Fate of Atlantic City’s Water Utility to Be Decided; Illinois Village’s Chuck E. Cheese Nightmare
Atlantic City, New Jersey
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Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: An end to Colorado's largest-ever marijuana raid case; 5,000 Cedar Rapids residents asked to evacuate; and San Francisco turns dog poop into compost
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY
UTILITIES | The Atlantic City council is promising a “major announcement” on the future of its Municipal Utility Authority, a coveted asset worth at least $100 million that’s at the center of the contentious fight with the state and Gov. Chris Christie. New Jersey demanded the utility as collateral, part of a $73 million bridge loan granted to the city. The council was required to pass an ordinance dissolving the utility by Sept. 15 but failed to do so, meaning they are in violation of the terms of the loan. In light of all that, the mayor, city council president, MUA director, and utilities board members will present their plans Monday. [Philly.com]
OAK LAWN, ILLINOIS
CHUCK E. CHEESE | Fights and disorderly behavior have for years been a problem at a Chuck E. Cheese in this Chicago suburb, prompting concerns among local government officials. "It's a big problem for the safety of children," said Oak Lawn Mayor Sandra Bury. Known for pizza arcade games, Chuck E. Cheese bills itself as a place where “a kid can be a kid." But police received 55 calls for service at the Chuck E. Cheese located in Oak Lawn, during the first eight months of the year. The company’s president, Roger Cardinale, visited Oak Lawn from Texas about two weeks ago for a meeting with Bury and Oak Lawn’s village trustees. "I told the president of Chuck E. Cheese, I said, 'Look I don't know what you're going to do. I don't know the answers. I don't know how you solve your problems in that store, but it ain't my problem to solve them for you,'" said Trustee Terry Vorderer. [Chicago Tribune]
DENVER, COLORADO
POT LAWYER | The federal government has asked a judge to dismiss the case against attorney David Furtado, brought up on drug and money laundering charges after the largest-ever raid on Colorado’s medical marijuana industry in 2013. Furtado had ties to the now-defunct VIP Cannabis dispensary, ordered closed in 2014 due to state law violations, and other licensed marijuana businesses. He was suspected of funneling money from Colombia through Denver bank accounts to purchase a marijuana growing warehouse, which three co-defendants pleaded guilty to previously. The attorney for Furtado argued all charges stemmed from activity legal under state law. Money and property seized by federal agents in the case is in limbo, as Furtado did not contest forfeiture of $450,000 in cash or the warehouse. [The Denver Post]
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
FLOODING | The Cedar River is expected to crest around 1 p.m. on Tuesday at about 23 feet, roughly 11 feet above flood stage. Authorities in Cedar Rapids asked residents in about 5,000 homes near the river to voluntarily evacuate by 8 p.m. on Sunday. And National Guard troops are monitoring checkpoints. The estimated river crest will be well below the 31.12-foot record set during devastating 2008 floods. “There's been a real pulling together of the community,” said Linn County Emergency Management Public Information Officer Micky Miller. “I think it’s a combination of having more time to prepare and that a lot of people who are going through this now have also been through it in 2008.” [The Des Moines Register]
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
COMPOST | The dogs of San Francisco, about 120,000 of them, produce 32 million pounds of poop each year on average. As it stands, the vast majority of that waste ends up in the landfill. Now a brand new program at the Starr King Open Space would divert some of that dog poop into compost. The program is the first of its kind in the city, and possibly in the state. [San Francisco Chronicle]
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS
ARREST | Police arrested 79-year-old state Rep. John Walker for obstructing governmental operations. According to authorities, Walker walked into a Little Rock police traffic stop and then refused to leave. He was booked into Pulaski County Jail, where he’s being held on $1,000 bail. [THV11]
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