The Atlantic City Council will meet in a regular session 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in their chambers at City Hall. On the agenda is approval of an order to close Palm Street from 7^th to 9^th Streets on July 29^th, to allow parking on one side of the street for the Cass County Fair. The street closure request comes from the Cass County Fair Board.

The Council will also act on approving a change order to the 2016 Street Improvement Project, which reflects the addition of a storm sewer on 8^th Street, and for the railroad flagger requirement. Additional costs amount to just over $6,650, and brings the total for the 2016 Street Improvement Project (which includes 2017 improvements) to more than $1.66-million. City Administrator John Lund says the costs can easily be absorbed in Fund 320-750, or 2016-17 Capital Improvements and Equipment.

The Atlantic City Council will also act on passing a Resolution “Setting wages for Interim Library Director Position effect August 2^nd, 2017.” The resolution pertains to Diane McFadden, whose appointment was approved by the Library Board, following the announced resignation of current Library Director Natalie Struecker, whose last day is August 1^st. The Board set the wage at $18 per hour. The Council does have the right to  overturn that decision if it deems necessary.

McFadden currently works 30 hours per week. By remaining an hourly employee, she would be eligible for overtime. John Lund says once a new Library Director is hired, Diane’s old classification and wage would return to what was previously established.

And, the City Council, Wednesday, will hear a report from Code Enforcement Officer Kris Erickson on progress made this past Spring and early Summer.

A man from Page County was arrested Tuesday afternoon on a Cass County (IA) Sheriff’s Office warrant, for Violation of Probation. Deputies with the Page County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant just before 3-p.m. today (Tuesday), at 2378 270th street, about a mile north of College Springs.  The warrant was for 46-year old David Allen Holste, who resided at that location.

Holste was unable to post the $10,000 bond and is currently being held in the Page County Jail awaiting transportation to Cass County.

Holste (Page Co. S/O photo)

Charitable organizations in the Sioux City-area received an unexpected gift this week. Sioux City-native and World War Two veteran Bill Johnson died in late April at the age of 91. He lived his professional life in Los Angeles, accumulating wealth as a contractor. He returned to his hometown 11 years ago and has now left his estate to local nonprofits. Food Bank of Siouxland is one of the beneficiaries and its executive director, Linda Scheid has plans for the money.

“Mr. Johnson’s interest was in the area of children, so we will be dedicating his generous donation to us to supporting our work in fighting childhood hunger,” Scheid said. The $86,000 going to the Food Bank is the largest individual gift to the organization, at least since Scheid has been there. “One gift, all dedicated to childhood hunger, is really going to position us to take a strong stance and do some tremendous work in the months to come,” Scheid said.

The $2 million Johnson left behind is being split among 29 nonprofits working on children’s issues. Scheid said she had never heard of Johnson before getting word about the donation.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Newly released records show that public employees in Iowa have been fired in recent months for misconduct such as theft, fraud and student mistreatment. Documents detailing the firings and demotions of public employees have become available under a little-noticed but dramatic change to the Iowa Open Records Act signed by then-Gov. Terry Branstad in February.

The Associated Press used the law to obtain records of dozens of firings by state agencies, cities and school districts. A Polk County officer allegedly submitted fraudulent expense forms seeking reimbursement for 2,200 miles that he didn’t drive. A Department of Revenue clerk was accused of having 400 work records buried in her desk that she claimed she had completed. And a Cedar Rapids paraeducator who worked with children with autism allegedly mistreated a student.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A jury has awarded $2.2 million to a former Iowa Senate Republican caucus aide who sued the state and others for sexual harassment. The Des Moines Register reports that jurors handed down the award Tuesday to Kirsten Anderson, who was fired in 2012 as the caucus communications director hours after handing in a memo detailing rampant sexual harassment in the caucus office.

The 39-year-old Anderson testified at trial last week that sex, race and sexual orientation were regular topics of conversations and jokes in the office. Republican officials had denied she was harassed and argued she was fired because of poor job performance. But several other current and former staffers corroborated her claims of a hostile work environment.