The Atlantic City Council held a short session Wednesday evening at City Hall. During their meeting, the Council paid tribute to three City employees for their ongoing years of service.

Mayor Dave Jones (Left) and Atlantic Police Sgt. Spencer Walton

Atlantic Police Sergeant Spencer Walton was given a plaque for his 10-years of outstanding service, and in keeping the community safe. Youth Services Librarian Julie Tjepkes, who has served the Atlantic Public Library for 32-years, and Adult Services Librarian Diane McFadden, who has served for 30-years, were also honored with awards.

Mayor Jones, Diane McFadden and Julie Tjepkes.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed a Resolution “Approving the Transfer of Funds for the Second Quarter of Fiscal Year 2018-2019.” City Administrator John Lund updated the Council on the budget, which he said should be ready to go out during the Council’s meeting on February 6th.

He said also, the Fire Chief Mark McNees has spoken with township elders about increasing their contribution to the City of Atlantic for fire protection.  He said also there is a buyer interesting in purchasing the Atlantic Senior Center, which is in need of approximately $36,000 in repairs that would eliminate the Senior Center Funds. Lund suggested the Personnel and Finance Committee meet sometime next week with a representative or two from the buyer’s group to discuss what should be done with the building located across the parking lot from City Hall, and then send their recommendation onto the Council. The roof he said is in serious need of repair.

Lund said also, negotiations with the Public Works Union are “In a good place,” as well as with the Police Union. On a related note, Lund mentioned his concern with regard to “The rhetoric coming out of Des Moines, about more ‘property tax reform.'” He said the last time leaders in Des Moines worked on that form of tax reform, it was “Damaging enough,” and he may slow down in the negotiations, especially if they have tentative agreements, to hold onto them until he knows which direction the city is going on. Right now though, both parties seem to be in agreement with a 5-year contract, but that’s dependent on what the legislature does, and Lund does not want to lock the Unions in until there’s a clearer picture on property tax reform.

In his report, Mayor Dave Jones reminded citizens the “See Click Fix” service is seeing a lot of use, but there are numerous complaints that cannot immediately be resolved due to the legal process, while others are being taken care of as soon as possible, but the person who investigates most complaints, Kris Erickson – the Code Enforcement Officer – is part-time, and she does the best she can with the time she has. The Mayor urges citizens to please be patient.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The last of three suspects in the January 2017 killing of a Des Moines man has pleaded guilty to reduced charges of willful injury causing serious injury and robbery. The Des Moines Register reports that 27-year-old Monica Fagan pleaded guilty Wednesday to the charges and faces up to 35 years in prison when she sentenced Feb. 27. She had faced life in prison on a first-degree murder charge in the beating death of 31-year-old Michael Huckleberry.

Fagan admitted Wednesday to helping 26-year-old Sarah Saltz and 51-year-old Ricky Hascall tie-up, rob and beat Huckleberry in his Des Moines apartment. Hascall died in jail last year awaiting trial. Saltz pleaded guilty to robbery and theft for her role and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — A Marion man has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a woman whose body was found last week on the side of an eastern Iowa highway. 35-year-old Douglas Joseph Foster was charged Tuesday in the Jan. 8 death of 20-year-old Lea Ponce, of Fairfield. Foster was ordered held Wednesday on $3 million cash-only bond.

Investigators say Ponce was last seen alive just after midnight Jan. 7 getting into a pickup truck Foster was believed to have been driving. Her body was found along Highway 38 less than an hour later. An autopsy report says she died of blunt force trauma and that her injuries were consistent with having been hit and dragged by a vehicle.

Foster’s preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 25.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Investigators say they have arrested a 32-year-old Iowa man who is believed to be linked to several sexual assaults near the University of Iowa campus. Carlos Hivento of Cedar Rapids was arrested last week and charged in the November sexual assault of a 19-year-old girl he allegedly met at an Iowa City bar. He’s being jailed pending trial.

Court records show that investigators have uncovered evidence that also links him to a 2017 sexual assault of another woman at a different Iowa City bar. And they are looking into whether he’s connected to at least three other reported assaults, including one days before his arrest.

Police say an examination of one of Hivento’s phones uncovered 1,475 videos of him having sex, using drugs or doing both since September. They’ve seized several other electronic devices.

The University of Iowa Police Department is asking anyone with information to come forward.

Clarinda Police have charged a local man in connection with an armed robbery that took  place Monday afternoon. Police Chief Keith Brothers reports 27-year old Aaron Gar Nelson, of Clarinda, is charged with robbery in the first degree, felony assault, false imprisonment and theft in the fourth degree.

The charges stem from an investigation into a complaint filed by the 25-year old victim, who alleges Nelson forced him at knife point  to withdraw cash from a drive-up ATM located at an area Clarinda Bank. The victim was not injured during the robbery.

Nelson was being held in the Page County Jail on a $32,000 bond. The Clarinda Police Department was assisted in its investigation by the Page County Sheriff’s Department.

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Illinois say a Texas man has been sentenced to 35 years in prison on child pornography charges involving more than 40 girls in eight states. Prosecutors said Tuesday 36-year-old Mark P. Barnwell of Whitehouse, Texas, was sentenced on Jan. 9. Authorities say he used false Facebook profiles to contact girls and advertise modeling opportunities. Prosecutors say Barnwell directed the girls to send him sexually explicit photos and threatened to post the nude photos online if they failed to send more.

Officials say Barnwell obtained nude photos from 43 victims, including 28 in central Illinois. Others were from California, Iowa, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas, Washington and West Virginia. Barnwell was ordered to remain on supervised release for the rest of his life when he completes the prison term.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A jury has convicted a man for the shooting death of another Davenport man outside a bar. The jury deliberated for less than an hour Wednesday morning before finding 37-year-old Deondra Thomas guilty of a weapons crime and first-degree murder. They deliberated for less than 30 minutes Tuesday afternoon following closing arguments. Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced March 1 to the state’s mandatory of life in prison.

Officers sent to check a report of gunshots early on June 9 found 46-year-old Jason Roberts outside MVP Sports Bar suffering from three bullet wounds. He was pronounced dead later at a hospital. Prosecutors say Thomas had interjected himself into a disagreement among friends. Defense attorney Jack Dusthimer questioned the credibility of several of the witnesses.

Police in Glenwood report 27-year Zachery Coddington, of Red Oak, was arrested Tuesday, on numerous charges. Coddington was taken into custody for Interference with Official Acts, Bodily Injury and Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Facility. His cash or surety bond was set at $6,000 on the charges, plus $2,000 bond for a warrant out of Montgomery County.