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Flooding Concerns Prompt Action Along Missouri River

News

June 2nd, 2011 by Ric Hanson

(DES MOINES) – In response to flooding concerns along the Missouri River, officials
from several key response agencies came together today to plan for what will be “an
extensive flood fight,” according to officials with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers.

Water levels in reservoirs along the Missouri River in South Dakota have risen to
the point where it will become necessary for the Army Corps of Engineers to begin
releasing more water downstream – which will cause flooding in Nebraska, Iowa and
eventually Missouri.

Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, together with their many local,
state and federal partners, continue to monitor the situation and provide resources
to those areas impacted by flooding.

At this time, only one mandatory evacuation has been ordered in Iowa as a result of
flooding along the Missouri River. (Pottawattamie)

Woodbury County
•        The county has declared a state of emergency to enable emergency purchases
and assistance.
•        250,000 sandbags have been supplied to the city of Sioux City by the Army
Corps of Engineers.
•        Most citizens that will be impacted by the flooding will be because of lack
of access to their homes.
•        Officials are also keeping an eye on Floyd River and Perry Creek, which may
have a greater impact to homeowners than the Missouri River.
Monona County
•        The county has requested 70,000 sandbags and technical assistance from the
Army Corps of Engineers.
•        Monona County officials will conduct an informational meeting regarding the
possible flooding which will impact areas in Monona County. The meeting will take
place on Thursday, June 2 at 7 p.m. at West Monona High School, 1314 Fifteenth
Street in Onawa.
Harrison County
•        The county has a supply of sandbags but has not placed any at this point.
Pottawattamie County
•        A small neighborhood with few homes in Council Bluffs was evacuated late
last week.  These homes are located on the "wet side" of the levee.
•        Pottawattamie County has issued a local emergency declaration to enable
emergency purchases.
Fremont
•        The county has requested 30,000 sandbags from the Army Corps of Engineers.
•        Hamburg is NOT currently under an evacuation order, however, citizens have
been advised by local officials to not rely on the levee.

(Press release from the office of IA Gov. Terry Branstad)

Wednesday, June 1st

Trading Post

June 1st, 2011 by admin

FOR SALE: 5 1/2 HORSEPOWER BRIGGS & STRATTON VERTICAL SHAFT LAWN MOWER ENGINE RUNS FINE $60; ANTIQUE LAWN ROWER $40; VIDEO CAMER RCA, ALL THERE IN CASE, FULL SIZE VHS TAPE, WORKS $20. 712-268-2656

WANTED: PARAKEET. 254-0397

FOR SALE: FOX BAT IRONS 3 THRU PW & SW WITH #1 AND #4 TITLELIST WOODS, OLD WIDOW PUTTER AND GOLF BAG. ALSO ASSORTED WOODS AND UTILITY CLUBS. BIG BERTHA, TAYLORMADE, WILSON METAL WOODS AND WEDGES. 712-243-2959

FOR SALE: BROWN WICKER PATIO SET – TABLE WITH 4 CHAIRS AND LOUNGER $200; 25″ ZENITH CONSOLE TV $150; 16′ ALUMINUM EXTENSION LADDER WITH ROOF STABILIZER BAR, 250 POUND RATING. $50. 243-3086

FOR SALE: SOFA-BED. GOOD CONDITION $20. 712-549-2236

FOR SALE: DOUBLE STROLLER FOR TWINS. INCLUDES 2 EVENFLO INFANT CAR SEATS WITH 2 BASES FOR THE VEHICLE. THE CAR SEATS ATTACH TO THE STROLLER.HAVE MANUALS FOR CAR SEATS AND STROLLER. BOUGHT ALLNEW IN MARCH 2010. STILL IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. ASKING $180 OBO. CALL OR TEXT 712-249-3307

FREE: CITY OF WIOTA HAS A PILE OF WOOD CHIPS FREE FOR THE TAKING. PILE IS LOCATED ON THE SOUTH END OF ALLEN ST. BY THE RAILROAD TRACKS.

