With only a couple months remaining to meet requirements for having health insurance, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering a free workshop to help Cass County residents understand how to make smart choices for purchasing health care coverage. The workshop will take place Tuesday, January 28th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Cass County Community Center, 805 West 10th Street in Atlantic. Pre-registration is requested by calling 712-243-1132.

Mary Beth Kaufman, Family Finance Specialist will be the presenter for the workshop. At the workshop, participants will understand key health insurance terms and concepts, learn to identify personal health care needs and priorities, understand key provisions of the Affordable Care Act, use Iowa’s new Health Insurance Marketplace, and understand new tax credits and financial assistance available.

The workshop is intended for both current health insurance consumers and those who are newly eligible through the Affordable Care Act. The Smart Choice workshop will not offer one on one assistance or advice for enrolling in a particular insurance plan.

The Smart Choice Health Insurance Program is made possible by funding from a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant. For information about the workshop contact the Cass County Extension and Outreach Office at 712-243-1132, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass or email xcass@iastate.edu.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a 2-year-old Nebraska girl has survived nine cold hours alone in a car parked outside her mother’s workplace in Dakota Dunes, S.D.  The Sioux City Journal says the girl was treated and released on Tuesday from a Sioux City hospital.  Authorities in Union County, S.D., say the mother told deputies she didn’t realize the girl was in the car until the girl’s father called after 5 p.m. Tuesday to say the girl wasn’t at her day care.

The girl was bundled in warm clothes in her car seat. National Weather Service records say the area temperature ranged from 2 degrees up to 19 over the day.  Prosecutors are reviewing the case. The girl remains in her parents’ custody at their home in South Sioux City, Neb.

City Administrator Doug Harris reported during the Wednesday night meeting of the Atlantic City Council, that Atlantic resident Gus Plummer has requested the rezoning of a portion of land next to a high traffic area. Harris says Plummer wants to rezone 701 Olive Street from Residential (R-3 -High Density/Single Family) to Highway Commercial (C-1).

He says the lot on the southwest corner of the intersection is fairly small, and it’s not clear how easy access to the lot would be made, or if the State will allow access to the location off of Highway 6. Harris said also because Olive Street is situated so closely to the site, it will likely cause problems with access. It’s not clear what Plummer’s plans are for the site if the rezoning is approved.

The matter will be taken up during the Jan. 14^th meeting of the Atlantic Planning & Zoning Commission, during which a public hearing will be held on the request. According to the P&Z, a change in the zoning designation for the lot of land will allow Plummer Investments to remove a structure that’s in poor condition and allow the lot to continue to natural expansion of the Highway Commercial zone , as well as expand upon the commercial investments already made in the immediate vicinity.  

The public hearing will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Public comments may be made at hearing or through written comments in advance. Comments may be mailed or dropped-off at the City Clerk’s Office located at the Atlantic City Hall. Questions regarding the rezoning proposal may be addressed to the Zoning Administrator at City Hall, by calling 243-4810.

Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz is expected to announce his intentions with regard to running for the 3rd Congressional District during a press conference this morning, in Council Bluffs. The conference is scheduled to take place at the Council Bluffs City Hall,  beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Last month, Schultz said he would use the holidays to decide whether or not to run for the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by Republican Tom Latham.