The chief negotiator for the Council Bluffs Education Association says his union has asked the Council Bluffs School Board for a total package increase of 8.02-percent. Robert Hansen says the CBEA’s membership is mindful that the district has financial issues, but he says his goal to make sure teachers in the district “Dont’t lose money out of pocket.” The education association negotiates on behalf of the 623 teachers employed in Council Bluffs schools.

Last year, the Council Bluffs School Board approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Council Bluffs Education Association that included a total package increase of 2.73 percent. This year the district has counter-offered what would be an increase of about 1.68 percent. Janet Reiners, the executive director of human resources and a negotiator for the district, told the Omaha World-Herald that the district’s counter-offer is to “keep the (pay) base the same at $31,929,” but allow teachers to get the automatic increases scheduled for each year they work for the district. The current agreement means teacher pay ranges from $37,676 to $69,797, depending on experience and education level.

Both Hansen and Reiners expect negotiations to go smoothly.Lewis Central’s Education Association, negotiating on behalf the Lewis Central school district’s 200 teachers, has asked for a total package increase of 6.77 percent this year, while the district has countered with no increase in the base and a smaller district contribution to the insurance package. Superintendent Mark Schweer said the two sides aren’t expected to meet again until they know what the health insurance premiums numbers will be.  Schweer said those numbers could rise by as much as 10 percent.

(Please see the later version of this story – posted at 9:30-a.m. 1/30/12. The vehicle has been found.)

Authorities in Montgomery County are asking for the public’s help in locating a pickup truck which was reported stolen out of Villisca, Sunday. The white, 2009 Ford Ranger extended cab truck with Iowa license plate 336 WZX, was taken from in front of a home in the 500 block of East 8^th Street in Villisca, sometime between 11:30-p.m Saturday, and Noon on Sunday. If you have seen the vehicle or know where it is at, contact the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at  712-623-5107, or Crimestoppers, at 1-800-432-1001.

Iowa native and medal of honor recipient, Sal Guinta (Joon-tuh), will speak today (Monday) at an event in Omaha on post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and how it impacts soldiers.  “I think everyone has issues because of the (lives) that we were living for those 15 months during that deployment, to come back to normal life is such a drastic change,” he explains. “Everyone goes through moments of feeling as an outsider and trying to adjust back to what is normal. But I think with the proper amount of support and people out there to help, you can overcome that and you can easily pick up with a normal life.”

Guinta says soldiers now receive much support when they return home and the public welcomes them with open arms. That wasn’t the case 50 some years ago when Vietnam veterans returned, and he credits those vets for making it easier for today’s soldiers. Guinta says the Vietnam vets said the way they were treated would never happen again and they are ensuring that. Giunta, a Hiawatha native, was awarded the military’s highest honor for his bravery during combat in Afghanistan. He chose not to re-enlist in the military and is now a student at Colorado State University.

“They have this new thing called the post-9-11 G-I Bill which is essentially going to pay 100 percent of my college tuition, so I think I’m gonna jump on that knowledge bandwagon and ride that as long as I can,” Guinta explained. Guinta will be speaking at the third annual “At Ease Luncheon” at the Century Link Center.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)

Two Sioux City residents died and another was injured during a crash on Interstate 80 Sunday morning about a mile east of Casey, in Adair County. The Iowa State Patrol says 58-year old Cynthia Piester, and her daughter, 38-year old Jennifer Piester, died in the crash. Cynthia’s husband, 60-year old Johnny Piester, who was driving the SUV, was injured, and transported by Stuart Rescue to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, where he was listed in fair condition Sunday night.

Officials say Piester’s 2000 Chevy Trail Blazer was traveling east on I-80 at around 10:50-a.m., when, for reasons unknown, the SUV entered the median, went between the bridges of the Middle River, and came into contact with the rock embankment. The vehicle rolled onto its roof, made contact with the west bank of the river, and slid across the river ice before coming to rest partially submerged on the east bank of the river.

All three of the accident victims were wearing their seatbelts. The accident resulted in the east and westbound inside lanes of I-80 being closed. The westbound inside lane was closed for about two hours, while the eastbound inside lane remained closed for a little more than four-hours.

The accident remains under investigation.