Police in Harlan report 23-year old Emily Emealia Watts, of Harlan, was arrested March 28th, following the execution of a search warrant. Watts was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with prohibited acts penalties, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. And, on March 24th, 29-year old Chelsea Rae Hill, of Harlan, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released on the citation.

Voters in the Atlantic Community School District will head to the polls today (Tuesday), to decide the fate of a $9.5-million bond referendum for school improvements and safety upgrades. The polls will be open from Noon until 8:00 p.m. The Polling places for Wards two and three and all remaining school district residents will vote at the Atlantic Public Library. Wards one, four and five will vote at the Heritage House.

If approved, the bond issue would provide for improvements to the Trojan Bowl, plus the district’s baseball and softball complex and tennis courts. Also proposed is a renovation of a roadway for smoother access to the elementary building, and connection to the high school. The bond issues require a 60% supermajority in order to pass. If the measure passes, the indebtedness of the district will be in excess of 1.25-percent of the assessed valuation of taxable property in the School District.

The Resolution on the ballot asks: “Shall the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Community School District, in the Counties of Cass, Audubon and Pottawattamie, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness ans issue general obligation bonds in an amount not exceeding $9,500,000 for the purpose of furnishing, equipping, constructing, improving, repairing, and renovating school buildings and improving the sites thereof at the school district’s existing school buildings located in Atlantic, Iowa, including without limitation: (a) renovating, equipping and improving the football field/track/stadium, team building, concession and related buildings/site improvements, (b) renovating, equipping and improving  the softball/baseball fields and related buildings/site improvements, (c) constructing, relocating, equipping and improving tennis courts and related buildings/site improvements, and (d) improving and realigning a roadway for smoother access to the elementary school and connection to the middle school?”

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say more than 40 Dubuque jobs will be lost after MidWestOne’s purchase of ATBancorp is completed. The two banking companies announced the agreement last August. Dubuque-based ATBancorp operates 12 Iowa branches of American Trust & Savings Bank and five American Bank & Trust branches in Wisconsin. Iowa City-based MidWestOne has 24 branches in Iowa, 13 in Minnesota, four in Wisconsin, two branches in Florida and one branch in Colorado.

MidWestOne’s senior vice president of communications, Greg Turner, said Tuesday that the deal is expected to close May 1. The transaction was valued at around $170.3 million, based on MidWestOne’s stock price last August. Turner says some of the 44 ATBancorp employees whose jobs will be eliminated because of duplication are retiring or already have found new positions.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Webster County was arrested at around 6:50-a.m. Monday at a hotel in Walnut. 35-year old Reino Valentino Dismute Bodady, of Ft. Dodge, was taken into custody for Criminal Mischief in the 4th degree (for damage ranging from $200-to $500)/Damage or destruction of property. Bodady’s bond was set at $1,000.

Authorities said also, an Omaha man turned himself-in to the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office Monday morning. 49-year old Tony Dennis Gustin was wanted on a warrant for Failure to Appear in court. He was subsequently booked into the Pott. County Jail. 36-year old Amanda Mae Smith, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Monday morning at the Pottawattamie County Courthouse. Smith was taken into custody on Pott. County warrants for Credit Card Fraud (loss under $1,000), and Theft in the 3rd degree. Her bond was set at $4,000.

And, 41-year old David Leroy Bishop, Jr., of Council Bluffs, was arrested at the Pott. County Courthouse Monday morning, on a State of Iowa Felony warrant for Child Endangerment/Abandonment with Bodily Injury. His bond was set at $5,000.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — Today (Tuesday) is “equal pay day,” the symbolic day when women’s wages on average catch up to men’s earnings from the previous year. In Iowa, women generally make about 79-percent of what men do, less for women of color. University of Iowa business professor Beth Livingston says employers can counteract wage disparities by proactively reviewing their own pay scales. “Go in, look at your numbers. Be aware ahead of time if you have gaps within job level, across job level,” Livingston says. “Look at your pay bands. Determine who’s making more money and determine whether your compensation system is really set up to reward the things you want to reward.”

Livingston says employers should actively scour their policies and paygrades to look for disparities.  “Most of these companies, if they have any sort of HR system at all, have their employees, their employees sex and how much they make, including bonuses and contingent pay,” Livingston says, “so you can run that data.”

Livingston says gender discrimination is insidious, even among well-meaning companies. Pay disparities can be particularly costly for households led by single women. According to state data, 20-percent of Iowa families with kids under 18 are being raised by a single mother.

(Thanks to Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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STACYVILLE, Iowa (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 120 days in jail for ignoring orders to clear away thousands of tires from his Mitchell County property and pay fines. The judge found 63-year-old Gary Eggers, of Stacyville, in contempt for failing to pay the $110,000 in penalties and remove all but 500 tires from his Stacyville land. Authorities say some of the tires on the unlicensed salvage yard had washed into a nearby creek and onto neighboring property.

Judge Chris Foy writes in his ruling filed electronically on Sunday that the attitude displayed by Eggers toward the Iowa Natural Resources Department “and the laws of Iowa that seek to protect our environment and our waterways makes clear to the court he should be found in contempt.”

Patrons of the Villisca Community School District will cast their ballots today and decide the fate of a bond issue amounting to slightly more than $6-million. If approved, the funds would be used for upgrades at both the Enarson Elementary School and Southwest Valley Middle School–including improvements to heating-air conditioning systems, fire alarm systems, roof replacement, plumbing and electrical systems.

Polls are open Tuesday at the Villisca Community Building from noon to 8 p.m.

(Radio Iowa) — A Senate-passed bill that’s now part of the abortion debate is now eligible for debate in a House committee. The bill would establish a life prison sentence for someone convicted of intentionally or accidentally causing the termination of “an unborn person” against the mother’s wishes. Chuck Hurley, legal counsel for The Family Leader, urged House members to pass the bill. “We’ve heard opponents say they know this is not an abortion bill…We also know the abortion issue’s not going to go away and the battle comes down to: ‘What is a child, what is an unborn person?'” Hurley asked rhetorically. “And so you’re going as far as you can go here.”

Daniel Zeno, policy director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, says the proposal technically does not apply to abortion, but the bill’s senate manager indicated that’s the ultimate goal. “Yes, it’s a small step, but this is a step in a much longer process of getting personhood and banning abortions,” Zeno said. Connie Ryan of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa says the intent behind the bill is clear. “I know that Iowans are not foolish enough on this day or any other day to not understand that this is fully about abortion,” Ryan said.

After a meeting early Monday afternoon, a Democrat voted against the bill and and two Republicans — including Representative Steven Holt of Denison — voted for it. “This discussion, I believe, lays bare the untenable position of those who refuse to acknowledge that the entity growing inside a pregnant woman is a human life, a human being, an unborn person,” Holt said.

The bill is now eligible for consideration in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.