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Serving Cass, Shelby, Guthrie, Audubon and Pottawattamie Counties for over 141 years. Volume 235 - No 137

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School News

District to consider adding income surtax

If approved, new tax could provide over $300,000 in property tax relief
ATLANTIC - The Atlantic School Board will consider,
at its next meeting, setting the wheels in motion for putting
an income surtax before voters in a special election later
this year.
The district has had a Physical Plant and Equipment
Levy (PPEL) in place since 2013 which brings in around
$500,000 for the district. That revenue comes entirely from
property taxes, unless the district has in place a voter approved income surtax. If they do, revenue from the surtax
replaces revenue from the property tax side, lowering a
districts property tax asking by spreading the tax out over
more taxpayers.

Atlantic did have a surtax in place, but that tax was voted
down by residents last year. Now the board wants to revisit
the issue, and is expected to approve a ballot resolution next
month calling for a 20 percent income surtax.
It could provide significant relief for property owners
in the district by being able to blend that, District Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said during Wednesday
nights board meeting.
The state allows districts to generate funds for the purchase of equipment, vehicles and buildings - among other
things - through the adoption of the PPEL. School boards
may adopt a 33 cent levy without going to a vote of the public and can then go to the public and seek voter-approved
additional funding of up to $1.34 per thousand dollars of
valuation.
The Atlantic district has the 33 cent levy and a voter ap-

Atlantic News

Local News

By Jeff Lundquist

NT Publisher

No action on
Vision Iowa
grant application
By Jennifer Nichols

NT Staff Writer
ATLANTIC No action was taken on the Vision
Iowa Grant application by the board earlier this week,
and its likely the action will be put on hold until a new
board is appointed.
Jessica ORiley, Tourism Communication Manager,
part of the Vision Iowa Staff Team, said the Vision Iowa
Board met on Wednesday, and did not take any action on
the application. Board members were waiting for more
information on private fund-raising for the project.
Atlantic officials applied for a grant in the $250,000
range to help pay for projects at Schildberg Recreation
Area, including work on the campground area, adding
shelters, adding restrooms and shower area, and playground equipment. Atlantic Park and Recreation Director Roger Herring said 50 percent of the projects cost
would have to come from local sources, including city,
county and any in-kind donations. The city approved
$100,000 in matching funds for the grant, and the county
approved $25,000 in matching funds.
Grant............................................................. see page 2

State News

Northwest Iowa
city clerk fired after
sexual assault charge
LAWTON (AP) - A northwest Iowa city clerk has
been fired after police say he tried to meet an underage
boy in Nebraska for sex.
The Sioux City Journal (http://bit.ly/1YeEkyM ) reports that city council members in Lawton unanimously
voted Tuesday to remove City Clerk Douglas Furlich.
He was arrested Thursday and charged with sexual assault through the use of an electronic device.
The Nebraska State Patrol said the 60-year-old posted
an ad online saying he was looking for a younger guy.
Officials say an undercover officer responded, pretending to be a 15-year-old boy.

Looking
for a job?

There are more

11 job
todays paper!

proved 85 cent levy in place since 2013 which will generate

$511,069 this year - all from property taxes.
If the public should approve the 20 percent income surtax, the maximum allowed by state law, it would raise about
$360,000 which would then reduce the property tax asking
by the same amount.
Its not that we are asking for 20 percent AND $1.34
per thousand dollars of property tax valuation, Board
member Kristy Pellett noted Wednesday. So it would save
the property tax payers $360,000. It doesnt mean we would
have gotten an additional $360,000.
If approved, the tax would be assessed on the amount of
income tax individuals pay. For example, residents that owe
School .............................................................. see page 2

The encroaching menace

Preparing for
the Emerald
Ash Borer

By Laura Bacon

NT Staff Writer
ATLANTIC - A colorful
but destructive insect, the
Emerald Ash Borer, feeds
under the bark of ash trees,
damaging the trees ability
to transport water and nutrients. It can kill a tree in
two to four years, according
Affected Areas
to information from the Iowa
Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
With the large number of ash trees planted in Iowa - and the Atlantic area - and the discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer in counties
to the east and south, and even west in Omaha - homeowners with
ash trees may have decisions to make.
Rick Reavis, a landscaper for Earl May and with Pymosa Farms
north of Atlantic, said the intestations are definitely moving this direction, Its been spotted as far west as Omaha, he said.
And in Atlantic, with a large amount of ash trees its going to be
almost impossible to treat them all.
He said there was a chemical that is available for preventative
Ash Borer...................................................................see page 10

