(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will hold their Annual and Regular Meetings, Wednesday evening, both take place in the High School Media Center*. At 5:30, the Board will hold their Annual Meeting, featuring the 2021-22 Annual Report, and 2021-22 Depository Statement. Following action on those two items, the meeting will adjourn, and the Board’s Regular Meeting will convene.

During the Regular session, the Board will receive a Special Presentation with regard to the 3-year Old Preschool Program, along with regular reports from the District’s Principal’s, and Superintendent Steve Barber. Action items on their Consent Agenda include the resignations of: Lisa Andersen, Food Service; and Stacy Van Aernam, CCEOC Para-Educator. The Board will consider and act on Superintendent Barber’s contract recommendations for the following:

• Jacey Hoegh & Zach Christensen – Volunteer Boys Basketball Coaches.
• Mike Greving, Caleb Smith, Adam Smith and Dillon Cox – Vol. Wrestling Coaches.
• Todd Killion – MS Wrestling Coach.
• Kayla Mendenhall – Vol. Cheer Coach.
• Gary Miller – School Bus Driver.
• Donald Prall & Abby Lauritzen-Olson: Substitute car/suburban Drivers.
• Lizzie Walker – Early Learning Center Para.

Discussion is expected to take place, with regard to the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) Renewal Timeline. The schedule includes action on: Jan. 11, 2023 on approving a Resolution to Consider Participation & Set [the] Public Hearing; and on having Feb. 8, 2023 as the date for the Public Hearing, along with possible action on the Resolution. (The Board has 30 days from the date of the hearing to act on the matter) The maximum portion of the ISL cannot exceed 10% of regular program district cost. A portion of the amount is state aid, but the district has not received that portion for the past several years, according to Mr. Barber.

In other business, the Board will act on approving: SBRC Modified Allowable Growth (2021-22) LEP Allowable Costs, in the amount of $65,761.19; SBRC Modified Allowable Growth for Increased Enrollment ($192,960.90) (for spending authority); and SBRC Modified Allowable Growth – for LEP Instruction Beyond 5-years ($3,396.69).

*The meeting is viewable on You Tube through a link found HERE.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – This is Election Day. It is a General Election, where the candidates are those for County, State and Federal government positions. Some seats are for non-partisan positions, such as Ag Extension Council, Soil and Water Conservation, and Hospital Trustee. There is also a simple “yes” or “no” question in Iowa, about a Constitutional Amendment with regard to the “”Right to Keep and Bear Arms.” The Polls are open from 7:00-a.m. until 8-p.m.

Pre-registered voters are required to provide an approved form of identification at the polling place before receiving and casting a regular ballot. Voters who are not pre-registered – such as voters registering to vote on Election Day – and voters changing precincts must also provide proof of residence. A voter who is unable to provide an approved form of identification (or prove residence if required, may: (1) may have the voter’s identity/residence attested to by another registered voter in the precinct, 2) prove identity and residence using Election Day Registration documents. Election Day Registrant attesters however, must provide an approved form of identification. 

CASS COUNTY POLLING PLACES
Precinct/Polling Location

• Atlantic Ward 1: Zion Lutheran Church, 811 Oak St, Atlantic
• Atlantic Ward 2: Atlantic Public Library, 507 Poplar St, Atlantic
• Atlantic Ward 3: Cass County Community Center, 805 W 10th St, Atlantic
• Atlantic Ward 4: United Church of Christ, 1607 Hazel St, Atlantic
• Atlantic Ward 5: Heritage House, 1200 Brookridge Circle, Atlantic
• Bear Grove Twp/Cass Twp/ City of Lewis*: Lewis Community Center 400 W Main St, Lewis
• Benton Twp/Franklin Twp/Grant Twp/ Lincoln Twp/City of Anita/City of Wiota*: Anita Community Center 805 Main St, Anita
• Brighton Twp/Grove Twp/Pymosa Twp/Washington Twp/City of Marne: Cass County Community Center 805 W 10th St, Atlantic
• Noble Twp/Pleasant Twp/City of Griswold: Griswold Community Building 601 2nd St, Griswold
• Union Twp/City of Cumberland: Cumberland Community Building 200 W 2nd St, Cumberland
• Edna Twp/Victoria Twp/ Easterly Portion of Massena Twp: Massena Public Library 122 Main St, Massena
• Westerly Portion of Massena Twp/City of Massena*: CAM Middle School 207 E 6th St, Massena
  *Notice of polling location change: the precincts noted are listed with their new permanent polling location, voters in those precincts will vote at the listed polling location.

For further information, please contact the Cass County Auditor’s Office at 712-243-4570. Or, outside of Cass County, contact your respective County Auditor if you are unsure of where you may cast your ballot.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports there were two separate accidents that took place on Oct. 29th:

• At approximately 3:44 PM the Page County Sheriff’s Office responded to a motor vehicle accident on A Avenue north of Shenandoah. A 16 year old male was the driver of the vehicle and only occupant of a 2009 Pontiac G6 owned by Stephanie Petersen of Shenandoah. The vehicle lost control on the gravel, entered the east ditch, flipped end over end, and reversed ends, prior to coming to rest. The male juvenile was transported to the Shenandoah Memorial Hospital by Shenandoah EMS service. He was issued a citation for Failure to maintain control of vehicle.
• And, a little after 12-p.m. on Oct. 29th, the Page County Sheriff’s Office responded to a motor vehicle accident with injuries in Coin. The investigation showed that 82-year-old Alice Faye Annan of Coin, was the operator and only occupant of a 2005 Ford F150 pickup. Annan was backing out of her driveway in Coin. Annan backed across first street, through a small retaining wall, across Broadway Street and then into a yard where it came to a stop on some rocks. Annan was transported to Shenandoah Medical Center by Shenandoah EMS with unknown injuries. Annan was issued a citation to for Failure to maintain control of a vehicle.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A traffic stop in Red Oak a little after 2-a.m. today (Tuesday), resulted in the arrest of two men on drug charges. Officers conducted the traffic stop in the 100 block of W. Hammond Street and at around 2:30-p.m. arrested 47-year-old Markus Eugene Johnson, of Red Oak, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd offense – Methamphetamine. His bond was set at $2,000.