FOR SALE: GOLF CLUBS. WALTER HAGEN VARSITY USED 1 SEASON. 1 & 3 WOOD, 3 & 4 HYBRID, 5,7,9 IRONS, PW & PUTTER $100 OBO. 249-1070

FOR SALE: SMOKER FOR TURKEY $50; 18 SPEED HUFFY GIRLS BIKE $50. 712-764-2572

Tuesday, May 31st

Trading Post

June 1st, 2011 by admin

FOR SALE: 3 SOLID OAK CRIBS $25 EACH OBO; OLDER SYLE GRACO PLAY PEN, LARGER STYLE $20; GRACO BABY SWING WITH MOBILE & MUSICAL $20. 769-2256

FOR SALE: BOWFLEX XLT $250. 249-5953

FOR SALE: ETHAN ALLEN BUFFET/HUTCH. MAPLE WITH WARM BROWN FINISH. 46″ WIDE, 18″ DEEP AND 65″ HIGH. VERY GOOD CONDITION. $150 FIRM. 254-4500 OR 249-7469

FOR SALE: SCHWINN LANDMARK 5 SPEED MENS BIKE, 1 YR OLD. $70. 243-6638

FOR SALE: 101 DALMATIONS IN ORIGINAL CASE FROM MCDONALDS. WILL INCLUDE 4 DALMATION SNOW GLOBES AND 6 EXTRA DOGS. $225; LARGE, OLD CAST IRON RENDERING POT ON STAND WITH LEGS, GOOD CONDITION $150. 249-1894

FOR SALE: MARCY 150 LB. STACK HOME GYM MACHINE. $350 VALUE. 243-6423

FOR SALE: HARLEY DAVIDSON GAS GOLF CART $450 OBO. 249-0233

Girls State Golf Final Results

Sports

June 1st, 2011 by Jim Field

Class 3-A Team:

Charles City wins the team title with a 703, six strokes better than second place Clear Lake.  Third was Dubuque Wahlert at 728, followed by Grinnell at 753, ADM at 772, MOC-Floyd Valley at 776, Spirit Lake at 785 and Atlantic was eighth at 796.

View 3-A  Team Scores

Class 3-A Individual:

Jesse Sindlinger of Charles City went wire-to-wire in winning medalist honors, following her opening round 68 with a 75 and a two day total of 143 (-1) and a five stroke win.  For Atlantic, Kristin Schuler shot 97-96-193, Sierra Worth shot 104-90-194, Brooke Fletcher shot 95-100-195, Kaitlynn Walter shot 108-106-214, Bailey Walter shot 113-120-233 and Pammy Fixmer shot 121-125-246.

View 3-A Individual Scores

Class 2-A Team:

Pleasantville wins the team title with a two day total of 730, eight strokes better than second place Wapello.  Clarinda was third at 741, followed by Dyersville Beckman at 742, Kuemper Catholic at 744, South Hardin at 754, Cascade at 762 and Alta-Aurelia at 776.

View 2-A Team Scores

Class 2-A Individual:

Chantel Eicher of East Marshall with a two round 160 (+18) which was just one stroke better than Ellie Ament of Dyersville Beckman.  Jennifer Geer of Clarinda tied for eighth with a 172 total.

View 2-A Individual Scores

Class 1-A Team:

Bishop Garrigan won the class 1-A title going away with a two round total of 663, well ahead of runner-up Hinton at 728.  Third was Grundy Center at 738, followed by HLV at 756, Treynor at 761, West Sioux at 775, Valley of Elgin at 795 and Wapsie Valley at 818.

View 1-A Team Scores

Class 1-A Individual:

Victoria Grasso of Ankeny Christian was the 1-A medalist with a two round total of 153 (+11), giving her a three stroke win over runner-up Sheridan Berte of Bishop Garrigan.Treynor’s Taylor Hill finished fourth at 162.

View 1-A Individual Scores

Three arrested on drug charges in Glenwood

News

June 1st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say three men were arrested over the weekend on drug-related charges. 26-year-old Sergio Emilio Coedova and 19-year-old David Anthony Ortiz, both of Omaha, as well as 36-year-old Jason Anthony Hall, of Council Bluffs were taken into custody at around 7:30-p.m., Sunday, at Mile Hill Lake in Glenwood.