School Calendar

Emerald Ash
Borer leads to tree
inventory in Atlantic
Concerns about infestations of the Emerald Ash Borer lead to members of the Atlantic
Parks Department doing an inventory of city
trees.
According to Assistant Park Director Seth
Staashelm, the inventory helped them determine that Atlantic has a good percentage of
Ash, about 11 to 12 percent. He said ash trees
are really good city trees - fast growing, lots
of shade.
After the inventory, the plan was to make
sure Atlantic had a diversified number of dif
different kinds of trees, So were not just populated with one (kind of) tree. That way if any
kind of pest comes to Atlantic, and may harm
a certain type of tree, they have other varieties
Trees....................................... see page 10

Inside

Friday, June 10

Saturday, June 11

FFA COLT Conference @ Audubon High School

TBD Soccer:Girls Varsity State @ IGHSAU
9 a.m. - Softball: Varsity Tournament at Creston
Southwestern Community College
11 a.m. - Baseball: 9th Double Header (Cancelled) vs. Underwood at Atlantic Baseball Field
5:30 p.m. - Baseball: JV Game Creston Community School District at Creston HS
7:30 p.m. - Baseball: Varsity Game Creston
Community School District at Creston HS

ACT Test AHS Classrooms

TBD Soccer: Girls Varsity State at IGHSAU
9 a.m. - Softball: Varsity Tournament at Creston
Southwestern Community College
10 a.m. - Baseball: Varsity Trojan Baseball Tournament at Atlantic Baseball Field

Obituaries ...........................Page 2
Neighbors ....................... Page 3-4
Agriculture ..........................Page 5
Television ............................Page 6
Classifieds..................... Pages 8-9
Sports .........................Pages 11-13
Comics...............................Page 14

Local

Friday, June 10, 2016

State News

Cass County Calendar

Iowa business stopped from

painting storefront solid pink

CEDAR FALLS (AP) The Cedar Falls City Council has voted
against allowing a woman to paint the storefront of her local business solid
pink.
Krista Dolash says she wants to paint the storefront pink because it is a
part of her brand. According to Dolash, her business, Root, sells natural and
organic makeup, skin care and hair care.
The council voted 5-2 this week, upholding the recommendation of the
city staff, Community Main Streets design review board and the citys Planning and Zoning Commission, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (http://bit.
ly/1ZBK7gz ) reports.
The council voted after debating why they were discussing the matter.
This sounds like a Supreme Court hearing on color, council member
Nick Taiber said.
Officials say that the issue is not the color itself, but the fact that Dolash
wants to paint the storefront in solid pink. Dolash says that she never would
have opened her store at its location if she knew that painting it pink would
not be allowed.
According to the businesswoman, she had painted the stores rear entrance and stopped before she could paint the storefront.
Downtown property owner Pam Taylor, representing Community Main
Street, said that they see the situation as a question of the design review
process that has been in place more than 10 years.
Council members encouraged Dolash and Main Street to find a compromise. Bob Seymour, the citys interim planning and community services
manager, said that the city will coordinate with Main Streets design review
board to hopefully come up with a compromise that is acceptable to both
sides.

Two Council Bluffs residents

killed in Nebraska crash

JACKSON, NEB. (AP) Two Council Bluffs residents, including a

9-year-old girl, have died in an early-morning crash in Nebraska.
The Dakota County Sheriffs Office says deputies were called around
3:30 a.m. Thursday to a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 20 near Jackson, Nebraska. The vehicle went over an embankment and into a creek on
the side of the highway. The driver, 45-year-old Christopher Cox, was able
to get out of the vehicle and climb to the road. Cox, who had been released
from the hospital, told police that he swerved to avoid hitting a deer.
Two passengers, 57-year-old Connie Fauzae and 9-year-old Espionza
Lara, were pronounced dead at the scene. A third passenger, 10-year-old
Jose Lara, was taken by helicopter to a Sioux City hospital. He is on life
support.

11 children were living in

filth, Iowa authorities say

COUNCIL BLUFFS (AP) A Council Bluffs man has been charged

with child endangerment after authorities found that 11 children were living
in filthy conditions.
The Daily Nonpareil reports (http://bit.ly/1XbPNjb ) that Richard Simet
is charged with neglect of a dependent person and a dozen counts of child
endangerment. The same charges face 34-year-old Bobbi Simet, who authorities say lived with Richard Simet, though the two arent married. Bobbi
Simets attorney declined to discuss the Simets relationship or answer
questions about the children, who range in age from 2 to 14. Court records
dont list a lawyer for Richard Simet.

