(Atlantic, IA) – The first December meeting of the Atlantic City Council takes place this (Wed. 12/3) evening, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. The meeting begins at 4:30-p.m., which is an hour earlier than normal, so Council members may attend a public meeting this evening, that will be hosted by Cass Health, focused on cancer data specific to Cass County.

During this session, the Council will act on passing a resolution approving the Calendar Year 2026 Budget for Atlantic Municipal Utilities. The City traditionally passes the AMU Budget without issue. City Administrator John Lund says the act is a “gesture of respect for [The AMU] Board’s purpose and oversight.” The Council will also act to re-appoint Atlantic Parks and Recreation Commission members Dolly Bergmann and Kevin Ferguson, who were initially appointed to two-year-terms on the Parks and Rec Advisory Commission, when the Council passed a resolution during their meeting in Oct., 2023. Bergmann and Ferguson have expressed an interest in continuing to serve the City in their current capacity.

The Council will hold a Public Hearing on proposals to enter into an Essential Purpose Loan Agreement (ELPA), and a General Purpose Loan Agreement (GPLA), followed by action on resolutions on taking additional action on both proposals, as presented.  John Lund says the ELPA requires two public hearings on the 2026 Bond, which allows the City to refinance essential corporate purpose notes. The ELPA covers $4.22-million worth of existing bond issues. Terms are being extended on the debts, which Lund says “will help with the restructuring and alignment of [the City’s] annual expenditures under [the] Debt Service Fund. It also allows the financing of essential government services and their capital needs, totaling $9.765-million.

Lund says the GLPA pertains to part of the 2026 Bond that covers uses that are not considered essential under the Code of Iowa. They are general corporate purposes uses, and total $405,000. Included are: City Hall Improvements ($100,000); Library Equipment ($155,000), and Library Improvements ($150,000). Refinancing the Deposit, Essential Corporate Purpose uses, General Corporate Purpose uses, Issuance Costs, and when the additional proceeds are added, they total slightly more than $14.7-million. Lund says when $1.22-million of free money (Bond premium) is applied to buy-down the debt issued, the total is $13.48-million.

City Administrator Lund says “property tax reform looms before us. Without diving into politics,” he says, “Our goal is to take care of our responsibilities as a local government and live within our future means. This requires getting our long-term capital planning needs and debt service outlays aligned [and] addressed before the start of the [legislative] session. [The] bond’s refinancing and payment structure is part of that strategy.”

The Atlantic City Council is also expected to review and act on approving pay applications for Omni Construction, Bluffs Paving & Utility, and TK Concrete, all with regard to the City’s Street Improvement Projects. The combined pay applications amount to a little more than $1.132-million.

(Red Oak, IA) – A man from Emerson was cited after the pickup he was driving broadsided a car Tuesday morning, in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, 57-year-old Rodney Dean Anderson was cited for Failure to Yield Upon Entering a Highway, after his 2007 Chevy Silverado pickup struck a 2015 Jeep Wrangler, driven by 66-year-old Bonita Sue Bormann, of Red Oak. The collision occurred at around 9:45-a.m., Tuesday at the intersection of Eastern Avenue and U-S Highway 34, in Red Oak.

The crash happened as Anderson’s pickup was leaving the south stop sign northbound, across Highway 34. No injuries were reported. The SUV sustained a police-estimated $5,000 damage. Authorities say damage to the pickup was estimated to be $1,500.

(Radio Iowa) – Health officials are encouraging more Iowans to get vaccinated for influenza before the year-end holidays arrive. Iowa has few reported flu cases at the moment, and one death, but experts expect the numbers to jump in the coming few weeks. Melanie Wellington, an infectious disease specialist at University of Iowa Health Care, says it’s important Iowans get vaccinated not only to protect themselves, but to protect those around them.

“Flu vaccine doesn’t just work on an individual level. It’s very important that it works on a population level,” Wellington says. “So the more people that get immunized, the better it works for each individual person.” According to state data, only about 20 percent of Iowans have received a flu shot so far this season. Wellington says the more people who get flu shots, the harder it will be for the virus to spread. “You can either have a long highway that the virus can travel on to you,” she says, “or it could be a surface street with lots of stop signs and some detours and some road closed.”

Wellington says there are concerns this could be a more severe flu season, but early data from the U-K also indicates the flu shot is good at combating the dominant flu strains circulating this year.

(Red Oak, IA) – The Red Oak Police Department, late Tuesday (Dec. 2nd), said additional charges were filed that day against a Nebraska man who was arrested  early Tuesday morning on a Felony charge of Grooming, as well as a Sex Offender registry Violation and being a Fugitive from Justice. Authorities say 22-year-old Jauson Ray Schriner, of Adams, NE., was additionally charged Tuesday with Assault/Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse, and Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree. The latter is a Class-C Felony. The charge of Assault w/intent is an Aggravated Misdemeanor.

Schriner remains held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $7,000 bond, for the previous charges. Police officials say additional charges are pending at this time.

********

(Previous story from Tuesday morning)…

Red Oak Police officers conducted an investigation into a man who claimed to be 20-years-old, and was staying with a minor child. The man gave police a fake name, but officers were able to determine his identity as 22-year-old Jauson Ray Schriner, of Adams, NE. Schriner is on the State of Nebraska’s Sex Offender Registry.

