DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Another trial date has been set for an eastern Iowa woman accused of letting seven children live surrounded by garbage, rotten food and feces. Dubuque County records say 35-year-old Tiesha Martin has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of child endangerment. Her trial originally was scheduled to begin March 19 but was delayed until April 23, then June 11, June 25 and now Sept. 5.

The records say police and a social worker checking on the children at Martin’s residence Jan. 2 found the squalid conditions and say the children were sharing just one bedroom and bed. Thirty-four-year-old Jermaine Watson is the father of Martin’s youngest child, and he pleaded guilty to child endangerment and two drug counts. He’s been given two years of probation.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will be holding a judicial conference in Des Moines next month. Organizers say U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will be among the speakers at the Iowa Events Center, Aug. 15-17. Also speaking will be Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Rep. Robert Goodlatte, R-Va. They are chairmen of the Senate and House judiciary committees, respectively.

The conference is open only to judges, attorneys, law school students and court employees.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An October trial in Sioux City has been scheduled for a man accused of ramming police cars on a chase that began in northeast Nebraska and ended in western Iowa. Woodbury County court records say 43-year-old Larry Johnson II pleaded not guilty Friday to assault on an officer. His trial is set to begin Oct. 2. The Nebraska State Patrol says the incident occurred July 6 when a Nebraska trooper tried to stop a pickup truck being pursued by South Sioux City police. Officials say the truck rammed the trooper’s car, which had maneuvered in front of it, from behind before crossing into Iowa.

The trooper and a Dakota County sheriff’s cruiser following the truck onto Interstate 29 before it went out of control and became stuck in a median. Officials say the truck then rammed both the trooper’s car and the sheriff’s vehicle before Johnson was arrested.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The director of the Iowa Board of Medicine has abruptly retired following a personnel investigation in which he says he was treated unfairly by state administrators. Mark Bowden announced his retirement on Monday morning, following the board’s decision to reinstate him to his position on Friday. He had been on paid leave during an investigation into unspecified allegations.

Bowden says state lawyers and staff at the Department of Public Health and Department of Administrative Services treated him in a “grossly unfair way” during the inquiry. He says the treatment “broke the trust and confidence I need” to stay at the agency, which he had led for 10 years.

The board is responsible for licensing physicians and acupuncturists and investigating claims of misconduct.

A rural Atlantic woman is vying to become the Democratic representative for Iowa House District 21, which covers Adams, Union, Cass, and West Pottawattamie Counties, and is currently held by incumbent Republican Tom Moore, of Griswold.

Denise O’Brien

Denise O’Brien, who has farmed in the County for over 42-years, says she’s running for the Iowa House because she wants the voice of rural Iowans to be heard. She said she decided to run in the November General Election when she learned her opponent was going to go unchallenged. She said she had no intention of getting into politics again (She ran for Secretary of Agriculture in 2006), but she felt women, rural Iowa, and Democrats were under-represented in the House of Representatives and Governorship. O’Brien said also she would the same thing if she were an incumbent, because “It’s how democracy works.”

She says she’s always sought to find answers for how rural communities and farmers can survive and thrive. O’Brien says losing a small farm base to large farms has been a big detriment, but there’s still opportunities for small farm operations. Working on economic development issues in conjunction with technology can help people live in rural areas and participate in the rural economy yet be worldwide in their influence. And, while the population in Iowa tends to trend toward the urban areas, O’Brien says some people who’ve left rural Iowa are becoming disenchanted with the urban life for various reasons, and look to return home. She’s said it’s very good for people to leave and experience the big city life, and then to come back once they’ve had their fill of the rush and headaches associated with traffic, crime and crowds.

O’Brien left Iowa as a teenager, but came back, found love and decided to stay. The wider-world experiences she had allowed her to bring back fresh ideas to help the community. She says the next big challenge Iowa faces, is agri-business/agriculture, including issues caused by climate change. Some people she says some accept the premise of climate change, while other deny it, but her experience tells her things have changed, and Iowa needs to be better prepared for it.