The trio each face charges which include two counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. All three were being held in the Mills County Jail on $2300 bond, each.

Walnut City Council to hear from Pott County Sheriff

News

June 1st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

The City Council in Walnut will hear from Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker, when they meet Thursday evening. Danker will discuss with the council law enforcement concerns and answer any questions they may have.

The council will also hold a public hearing with regard to the proposed plans and specs, form of contract and probable construction cost, for the Walnut street improvement projects. After the hearing, the council will act on consideration of a resolution adopting the plans, specifications and form of contract, review the construction bids, and award the contract for construction.

They’re also expected to consider the adoption of resolutions pertaining to the transferring of funds from: the Local Option Capital Improvement fund into the City’s General Fund, Street Improvements Capital Project and Splash Pad Project Funds; the City’s TIF Fund into the Debt Service Fund; the General Fund into the Splash Pad Project Fund, Fire Department Equipment Fund, and Fire Department Ambulance Trust Fund.

Other matters to come before the Walnut City Council Thursday at 5:00-p.m., include discussion and/or action pertaining to: park issues; the raising of chickens within City limits; a replacement on the Board of Adjustment; the Fiscal Year ending, June 30th 2011 audit, and more.

Theft suspect eludes authorities in Western IA & eastern NE

News

June 1st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

A high-speed chase in Mills County Tuesday afternoon led to the recovery of stolen property,  but the suspect got away. Mills County Deputy Bruce Paulsen told KJAN News they received a call at around 4-p.m., about suspicious activity involving a white male in his mid-20’s, and a tan or multi-colored 1994 Jeep. The activity was taking place at Mile Hill Lake, just outside of Glenwood, on Highway 34.

Paulsen says the suspect was breaking into other vehicles parked at the lake. A deputy who happened to be nearby when the call came in, pulled up just as the suspect’s vehicle was about to leave. When the deputy activated his lights and siren, the Jeep took off.

The chase went on for about 37-minutes. Paulsen says speeds during the pursuit topped 100-miles per hour at times. He says as it turns out, the vehicles’ license plates had been switched with a similar vehicle owned by a resident of Omaha.

As the chase ensued, the suspect tossed items stolen from the other vehicles out onto the road. When the chase crossed over the Plattsmouth Bridge into Nebraska, authorities in Iowa broke-off their pursuit and notified officials in Nebraska. The suspect ditched the Jeep and took off on foot. He remained at large as of today.

The vehicle was recovered as evidence.

06012011 Backyard and Beyond

Podcasts

June 1st, 2011 by admin

Lavon speaks with Carolyn Wilson, County Youth Coordinator with Guthrie County Extension office, about day camps and other topics.

Play

Avoca City Manager says Branstad tax breaks will hurt local governments & prop. tax payers

News

June 1st, 2011 by Ric Hanson

The following was submitted by Avoca City Manager Clint Fichter….

It seems that no one in Iowa is really safe while the Legislature is still in session. The latest potential victims are local governments and residential property tax payers who will be very negatively affected by the latest tax restructuring proposal being considered.

Governor Terry Branstad has proposed far reaching commercial property tax breaks that will result in the shift of much of the property tax burden from commercial property tax payers to residential property taxpayers. Under the Branstad plan, 40% of commercial property tax value would be permanently phased-in for exemption from property taxes over a period of five years. The total cost to local governments (cities, counties, and schools) for the cuts exceeds $500 million dollars. Residential property taxes will see unprecedented increases if this proposal is to pass.

Despite the fact that State law likely will already cause residential property taxes to grow four times faster than commercial property taxes over the next six years, Governor Branstad is pushing policies that will make this increase much worse. Under current Iowa law, the increase in taxable value for residential property is tied to increases in assessed value for agricultural property. Over the next several years, agricultural values are expected to be strong; meaning the taxable values for residential properties will grow. Currently residential properties are taxed at 48% of assessed value, over the next five years that percentage is expected to increase to 58% of assessed value. Assuming current levels of spending and average inflation in an average Iowa city, residential properties will see a 27% increase in their city property taxes over the next six years. Over the next six years, the same estimates indicate that commercial taxes would only increase 6% if current law is maintained.

