A public hearing will take place this (Wednesday) evening, in Atlantic, with regard to a Fiscal Year 2016 City of Atlantic Budget Amendment. The hearing is part of a regular meeting of the Atlantic City Council, that begins at 5:30-p.m. in their chambers at City Hall.

City Administrator John Lund says “The majority of the amendment is not new spending or overspending, but issues of timing.” He says since the City operates on a cash basis, “Everything is contingent upon when we receive bills and pay them. Much of the amendment is moving monies designated for next fiscal year, up to this fiscal year.” He says also, “This is something the City does every year, and is a common practice.” Some of the changes are due to the purchase of a firetruck, receipt of bonds and grant funds. Following the hearing, the Council will act on approving a Resolution amending the budget as described and written.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on a Resolution setting the salaries and wages for City employees, effective July 1st, 2016. Lund says the Resolution is part of an annual process needed to equalize union and non-union employees’ pay as set for in the approved labor agreement.

The Council will also recognize retiring Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Roger Herring, for his five-years of service to the community.

CARLISLE, Iowa (AP) – The world’s first surviving septuplets are scheduled to graduate Sunday from an Iowa high school. Alexis, Brandon, Joel, Kelsey, Kenny, Natalie and Nathan McCaughey were born Nov. 19, 1997, ranging in weight from 2 pounds, 5 ounces to 3 pounds, 4 ounces. Their mother had taken a fertility drug.

The children gained international fame for their births. The Des Moines Register reports, Iowans who have watched the siblings grow often approach the McCaugheys to tell them that they can remember exactly where they were on the day the kids were born at a Des Moines hospital.

The family lives in Carlisle, which sits just southeast of Des Moines. Their parents say the seven have been promised a free college education at Hannibal-LaGrange University in Missouri.

Cass County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Dale Sunderman is asking that eligible voters in Cass County who have not yet registered to vote in Cass County (or have moved since last registering) and who plan to vote in the Primary Election, register with Cass County at the Cass County Auditor’s office before close of pre-registration for the June 7, 2016 Primary Election.  The close of pre-registration date is May 27, 2016.

On January 1st, 2008, Iowa law became effective which provides eligible persons the right to register to vote and cast a ballot on Election Day if they provide proof of both their identity and their residency (within the precinct) at the polls. The law provides some convenience to voters, but election-day registration comes with some confusion and requires additional time at the polls.  Additionally eligible voters do not always know which precinct they should report to.

For these reasons, among other reasons, the auditor recommends that eligible potential voters make every attempt to register by mail, online at sos.iowa.gov, or in person at the county auditor’s office prior to the close of pre-registration at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 27th, 2016.   That will provide time for the auditor’s office to complete the voter registration process and mail a Voter Registration Card to each new registrant.  That Voter Registration Card will indicate the location of the correct precinct.

Persons who are already registered to vote at their current address do not need to re-register to participate in this election.  Voter Registration forms can be obtained on line at sos.iowa.gov as well as at the county auditor’s office.  The Cass County Auditor’s office is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. thru 4:30 p.m. On Friday, May 27, 2016 the auditor’s office will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Any questions concerning this process may be phoned to 712-243-4570.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports two arrests stemming from separate incidents that took place Tuesday night. At around 9-p.m., deputies arrested 57 year Daniel Kitchens in the 1200 block of Illnios St. in Sidney,  on a charge of Assault. Kitchens was transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and held pending a court appearance.

Daniel Kitchens

And, at around 9:30-pm, Tuesday, Fremont County deputies were called to the 700 block of Filmore St. in Sidney, for a domestic disturbance. After an investigation was conducted, 22-year old Alexandria Johnson, of Sidney, was arrested for Domestic Abuse / Assault.

Alexandra Johnson

Johnson was transported to the Law Enforcement Center held without bond.

