(Anita, Iowa) – The CAM School Board, Monday evening, held a public hearing on a published 2021-22 Budget Amendment. Superintendent Paul Croghan said there were no comments from the public, during the hearing.

Mr. Croghan said also, the Board approved several resignations.

They also approved the issuance of contracts to a few individuals.

In other action, the CAM School Board voted to list district property with a realtor, and decide later if they want to sell the property. They also approved an MSW (Master Social Worker) agreement with Green Hills AEA. The agreement is essentially the same as last year, but like everything else, it’ll cost more.

The Board approved: two additional Iowa Connections Academy graduates; a contract with Atlantic Bottling; a District Developed Service Delivery Plan; Contracted Technology services, and, milk-bread-and chemical bids for the FY23-24 School Years. Their final action – followed a closed session – was to deny an Open Enrollment request for two students.

(Anita, Iowa) – The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund has donated $500 to the Friends of Lake Anita, for their annual kids fishing clinic scheduled to take place the first weekend in June.  Fishing is a great sport that can be part of your entire life.  Fund spokesperson Melanie Petty (Trevor’s mom), said “Trev loved fishing in his down time, especially during his college years.”

The 14^th Annual TFred Memorial Golf Tournament will be held on June 18^th this year at the Atlantic Golf and Country Club.  All monies raised at the tournament are given back to the community that Trevor loved.  Although the tournament is full for this year there are still opportunities to donate.

Melanie Petty presents a check for the Friends of Lake Anita annual fishing clinic.

Melanie said “We are still taking items for the silent auction that is held in the clubhouse all day.  Hole sponsorships are also available for $100.  If you have time that day stop up and visit us to have lunch and bid on the items for the auction.”  The fund is a 501©3 Non Profit Organization.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a woman was arrested for shoplifting Monday evening. Authorities say 23-year-old Monica Nicole Johnston, of Creston, was taken into custody at the Creston WalMart store at around 7:45-p.m.  Johnston was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree, cited, and then released from the scene.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A woman from Red Oak was arrested Monday night on a warrant out of Missouri. Red Oak Police report officers conducted a traffic stop at around 10:06-p.m. at 2nd Avenue and W. 3rd Street. Upon further investigation, it was determined that the driver, 39-year-old Ronda Jean Allen, of Red Oak, had an active warrant out of Atchison County, MO., for Failure to Appear, on an original charge of passing bad checks.

Allen was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a charge of Fugitive from Justice, and was being held on a $1,500 bond or extradition to Missouri.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – A regular meeting of the Atlantic School Board will take place, Wednesday. The meeting is being held at the Schuler Elementary School Media Center, beginning at 5:30-p.m. (Find the full agenda HERE) The Board is expected to act on approving the resignations of:

• Molly O’Hara, Middle School Building Secretary
• Jennifer Renz, Washington Paraeducator
• Regina Honke, Ticket Manager
• Dan Vargason, AHS Fuel Sponsor, &
• Mallory Kirchhof, Junior Class & Prom Sponsor.

The Board is also expected to approve contract recommendations for:

• Derek Handel, Alternative Education Teacher
• Angela Behrens, Lori Namanny, and Melissa Balch: Summer Food Service.
• Gentri Meier, Mental Health Professional (revised)
• Sarah Rose & Katie Hedegaard, HS Cheerleading Co-Sponsors
• Jazlyn Visek, Substitute Bus Paraprofessional.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board will act on approving:

• 2022-23 Substitute Employee Pay Rates: Superintendent Barber is proposing an increase of 50-cents per hour for some classes and a Five-dollar raise for substitute teachers.
• The Board will act on Student Fees for the 22-23 School Year, including a Waiver of Fees for families that meet the income guidelines for free and reduced lunch prices, the Family Investment Program, SSI, transportation assistance (Under open enrollment), or who are in foster care and eligible to have their student fees waived or partially waved. Students whose families are experiencing temporary financial difficulty may also be eligible for a temporary waiver. Parents of students who think they may qualify, must contact the Superintendents Office for a waiver form.
• The Atlantic School Board is expected to approve Mr. Barber’s recommendation for renewing sharing agreements with area school districts, with regard to: Girls and Boys swimming; Girls Soccer and Girls Wrestling.

(Radio Iowa) – Dubuque County Supervisors have approved spending five million dollars in federal funding on a permanent stadium next to the “Field of Dreams” movie site near Dyersville — and a new non-profit plans to seek other grants and private donations for the 50 million dollar project. Major League Baseball set up the playing field at the site for a nationally televised game last August, with another game scheduled there this summer. Travel Dubuque president Keith Ray says the ball diamond, fencing and lights are permanent at the site, so the new “This is Iowa Ballpark” non-profit plans to build a permanent club house, concession stands, restrooms and seating for spectators.

“We’ve had significant interest across the board, across the nation, across the world from individuals, teams that want to play at that site,” Ray says. “…We are trying to get the funds together to build a permanent, world-class, multi-purpose facility there.” Dubuque County Supervisors agreed to use five million dollars of the county’s American Rescue Plan funding on this project. Dyersville officials have approved one million dollars. Ray says the plan is for the stadium to host events mainly from April through November.

“To just showcase what Dubuque County, what rural, what Dyersville, what the State of Iowa is to millions of people,” Ray says. Ray discussed the non-profit’s plans at the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday (Monday). Ray says it’s important to build on the momentum from the Major League games and the movie that inspired it all.

“Since 1989 when the first couple drove down the driveway from New York, came to Don Lansing’s farm and just wanted to go out on the ball diamond and play catch, it has become an iconic spot not only for the United States, but throughout the entire world.” This project to build a permanent Field of Dreams stadium is separate from the plan from private developers who intend to build a hotel, youth baseball and softball fields and dorms near the movie site.

