(Atlantic, Iowa; UPDATED) – A Public Hearing was held this (Wednesday) afternoon in Atlantic, with regard to the Proposed Maximum Property Tax Levy for Fiscal Year 2025. The Council heard only one objection, and that was from Atlantic resident Barbara Stensvad, who reiterated the “significant protest” she spoke of at the last meeting of the Atlantic School Board, during their Budget Hearing.

During the Council’s regular session that began at 5:30-p.m., Mayor Grace Garrett administered the Oath of Office to Atlantic Police Officer Brock Thompson, who was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Thompson joined the A-PD in 2017, and currently serves as Driving Instructor, Standard Field Sobriety test Instructor, Field Training Officer, and Drone Pilot. Thompson served in the U-S Marine Corps from 2012 through 2016.

Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett congratulates Sgt. Brock Thompson on his promotion.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed a Resolution “Authorizing and Combining Loan Agreements, Approving the Future Issuance of General Obligation Bonds and Providing for the Levy of Taxes to Pay the Same.” The 5-year, $800,000 bank note through 1st Whitney Bank & Trust, carries an interest rate of 4.5%, and will be used to fund segments of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), including…$200,000 for Police Equipment & Vehicles, $230,000 for Fire Equipment, $100,000 for Library Equipment and Building Improvements, and $250,000 for Emergency Generators. A levy and the collection of taxes to pay for the CIP begins July 1, 2024, with a net annual sum of $184,780.

The Council passed an Order to Approve Second Amendment to Ambulance Services Agreement Between City of Atlantic, Iowa, the Cass Health System, Cass County Iowa, and Midwest Medical Transport Company. The agreement includes a subsidy fee of $40,000 per month from now through June 30, 2024, and an annual fee of $625,050 or $52,087 per month, from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025…an increase of 84.31%. City Administrator John Lund said voters in the County will have the choice in November, of approving a 75-cent increase in the County-wide tax levy and a small income tax to pay for the ambulance service, or vote “No.”

He said if the voters reject the proposed tax increase, the City would most likely have to resort to dramatic budget cuts to departments that cannot be sheltered through cost allocation through other funds, or it can borrow the funding to cover the annual payment, by paying for a new ambulance and equipment for Midwest Medical, for the City’s share of the agreement with the other taxing entities, which could result in a record-high property tax levy.

In other action, the Atlantic City Council passed a Resolution setting the date for public hearing on adoption of the FY 2025 Budget, as April 17, 2024. Lund said the budget reflects the Council’s priorities. FY 2025 expenditures, he said, amount to nearly $18.8-million. They also passed a Resolution “Approving Contract and Bonds for the 2024 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project.”

The Council agreed to Terminate City Clerk Services Contract with Marne Effective May 31, 2024, and they passed an Order to Approve The Retail Coach Contract Extension, which had been Tabled during the last meeting. And, since the Council took no action on a motion to Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Barb Barrick to Temporarily Provide City Clerk Consulting Services for the City of Atlantic, a Resolution to that effect, failed. Councilperson Elaine Otte on the search for a new City Clerk…

In other business:

• The Atlantic City Council passed a Resolution “Authorizing and Combining Loan Agreements, Approving the Future Issuance of General Obligation Bonds and Providing for the Levy of Taxes to Pay the Same.” The 5-year, $800,000 bank note through 1st Whitney Bank & Trust, carries an interest rate of 4.5%, and will be used to fund segments of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), including…$200,000 for Police Equipment & Vehicles, $230,000 for Fire Equipment, $100,000 for Library Equipment and Building Improvements, and $250,000 for Emergency Generators. A levy and the collection of taxes to pay for the CIP begins July 1, 2024, with a net annual sum of $184,780.y.

The Council tabled a Resolution “Setting the Date for Public Hearing on a Proposed Ordinance Vacating the Street Located between 3009 Palm Street and 3101 Palm Street in the City of Atlantic, until they receive an update on the status of improvements to one of the properties included in the Right-of-way discussion.

Their final order of business, was to change the dates of the July 2024 Council meetings. The meeting will be held July10th and 24th, due to the fact the original meeting set for July 3rd, comes too close to the Independence Day holiday.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says her husband, Kevin, is doing well after being diagnosed with lung cancer in September and immediately beginning treatment with a breakthrough immune therapy pill.  “He actually snuck away and went hunting a couple of weeks ago and so that is the ultimate sign that he is back and doing well,” Reynolds told reporters. “I am blessed beyond blessed. He has the patience of Job and he is a great dad, a great husband, a great grandpa and really, truly, the rock of my family.” Today (Wednesday) is the couple’s wedding anniversary.

“Forty-two years — he deserves a medal let me tell ya,” Reynolds said, laughing. Reynolds posted a message on social media today (Wednesday), saying she’s grateful to have Kevin by her side. The photo that accompanied that message was of the couple’s arrival at the governor’s 2023 inaugural ball.

Governor Kim Reynolds and Kevin Reynolds arrive at 2023 Inaugural Ball in Des Moines. Reynolds posted this photo on X today, along with a message about the couple’s 42nd wedding anniversary. (Photo used with permission from governor’s staff.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Glenwood Police Department says two recent thefts have been reported. On Tuesday, (April 2nd), the Glenwood Baseball/Softball Club reported a theft from building.

And, on Wednesday, April 3rd (today), a Glenwood woman reported the theft of her vehicle.

Additional details on the two incidents were not provided.

