The Iowa Legislature opened the 2014 session of the 85th General Assembly with the modest goals of approving a budget and pursuing legislation on issues like Internet access, bullying and veteran support. During a Monday night meeting of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein says one of the legislative priorities he wants board members to focus on is Allowable Growth, which is now called “Supplemental Aid.” The concern is that the legislature will not set the rate for Supplemental Aid this session for the 2015-2016 school year.

Amstein encouraged the Board to contact area legislators and stress how not having a Supplement Aid rate established puts the Board in a difficult position trying to establish a budget. Another concern pertains to “Operational Sharing.” Amstein said last year lawmakers added some positions to Operational Sharing with other school districts, which in the past, was in a “descending” type of funding agreement. The legislature last year approved O-S for 5-years at 100-percent funding, he says, but now it appears they overlooked the cost of that. Amstein says he hopes during this session they can get that “straightened out so that it can possibly be of benefit to the Atlantic and other districts it might partner with.

The third area of concern Amstein has is getting the State-mandated tests aligned with the Iowa Core. He says it doesn’t make any sense the state-mandated tests don’t align with the Iowa Core teachers are required to administer to students and having them master.

Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac ambulance have been dispatched to a rollover accident with an ejection that happened about 3-miles south of town. The accident happened at around 620th and Memphis Streets. It was reported at approximately 7:25-a.m. According to the Cass County Communications Center, a female subject was lying in a field near the crash scene, but she was conscious and breathing.

No other details are currently available.

Students in Mrs. Leiferman’s Middle School Language Arts class performed in a mock trial recently. The “Trial” was held in the Cass Courthouse as part of the students’ unit on “The Outsiders,” by S.E. Clinton. The trial, which was presided over by Judge and Attorney at Law J.C. VanGinkel, was based on actions which occurred in the book by Clinton, with the “witnesses”  based on characters from the book.

Atlantic Middle School students report to the School Board Mon. night on their Mock Trial experience.

Some of the students took on the role of police and crime scene investigators, while others served as part of the defense and prosecution. Additional students were selected as part of the “jury,” based on an application letter they had submitted.

In preparing for the trial, students were required to research the Iowa Code, and in conjunction with VanGinkel, worked with the prosecution and defense teams. The students say the mock trial was a great experience, a chance to see the legal system at work, and gave them an opportunity to problem solve, as well as think on their feet and utilize their speaking skills. Students on the jury discussed the case and used their listening and reasoning skills.

The 2014 election season officially begins January 21st, as voters head to their party’s caucuses. Cass County Democratic Chair Sherry Toelle  says County Democrats will hold their caucus beginning at 7-p.m on Jan. 21^st. The caucus is an opportunity for local democrats to gather, discuss and adopt proposed resolutions to the county platform. They’ll also elect delegates and alternates to the County Convention, and elect Precinct Committee Persons to the County Central Committee.

Toelle says “This year, the Cass County Democratic Party will hold all caucuses for all Cass County precincts and wards in one location–at the Second Floor Court Room at the Cass County Court House in Atlantic.”

Participants must be in line or signed in by 7-p.m. Eligible voters who have not yet registered to vote or wish to change their voter affiliation can do so at the caucus. Teens who will be 18 years of age by November 4th, 2014, are also eligible to participate but must first register to vote. Teens from age 13 to 18 years of age can participate by signing up to be a youth delegate.