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Atlantic School Board approves 2-yr agreement w/Non-Certified Staff

News

May 9th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education Tuesday night, approved a two-year agreement with the District’s Non-Certified Staff, amounting to a 2.5% pay increase for all employees. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said the district would cover the health premium and IPERS increases, and move the vacation day from a half- to a full-day (News Year’s Eve day). The agreement also includes a freeze in the salary schedule, and an advancement for 39 experienced employees only. The Longevity amount range would be increased from 39.5-cents to a more easily calculated 40-cents. The total package increase for the 2012-2013 school year amounts to a little more than 4.52-percent.

For the 2013-2014 School Year, there be a 2.55-percent pay increase for all employees, in addition to covering the costs for mandatory training for any employees who need to be re-certified in certain areas. The total package for 2013-2012 amounts 4.56%, for an average two-year total of 4.54%. Amstein recommended the Board approve the package, because of its similarity to the package the District agreed to, with its Certified Staff.

Amstein says the cost of IPERS increases is not factored in to the 2013-2014 school year contract, because it’s an unknown factor. Only the language in the contract would be renegotiated. If there’s an increase, the employees would have to absord that cost for that year.  Amstein said he thinks it’s a “Very Fair” contract, that helps the District budget for next year and the upcoming year, by knowing what the major costs will be, with 80-percent of the budget being employee salaries. The total dollar amount of the package was not available at last night’s meeting.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board approved the 2011-2012 Certified Budget Amendment, which Business Manager and Board Secretary Mary Beth Fast said wouldn’t exceed the total amount certified earlier this year. The largest expenditures in the amended budget are expected to come in the form of Non-Instructional Programs, such as nutrition and the management fund. Another increase was in the area of Capital Expenditures. Fast says when they certified the budget one-year ago, they didn’t know what the timing of the payments was going to be to the architects and engineers. Now that they do, Fast said they realized they would be over the amount specified in the certified budget. She says she’s “Comfortable with the numbers that have been published…” that the District would stay within its budget. A repercussion of not doing so, she said, would be that it would show up in the Audit report.

Iowa kids will be two-wheeling to school today (Wednesday)

News

May 9th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Today (Wednesday) is National Bike to School Day, as kids across Iowa and nationwide skip the carpool or the bus and use pedal power. Angela Berry, one of the day’s Midwest coordinators, says it’s a celebration for students and it builds on the popularity of the International Walk to School Day, held in October. Berry says, “Bike to School Day seeks to raise awareness about the need for safe routes to bike and walk and emphasize the importance of such issues as increasing physical activity among children, reducing traffic congestion and protecting the environment.” With the event being tomorrow, Barry says today would be a good time for parents to review bicycle safety tips with their kids — and to map out the best routes to and from school.

“Wearing a helmet, making sure they have the right equipment,” she says. “Choose the safest route. Teach your children proper bicycle hand signals. Use common sense and avoid those strangers. Tell children not to speak to strangers and to ride away if approached.” She says these subtle steps will provide parents with peace of mind and children the confidence they need to be able to bike to school. Barry adds, it also gives kids a chance to have some fun on their way to school and to get in a bit of exercise, too. She says, “Even just 10 to 15 minutes a day of physical activity, low-impact activities like biking and walking, can go a long way toward improving fitness and it’s really fun.” Communities across the country are encouraged to join together and bicycle to school today.

Learn more about Iowa bicycling events at “bikeiowa.com” or “iowagoesbybicycle.com”.

(Matt Kelley/Radio Iowa)

NWS Forecast for Cass & area Counties in IA: 5-9-12

Weather

May 9th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

347 AM CDT WED MAY 9 2012

TODAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 60S. NORTHWEST WIND 5 TO 10 MPH.

TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE UPPER 40S. SOUTHEAST WIND NEAR 5 MPH.

THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH.

THURSDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLEAR. LOW IN THE UPPER 50S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 15 MPH.

FRIDAY…MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGH IN THE MID 70S. SOUTHWEST WIND 10 TO 15 MPH SHIFTING TO THE WEST IN THE AFTERNOON.

FRIDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY. A 20 PERCENT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH MIDNIGHT. LOW IN THE LOWER 50S.

SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY…MOSTLY CLOUDY. HIGH IN THE UPPER 60S. LOW IN THE UPPER 40S.

Chiefs Sign Ex-Jets DE Pitoitua

Sports

May 9th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have signed former Jets defensive end Ropati Pitoitua. The team announced the move Tuesday. Pitoitua was a free agent after playing in 22 games over the past two seasons with the Jets. The former Washington State defensive end joined New York as an undrafted free agent in 2008, spending his first season in the league on the team’s practice squad. Pitoitua played in eight games in 2009 before playing in 14 games last season. He has 22 tackles and one sack in his career.

