(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors met this (Tuesday) morning at the courthouse in Atlantic, and adopted an amended Ordinance for the Veterans Emergency Assistance Program. Their action followed a public hearing, passage of the First Reading of the Ordinance, and waiving of the rules for a Second Reading. KJAN reported on the amendments last week.

The Board passed also, a Resolution “Terminating the Cass County, Cass-Audubon Border Economic Development, Urban Renewal Plan,” and Ending the CABEDA (Cass-Audubon-Economic Development [Urban Renewal] Area), also known as the Valley Business Park Urban Renewal Area (VBP-URA). On a related note, the Supervisors, after hearing a request from the Noble Initiative Foundation, passed a motion by Supervisor Steve Green, to provide $300,000 from the Valley Business Park funds, at a zero-percent interest rate for 18-months. Board Chair Steve Baier abstained due to a conflict of interest. The funds will be used for the construction of housing in a subdivision containing residential parcels, and known as the “Land of Oz,” near the Lakin Foundation Child Development Center.

Noble Initiative Foundation Board member Matt Leighton explained the request.

He said a considerable amount of TIF funds have been expended to make the area construction ready. Board Chair Baier said the County’s action is a “leap of faith” in the project.

Cass County BOS 9-16-25 (Zoom image)

In other business, the Board passed an Ordinance that repealed an ordinance providing for the Division of Taxes on taxable property in the VBP- URA. And, they passed a Resolution “Terminating the Cass County-Amaizing Energy Urban Renewal Area, along with the providing for the Division of Taxes (similar to the above).

The Cass County Supervisors approved a Cass County Segregation of Duties Policy, which Steve Green said is a necessary step in order for the County to receive grant monies. And, they approved a Federal Aid Agreement for a bridge project over Indian Creek, on Jasper Road. The project would replace a narrow concrete bridge built in 1955 with a twin box culvert, at a cost of approximately $650,000.

And, the Board approved the appointment of Amy Smith to fill a vacancy on the Cass County Local Food Policy Council. The term expires Dec. 31, 2026.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who love Girl Scout cookies will have another tempting option next year. Samie Stinton, vice president for marketing with the Girl Scouts of Greater Iowa, says a new cookie flavor will debut in a few months. “It’s called Exploremore and it’s a rocky road ice cream-inspired sandwich cookie,” Stinton says. “So think really chocolatey, some marshmallow and toasted almond flavors.” Stinton says the cookie sales program teaches young women a wide host of skills which they’ll use for the rest of their lives.

“It’s teaching local Girl Scouts goal setting, communication skills, money management and all proceeds stay 100% local to do community service projects, help them plan trips,” Stinton says. “We have a lot of Girl Scouts here in Iowa planning trips to go to Europe.”

The Girl Scouts sell an average of more than 200-million boxes of cookies nationwide every year. Look for them starting in February.

(Radio Iowa) – There’s been a very public quarrel among Sioux City School District leaders who haven’t said why their superintendent was on leave at the start of the school year. In late August, the Sioux City School Board granted recently hired superintendent Juan Cordova a leave of absence and he missed the first few days of the school year. Yesterday (Monday), the school board convened to have a private meeting about a personnel matter — but board member Lance Ehmcke said if the discussion was to be about the superintendent, it needed to be done in public.

“The community has a whole bunch of rumors out there. Some of them are really slanderous to an individual’s character,” he said. “I believe that we’re going to be talking about our superintendent.” A vote to shift the board meeting to a closed session narrowly failed. Board member Dan Greenwell and Emcke kept debating while the board was taking a vote to adjourn. “We need to talk about this now and get it off the table for the public,” Emcke said and Greenwell interjected: “The gentleman requested a closed session. Did you not hear that?” Emcke continued: “I’m thinking of the good of the community right now.” Greenwell replied: “You don’t know the facts behind these stories.” Emcke concluded by saying: “Well, we’re about to find out, aren’t we?”