Chad Michael Hill was arrested 20 minutes earlier at the scene of the incident. He was taken into custody for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and on two warrants:

1) A Montgomery County warrant for Criminal Mischief in the 2nd Degree – A Class D Felony.

2) An Adams County warrant for Contempt of Court/Failure to Appear.

Bond for Hill was set at $5,000. Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by the Montgomery County K9 Unit and K9 “Bane,” and Montgomery County 911.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University has kicked off its 100th anniversary remembrance of Jack Trice. Trice was the school’s first black athlete, who died from injuries suffered in a football game. Trice’s cousin, George Trice, spoke at the opening ceremonies Friday.

“We talk about the Jack Trice way, and breaking barriers. Those are two things that are powerful when you put them together — the Jack Trice way of breaking barriers — and that resonates with me,” he says. The university unveiled a 200-thousand pound, concrete and bronze, “Breaking Barriers” sculpture just north of Jack Trice Stadium as part of the celebration. George Trice visited the statue and walked through it with his wife and oldest son.

George-Trice-(ISU-photo)

“Touching it, feeling it, getting the chance to walk through that, and just to see what, what feelings I was going to have. I really didn’t know what they were going to be,” he says. “It was awesome.” Trice says the monument continues to show people around the world that the Jack Trice movement is not just a statue, not just a logo, but something that we truly believe in and live by on a daily basis. Trice thanked Iowa State University, saying they have treated him and Trice’s other relatives like family.

“Iowa State is a family. Cyclones forever Cyclones everywhere. And that is really true here because of the love I’m seeing here,” he says. Events will continue throughout the year.

Learn more about the celebration here: https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2022/10/06/jt1000

(Radio Iowa) – Election Eve politicking saw the the top Republican statewide candidates flying to rallies in eight cities around the state, while Democrats at the top of the statewide ballot rallied in Council Bluffs, Sioux City and central Iowa.

On Monday morning, Governor Kim Reynolds spoke to a crowd at the Ankeny airport. “We aren’t taking anything for granted,” Reynolds said. “We are going to sprint right across the finish line and make sure that we have a big victory up and down the ticket.” Reynolds was joined by Senator Chuck Grassley and other Republican candidates throughout the day.

On Monday evening, Deidre DeJear, the Democratic candidate for governor, rallied with a crowd at a Des Moines union hall. DeJear asked the audience if they’d been discouraged by this weekend’s Des Moines Register Iowa Poll that showed her trailing Reynolds by 17 points. “This means it is now your duty to use your voice and let people know,” DeJear said, “…let people know that you support the next governor of this state. You have to use your voice now.”

DeJear and U.S. Senate candidate Mike Franken spoke at a rally in Ames last (Monday) night, too. On this Election Day in Iowa, the polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. That closing time is an hour earlier than in previous General Elections.

THURMAN, Iowa – State, local, and federal law enforcement officials are continuing their efforts to corroborate the report of multiple historic homicides in rural Fremont County, Iowa.  The investigation began in earnest,  after a woman claimed that as a child, her father forced her to help dispose of bodies on land he owned west of Tabor. In an article posted on Newsweek.com, the woman suggested there may be as many as 70 bodies at the bottom of a 100 foot well. All of the people were allegedly killed by her father, Donald Dean Studey, over the course of three decades.

The Iowa DCI is working in conjunction with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and federal authorities. Law enforcement will keep the public apprised of any significant developments.  No new information concerning the investigation is available.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Friday (11/4), of 43-year-old James Leroy Shirley, of Red Oak. Shirley was arrested at around 11:30-p.m. for Driving Under Suspension.

There were two, non-injury accidents over the weekend, in Mills County. Saturday nights, 37-year-old Lacey Cochrane, of Glenwood, was driving a 2021 Ford on 250th Street near Quandt Road, when the vehicle went out of control and into the east ditch, where it rolled over and came to rest on the driver’s side.

Authorities say no one was around, and that the vehicle had been there for a while. They observed alcoholic beverages and coolers thrown from the vehicle, which was a total loss. The registered owner was notified and explained who was driving, resulting in the issuance of a citation.

And, Sunday afternoon, a vehicle driven by 37-year-old Tesha Fritz, of Pacific Junction, was northbound on Levi Road, when the vehicle began to drift onto the shoulder. Fritz over-corrected, causing the vehicle to skid across the road and strike a mail box before coming to rest on its side, in the east ditch.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Nebraska man was sentenced late last month in Council Bluffs, to serve 84-months (7 years) in prison. According to U-S Attorney Richard D. Westphal, 36-year-old Richard Joseph Moreno, of Omaha, was sentenced following his plea of guilty to Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. After he is released from prison, Moreno will serve three years of supervised release.

On August 17, 2021, a Mills County Sherriff’s Deputy stopped Moreno for traffic violations. The deputy discovered the truck had been reported stolen. The truck smelled of spray paint and appeared as if it had been recently repainted from white to black. When Moreno stepped out of the vehicle, a marijuana pipe fell off his lap. During a search of the truck, officers located a locked bag and later opened it after obtaining a search warrant. Inside the locked bag was ammunition and a loaded firearm that had been reported stolen. Moreno had a prior felony conviction that prevented him from possessing a firearm.

The Mills County Sheriff Department and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force investigated the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).