He was wanted on a warrant out of Nebraska for Probation Violation, where he was previously arrested and convicted for posing as a teenager online, in order to have sex with a 13-year-old. Schriner was arrested in Red Oak, on a Class-D Felony charge of Grooming, a Simple Misdemeanor charge of Providing False ID to law enforcement, and an Aggravated Misdemeanor charge of Sex Offender Registry Violation/1st offense. He was also arrested for being a Fugitive from Justice.

Additional charges are pending. Red Oak Police extend thanks to the Lincoln and Beatrice, NE, Police Departments for their help in the investigation. Red Oak Police are also reminded the public about the dangers that social media can pose.

(West Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) website reports Wells Fargo will lay off 14 more employees at its West Des Moines location on Jordan Creek Parkway next month. It’s the third round of job cuts at that location since October.

According to Iowa WARN, the layoffs will occur on Jan. 23, 2026.

In October, Wells Fargo announced 63 workers would lose their jobs at the same office on Dec. 26. Twenty-six more are scheduled to be laid off Jan. 2, 2026.

(Creston, IA) – Police in Creston, today (Wednesday), released information about a single-vehicle accident that took place early Sunday morning. Authorities say a 2015 Mercedes C300 (passenger car) was traveling east on Highway 34 at around 12:50-a.m., Sunday, when – due to icy road conditions – the vehicle went out of control while negotiating a curve.

The car spun on the roadway before striking a curb on the north side of Highway 34. When it hit the curb, the right rear side wheel of the car broke off of the axle, causing the car to become disabled. The driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old Djany Makosi, of Lexington, NE, was not injured.

Damage to the vehicle was estimated by police to be $1,200.

HAMILTON COUNTY, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in a commercial turkey flock of about 18,000 birds in Hamilton County, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Iowa has had nine detections of the H5N1 strain of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, which has impacted more than 184 million commercial and backyard birds since February 2022.

IDALS reported a case of the bird flu in a Calhoun County turkey flock in October. The October case was the first detection in the state since April. Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for Hamilton County following the HPAI detection. The proclamation makes state resources more available as officials work to dispose of birds exposed to the virus and monitor, contain and further detect the bird flu.

IDALS asked producers to exercise heightened biosecurity around their flocks to help prevent the spread of HPAI, which is usually deadly for exposed poultry. Producers who notice sudden deaths in a flock, lethargy, decreased egg production, or birds with swollen heads and difficulty breathing, should contact their veterinarians, according to the agriculture department.

Turkey, chicken and egg products remain safe to consume during the current HPAI outbreak, IDALS said.

(Creston, Iowa) – A woman from Ringgold County complained of pain and possible injury, following an accident that occurred at around 10:20-a.m. Tuesday (Dec. 2nd), on Highway 34 near S. Sumner Avenue. The Creston Police Department reports a 2013 Volvo semi-tractor trailer driven by 33-year-old Dakota Stanton, of Bethany, MO., and a car driven by 61-year-old Randie Kaye Ross, of Kellerton, were both traveling westbound on Highway 34, when the semi attempted to merge into the inside lane due to vehicles that were stopped at the traffic light, in the semi’s lane of travel.

Authorities say Stanton looked, but did not see Ross’ car in his side view mirror prior to attempting the merge. The passenger side of the semi’s trailer collided with the driver’s side of the car, causing severe, disabling damage to the 2002 Pontiac Bonneville.

Randie Ross was checked at the scene by medics following the collision, but was not transported to the Creston hospital. There were no citations issued. The accident caused a police-estimated $2,000 damage to the car.

(Radio Iowa) – Republican Congressman Randy Feenstra says after flooding hit communities in his district in mid-2024 he’s been meeting regularly with FEMA officials to talk about progress — and Feenstra says he’s pushing FEMA to approve federal funding for buyouts flood-damaged properties.

“We’ve got to get these dollars passed out, so you have Rock Valley, Rock Rapids, Hawarden — all these other communities. We’ve got to get them whole,” Feenstra says. “We’ve got to make sure that they’re on the right path so they can grow economically and help not only the businesses and schools, but also the families that lost their homes.” Under FEMA’s buyout program, 75 percent of the funding from the federal government. The state is required to provide 10 percent and the remaining 15 percent is the responsibility of the local government or city.

Sioux County, along with the cities of Spencer, Rock Rapids, Rock Valley, Hawarden and Correctionville have submitted applications for federal funding to help buy homes that are unlivable due to last year’s damage or in an area that frequently floods. Estherville and Cherokee are working on their applications. Feenstra, a Republican who’s running for governor, says if he’s elected, he’d set goals for how his administration would respond to Iowa disasters.

“We want to make sure that we are ready for anything, whether it be a tornado or a flood,” Feenstra says. “that we can get boots on the ground within 12 hours of the event happening and making sure that we resolve and help the problems that are happening through that disaster.” Feenstra says he has a meeting with FEMA officials tomorrow (Wednesday). He’s also asked to meet with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem who oversees FEMA. Feenstra is in Washington, D.C. today (Tuesday) where congress has reconvened and is wrestling with what to about Affordable Care Act subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the month.

“We are not going to shut down government again, but we are working collaboratively to get this done,” Feenstra says. “To me, it’s all about how…do we make sure that we reduce premiums and not continue down this same path of growing and expanding and increasing the cost through the Affordable Care Act.” Americans with an annual income below 400% of the poverty line will still receive federal tax credits next year, but without congressional action the health insurance subsidies expanded to other Americans in 2021 will expire December 31st.

In October, Feenstra said those subsidies that were established during the pandemic are too expensive for the federal government and congress should find other ways to reduce health care premium costs.