And, as other candidates for office have said, Iowans are concerned about healthcare, education and the farm economy. O’Brien says she’ll work to address those issues in the Iowa House, if elected in November.

IA House District 21

The Atlantic City Council will hold a regularly schedule meeting this Wednesday at City Hall, beginning at 5:30-p.m. Among the items on their agenda, is a presentation by Alexis Fleener, Lead Planner with SWIPCO, pertaining to property owner interest in participating in a downtown facade program. The Council has already committed $100,000 toward a revolving loan program, overseen by CADCO, to support small business development and growth. The facade program is being explored by means of a CDBG (Community Development Block Grant), which is under the auspices of the U-S Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.

The CDBG Downtown Revitalization Fund is managed in Iowa, by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), and requires 25-percent Sponsor (City) funding ($250,000), as well as 25-percent Property Owner Funding ($250,000). The State would provide matching funds of $500,00, if the CDBG application is approved. Fleener reports 13 property owners have expressed interest in the program, seven have some interest, with 14 property owners currently reviewing the information to determine their level of interest.

Fleener says part of moving forward with the project is a $45,000 commitment from the City, for various studies required to develop an application for CDBG funds, if enough interest is received in the program. The $45,000 covers a Slum and Blight study, Historic District Study, and a project architect fee. City Administrator John Lund reports he has already adjusted the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) Progress Fund budget for FY 2019 to reserve the $45,000. He’s also addressed the City’s grant match of $250,000, by proposing the City use the remaining $140,892 in the Economic Development Revolving fund in FY 2020, and then transfer $77,055 from the LOST progress fund in both FY 2019 and FY 2020 to cover the expenditures related to the project.

After the presentation by Fleener, the Council will act on an order to approve a contract with SWIPCO for the CDBG Downtown Revitalization application. In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on approving: A Resolution approving contracts for Olive and Nishna Street Bridge repairs, and the Second Reading of an amendment to the City’s Code of Ordinances, with regard to Zoning Regulations (after changes were made in the definition of “Height,” the allowance of carport-to-garage upgrades installed prior to ordinance enactment; a change in setback regulations with regard to an accessory use of home addition is made; and for new construction, a 12-foot distance away from buildings of abutting lots, and other matters). John Lund says the effect of the changes is that “Hundreds, perhaps over a thousand residential properties would have greater flexibility to improve their properties without the costly, time-consuming headache of applying for an inappropriate variance that they may not even get.”

The Atlantic City Council will also hold the second reading of an amended Animal Control Ordinance, with regard to the number of days the City holds an animal before it is eligible for adoption. The current number of days an owner has to claim their animal, is seven. The State requires a minimum of three days, and Animal Control Officer Kris Erickson is requesting the City’s Ordinance mirror the State Code. Animals that are licensed and/or have an implanted ID chip, are generally not put up for adoption.

The Council will act on approving a request to close the corner of 3^rd and Chestnut Street to the north property line of the 1^st Whitney Bank on Sept. 11^th, from 3-until 8-p.m., for the dedication ceremony of a statue in honor of the City’s 150^th Anniversary, and, an order to close certain downtown streets August 26^th from 3:15-to 8-p.m., for the 2018 “Family Night Out” event.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce say “You could be the BIG winner at AtlanticFest, presented by First Whitney Bank, with the 50/50 raffle prize guaranteed to be at least $500!” Tickets for the 50/50 raffle are on sale now at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce located at 102 Chestnut Street, or can be purchased the day of AtlanticFest, August 11th, at the Chamber booth in the Atlantic City Park. Tickets are $1 or you can purchase 6 tickets for only $5! The drawing will be held at 3:45 PM at the AtlanticFest main stage and you do not need to be present to win.

The Chamber thanks raffle sponsors: Airworks, Atlantic Business & Professional Women, Atlantic Home Realty, Boulders Inn & Suites, Downtowner Café & Catering and Granny’s Kettle Korn.

For more information about the AtlanticFest 50/50 Raffle, or any AtlanticFest information visit www.atlanticiowa.com or call the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at (712)243-3017.