Four separate Public Hearings will be held during Wednesday’s 5:30-p.m. meeting of the Atlantic City Council. The first is a hearing on Authorizing an application to the USDA/Rural Development for financial assistance to purchase new Atlantic Public Library computers, computer desks, related equipment, and to help finance new flooring in the Library, along with painting of the upper level. Director Michelle Andersen said the Library is eligible for 35% of the total project cost, with a total of five-years to expend the funds. Combined, both projects are expected to cost $80,970, with grants and other proceeds available, amounting to $69,440. The Library Gift Fund is likely to pick up the balance of the bill.

The second Public Hearing is with regard to the FY2022 Maximum Property Tax Dollars for Certain Levies, as previously explained in our reports. City Administrator John Lund has said the published levy shows an increase of 2.87%, but in reality, it is an increase of 2.59% on properties where no changes in assessed or taxable value have occurred, because the $4.11 debt levy is hidden in the published notice.

The third Public Hearing pertains to a proposal to enter into a General Obligation Refunding Loan Agreement (as previously explained, while the fourth hearing is on a proposal to enter into a solid waste management loan agreement, with regard to the 28-E organization the operates the Cass County Landfill. The Landfill has instituted a per-capita fee of $12 per resident, to be assessed annually, and payable by the City in four equal payments during the course of the fiscal year.

Each hearing will be followed by a Resolution taking action on the respective matters presented. In addition, the Atlantic City Council will act on a Resolution adopting the preliminary FY22 Budget and setting the date for a Public Hearing on adopting the Budget, and approving the budget, as March 17, 2021. The budget says the City’s combined property tax levy will remain at the level set in the FY2021 Budget, and there are no increases to existing fees, or utility rates.

Another Resolution sets March 17th as the date to hold a Public Hearing on, and adopting, the proposed FY22 10-year CIP (Capital Improvement Plan). And, the Council will act on an Order setting April 7, 2021, as the bid date and public hearing for the Atlantic Animal Shelter building addition. The original bids for the project came in well over the engineer’s estimate. The Lorene Eppelsheimer estate has gifted the City $135,000 to benefit animals at the shelter, with the intention of increase the number of cat cages and moving them to a separate area away from the dogs. It will also have a proper food storage area, an exam and grooming table, in addition to a more efficient water heater.

During this Wednesday’s meeting, the Council will act on a Resolution Authorizing the bids for the animal shelter addition. In other business, they will act on reappointing Melissa Ihnen to the Board of Adjustment as well as the Planning & Zoning Commission. They are also expected to reappoint Dave Sturm and Ted Robinson, to the Utility Board of Trustees

(Radio Iowa) – One of the most controversial figures in the past decade involving international espionage and the leaking of government secrets will be speak live from Russia in an Iowa State University lecture this week. Edward Snowden, a former C-I-A officer and National Security Agency consultant, will address the topic, “Digital Surveillance: How Gen Z Gave Up Its Privacy to Corporations and the Government.” Amanda Knief, director of the I-S-U Lectures Program, knows Snowden was an unusual choice. “There are people who consider him a traitor, there are other people who consider him a hero, and I think it’s important to explore those issues and get his information,” Knief says. “You can hate him or love him but he is an expert on digital surveillance and that’s something our students need to think about, experience and talk about.”

Even blenders now have smart technology and Knief says such advances have truly impacted the way our personal information is collected and used by companies and by the government. “This generation that’s in college right now, Gen Z, has really grown up with digital devices in their hands,” Knief says. “A lot of the issues about privacy and being tracked and giving your information out, these are things they have grown up with and are just every day.”

Snowden fled to Hong Kong in 2013 after revealing the U-S government was pursuing an unprecedented system of mass surveillance. He shared highly-classified documents with The Guardian and The Washington Post, shining an international spotlight on issues of individual privacy and national security. The whistleblower’s talk is available to anyone, free, via the I-S-U Lectures Program YouTube channel. Iowans, and anyone else, will be able to contribute to the conversation. “On the YouTube channel, there will be a way for people to submit questions,” Knief says. “We’re going to have a couple of students facilitating those, so they will be seeing the questions in real time and then they will be able to convey those to Mr. Snowden.”

