Jason Parrott

Fort Madison residents should expect some good news and some bad news from the city when they go to their mailboxes this summer.

The city council has approved the first reading of an ordinance that would decrease the water basic charge by just over $1.00/month.  The average residential household will see a decrease of 4%.

Aldermen described that as the “good news” during its most recent meeting.

The savings are linked to favorable bids for the construction of the new water plant and several transmission mains.

It’s unclear whether Lee County’s support for a proposed sports complex in Fort Madison will lead to any state funding.  The project calls for the construction of three football/soccer fields and three softball/baseball diamonds.

The Vision Iowa Board says the county must provide at least $25,000 if the board is to act on Fort Madison’s request for more than $870,000.

The county has created a special community development fund to try to raise the money.  $1,500 has already been pledged at this point.

Keokuk could have a buyer for three pieces of prime, Main Street real estate.

The city shut down the Keokuk Saddle Club in 2004 to allow for the construction of the Hampton Inn along Main Street.

That project resulted in four additional, unsold lots.  They have sat vacant since the hotel was completed, except for a large For Sale sign.

Mayor Tom Marion says the organization, Goodwill Industries, has approached the city through a local realtor about purchasing three of the lots.

District Court Judge Cynthia Danielson has scheduled Adam Pitman’s murder trial for Tuesday, July 10 at the south Lee County Courthouse in Keokuk.

The trial, which is expected to last about two weeks, was originally scheduled for later this month.

Pitman is accused of killing his mother, Rosa Pitman, 46, of Keokuk on August 30, 2011.  Officers found her body in her home after Adam Pitman allegedly confessed to the crime during a traffic stop in Fort Madison.

The Keokuk Re-Engagement Center could be up and running within a few weeks.  It will be located on Southeastern Community College’s local campus.

The goal of the center is to combine education and job training.

The Region 16 Workforce Investment Board has been directly involved in the development of the center. 

Chairperson Janet Fife-LaFrenz says it will allow individuals who are seeking a GED to also gain certification in one of 15 specialized fields.  They include carpentry and auto repair.

Lee County has started collecting money to cover its share of a potential state grant for a proposed sports complex in Fort Madison.

That is possible because the Board of Supervisors has approved the creation of a Community Development Fund.

The first donations came in shortly after the official vote.  Supervisors Rick Larkin ($1,000) and Larry Kruse ($500) pulled out their wallets and wrote their checks to back up their verbal pledges from last week.

A quick look at news from around the Tri-State Region.

BURLINGTON, IA

The Burlington School District will be adding a culinary arts program to the high school, starting next year.

Superintendent Jane Evans says it will start out as one course and expand in subsequent years.  It will be taught at the high school with field experience available out in the community.

Evans says it will target 9th-12th graders who are interested in working in or managing a restaurant or other aspect of the hospitality industry.

CANTON, MO

Mount Sterling, Iowa will try again when it comes to un-incorporating itself. 

Mayor Tom Allen says Mount Sterling has been operating for years under the assumption that its city council has just three members.  The current roster is Tonya Putnam, DiAnna Allen, & Judy Ash.

That is why no one questioned it when Putnam and Allen voted to discontinue the town of roughly 40 people in rural Van Buren County on April 11. 

Keokuk could make it easier for downtown properties to be developed.

Fire Chief Gabe Rose says city code requires sprinkler systems be added to a downtown building if it is renovated for mixed use. 

Mixed use generally refers to commercial/retail business on the first floor and residential units on the upper level.

Rose is proposing a change that would provide an exemption to the sprinkler system requirement for certain buildings.