Although the Branstad plan slows down the rate of residential taxable value growth – it still shifts a much larger amount of property taxes to residential property owners. Under the Branstad tax shifting plan, average residential properties will see a net property tax increase of 48.5% over six years and commercial and industrial taxes will see a net reduction of 18% over six years. Average residential property owners will pay much more because the amount of taxable commercial values sharing the tax will be reduced by 40%.

Commercial properties are taxed at 100% of the assessed value and pay a proportionately higher amount of taxes, so the goal of commercial property tax relief is not without merit. However, the ultimate plan to provide commercial property tax relief should not result in such harsh burden for residential property owners and local governments.

Cities, counties, and schools will all be negatively impacted by the tax shift and basic services will be difficult and the tax increases caused by Branstad’s tax shift plan cannot be avoided. Iowa’s local governments do not have much room to cut and already spend less than the national average. According to the Tax Foundation, the state’s per capita property tax collection is below the national average. The US average per capita property tax collection is $1,352 and Iowa’s is $1,245. The Tax Foundation also says that over the past 20 years, Iowa’s state and local tax burden is 9.3% of income, below the national average of 9.7%.

The magnitude of the proposal’s impact only increases depending on the size of the community, however it will also greatly increase the already grave challenges faced by rural communities too. The plan forces will force cities to raise taxes and/or make cuts to provide the same level of public safety, recreational facilities, and infrastructure. In the small community of Avoca, our city government will need to offset $325,000 annually in revenue through increases to residential property taxpayers due to the proposed tax cuts.

Iowa’s cities also are major participants in economic development through their participation in incentives and construction of infrastructure that support commercial and industrial activities. The proposed tax cuts will undercut these effective programs that make commercial and industrial development possible. For example, using Tax Increment Financing to help commercial projects develop needed infrastructure, the City of Avoca, Iowa increased its commercial tax base 117% from FY 2001 to FY 2011 – nearly double the average commercial tax growth for an Iowa city over the same time period. Over the same ten-year period, the City of Avoca’s tax levy only increased 7%, while the average city’s levy increased 12%. This type of economic development assistance to grow tax base and to spread out the tax burden will be hindered by the Branstad tax shift plan because cities will find it more difficult to participate in the development of infrastructure when the commercial projects are only paying taxes on 60% of the value.

The proposal will also make local governments all over the state, reliant on long-term debt and special assessments to fund infrastructure projects because cities will find it difficult to support the pay-as-you-go approach to infrastructure when revenues have been so severely reduced.

Branstad has attempted to justify the drastic tax cuts by pointing to the possibility of increased commercial and industrial investment. This is a claim that many competent and experienced people dispute. David Swenson, Iowa State University economists, has said “I disagree that significant cuts in taxes will stimulate meaningful amounts of net new business or industrial investment in Iowa.” The Branstad administration has not shown any economic data or projections that even attempt to justify that a 40% commercial property tax cut can be made up through property tax base growth.

Branstad has held out the possibility that the State would “backfill” up to half of the money necessary to pay for the commercial property tax cuts. This would reduce the need to raise residential taxes, but there is no reason to believe that the State will meet this commitment, even if there is enough money to fulfill the pledge. Prior to the 2011 legislative session, State Auditor Vaudt said the State of Iowa was on the verge of going over a “budgetary cliff” and projected shortfalls were massive. Revenues have increased and the budget picture looks better, but it is hard to believe the State would have the wherewithal to appropriate enough money to offset these cuts when existing commitments, like K-12 education, are looking at near permanent reductions in funding. The State has also continually failed to meet its obligations to both cities and counties and any State funding to pay for commercial tax breaks would not be any more reliable. For instances, in recent memory, the state has cut local government revenue sources, including bank franchise fees, State Shared Revenues, and the Machinery and Equipment tax and has failed to help cities make up any of the revenue shortfalls associated with these cuts – which has increased the reliance on property tax. It’s difficult to see how it will be different this time.