Cordova has worked at schools in Missouri, North Carolina, and Florida and got a temporary state license for school administrators when he started in Sioux City earlier this year. The Iowa Department of Education issued Cordova an initial Iowa Administrator’s license on the day school started in Sioux City.

(An Iowa Capital Dispatch report) – Summit Carbon Solutions, the company proposing to build more than 1,000 miles of carbon sequestration pipeline through Iowa, announced Monday a community and landownership partnership program and updated commitments. According to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, the partnership focuses on safety precautions, operational transparency and increased benefits to landowners and counties where the pipeline route is slated to be built.  The letters were sent to county supervisors and county emergency managers Monday, but a Summit representative said they should be sent to all Iowa landowners over the next week and a half.

Summit’s new CEO Joe Griffin, said in the letter, “These commitments are more than words on paper—they are a promise to operate safely, openly, and in a way that brings meaningful benefits to the people and places that make this project possible.” The letter outlines seven commitments to landowners and counties, as well as an explanation of how the project adheres to and “often exceeds” federal pipeline safety standards set by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, or PHMSA. As part of its approach to safety, Summit said it would: establish a constantly staffed control room, maintain an emergency manual, coordinate emergency response plans with local crews, ensure the proper tools and equipment are ready when needed, provide CO2 specific training for responders, ensure immediate notification in the event of an incident and offer a public awareness program at least annually.

Landowners opposed to the pipeline have noted safety as a primary concern, especially when noting the outcomes of a CO2 pipeline rupture in Satartia, Mississippi several years ago. The Mississippi incident left impacted residents stranded as the excess carbon dioxide in the air immobilized vehicles.  Additionally, Summit said it would offer annual grants to communities so they can purchase safety and response equipment, and operate a real-time notification system. “We’re fully committed to making this project work the right way going forward,” the letter said. “We also realize our significant investment will only be successful if it’s built on genuine partnership, and we know that success depends on working side-by-side with communities and landowners along our route.” Emergency response and communication were also part of the seven commitments Summit listed as part of the community partnership program.

In a bullet labeled “Emergency Response and Preparedness” Summit said it would offer an initial donation of $50,000 to each county emergency management team where the pipeline crosses, plus an additional $1,000 for each mile of pipeline in the county. These funds, which the letter said will be available at least 180 days prior to the start of operations, will help facilitate the training, equipment and notification systems noted previously. The second commitment point in the letter concerns public awareness and communications. Here Summit commits to maintaining an updated project website prior to construction and to providing public awareness updates at least annually during construction and operation of the pipeline.

Summit directed a number of commitments at landowners, who should receive the letters in the mail. Some landowners have voiced concerns, and sued, over the surveying process required for Summit to plan its route and assess a property through which the pipeline would travel. In the letter, Summit said it would give landowners at least 72 hours notice, unless there is a different statutory regulation, and offer landowners a one-time $500 payment for project surveys. Summit also committed to “avoid the use of eminent domain except as a last resort.” This follows commitments to negotiate in good faith, and to engage in discussions “aimed at reaching mutual agreement.” Summit also sent landowners a hotline number they can call in the event they encounter “individuals who do not represent this project with honesty and integrity.”

Landowners can also choose between fair market compensation as either a lump sum, or annual payment, or they can choose a payment option “linked to all financial distributions to Summit’s current owners.” Regardless of which reimbursement option they choose, landowners with a voluntary easement will receive an annual stakeholder payment at a rate of at least $0.25 per foot of pipeline on their property. The rate will increase as Summit acquires higher percentages of voluntary easements along the project footprint in the state. If 100% of voluntary easements are reached, the stakeholder payment rate will be $0.50 per foot per year.

Finally, Summit said it was committed to water stewardship and transparency throughout the project. The letter was signed by leadership from more than a dozen partnering ethanol plants.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Bicycle Coalition has released the second phase of its study on the impact of biking on the state. Coalition executive director Luke Hoffman: “This phase of the study found that 40 percent of recreational cyclists ride at least twice per month, generating consistent economic impact, job creation, and workforce development and quality of life for the whole state,” he says. Hoffman says the most surprising thing to him was the impact is felt across the state in all 99 counties.  “Even in the most rural counties, for example, Adams County, you know, we even saw economic impact there. And so this is something that we think is really significant, and something that should be helpful as a tool for folks as they apply for grants, and think about how do we move Iowa forward economically.” Hoffman says.