The alleged use of a stolen credit card to obtain money from an ATM resulted in an arrest Tuesday evening, in Red Oak. Police say 29-year old James Harlan Rosencrans III, of Red Oak, was taken into custody a little after 7-p.m.  He faces seven counts of credit card fraud. Rosencrans was brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on a $2,000 cash bond.

The funding source for state grants to help finance installation of equipment that dispenses higher blends of renewable fuels will end next year. Grant Menke of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says his group will lobby legislators to continue the program. “Investments like this program not only benefit the Iowa economy and the Iowa environment, but Iowa consumers as well,” Menke says.

Governor Branstad has signed legislation that ends a one-cent-per-gallon state tax on motor fuel on December 31st of this year. The tax was established a couple of decades ago to finance clean-up of old underground petroleum storage tanks that were leaking, but that project is complete. Until June 30th of next year, three-million dollars generated by that tax will be spent on fuel pumps that dispense biodiesel and ethanol at higher blends.

“Iowa consumers can look forward to more choices at the pump for E15, for E85, for higher biodiesel blends,” Menke says. “It’s going to save them money. It’s going to burn cleaner.” State grants from the Iowa Renewable Infrastructure Program can cover up to 50 percent of the cost for retailers installing these kind of blender pumps. The retailer must agree to sell the higher blends of ethanol and biodiesel for at least three years.

Supporters hope to convince legislators next year to find another source for the three-million dollar annual cost of the program.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say an officer used appropriate force when he cracked a man’s ribs during a March arrest. Police Chief Dana Wingert made the final decision this week after a review. Police say Officer Cody Grimes kneed 61-year-old Charles Young in the ribs after Young, who was on the floor, refused to put his hands behind his back. Young claims his hand was trapped and he couldn’t move it.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The president of a Christian charity in Iowa admitted that he stole nearly a half-million dollars in donations and used the money to fuel a sex addition, among other things, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. Jon Petersen, of Cedar Rapids, pleaded guilty Monday to a count of filing a false tax return, which is punishable by up to three years in prison. Prosecutors say he diverted nearly all the group’s money to his personal checking account between 2010 and 2014.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines County jury has found a Burlington man responsible for killing his 22-day-old son, although he will avoid a first-degree murder conviction. The jury on Monday found 24-year-old Randall Payne guilty of involuntary manslaughter and two child endangerment charges. The jury rejected prosecutors’ request to convict Payne of first-degree murder. A sentencing date has not yet been set.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An 18-year-old has been sentenced to prison in the drug death of Sioux City high school student. A judge on Tuesday sentenced Rose Mouw, of Sioux City, to 10 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and delivery of a controlled substance. Mouw admitted to selling synthetic marijuana to Austin McCloud, who was a senior at West High School. He died in April 2015 after smoking the drug.

Officials with the Iowa DNR said Tuesday, that they had received an anonymous complaint of an overflowing manure pit in Taylor County. When the DNR investigated, they found evidence of a manure spill at Barrans Farms, a small hog finishing farm about three miles southwest of Lenox. The outdoor pit that collects manure from buildings at the site was not overflowing during the investigation.

However, DNR field staff saw a path where manure flowed into an unnamed tributary of the East Fork of the One Hundred and Two River. Field tests showed elevated levels of ammonia in water flowing into the tributary, but DNR staff did not find any dead fish. The DNR is continuing to investigate the incident and will consider appropriate enforcement action.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A government wildlife researcher says he’s found that rabbits and skunks can become infected with the bird flu virus and shed it enough to infect ducks, evidence that small mammals could contribute to the spread of bird flu on farms.

National Wildlife Research Center biologist Jeff Root says his experiments have shown striped skunks and cottontail rabbits in captivity in his laboratory have indirectly transmitted a strain of bird flu to mallard ducks after they’ve shared food and water sources. Root says it’s important now to figure out how likely it is such transmission across species happens in the wild.

Last year bird flu resulted in the death of 48 million birds in 15 states. Scientists hope to find how it gets from wild birds to farms and spreads.