Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he got an earful during his town hall meetings over the weekend from plenty of Iowans who are upset about the nation’s health care situation. Grassley, a Republican, says he’s upset, too, because his party controls both chambers of Congress and the White House, but can’t seem to find a solution to this important issue. Grassley says, “It’s going to be difficult for me to answer because all weekend in Iowa I got, ‘Well, what’s next?’ and I had to tell people I’m embarrassed that we didn’t get the job done in the first place and I’m embarrassed that I can’t tell you what we’re going to do next.”

Republicans have been pushing to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but those efforts have all fallen short. Grassley says he’s disappointed on a couple of levels. “Disappointed from a standpoint of the collective responsibility of Republicans,” Grassley says. “After seven years, having all sorts of excuses until now, when we have the House, Senate and the presidency, and not being able to deliver.”

Grassley says he’s perturbed that the repeal-and-replace process is even necessary and he faults Democrats for that. “Disappointed from the standpoint of the failure of Obamacare because of the broken promises, like, if you like your doctor, you can keep it, if you like your insurance, you can keep it, your premiums are going to go down,” Grassley says. “Everything has been the opposite of what they had promised back in 2010.”

Grassley says Republicans are “supposed to pick up the pieces” and they’ve been given a “mandate” by the nation’s voters to do so, yet they’re failing to deliver.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County say a man wanted on a Shelby County warrant for Assault causing serious injury, was arrested in Walnut, Monday evening. 38-year old Jason Wayne Anderson, of Walnut, was taken into custody without incident, by a Pottawattamie County Deputy at around 6-p.m., in the 500 block of Country Street.

And, a Council Bluffs man was arrested Monday afternoon, for Driving While barred. 28-year old Christopher Smith was taken into custody in Minden, after a deputy observed Smith’s pickup did not have license plates and initiated a traffic stop.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), released a report on six recent arrests. Last Friday (July 28th), deputies arrested 68-year old Stephen Adam Boltz, of Council Bluffs, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and for being a Fugitive from Justice. That same day, 32-year old Joshua Stephen McDermott, of Omaha, was arrested at the Pott. County Jail, on three warrants for Failure to Appear in court.

On July 27th, 38-year old Joseph Corey Jack, of Malvern, was arrested on a warrant for Violation of Probation. And, there were three OWI-related arrests. Saturday night, 41-year old Lee Alfred Miles, of Tabor, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense. Sunday afternoon, 36-year old Kimberly Irene Melancon, of Omaha, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, Careless Driving, and having no valid driver’s license. 42-year old Timothy Edward Runyon, of Hastings, was arrested for OWI/2nd offense, Sunday night.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office said also, a Malvern woman reported an incident of Burglary in the 3rd degree and Theft in the 3rd. The incident happened at a location on Lincoln Avenue. And, no injuries were reported following an accident Saturday morning, in Mills County. Authorities say 53-year old Annette Johnson, of Council Bluffs, was driving a 1998 Lexus southbound on Interstate 29 at around 6:30-a.m., and had taken the Exit 35 off-ramp. She continued south in an attempt to head east on Highway 34, but her car went out of control in the clover leaf of the exit and hit a wooden sign post. It also hit a metal sign post before coming to rest in the ditch, south of the clover leaf.

The Atlantic City Council, during their meeting 5:30-p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, will act on approving a Resolution that proposes to put before the voters, a public measure that increases the Hotel-Motel Tax three-percent. If approved by the voters later this year, it would bump the tax to seven-percent beginning January 1st, 2018.

Voters in November 2010 approved by a super majority, the imposition of a Hotel-Motel Tax at a rate of four-percent that went into effect in January, 2011. The revenues from the tax were to be used for improving, repairing, operating and maintaining the parks and recreational facilities and grounds in the City of Atlantic. Since the tax went into effect, the Schildberg Recreation Area Taskforce has been reviewing the future of the park system. They concluded additional resources are necessary to continue the progress made over the past seven-years. If the Council vote to approve the tax language to be placed on the ballot in the General Election, it will need to pass by a simple majority of the voters.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on approving a Resolution that would amend the City’s Personnel Policy, with regard to the payroll system. The submission of time sheets early leaves Department Heads essentially guessing how many hours an employee would work, or if they would use sick leave or vacation time. City Clerk Barb Barrick has consulted with the Personnel and Finance Committee, and it was agreed that the payroll system needs to be changed. The Resolution repeals an existing “Pay Period,” subsection in the City Code, and adopts the following language: “Both hourly and salaried employees of the City are paid semi-monthly. All employees shall be paid on the second and fourth Friday of the month.” And, a sentence dealing with overtime would be replaced with “The workday shall begin at 12:01-a.m. on Sunday and end at 12:00 midnight the following Saturday.”

The Council will also act on an Order to close Cedar Street from 2nd to 3rd Streets on August 6th, for the 1st United Methodist Church Community Block party, which takes place from 5-until 7-p.m.  A separate Order to be approved is for the closing of all relevant streets at certain times on August 12th, for AtlanticFest.  The following streets would be affected:

• Chestnut Street (both lanes) – from 6th to 7th Streets (5-a.m. to 6-p.m.); and 2nd to 6th Streets,  (5-a.m. to 6-p.m.)
• 6th Street (both lanes) – from Walnut to Chestnut (5-a.m. to 6-p.m.).
• 6th Street – from Chestnut to Poplar Street (5-a.m. to 8-p.m.),
• 5th Street – Chestnut to 1/2 block east of the alley before the Post Office (5-a.m. to 6-p.m.); and from Chestnut to Poplar (5-a.m. to 6-p.m.)
• 4th Street – from Chestnut to 1/2 block east, right before the alley (5-a.m. until 6-p.m.); and from Chestnut to Poplar (5-a.m. to 6-p.m.)
• 3rd Street – From Walnut to Poplar (5-a.m. to 6-p.m.)

Walnut Street will remain open for the duration of AtlanticFest.