Beltran’s 2 HRs, 6 RBIs Lead St. Louis to 6-1 Win

Sports

May 9th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

PHOENIX (AP) — Carlos Beltran homered in his first two at-bats, including a grand slam, for six RBIs, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat Arizona 6-1 on Tuesday night, handing the Diamondbacks their fourth loss in a row. Beltran, who had one of the Cardinals’ five homers in their 9-6 series-opening win on Monday, hit a two-run homer off Ian Kennedy in the first, then cleared the bases with a shot into the swimming pool area in right-center in the seconds, his 10th career grand slam. Jake Westbrook (4-2) blanked the Diamondbacks on four hits through seven innings. Kennedy (3-2) threw five scoreless innings after Beltran’s slam but the Diamondbacks lost for the sixth time in seven games. They have dropped nine of their past 11 at home.

Iowa early News Headlines: Wed., May 9th 2012

News

May 9th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY (AP) — State officials have nixed a $2.5 million grant for a firm proposing a technology to make fertilizer from corn cobs at a plant near Menlo. Iowa’s economic development agency said Tuesday that SynGest, Inc. defaulted on its contract by not disclosing in its 2009 application that Chairman Serge Randhava had been sued for racketeering and fraud.

HUXLEY (AP) — A semitrailer hauling pudding cups caught on fire on Interstate 35 in central Iowa. It happened Tuesday in the southbound lanes near the Huxley exit about 8 miles south of Ames. Pudding cups littered the interstate and both southbound lanes were blocked for over an hour as crews cleaned up the scene. Nobody was hurt.

IOWA CITY (AP) — A federal appeals court has held up an earlier ruling that could make it harder for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to pursue class-action sexual harassment cases against companies in the Midwest. The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a 2-1 ruling today dismissing most of EEOC’s claims on behalf of female truckers who claimed they were sexually harassed while working for Cedar Rapids-based CRST, Inc.

IOWA CITY (AP) — Lawyers have selected jurors in the trial of the director of an Iowa City neighborhood center charged with failing to report allegations of child sexual abuse for a teacher she oversaw. The Iowa City Press-Citizen says the jury was seated today in the case against Susan Freeman-Murdah in Johnson County District Court. Freeman-Murdah, director of the Broadway Neighborhood Center, was arrested in February.

Iowa axes $2.5M grant for energy firm’s Menlo plant

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 8th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials have canceled a $2.5 million grant for a firm proposing a technology to make fertilizer from corn cobs at a plant near Menlo. A spokeswoman for Iowa’s economic development agency said Tuesday that SynGest, Inc. defaulted on its contract by not disclosing in its 2009 application that Chairman Serge Randhava had been sued for racketeering and fraud.
The agency released a copy of the default notice to The Associated Press, which reported on the lawsuit last month. The case was settled in 2009 along with another lawsuit in which Randhava was part of an investor group that accused others of fraud and racketeering. SynGest answered “no” to a question asking whether there were “any judgments or court actions completed or pending” against officers.  SynGest CEO Jack Oswald says the cancellation “appears to be a knee-jerk reaction” and the company hopes to convince the state to change its mind and resume the grant funding. Randhava declined comment.

Kurt Busch to Double Dip at Iowa Speedway in 2012

Sports

May 8th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kurt Busch says he’s planning to run both Nationwide series races at Iowa Speedway this season. Busch says he’s slated to run both the May 20 and August 4 races in Iowa this season in the No. 54 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Kurt Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, has tested at Iowa but hasn’t raced there. Busch says that Iowa’s short oval reminds him of similar setups in Richmond and Phoenix. Kyle Busch won a Nationwide race at the Iowa Speedway in 2010. Kurt says his brother has told him the key to success at Iowa is to maneuver the car through bumps in the track’s first two turns.

TUESDAY, MAY 8th

Trading Post

May 8th, 2012 by Jim Field

FOR SALE: two primitive style garden benches $25 each;  tall wire plant stand with matching two tier plant stand $25 for both; regular size patio table with two matching chairs and a matching two-person glider $50 for all. Call 243-2388 and leave a message.

FOR SALE: Mirror about five by six feet.  Heavy.  Good condition.  $50.00 or best offer.  249.0900

Trumpeter Swans Heading to Southwest Iowa

Ag/Outdoor, News

May 8th, 2012 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says trumpeter swans will be released at two locations in southwest Iowa on May 10th.  Each release will be preceded by a 20 minute program with an opportunity to view the swans up close. The first swan release will be at Rapp Park, north of Shenandoah, at 9:30 a.m. The second site is the Riverton Wildlife Area Jensen Tract, in Fremont County, with a program at Riverton City Park Pavilion, preceding the release, at 2 p.m. 

Four swans will be released at each site.Trumpeter swans are the largest waterfowl in North America, weighing up to 32 pounds and with a wing span of up to eight feet.  The swans being released are part of the Iowa DNR’s statewide trumpeter swan restoration effort to restore wild, free-flying swans to Iowa.