The lecture from Moscow will start at 7 P-M/Central on Thursday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8b1eRrbi3rM&feature=youtu.be

(Radio Iowa) – The three Republicans from Iowa who serve in the U.S. House voted against the pandemic relief House Democrats approved this weekend. Fourth district Congressman Randy Feenstra of Hull is blasting Democrats for removing his amendment which would have added derecho relief for Iowans to the bill. His proposal cleared the House Ag Committee with the support of Democratic Congresswoman Cindy Axne and the Republicans on the committee.

“There was one bipartisan amendment in this entire process — one — and that’s mine,” Feenstra says, “that allowed some funding to be spent toward helping areas of rural America that were devastated by natural disasters.” Majority Democrats stripped Feenstra’s proposal from the bill before a final vote was taken.  “Iowa deserves better from Democrats,” Feenstra says. “Rural America deserves better from Democrats.”

Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Marion, recorded a video after she voted “no” on the one-point-nine TRILLION dollar package. “This bill is really a disservice to the hardworking taxpayers and children in Iowa’s first district,” Hinson said. “…We need to get more targeted relief. We don’t need more Washington pork spending.” Second district Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Ottumwa issued a written statement, saying it was unacceptable that less than one-half of one percent of the bill will fund local and state public health workers to speed up vaccinations.

Third district Congresswoman Cindy Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, voted for the bill. Axne says it’s a comprehensive relief package that will help Iowans in need. The bill provides a new round of direct payments to most Americans and extends enhanced unemployment benefits. It’s projected to provide 947 million to Iowa cities and counties, money Axne says is needed to protect local services and close budget deficits from last year. The State of Iowa stands to get one-point-three BILLION.

Republican Governor Kim Reynolds and 21 other governors co-signed a statement objecting to the way money is distributed to the states. The allocation is based on the number of unemployed in each state rather than on each state’s total population.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa health officials reported 348 coronavirus cases and one new death linked to COVID-19 on Sunday, but hospitalizations remained at a low level statewide. As of Sunday morning, the state was reporting 336,311 cases of the virus and 5,471 deaths since the pandemic began. The number of people hospitalized with the virus across the state crept up Sunday to 196 from Saturday’s 181, but that total remains well below the November peak of more than 1,500 patients. Iowa officials said 169,617 people have now received both required doses of a coronavirus vaccine in the state.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating a shooting in Des Moines that fatally wounded a 52-year-old man. The Des Moines Police Department and Des Moines Fire Department responded to the report of a shooting at about 11:20 p.m. Friday and arrived to find the man with a gunshot injury. Police said in a news release that despite lifesaving efforts at the scene and the hospital, he died at about 1:20 a.m. Saturday. This is the city’s first homicide of the year.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified 20-year-old Lily Macke of Grimes, Iowa, as the woman who died in a fatal collision between a car and a semi. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Saturday that Macke was driving a 2006 Nissan southbound on Highway 141 on Friday morning when her vehicle crossed the median and was struck by a northbound semi. She was pronounced dead a the scene. The driver of the semi was uninjured. The investigation into the accident continues.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A 21-year-old Illinois man accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend and leaving her body at an arboretum in Iowa has pleaded not guilty. Richard Forsythe, of Galena, Illinois, recently entered a written plea in Iowa District Court in Dubuque County. He is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 20-year-old Jennifer Lopez, of East Dubuque, Illinois. Her body was found Feb. 1 at the Dubuque Arboretum. Police say she was stabbed 15 times. Forsythe’s next court hearing is set for April 12.

The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office, Sunday, said a rural Mount Ayr resident has reported that someone had entered his machine shed sometime on Feb. 24th or 25th, and took:

• A DeWalt 18-volt drill, charger and 2 batteries
• A Milwaukee 18-volt drill, charger and 2 batteries
• A Milwaukee 12-volt Sawzall and charger
• A ¾ drive socket set,
• Slide hammer set, and
• .22 Savage rifle.

Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the RCSO at 641-464-3921.