(Radio Iowa) – The governor’s plan to merge the 13 regional systems for mental health services and 19 substance use treatment regions has won bipartisan support in the Iowa House. The bill would establish seven behavioral health districts in Iowa. Iowa Department of Health and Human Services director Kelly Garcia says the plan does not call for additional state spending, but will free-up 23 million dollars in state funds for mental health services that haven’t been spent.

“Do we need more money? Possibly,” Garcia says, “but right now we’re sitting on fund balances, so I need a little bit more time to assess that but you absolutely should be assured that we will move forward with a recommendation once we make this change and assess what’s needed.”

Supporters of the merged system say it will ensure Iowans have access to similar substance abuse and mental health services no matter where they live. A House Democrat who backed the bill called it a good start, but she says the state will have to provide more incentives to get more people in the mental health care workforce. Under the bill, the redesigned and merged behavioral health system would not start operating in its seven regions until July 1st of NEXT year.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that repeals the gender balance requirement for government boards and commissions in Iowa. Reynolds said it lets anyone with a passion for service fill slots on boards and commissions at the state and local level, “so that they can be filled by the best candidates available.”

A state law passed in 1987 had required all boards and commissions in state government to have an equal number of men and women. In 2009, Reynolds was a state senator who opposed the now-repealed law that extended the gender balance requirement to local government boards.

“I believed then, as I still do now, that our focus should always be on appointing the most qualified people,” Reynolds said, “and that includes engaged citizens with a genuine interest in serving their state or local government as well as individuals with valuable experience that directly relates to that position.”

Governor Reynolds signed a repeal of Iowa’s gender balance requirement for boards, commissions on April 3 2024. (RI photo)

Reynolds held a bill signing ceremony in her statehouse office early this afternoon. Guests included lawyers and a plaintiff who won a federal lawsuit over the gender balance requirement for a state commission that nominates judges. “We appreciate all of your work in helping us get this across the finish line as well,” Reynolds said.

During debate of the policy earlier this year in the Senate, Republican Senator Chris Cournoyer of Le Claire, said women don’t need an insulting system that uses gender quotas to fill board seats. Reynolds invited Cournoyer to speak at today’s ceremony.

“Our fore-mothers who fought hard over many, many years to get us a seat at the table,” whether it was the right to vote, Title IX or countless other ways are smiling today,” Cournoyer said, “They got us to the table and it has been up to us to show that we belong there and we have.”

Democrats in the legislature who opposed the bill say having an equal number of men and women on a board improves discussions and decisions, plus that local involvement is often a springboard to running for public office. According to the Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University, women occupy about a third of the seats on local boards and commissions. The center’s director says the gender balance requirement also led to men being more involved in local cultural commissions, like library boards which had typically been filled with women.

(Radio Iowa) – Remains that were found in Missouri 46 years ago have been identified as southeast Iowa girl. Wapello County Sheriff’s Detective Aaron McConnell is asking for the public’s help in the death of 15-year-old Helen Renee Grooms of Ottumwa who went missing in 1977.

“Anybody that knew Helen back in 1977, 1978, or the family is encouraged to call us. Even if you think it’s nothing. It’d still be nice to put little pieces of the puzzle together,” McConnell says. Grooms was dubbed “Lincoln County Jane Doe” since her body was found in the Mississippi River near Elsberry, Missouri in March 1978. Her body was exhumed last October and a Southeast Missouri University Anthropology professor and undergraduate students were able to collect a DNA sample.

“The Lincoln County Coroner’s Office made contact with us, gave us a brief synopsis of what they had done already,” McConnell says. “They advised that they had a possible DNA match to a possible brother.” McConnell says a family DNA sample he collected matched the girl’s DNA and allowed investigators to identify Grooms. Her remains were returned to her family.

Helen Grooms. (Photo provided by Wappello County Sheriff’s Office)

McConnell described meeting Grooms’ brother. “You can just imagine, right? A brother not knowing where your sister was for 46-47 years,” McConnell says. “Every family deserves to know what happened to their loved ones that went missing no matter how long ago it was.” The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office says there are approximately 585 cold cases in the state of Iowa.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say a woman from Malvern was arrested Tuesday evening on an Assault charge. 36-year-old Cally Ann Evans was arrested at around 7:25-p.m. in Malvern, and charged with Assault. Bond was set at $300.

(Radio Iowa) – The Powerball jackpot has grown to more than one BILLION dollars for Wednesday’s drawing. It follows the Mega Millions jackpot won last week that was also more than one BILLION dollars. Iowa Lottery spokesperson, Mary Neubauer, watches a specific aspect of the game when the jackpots get higher. “It’s something that’s called coverage. And what that number means is how many of all of the possible combinations of numbers in the game have been purchased or quote unquote, covered for a particular drawing,” she says. Neubauer says the addition of another drawing has had an impact on coverage numbers for Powerball.

“Because the Monday drawing in Powerball has only been around for about three years now, the coverage for a Monday drawing has always been lower. I think people are still figuring out that Powerball has a Monday drawing,” Neubauer says. “So in our recent drawings, what we’re seeing is that there is a higher quote , unquote coverage number for Wednesday and Saturday.”
Neubauer says the coverage number isn’t always a predictor that a jackpot will be claimed. “Interestingly when the Mega Millions jackpot that huge Mega Millions jackpot was just won last week. The coverage in that game wasn’t wasn’t terribly high. It was also only in the twenty percent range and there still was jackpot winner in the game,” she says.

Neubauer says the Powerball game has come a long way, the starting jackpot at the beginning was two million dollars.