Atlantic Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring said Monday, that the tennis courts at Sunnyside Park likely won’t be ready in time for the high school tennis season, because of a delay in getting bids for the project, and related logistics. He says it’s unlikely because asphalt plants won’t be up and running until May 1^st or the middle of that month, due to outside temperatures. Tennis tournament action typically starts in Mid-day.

The Atlantic City Council on August 1^st, tabled until November 7th, a Resolution approving the plans and specifications for the Sunnyside Tennis Court reconstruction project, due to a lack of bids. Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm told the Council contractors are extremely busy right now, they practically had to beg for an active bids. Sturm said they ended up taking just one bid, but it was more than $40,000 over what was budgeted for. The Engineer’s original cost estimate was $241,000.The project will be paid for through bond proceeds, grants, and with payments from the Atlantic Community School District. Sturm said after discussing the situation with Roger Herring and the Parks and Rec Board, it was decided to reject the bid and request bids for the project again at a later date.

Herring told the Parks and Rec Board Monday, that they’re exploring the use of “in-kind services,” to prepare the court area for work next Spring. That includes removal of fences and posts. As a result, the courts will not be available at all next Spring. Herring says the use of in-kind work should help to lower some of the costs associated with the project.

In other business, the Parks and Rec Board approved the purchase of playground equipment for Pellett Park. The playground equipment called “Freedom to Play,” will run about $17,000, and includes climbing apparatus, rope ladders, and other attractions. A similar set-up cost about $1,000 less, but was not as aesthetically pleasing to the Board members, and has less attractions for young people.

And, Adam Wieser, with Atlantic Boy Scout Troop 54, presented his proposal for an Eagle Scout project at Sunnyside Park, to the Board. The project involves re-landscaping an area near the park shelter to include new perennial flowers, Hostas, repainting and lighting the flag pole, setting stepping stones in place, a sign, and other work. He said he’d like to start on the project this Fall, and completed by next Spring. Weiser said the project would be paid for through donations. The Board moved to approve the Eagle Scout project and thanked Weiser for his contribution to beautifying the park.

Another Eagle Scout project, this one by Casey Ihnen, is nearly complete at the Schildberg Recreation Area. It features several new, strategically place park benches and sponsor or memorial plaques. Herring said the project has been very well received by the public.

w/ Ric Hanson

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IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The University of Iowa has moved up two spots and now sits No. 2 on the Princeton Review’s annual list of top 20 party schools.  The party school rankings are one of 62 lists included in the Princeton Review’s 2013 edition of “The Best 377 Colleges.”  The book has the Iowa school No. 6 on its “Lots of Hard Liquor” list and No. 9 on the “Lots of Beer” list. The university on Monday dismissed the rankings as unscientific. The school and Iowa City have been trying to curb binge boozing and underage drinking.  No other Iowa college was on the list of top party schools.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Roger Herring says he plans to meet with local skateboard enthusiasts Saturday morning. During a meeting of the Park and Rec Board Monday evening at the City Park outdoor shelter, Herring said improvements to the skate park at Sunnyside Park should be completed soon, after much time and effort. He said “It has been a very involved project.” Herring said 18 4×10 sheets of skate park quality wood, each with 54 screws, half of which are stainless steel have arrived, and are scheduled to be assembled by the end of this week. In addition, protective surfaces have been applied.

Herring attributed progress on the project to the fact his staff have not had to do much mowing due to the dry conditions. Roger said he plans to meet with all skaters and/or their parents this Saturday, to talk about the skaters’ their responsibility in seeing to it that vandalism is curbed. He says the meeting will likely take place at 10-a.m. Saturday. He will tell the skaters and their parents about the liability issues, and that they need to take pride in the facility and “police it.”  Herring says if they make it through this fall without any damage being perpetrated to the park, he will likely make a commitment to buying some more pieces for the park, to replace missing and/or damaged and removed components.

He says also, a new sign with the rules and regulations will be placed at the site. Herring will go over those rules during the meeting Saturday, and persons who normally use the park, will have to sign-off on a form acknowledging they understand those rules. Additional details concerning Saturday’s meeting will be released within the coming days. Herring says there’s a whole different group of persons using the park, and the number of people using it is up as well, from last year.

