Several area Boards of Education meetings were held Monday, and for many members of those boards, it was the first time they took their seats following the September 13^th elections. In the Atlantic Community School District, two new board members were sworn in, and a new Board President and Vice President were elected. Superintendent Dr. Mike Amstein said Glen Smith, who has a total of about nine-years of the board and was filling a vacancy position, retired from the board, along with Jon Martens, who served for the past seven-years. Amstein says Josh McLaren and Rodney Hartwig were sworn-in to replace Smith and Martens. Kristy Pellet was elected President of the School Board during Monday night’s session, while Denny Davis was elected Vice President.

Phil Hascall had served as President of the Board for the past five-years. The Elk Horn-Kimballton School District saw no change in leadership on its Board of Education, with Mark Smith being re-elected President and Kevin Peterson Vice President. EHK-Exira Superintendent Dean Schnoes said Joel Schulter was sworn-in as the board’s newest member. Schnoes said also, the Board discussed school lunch prices, which will be going up during the second semester, due to a new formula the district is required to use as part of the “Child Nutrition Act.”  He says the information was sent out in June, after the district has already established its prices for the year. The created a conflict, because the school lunch prices are different for both the EHK and Exira Districts.  Schnoes says the formula required them to change their prices. Letters will be going out to parents in both districts, explaining the reasons behind the change.

In other business, Schnoes said the EHK Board also approved a contract with Warren Watson, as the Junior High Boys Basketball Coach. At the Griswold School Board meeting, Monday, Mary Perdue, who served as Board President for the past 12-years, and three-year board member Angie Amos retired from the board. Scott Peterson from Elliott, and Doug Lembke, who lives near Griswold, were elected by the voters to succeed them. Superintendent Dana Kunze (coon-zee) said the new board elected Steve Baier  as President, and Tom Moore as Vice President.

Kunze said with the Revenue Purpose Statement being approved by the voters last Tuesday, the district can move forward with plans for improvements to their facilities, including the engineering and financing aspects of those projects.

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Rob Seivert  says a Memorial Fund has been established for the family of a Shelby firefighter who died in the line of duty Sunday night. 41-year old Mike Collins, from Minden, was struck and killed by a car while directing traffic at the scene of an accident in Interstate 80 eastbound just east of the Shelby exit, at around 7-p.m.,  Sunday. No charges have been filed, but an investigation into the accident continues.

Collins is survived by his longtime companion, Tanya Collins, and two daughters. Seivert says donations are being accepted at the Shelby County State Bank for the family of Michael Collins. Donations may be dropped off at the Shelby branch of the bank, or mailed to Shelby County State Bank, Shelby Branch, Post Office Box 279, 425 East Street, Shelby, Iowa, 51570.

A visitation for Mike Collins will be held from 4-to 8-pm Thursday, at the Hoy-Kilnoski Funeral Home in Council Bluffs, where a funeral service will be held at 11-a.m., Friday.