(Radio Iowa) – Temperatures have shot up into the 80s and 90s today across Iowa. National Weather Service meteorologist, Roger Vachalek says the temperature isn’t the only thing making it warm.  “Along with that you’ve noticed a rapid increase in a humidity level so it feels exactly like you would expect for summertime,” he says, “and that’s going to continue for the next couple of days across the region. A little cooler tomorrow but we’ll be back up again around 88 or 90 come Wednesday, and then Thursday. not so much of a change — and then into the weekend we start to cool off.”

We’ve already seen a lot of ups and downs in temperatures this year — but Vachalek says the next one won’t be as extreme. Gonna be a stairstep. Friday we’ll have a high of around 80 And then Saturday we’ll be back to 77. And then towards Sunday and Monday right around 70 degrees,” Vachalek says “So we really get into somewhat we would call more seasonal weather towards the end of the weekend and into early next week, but for now we’re way above normal or normal highs right around 70 or so this time of the year.” There’s good news for those itching to get their gardens planted.

“We’re probably not going to see freezing temperatures again at least next week it’s just going to be that lows will be in the 40s and 50s,” Vachalek says, “so certainly plants can survive that, and we’re getting past the time of the year when it’s less much less likely to see that sort of thing.” The high temperatures have been accompanied by heavy winds — but that will change.

“A trough of low pressure which is really a wind shift line is going to approach the state. Now keep in mind that it’s going to do a number of things overnight tonight. That is going to bring us a pretty good chance for showers and thunderstorms, especially over northeastern Iowa. And those storms may begin to build back into central and southern Iowa during the later evening and overnight,” he says.”We do have a risk tonight for some strong to severe storms, and maybe some locally heavy rainfall and some of the storms that do get going.”

“The winds will die off but we will have a threat then for some severe weather as we get into the nighttime hours tonight, especially in parts of Northern Iowa and then possibly extending back into southern Iowa a bit later on,” Vachalek says. He says it’s not looking like we will get many record highs today.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, Monday (Today), released his weekly reports on arrests and/incidents. He says at around 10:25-p.m., Saturday, 49-year-old Dixie Dee Dukes, of Fontanelle, was arrested for OWI/1st offense. Dukes was later released with a citation. At around 8:10-p.m., Saturday, 51-year-old John Leroy Pace, Jr., of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Barred, and possession of a marijuana. Pace was released the next day on a $2,000 bond.

On May 5th, Deputies from Adair County arrested 35-year-old Charles William Walker, of Council Bluffs, on an Adair County warrant for Burglary in the 3rd Degree. He was taken into custody at the Pottawattamie County Jail and held in the Adair County Jail on a $5,000 cash-only bond. Also arrested May 5th, was 43-year-old Derrick Jacquay Roberson, of Colorado Springs, CO. Roberson was arrested by Stuart Police following an attempted traffic stop for a defective headlight. Roberson ignored the officer’s emergency lights, and continued on the I-80 eastbound shoulder. The man eventually pulled-over, and, following an investigation, was arrested for intent to distribute and Failure to affix a drug tax stamp. Inside his vehicle police found multiple ziplock bags containing a large amount (3.47 lbs) of marijuana flower, as well as THC edibles. A check of his arrest record indicated Roberson was charged multiple times on drug offenses dating back to 1996. His bond was set $10,000.

On May 3rd, Adair County Deputies arrested 20-year-old Keondre Laron Evans, and 20-year old Jayla Lynn Walker, both of Omaha, for Possession of a controlled substance/marijuana – 1st offense. The pair were taken into custody following a traffic stop on eastbound I-80, on a vehicle with no tail lights illuminated. Both subjects were later released on $1,000 bonds, each.

And, on May 2nd, 50-year-old Jason Edward Caldwell, of Stuart, was arrested at the Fairview Church in Stuart. He was wanted on an Adair County warrant for Failure to Appear in Court on April 29th, as ordered. Caldwell was later released on a $2,000 bond.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A collision between a car and a school bus Monday morning, in Red Oak, resulted in minor injuries to the teenage driver of the car. Red Oak Police say a 16-year-old male from Red Oak was driving a 1995 Ford Taurus northbound on 8^th Street and had just traversed the intersection of N 6^th Street and E Summit Street. The teen was reaching for an orange, when the vehicle veered  and struck a Red Oak Community School District Bluebird bus, just behind the left front steer tire of the vehicle. The teen was cited for Failure to Maintain Control.

The school bus was operated by 52-year-old John Paul Beer, of Villisca. Beer, and a para-professional on-board were the only occupants, and both were uninjured. There were no students on the bus. The teen driver of the car was transported to Montgomery County Memorial Hospital for evaluation of a possible minor injury. A passenger in the teen’s vehicle was not injured.

The bus sustained approximately $1,000 damage. The Ford Taurus sustained approximately $2,500 damage. The Red Oak Police Department was assisted at the scene by Red Oak Fire and Rescue, Montgomery County Emergency Management and Red Oak Community School District Officials.

(Audubon, Iowa) – About a dozen students with the Audubon Community School District protested issues of Bullying and Harassment this (Monday) morning. The students apparently perceive not enough is being done by school administrators to deal with the perpetrators of the actions allegedly taking place. Superintendent Eric Trager says what the students and some parents don’t understand, is that information about student disciplinary actions is not something they are allowed to release to the public.

The District, he said, “Honors their right to do that (Protest),” but it does count against them as an “Unexcused absence.”

Mr. Trager said some parents, while understanding of the reason, were not too pleased with how and when it was carried out.

Trager said they often hear that the district isn’t doing anything to reduce bullying and harassment, but he says that’s simply not true.

He says the district will continue to follow their rules as policies and rules seriously and as allowed by law.