RECORD SETTER
5 MINUTES WITH
Hailey Gross scores a record six goals in an 11-1 Valley victory over Creston Thursday evening. More in SPORTS, page 1S. >>
This week’s “5 Minutes” feature is with Dan McNeill, sergeant deputy in Union County. More with McNeill on page 5A of today’s newspaper. >>
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Mark Williams, dispatch supervisor, takes a phone call during his shift Wednesday in the communications center of the Union County Law Enforcement Center in Creston. (CNA photo by BAILEY POOLMAN)
Creston Schools to hold public hearing for FY17 budget By KELSEY HAUGEN CNA staff reporter khaugen@crestonnews.com
Law center communications center update scheduled By BAILEY POOLMAN About $70,000 of that grant tertops and cabinets in the and an additional station CNA staff reporter bpoolman@crestonnews.com
Computer towers stand behind an array of monitors. Wires tangle together in webs behind several keyboards on two desks in a small room behind a shield of bulletproof glass. The Union County Law Enforcement Center (LEC) is where the dispatchers of the Union County 911 system employ their skills at relaying communications in the instance of an emergency. It’s also a place that hasn’t been updated in about two decades. “There’s no cost to the city or county (for the project),” said Paul Ver Meer, Creston Police chief. The upgrade comes from a $100,000 Wireless E911 Carryover Funds grant.
was used to purchase new law enforcement upgradeable radios and car signal repeaters that will have the capability of going digital if and when that occurs. The other $30,000 will be used for the upgrade. Ver Meer “It’s going to help with the answering of 911 emergency calls, to make it more ergonomic for the dispatchers so things are easier for them to manage the calls when they come in,” Ver Meer said. “The way it’s set up right now, it’s sort of cut up a little bit.” The money will also allow an upgrade to the coun-
communications center and squad room at the LEC. The desks will be rearranged slightly so there is an equal amount of technology on either side, and the computer towers will be stored underneath the counters to give the dispatchers more space to work. “It’s going to give us less clutter on our desks, and more work space,” said Mark Williams, Union County dispatch supervisor. “All of our monitors and our stations are going to be identical, so you’ll be able to work from either side (of the desk).” The LEC was erected in about 1974, and the only remodel occurred in the late 1990s or early 2000s, when a wall in the communications center was taken out to expand the room
was added. “We’ve slowly been doing things to improve the building, the (Union County) sheriff (Rick Piel) and I, since I’ve been here,” Ver Meer said. “We’ve painted the LEC side. We’ve put new ceilings in. We’ve put new carpet in the comm center. It’s just been an ongoing process.” Bolton Cabinetry of Creston will be doing the upgrade. Other estimates were taken by national companies that specialize in designing dispatch areas, but the costs were too high. Work will begin April 25, and is expected to be complete by April 29 or early the following week. The subcontractors who work with the radios, CENTER | 2A
The Creston Community School District’s proposed FY2016-17 budget is ready to be voted on. The board of directors will hold a public hearing for the proposed budget 6 p.m. Monday in the board room at the district’s administration building, located at 801 N. Elm St. For FY2016-17, the Creston district’s proposed tax rate, which is the dollar amount per $1,000 of taxable valuation, is 16.427. Prescott’s Greene proposed tax rate is 12.956. “Creston’s (tax rate) is going to pretty much stay the same, but Prescott’s will go up from 9.995 to 12.956,” said Billie Jo Greene, Creston Schools business manager. The combined tax asking for Creston and Prescott in FY2016-17 is $6.44 million. The tax asking for the current year, which does not include Prescott, is $5.81 million, according to re-estimated 2016 data. While Creston and Prescott schools officially consolidated July 1, Creston and Prescott currently maintain separate tax rates.
“With (Prescott), they will never absorb our debt service until we pass something with the combined district for the debt service, so it will always be different,” Greene said. “Until the debt’s paid off, and it looks like that is May 2023 for the Creston Community School District, it’s always going to be a difference of about 2.61.
State aid For FY2016-17, it is proposed there will be a decrease in state foundation aid compared to the amount of aid the previous year. In 2015, the Creston district had about $9.7 million in state aid. Next year, aid is proposed to be $9.4 million. The percentage of state supplemental aid, which was recently approved by Iowa legislators as a 2.25 percent increase, will affect the upcoming amount of aid. “With the 2.25 (percent) not being passed when we publish this, it was at the $9.2 million, but now that we’ve got 2.25, it’s going to go (from) $9.2 million (to) $9.4 million,” Greene said. “At the last board meeting, we approved the budget guarantee, and that was for $203,731. So, that’s basically the difference; it took the district off the budget guarantee when they gave us BUDGET | 2A
Iowa Republicans release oversight plan for Medicaid
CNA photo by KELSEY HAUGEN
CTE Day: Iowa State Trooper Doug Cutts watches as Southwestern Community College (SWCC)
welding student Nic Parker of Panora tries out a computerized driving program that simulates drunk driving and texting while driving as part of Career Technical Education (CTE) Day this morning at SWCC. Also pictured, from left, are welding student Dale Vogel of Guthrie Center and automotive student Michael Kauzlarich of Creston. The automotive department also had cars on display. Several departments on campus had activites, games or contests for students to participate in for CTE Day.
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Volume 132 No. 222
2016
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DES MOINES (AP) — House Republicans on Thursday announced a new proposal for state oversight of Iowa’s privatized Medicaid program that they say emphasizes transparency, but it’s unclear whether Senate Democrats will fully embrace the plan. The proposal would require the three private companies now running the program to provide information for quarterly and annual progress reports to lawmakers who
oversee health issues in the Legislature. Data would also be posted online. “Iowans can look at it and kind of reach their conclusions just as we will,” said House Speaker Linda Upmeyer, R-Clear Lake. The progress reports would focus on consumer protection, program performances and integrity, according to Upmeyer. She said she expects the plan to be included in a budget bill that deals with
health and human services. A spokesman for the Democratic-controlled Senate, which introduced its own plan earlier in the session, said lawmakers are reviewing the Republican proposal. Democrats want to add a working group of stakeholders for additional overview and create a fund to capture any savings from the new system. Neither of those STATE | 2A
Look in today’s edition of the Creston News Advertiser for
SPRING SPORTS GUIDE Featuring area schools track, soccer and golf teams