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Iowa lawmakers advance military pension bill

News

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Legislation that would exempt military pensions from state income tax is moving rapidly through the Iowa Senate. A Senate committee approved the legislation during a brief hearing Thursday. It is expected to soon move to the full Senate for a vote. Sen. Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, says the bill honors veterans and may attract more military retirees to the state.

The military pension exemption is a top priority for Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, who has made support for veterans a key part of his budget plan this year. According to the Branstad administration, the pension exemption would cost the state a projected $10 million in lost annual revenue.

PHILLIP POLLARD, 71, of Fontanelle (Svcs. 1/27/14)

Obituaries

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

PHILLIP POLLARD, 71, of Fontanelle, died Thu., Jan. 23rd, at his home in Fontanelle. Funeral services for PHILLIP POLLARD will be held 1:30-p.m. Monday, January 27th, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Fontanelle. Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield has the arrangements.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 26th from Noon-until to 4-p.m. at the Steen Funeral Home in Greenfield, where the family visitation is from 2-until 4-pm. Online condolences may be left to the family atwww.steenfunerals.com.

Burial will be in the Greenfield Cemetery with a luncheon will be held at the Summerset Estates in Fontanelle following the burial.

Memorials may be directed to the Phillip Pollard memorial fund to be established at a later date.

PHILLIP POLLARD is survived by:

His wife – Susan Pollard of Fontanelle.;

His daughters – Kim Daino and husband Marty of Fontanelle, Kathy Pollard of Fontanelle and Jennifer Lake and husband Jake of Guthrie Center.

His brother, Larry Pollard of Virginia, and his sister, Betty Pollard of Washington.

11 grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

Missouri woman sentenced for her role in s.w. IA bank robbery

News

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The U-S Attorney’s Office for Southern District of Iowa reports a former Shenandoah resident was sentenced Wednesday in Council Bluffs to serve 4-months in prison followed by 4-months of home confinement for her role in the robber of a bank in Fremont County. 40-year old Tiffany Ann Stanley, of Tarkio, MO.,must also serve four years of supervised release for theft by a bank employee.
On June 6, 2013, Stanley pled guilty to the charge which was the result of an investigation conducted into a reported bank robbery of the Great Western Bank of Riverton. On November 17th, 2012, Stanley reported to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, that she was forced to give money to a male robber. The  investigation showed that Stanley was not robbed, but reported the robbery to cover her stealing of bank funds during the course of her employment as a teller.
As part of her sentence, Stanley was ordered to pay $25,166.40 in restitution to the Great Western Bank.
The investigation was conducted by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation , and the case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Atlantic man sentenced Wed. to more than 9-years in prison

News

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports a Cass County man was sentenced Wednesday to more than 9-years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. 44-year old Old Paul William Jessen, of Atlantic was sentenced in U-S District Court in Council Bluffs, to 122 months in jail followed by 4-years of supervised release.

On September 4th, 2013, Jessen pled guilty to the charge which was the result of an investigation conducted into methamphetamine distribution in and around the Atlantic area. Jessen was part of a drug trafficking group who distributed methamphetamine obtained from a source in Omaha, Nebraska.

The investigation was conducted by the Atlantic, Iowa, Police Department, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23rd

Trading Post

January 23rd, 2014 by admin

FOR SALE: 2 sets of racing rims: 15″ American Brand racing rims – aluminum includes 4 tires – 2 tires are good 2 are fair, 5 bolt pattern, fits a Ford; 15″ chrome racing rims, 8″ wide for the front, 10″ wide for the rear, will fit a Chevy. $100 for each set. 712-304-2587 (Exira).

FOR SALE: Lots of very nice knick knacks – roosters, dolphins, etc., can come look. 712-249-3001

Arrest made in 2013 Villisca arson fire

News

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report an arrest has been made in connection with an arson fire set last year at Sunbest-Papetti Farms, in Villisca. 31-year-old Carlton John Dolph, of Villisca, was arrested today (Thursday) on a Montgomery County warrant for terroristic threats and on  two counts of 2nd degree arson. Dolph was brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center where he was being held on $10,000 cash bond.