The Red Oak Police Department report 23-year-old man was arrested late Monday night for violating his probation, and on drug charges. Mike Andrews Lawson, Junior was taken into custody at around 10-p.m.  He was charged with Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia, in addition to the probation violation. Lawson, Jr., was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $5,000 bond.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – A 33-year-old western Iowa man has been given 10 years in prison for twice arranging to have someone shoot him in attempts to gain sympathy from his ex-wife.  Darren Hieber, of Mapleton, pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiracy and two counts of solicitation for the shootings. Prosecutors dropped other charges in exchange for the pleas. Hieber was accused of persuading Brady Chapman, an employee at Hieber’s trucking business, to shoot him in a leg on Feb. 5. Hieber told police he’d been shot by a burglar.   Hieber also was  accused of hiring Joseph Roberts and Timothy Culley, both of Omaha, Neb., to shoot at him on March 8 in Mapleton. No one was injured in that incident.  Roberts, Culley and Chapman have been given probation.

The Harlan Police Department, Monday afternoon, released a compilation report on arrests and incidents which occurred over the past couple of weeks. Most recently, 50-year old Dale Noll, of Harlan, was arrested Friday, on a charge of OWI. Last Thursday, 16-year old Zachary Gross, of Earling, was cited for being a minor in possession of tobacco, after officers with the Harlan P-D were called to the high school. Gross was cited for the offense, and subsequently released.

Last Wednesday, officers with the Harlan Police Department arrested 24-year old Steven McCord, of Carson, on an active Shelby County warrant charging him with Violation of his Parole. McCord was brought to the Shelby County Jail.

On Tuesday, a Missouri Valley resident filed a complaint with the Shelby County Clerk of Court, charging Shelly Hulsebus with the theft of a gold necklace. The item was said to be valued at $4,000. On August 13th, 42-year old Brian Knudson, of Manilla, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant charging him with assault. And, on August12th, 15-year old Stephen Lancer, of Harlan, was taken into custody on Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Interference with official acts, charges. The teens was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs.

Officials with the Cass and Audubon County Community Foundations remind residents in those respective counties, that September 1st is the deadline for groups and organizations within either county, to apply for grant monies through the online fall grant application process. In Cass County, $21, 380 is available from the combined Lawrence and Mary Turner-, Griswold Community Development- and Triumph Endowed Funds. Only organizations in Cass County are eligible to share in those funds.

In Audubon County, a total of $32,180 is available from the combined Audubon Masonic Association-, Audubon State Bank/Stephen Garst- Leon and Iva Milliman-,the Charles and Kathleen Manatt-, Fred and Evelyn Nissen-, and the Merle and Norma Petersen- Endowed Funds. Only organizations providing services in Audubon County are eligible to share those grant funds.In both counties, all completed applications will be considered at the Iowa Community Foundations’  Board meeting, with notification of results by the end of October.

More information and the grant applications can be found online. Cass County non-profit groups and organizations can surf to www.iowacommunityfoundations.org/casscef.  Groups in Audubon County simply need to change the words following the slash (/) mark to auduboncef. Additional information can be obtained by calling your respective Community Foundation Chairman. In Cass County the chair is Nicholas Hunt (243-5485), and in Audubon County Brett Irlmeier is the Chair (563-2644). Grant application specific questions may be directed to Dennis Nissen at 1-800-794-3458.

Two southwest Iowa men were transported to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha Monday night, following a rollover accident northwest of Malvern. The Iowa State Patrol says 46-year old Robert Gene Ryan, of Shenandoah, was flown by helicopter to the hospital after he was ejected from a 1994 Mazda pickup truck. The vehicle was traveling west on Highway 34, when it entered the south ditch and crossed 288th Street, before rolling over. Another man in the vehicle 29-year old Lyle Francis Stogdill, also from Shenandoah, was transported by Malvern Rescue to Creighton. Neither man was wearing a seat belt. The accident happened at around 10:50-p.m. Officials say it’s not clear which man was driving the vehicle. The accident remains under investigation.