(Radio Iowa) – The Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation is again offering grants to schools to replace drinking fountains with stations that have touchless water bottle fillers. Foundation executive director, Suzanne Heckenlaible says there’s a continued need for the modern stations as schools adapt to the pandemic. “Working with the schools, what we’ve found is they’ve shut down the water fountains –but left the water bottle stations open. So the opportunity for us to provide this assistance is even more important,” Heckenlaible says.

They have been working with schools for several years and had restricted the grants to schools that did not have the new water bottle station. She says they are now opening it up to schools that already have one. Heckenlaible says the average cost is 25 to 35-hundred dollars to replace an existing fountain with a new one. But she says it can cost significantly more to retrofit older buildings, and they have committed to work with those schools.

The program is called “Rethink Your Drink,” and Heckenlaible says the goal is to get kids to drink water over other less healthy options. She says having water becomes an activity and a habit — where kids have the water daily. Heckenlaible says they hope once the water-drinking habit is established it will stay with the students all their lives. The foundation is taking grant applications through February 5th.

Schools can apply by visiting: deltadentalia.com/foundation/grants. The program, “Rethink Your Drink” is supported by the Iowa Department of Public Health Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Iowa Public Health Association, Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Healthiest State Initiative and In Depth Marketing.

A public hearing will be held this evening during the Griswold School Board meeting. The hearing is with regard to the 2021-22 School Calendar, following a presentation of the proposed calendar. Later on in their session, the Griswold School Board will consider approving the calendar, as presented. In other business, the Board will consider, and likely approve, entering into a closed session to discuss and possibly act on a personnel matter.

In other business, the Griswold School Board will discuss and act on requiring remote learners to return to onsite learning, as well as approval of the 2021-22 School Calendar. Their final order of business is a closed session for the purpose of discussing and acting on a negotiations strategy with a Certified Bargaining Unit. The meeting takes place in the Griswold Schools Conference Room, beginning at 5:30-p.m.

The Atlantic City Council will hold an in-person session in their Chambers at City Hall, 5:30-p.m., Wednesday (Jan. 20th). On their agenda, is recognition of Kirk Knudsen, for his 35 years of employment with the Atlantic Street Department. The Council will act on a Resolution to set the date for a Public Hearing on the sale of real estate at 403 W. 14th Street. The City, in April 2019, adopted a resolution for the disposition of City-owned properties, that outlines how properties may be disposed of.

In this case, owners of an abutting property have submitted a bid for $10,000 to acquire the property at 403 W. 14th, but a hearing is required before the agreement can be signed-off on. On a related note, the Council will act on a Resolution “Amending the Policy for the Disposition of City Own Properties,” which clarifies that in such matters:

• City Staff should advertise the availability of the lots.
• When multiple parties are interested in a property, sealed bids and a review by the Council or designated Committee are appropriate.
• Additional language is added with regard to securities for buyers interested in building a home on the property. Those persons must place a down-payment to secure their interest and promise to build.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on the Second Reading of an Ordinance with regard to the Collection of Solid Waste, and the First Reading of an Ordinance amending sections of the Code of Ordinances entitled “City Clerk,”and “City Attorney,” that would eliminate the current two-year reappointment schedule, and make the City Clerk and Attorney permanent employees.

And, in his report to the Council, City Administrator John Lund will present a Budget Overview, including “Recommended Tax Levy, Proposed Program and Funding Changes.”

Police in Red Oak, Sunday, arrested a Council Bluffs woman for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 20-year old Madison Jane Franzen, was taken into custody at around 9:23-p.m. and transported to the Montgomery County Jail. Her bond was set at $300.