He says the biggest economic impact is felt by restaurants, bars, and places where cyclists stop when they’re out riding. ” Of course when you’re on a bike and you’re biking somewhere, you’re a lot more likely to stop than when you’re in a car,” Hoffman says. “And so because of that, the spending that we see from cyclists, you know, has a huge economic impact year over year.” Iowa has continued to expand its trail systems built on old rail lines and connecting more and more cities. Hoffman says it does kind of follow the line from the “Field of Dreams” that “if you build it they will come.”

“In fact, even if you don’t build it, they’ll still come right, because you got the gravel riders, you’ve got the road bike riders. The thing about the culture in Iowa is we’ve already built it. You know, we already have the world capital trails already over two-thousand, according to Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, multi use trails across the state,” he says. Hoffman says the bike culture continues to expand from the annual ride across the state to leisure riding on trails, to bike parks, and many other events. ” They’ll do races, they’ll go do a gravel race, which is a really burgeoning part of the industry right now. So I think that’s the exciting thing about it is that we expect to see this kind of spending in Iowa just because of the sheer fact of the culture,” Hoffman says.

Hoffman says the impact on Adams County is around 500-thousand dollars, while in Dallas and Black Hawk it is 25 million dollars, and the annual economic impact on Polk County exceeds 150 million dollars.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Police in Red Oak arrested a man late Monday night. Authorities say 22-year-old Michael Daniel Hohl, of Red Oak, was arrested at around 11:50-p.m. following an investigation into a shopping cart owned by the Red Oak Hy-Vee, that was set on fire in the 900 block of N. 4th Street, in Red Oak. Hohl was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree, a Simple Misdemeanor. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

(Audubon County, Iowa) – A large machine shed was heavily damaged in a fire Monday afternoon in rural Audubon County. The blaze at 2513 Jay Avenue near Hamlin was reported at around 2:47-p.m.  When crews arrived on the scene they found the structure and several pieces of equipment on fire.

Mutual aid was requested from area fire departments, including Brayton, Exira and Kimballton. The fire was contained about 90-minutes after the first crews arrived on the scene. The last unit returned to quarters at around 5:45-p.m.

The north half of the structure sustained a total loss. No one was injured. The cause of the fire remained under investigation at this time.  Other agencies assisting at the scene included:

• The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office
• Audubon County Communications Center
• Audubon County Emergency Management
• and MidAmerican Energy.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra hasn’t set a date to formally launch his campaign for governor, but is dropping hints about his future. Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, was at the Clay County Fair in Spencer this weekend talking about his background in northwest Iowa.

Feenstra suggests reversing Iowa’s brain drain will be a priority.

Feenstra was chairman of the tax-writing committee when he was a member of the state senate and he says lowering property taxes would help make Iowa communities more vibrant.

Feenstra is a former Dordt University professor.

(Radio Iowa) – The State Board of Education has updated the rules for a new law that establishes a state conference realignment committee for schools wanting to be in a activities conference. Board lawyer Thomas Mayes says the listened to public input and changed the original plan that would have selected the nine activity directors on the committee from the nine Area Education Agencies.

He says that gives the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union more flexibility in selecting the members. Mayes says they want to find a conference for every school that wants to be in a conference.

Mayes says the new committee will have much more flexibility to achieve that goal.

The rules update also includes the terms of the committee members which Mayes says was inadvertently left off in the updated rules. He says the members will serve four-year terms and are eligible for reappointment once. The executive directors of the girls’ Union and the boys’ Association will make appointments to the committee, including filling vacancies.

Each group will contain at least one representative of a nonpublic school. There will be a public hearing on the updated rules on October 21st from 8:00 a-m to 9:30 a-m in Room B-50 of the Grimes State Office Building in Des Moines.