List your event in the Cass County

Calendar!

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Exp. 6-18-16

Vision Iowa Grant questions

Grant........ From page one

ORiley said the board

could only award grants
through the end of June. Because of some changes by the
governor in the Iowa Economic Development Department,
the Vision Iowa Board will dissolve, and the Enhance Iowa
board will be created.
After (June), then anything thats currently in front of
this board will be on hold until the new board is assembled, ORiley said.
ORiley said staff are working with the governors office
staff to get the new board
assembled and and getting
it up and running. She also
said there were no plans for
the board to meet again this
month.
The
Herring said that he was
Unconventional
scheduling another meeting of the Schildberg RecBridal Registry
reation Area Committee to
discuss private fund-raising.

Brides Currently
Registered
Michaela Wittrock
Kyle Luiken
June 11, 2016
Kristin Hansen
Nick Olsen
June 25, 2016
Carrie Albert
Wynn Winston
June 25, 2016
Marlia Rossell
Walker Mundorf
July 2, 2016

Laena Frederickson
Austin Sonntag
July 9, 2016
Kasey Swinnerton
Chet Meneely
July 30, 2016
Brittan Haynes
Noah Sindt
July 30, 2016
Shelby Amos
Jacob Leighton
September 10, 2016

Register your wedding and

receive a FREE gift
110-116 Chestnut
Atlantic 243-4712

M-F 7:30 am - 5:30 pm

Sat 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Sun Noon - 4:00 pm

Free Gift Wrap!

Death
Edwin Neil
Turner, 88
Edwin Neil Turner, 88,
of Panora, and formerly
of Adair, died Thursday,
June 9, 2016, at the Guthrie
County Hospital in Guthrie
Center.
Services are pending at
Hockenberry Family Care
in Adair.

Thurs., June 9

OPS Chapter
IA 1388 Atlantic
meets at the First
Assembly of God,
1913 East 22nd Street.
Weigh-in is 5:30
to 6 p.m. and the
meetings follow from
6 to 6:30 p.m. If you
have questions, call
243-6222.

lcoholics
Anonymous Open
Meetings at 309 Elm
Street at noon and 8
p.m.

tlantic Kiwanis
Club meets at
noon at the Pizza
Ranch in Atlantic.

udubon Music in
the Park at the
Audubon City Park
Stage 7 p.m. with Jo &
Friends

reschool Story
Time at Atlantic
Library, 10:30 to 11:15
a.m. Stories, games,
crafts, and more. Free.

How-To Download
Books program at
Atlantic Library, 2:30
p.m. Free

unch at Atlantic
Senior Center at
11:30 a.m. - come early
or stay after for social
time. Call Robyn at
254-2005 for a lunch
reservation.

Fri., June 10

lcoholics
Anonymous Open
Meeting at 309 Elm
Street, 6 p.m.

unch at Atlantic
Senior Center at
11:30 a.m. - come early
or stay after for social
time.

all Robyn at 2542005 for a lunch

reservation.

lk Horn Public
Library kids
programming: A
Taekwondo instructor
will show kids how to
have fun learning a
new skill at 2 p.m.

School: District may try for surtax

School....... From page one

$1,000 in income tax would

pay a surtax of $200 at the
20 percent rate.
The board had discussed the possibility of also raising
the voted portion of the levy from the current 85 cents to the
maximum $1.34, but rejected that idea Wednesday in favor
of simplicity.
Maybe our goal this time is just to get the income, because its hard enough to explain without asking for an increase, Pellett said. I think this district really could use
increasing that, but I think maybe it would be worthy of us
to explain really well that income surtax portion and give
our property owners some relief - because we will share that
among all those that pay income tax. And then if we want
to next year - when we have the next school board election
and were not paying anything extra - we could certainly
put that on.
If you are talking about the income surtax and the
$1.34 on the voted PPEL, you are talking about two different things, Amstein said. As Kristy said, it would be
much easier to focus on one, especially when that one can
provide so much relief.
If approved, by the board the issue would have to be
placed before voters in a special election. Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman said Thursday that there were two
dates available for an election to be held, Sept. 13 or Dec. 6.
The district would also be required to pay for the election,
which officials estimate would cost around $1,200.
The board is expected to consider the issue in July.

Miracles of Jesus

Come join the Camp Okoboji Team

Zion Lutheran Church, 811 Oak St.
for Vacation Bible School
June 20-23, 9-11:30am
Short program - June 23rd at 6pm
followed by supper
Pre-K thru 6th Grade
Registration forms available
Zion Lutheran Church 243-2927