed. The truck hit storage-type building, causing an estimated $500 damage. The owner of the structure had not yet been identified, because they weren’t home at the time the accident occurred, and during the subsequent investigation. The accident happened in the alley in the 100 block of East 5th Street, in Villisca. No citations were issued.

A public hearing is set to take place December 3rd in Atlantic, with regard to proposed water and electric rate increases. Officials with Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) are proposing a 7.5-percent increase in electricity rate, and a 10-percent water rate increase. If approved, the rates would add on-average, about seven-dollars per month to AMU residential customers’ bills.

The average monthly increase for residential electric customers in Atlantic would amount to about $4.50, while AMU’s rural electric customers would see a $7.50 increase. Residential water bills would increase by an average of $2.10 per month, under the proposed rate increases. The utilities’ commercial customers would see their electric bills increase $17.25 per month, while the water bill would go up by about $7.20 per month, under the proposal. The proposed rates would go into effect with all customer billings dated Feb. 1st, 2013.

AMU says the proposed increases in electric rates are the result of increased costs the utility pays for wholesale power, 75-percent of which is supplied by AMU’s ownership in a coal-fired power plant in Council Bluffs. 20-percent of their power is Hydro-generate, and derived from the Western Area Power Administration. 5-percent is purchased from a Wholesale energy provider. Costs to run coal-fired power plants have exceeded $5-million dollars, according to AMU, due to Environmental compliance regulations. Additional regulations are expected to result in another $1-million in capital costs for the coal-powered industry over the next three-years. Another factor contributing to the increased cost of wholesale electricity, is increases in costs to transport coal.

AMU says the proposed water rate increases are the result of inadequate cash flow needed to meet aging infrastructure and debt obligation requirements. A public meeting on the proposed changes will take place 5:30-p.m. Monday, Dec. 3rd, in the Atlantic Municipal Utility’s Business Office.