Lowering commercial taxes is a good goal and the Iowa League of Cities and Iowa Association of Counties have long supported this goal. There are numerous ways to approach this problem other than the partisan and damaging route that Branstad is proposing. For instance, state-funded tax credits could be offered to commercial property tax payers.

The Iowa Senate has approved a plan to provide $50 million in yearly commercial property tax cuts that would be achieved by taxing the first $30,000 of assessed value for commercial and industrial property at the same rate as residential homes. The program would grow incrementally by $50 million annually for four years with a proviso that yearly state revenue would have to grow by at least 4 percent to trigger the relief.

The Branstad proposal is fundamentally at odds with Iowa’s tradition of local control. Iowa’s cities are home rule entities and our elected/appointed officials should be the ones responsible for determining what taxes and services are appropriate for local people – not the Governor.

Tuesday Baseball/Softball Scores

Sports

June 1st, 2011 by Jim Field

Baseball:

  • Kuemper Catholic 12, Atlantic 2 (5 inn)
  • Lewis Central 13, Shenandoah 9
  • Red Oak 4, Clarinda 3
  • Harlan 10, Denison-Schleswig 2
  • Glenwood 11, Creston 1 (6 inn)
  • East Mills 14, Stanton 10
  • Essex 13, Clarinda Academy 3 (5 inn)
  • Treynor 16, AHST 0
  • Tri-Center 14, Griswold 4 (T-C scored 11 in top of 7th)
  • Underwood 15, Missouri Valley 8
  • Bedford 3, Nodaway Valley 2
  • East Union 12, Lenox 10
  • Mount Ayr 12, Corning 9
  • Logan-Magnolia 26, Boyer Valley 6

Softball:

  • Kuemper 9, Atlantic 8
  • Shenandoah 9, St. Albert 6
  • Clarinda 8, Red Oak 2
  • Harlan 14, Denison-Schleswig 7
  • Norwalk 1, Creston 0 (8 inn)
  • Stanton 21, East Mills 14
  • Villisca 8, Nishnabotna 4
  • Walnut 6, Sidney 3
  • Abraham Lincoln 11, Fremont-Mills 0 (5 inn)
  • Lenox 11, East Union 6
  • Mount Ayr 3, Corning 2

Atlantic Girls Softball Re-cap:

ATL  0  1  1  1  1  4  0 – 8 10  6
KC   1  2  6  0  0  0  x  – 9  7  2

WP- Moriah Bohlmann and Grace Olmstead
LP-Marissa Berns, Katie Groves (7) and Tiara Edlman

Atlantic scoring…
2nd- With one out, Mackenzie Holmes singled, moved to second on a single
by Katie Groves and scored on a single by Marissa Berns.

3ed- Ali Krogam singled to start the inning.  She moved to second then
third on FCs by ReAnn Cappel and Bre VonWehye then scored on a single by
Taira Edelman.

4th- With two outs, Marissa Berns was hit by a pitch.  Leah Tjepke entered
game as CR and moved to second on a wild pitch.  Tjepke scored when Alisha
Hinzmann forced the Kuemper SS to overthrow first base.

5th- Bre VonWehye reached first on fielders choice, moved to second on FC
by Tiara Edelman and scored on a double by Paige Kennon.

6th- With one out, Alisha Hinzmann doubled, Mollee Welter pinch ran for
Hinzmann.  Ali Krogman singled, ReAnn Cappel was hit by a pitch to load
the bases.  Bre VonWehye scored Welter and reached on an error.  Tiara
Edlman scored Krogman on a ground out to the shortstop.  Two runs crossed
the plate on a single by Paige Kennon.

Comments by Coach Hinzmann…
“It is difficult to win games trying to overcome mental mistakes and six
errors.  On the positive side, our fielding issues can be corrected easier
than say if we were struggling with our pitching or hitting.  Marissa
pitched well enough to deserve the win, but we simply didn’t give her any
support in the field especially in that disastrous fourth inning.  You can
bet we will be working hard in practice to improve our fielding.”