The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, approved an Engineering Agreement with Snyder and Associates Engineers, for the City’s 2016 Street and Alley Improvement Project. The total cost of the projects is estimated at $1.4-million. It will be paid for in-part, through bonds and as a transfer from the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) fund. Any surplus funds will be directed to handle change orders, and anything remaining from that point will be moved into the 2017 Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Fund, to reduce future bonding needs and save interest costs.

In other business, Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones said persons who ride high speed motorcycles , or “crotch rockets,” as they are commonly called, need to be aware they won’t be getting away with warnings like they did last year, for racing through and around town. Often times last summer, those “bikes,” as Jones referred to them, can be heard all the way across town.

The Mayor said citizens are concerned for about the noise and public safety. He said he’s spoken with Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green and Lt. Dave Erickson, and even to a couple of the speed racers themselves, and is warning those and other such motorcycle enthusiasts, that “There are not going to be a lot of special favors this year,” (such as verbal or written warnings). Jones says “They’re fair game, [for tickets, but] we don’t want them getting hurt in town, on a bike,” either.

Jones also spoke about disparaging comments being made around town, in the paper and elsewhere, about the Atlantic High School, especially in light of the recent sports losses, and in-fighting among School Board members. He said “All I hear is negative stuff…but the last month or month and a-half, the Archery Club did a great job, the Swim Team did a tremendous job again. The basketball team [did well],” and last weekend’s play was well received. Jones said performing in that way inspires confidence and is very good for them.” He added that while other districts are cutting their arts programs, “There’s things that are happening up there at the high school that somebody’s doing something right…a lot of good things are happening up there.”

Police in Council Bluffs early Wednesday afternoon interviewed a person of interest in connection with the death of two people found shot to death in a home, and later arrested 30-year old Michael Dieckmann, of Council Bluffs, on two counts of Murder in the 1st degree.

Authorities say Dieckmann allegedly shot to death his mother, 63-year old Jacqueline Dieckmann and his grandmother, 91-year old Illa Pfeiffer at their home located at 620 Grace Street. The women’s bodies were found at around 10-a.m. by a family member.

Michael Dieckmann

Michael Dieckmann  was being held in the Pottawattamie County jail on $1-million bond. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Investigators say a law officer acted appropriately in a shooting in western Iowa last week. Crawford County Attorney Roger Sailer has announced that Deputy Corey Utech has been cleared of any wrongdoing for his role in a shooting incident that occurred in Schleswig on March 9. Utech fired two shots, striking James Scott Champion two times in the torso, after Champion had fired a shotgun at officers. Sailer also stated that Champion will be charged with two counts of assault on a peace officer.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A panel of state budget experts has maintained its earlier projection on Iowa’s revenue for the current fiscal year, and it continues to warn revenue is growing but at a slower rate. The three-member Revenue Estimating Conference said Wednesday it predicts the state will take in about $7.04 billion for the fiscal year that began last July. That’s the same figure the panel estimated in December, and it will allow Gov. Terry Branstad to keep his recommendations for the next state budget.

The panel expects the state to take in about $7.35 billion for the fiscal year that begins in July, a slight increase from their last projection. Members warned low commodity prices and other factors continue to slow the state’s economic growth. The panel made similar comments in December.

Authorities in Council Bluffs are investigating the deaths of two people found inside a home this (Wednesday) morning. KETV in Omaha reports one of the bodies, according to police, appears to have been shot. The incident was reported by a family member who found the victims at around 10 a.m. inside the home located near Langstrom and Grace streets.

No additional details have been released.

A woman from Nebraska who was arrested along with two other individuals Feb. 10th in Fremont County, was sentenced this week to 10-years in prison for a felony charge of Conspiracy to Deliver Methamphetamine. The Fremont County Attorney’s Office says the sentence for 32-year old Stacey Dawn Budenholzer, of Omaha, was handed down on Monday. The woman will not be eligible for parole until she has served at least one-third of her sentence under Iowa’s mandatory minimum sentencing law for methamphetamine distributors.

Stacey Budenholzer

Also arrested during the Feb. 10th investigation, was 36-year old Thomas Knipe, of Tabor, and, 25-year old Alexia Law, of Union, Nebraska. Knipe and Law have pleaded Not Guilty to their charges. Jury trial for both is slated for May 17th.
The case was investigated by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, in cooperation with the Shenandoah Police Department.

Cass County Treasurer Tracey J. Marshall is issuing a reminder to property owners in the county: The second-half tax payments for real estate and mobile homes, are due now. Marshall says you can go on-line to pay your taxes at www.iowatreasurers.org, or pay in-person by debit or credit card, at the Cass County Treasurer’s Office.

The deadline for payments without penalty is Thursday, March 31st,2016. Payments with a postmark of March 31st, 2016, will also be accepted without penalty.

An attempt to execute arrest warrants for a Clarinda man Tuesday evening resulted in the arrest of a woman and the suspect. Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports deputies went to 500 N. 8th Street in Clarinda at around 5:30-p.m. Tuesday to execute two arrest warrants for 22-year old Christopher Wise, of Clarinda, for Revocation of Probation. Wise was found hiding under a mattress inside the residence.

During his arrest, a resident of the home, 26-year old Brooke Nichole Dawnn Washburn, of Clarinda, was arrested for Interference with Official Acts. She was being held in the Page County Jail on $300 bond, pending future court appearances. Wise was being held on $4,000 bond with regard to the warrants.

Wise

Washburn

The Cass County Board of Supervisors agreed to take under advisement until their next meeting, a request from the Schildberg Recreation Area Committee & Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department, for $40,000 to help secure a $360,000 Vision Iowa CAT (Community Attraction and Tourism) grant for improvements to the campground, three- stall restroom, shelter/shower house at the Schildberg Recreation Area.

Atlantic Parks and Rec Dept. Director Roger Herring, following-up on his presentation to the City Council two weeks, ago, explained to the Board if the Vision Iowa funds are approved sometime this summer after the application is filed next month, there would also be improvements made to the Pellet Wildlife Refuge Park. That includes a parking area, walking trails and stations where you can watch birds and other wildlife.

Atlantic Parks & Rec Director Roger Herring addresses the Cass Co. Board of Supervisors.

The Pellet Refuge is located just to the west of the dog park on the west side of Lake #2 at the Schildberg Rec Area. Cass County Conservation Director Micah Lee said the Conservation Board said people who had been using the area as a “mudding” area for pickups and ATV’s, created the unintentional ground work for a trail that could be used for the otherwise “underutilized area.” He said it would require some grading and addition of a cinder surface similar to the trail around the AMU well field east of Olive Street near KJAN, and making it slightly elevated, before other features could be added.

One of the features could be interpretive signage, or stations that utilize a smart phone app to identify birds, trees and native flora. Lee said another option is a possible “Fat Tire Biking” trail. Those types of bicycles are more suited to the serious off-road biking enthusiasts, and allow the bikes to more easily float over almost any terrain, as opposed to the skinny tires used by paved trail and road bike enthusiasts. The Conservation Board will discuss plans for the Pellet Wildlife Refuge area during their meeting Thursday.

The Vision Iowa CAT grant requires a 50-percent match, or, $180,000. The City of Atlantic has already committed $100,000 in support of the grant application. In-kind services are expected to meet the 25-percent requirement for the application, and Trees Forever is providing $2,000 worth of trees to be planted in the area. Those aspects and additional funds raised in donations and by local organizations, as well as $40,000 from the Board of Supervisors and other grant sources, are expected to comprise the total 50-percent match required.