Several chickens died in a blaze that occurred in one of the barns, in February 2013.

Atlantic may have to return more than $183,800 in CDBG funds

News

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The City of Atlantic may be forced to refund to the State more than $183, 800 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds it received for the rehabilitation of 13 homes, because the full grant amount from has not yet been spent. That was the word during Wednesday night’s City Council meeting, from SWIPCO (Southwest Iowa Planning Council) representative Dave Riedemann.

In his status update, Riedemann said the City received a $484,500 grant last year for the rehab program. The City contributed in-kind funds amounting to $26,000, for a total amount of funds available, of $510,500. So far all but $183, 809 has been spent. Eight of the 13 homes have been completed, with the remaining five in various stages of completion. Riedemann said SWIPCO has requesting an extension from the State for a six-month extension and permission to rehab three additional homes, because there will be leftover funds amounting from about $115-to 125-thousand dollars.

That would bring the total number of homes assisted to 16, if the State grants permission for the City to do so. Riedemann says up until this past Monday, that seemed like a sure thing. He says a similar extension was asked for in Shenandoah, but it was denied, which Riedemann says was “A first” for SWIPCO. He said “Things are tightening-up at the State level and changes have been made in how the CDBG program is implemented. Some of the changes will apparently be “retroactively applied.”

He says he’s hopeful that the State will grant a time extension for expenditure of the funds and completion of three more homes, but that’s hard to predict. The funds must be used by the end of April. If not, more than $100,000 will have to be returned to the State. Regardless, Riedemann said the original 13 houses will be completed as planned. HUD says SWIPCO can’t expend overall more than $37,500 per house, including lead abatement. Hard costs cannot exceed $25,000 if there is no lead removal needed.

Most of the work involves the installation of vinyl siding to enclose lead-based paint, vinyl replacement windows for energy efficiency, high efficiency furnaces and air conditioning, updated electrical and plumbing, and special needs alterations as needed and funds allow.

Backyard and Beyond 01-23-2014

Backyard and Beyond, Podcasts

January 23rd, 2014 by admin

Lavon Eblen speaks with Lora Kanning, Cass County Conservation Naturalist, about an upcoming Sandhill Crane viewing bus trip.

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2014 City of Atlantic Street Improvement Program will cost $945k

News

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Following a study by Snyder and Associates Engineers firm in Atlantic of street conditions in the city, Street Superintendent Derald Andersen and Snyder’s Dave Sturm created a list of priorities for fixing the worst streets. City Administrator Doug Harris told the City Council during their meeting Wednesday night, there are six sections of streets in the proposed improvement program, which need to have an asphalt overlay this year, and one section needs to be reconstructed. The plan also calls for the seal-coating of 52 blocks of streets.

Harris says without seal-coating, the road surface begins to oxidize and water seeps into the cracks, which causes the road to quickly deteriorate. He says the City doesn’t have the money to just “Let the roads go and then rebuild them.” Therefore the plan is to use a new process to “micro-seal” 10 blocks and see how effective that is. The roads selected for the micro-seal, should be good for 10-years before milling and an overlay is needed. Harris said the cost of the Street Improvement Projects this year amounts to $945,000.

He said the City has options when it comes to bidding-out the overlay projects. He said the because current contract the City has with PCS Concrete and its asphalt subcontractor Henningsen Construction is not yet complete, the City could ask for a “Change Order” which allows the price to be held, but the engineering for the added projects would need to be done. Harris expects to gather additional information for presentation to the Council during their next meeting, and a possible vote.

During his report to the Council, Harris was asked by Mayor Dave Jones, if there would be a sewer rate increase this year, to which Harris replied “No.”

8AM Sportscast 01-23-2014

Podcasts, Sports

January 23rd, 2014 by admin

w/ Jim Field

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