Officials with the Glenwood Police Department, report the arrest on Monday, of a woman from Nebraska. 41-year-old Chastity Auman, of Omaha, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Her cash or surety bond was set at $1,000.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Education’s annual report on the 2020-2021 school year for public schools showed a drop of nearly six-thousand students. Department of Education analyst, Jay Pennington, says it is the first drop in enrollment in about ten years. “The largest decreases were in the preschool and kindergarten grades. My guess is that due to some of the unknowns going into the 20-21 school year — that parents opted to keep their kids at home,” Pennington says.

Pennington says they are working on the numbers and do expect an increase in enrollment for the current year. “I think the real question is how many of the six-thousand or so of the students that we lost actually come back for the 2021-22 school year,” he says. Pennington says while there were losses — the enrollment pattern stayed the same as it has been the last several years. That pattern sees about one-third of districts — mostly in the larger urban areas — gaining students. “At the same time we are also seeing two-thirds of districts declining in enrollment. And those typically are the more rural parts of the state,” according to Pennington. “so, even though there was a decrease of a sizable number of students — it sort of followed the typical third to two-thirds pattern.”

The Ed Department’s report showed some positives for students. “For the Class of 2020, we saw a nice increase in the average A-C-T score, which is exciting, unfortunately, we also had fewer students taking that A-C-T in the year. We saw an increase in graduation rate,” he says. He says there are some negatives in the report’s numbers as well. “We saw a sort of an across-the-board decrease in mathematic achievement in the most recent report. At the same time we also saw sort of a mixed bag in terms of some increases in English language, arts — which includes reading and writing — with some grade levels going up and other grade levels going down,” Pennington says.

Other numbers from the report showed the state’s total per-pupil expense in the 2019-20 school year was up 56 dollars from 10-thousand-738 the year before. The number of minority students dropped slightly from 26-point-one percent to 25-point-seven percent.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, today (Wednesday), voted to bring back to the table, the matter of vacating a 40-foot wide, 145-year-old section of road known as 570^th Street, north of Boston Road in Brighton Township/northwestern Cass County, that is in the State of Iowa Right-Of-Way, under Interstate 80. Afterward, they voted to approve a Resolution closing and vacating the road. Board Chair Steve Baier read the proposed Resolution, prior to the Board’s vote:

(The intent of this road closure is to vacate all of 570^th Street contained in the State of Iowa right-of-way for Interstate 80.)

The Resolution further stipulates….

(The remaining roadway segments of 570th north of Boston and south of the Cass/Shelby County line will remain a Class A roadway and Cass County Bridge #460 will remain a priority; and in the event a bridge inspection recommends a posting under a legal 80-thousand pound load, remedial steps to alleviate the deficiency will be taken and be a priority.)

The order to vacate the road is contingent upon one thing…

(The execution of a cooperative agreement fora bridge removal mitigation program between the County and Iowa DOT.)

In other business, the Board discussed but took no action at this time, on the establishment of an abatement plan for industrial or commercial property improvements for specified classes of property in the non-incorporated area of Cass County.

They approved an allowance of $40 per month, for use of a personal cell phone for County business. Their action applies to the following individuals: Info Tech Sean Berens; custodian Dan Proehl; Secondary Roads: shop foreman Curtis Holste; Operators III Ethan Miller and Leo Beschorner; working foremen David Christensen, Andrew Steffen and Scott Holaday; yardman Mark Knudsen; assistant to engineer Rich Hansen; engineer Trent Wolken; Engineering technician Christian Kinzie; Treasurer Tracey Marshall; Sheriff civil deputy Spencer Walton.

The Board discussed financing options for loan notes of six, eight or ten years.  After due discussion, the consensus was to proceed with the six-year option.  Action will be taken at next session.  And, the Board postponed action on approving a construction permit for a 1,280 head of deep bedded beef cattle confinement building for A-to-Z Feeders owned by Alan Zellmer. The structure would be an addition to an existing confinement building, and would bring the total number of beef cattle head to 2,180. The application calls for it to be located in Section 9 of Washington Township. The proposal will be published in the Atlantic News Telegraph for review. The public will have until Dec. 17^th to voice or submit written objection. A public hearing is NOT required. The Board must score the Zellmer’s application via the Master Matrix and submit its recommendation to the Iowa DNR no later than Jan. 3, 2022. More formal action on the matter is expected to take place Dec. 21^st.

And, Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reported a Post-Election Audit Report (confirm election equipment accurately counted the votes on 11/30/2021 Atlantic Run-off Election).  Audit was conducted on Dec. 6.  Hand count was same as machine count.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will meet Wednesday evening at the Schuler Elementary School Media Center. The meeting begins at 6-p.m., and is viewable via Zoom through a link in the district’s Board of Education page.  Action items during their meeting include:

• An amendment to the 2021-22 School Calendar
• approval of the 2020-21 Annual report
• Approval of 2020-21 Depository Statements, &
• An Abstract of Votes from the Nov. 2nd School Election.

Afterword, an organizational meeting of the new board will take place, which includes: The Administering of Oath to those newly elected/re-elected Board Members, and the election of a Board President and Vice President, Treasurer and Secretary. The new board will set the regular date, time and place of future board meetings. In other business, the Atlantic School Board will act on approving resignations, and Superintendent Steve Barber’s contract recommendations. The resignations include: Lindsey Mitchell, Food Service, & Steve Andersen (Transfer from Bus Driver to Substitute Bus Driver.)

Contract Recommends before the Board include:

• Elizabeth Herrick, H.S. Art Teacher (2nd Semester, 2021-22)
• Paul Iekel, Schuler Elem. Special Ed Teacher (0.50 FTE, 2nd Semester)
• Lindsey Mitchell, Early Learning Center Paraeducator.
• Bryce Casey, M.S. Boys Track Coach
• Oran Perkins, JV Basketball Coach
• Jesse McCann, Asst. Girls Soccer Coach
• Sam Kennedy, Substitute School Bus Monitor
• Chris Kennedy, School Route Bus Driver.

The Board will then act on approving SBRC Modified Allowable Growth for LEP allowable costs, in the amount of $71,897, and the purchase of a 77 passenger propane-powered Hogland bus with air conditioning and luggage storage between the axles. The bus would better serve transporting students to all Hawkeye 10 schools, as well as the metro area, according to Transportation Director Mark Weis.

(Radio Iowa) – State troopers say a north-central Iowa man was killed late Monday afternoon in a one-vehicle crash in rural Webster County. The Iowa State Patrol reported a 1998 Dodge pickup truck driven by 45-year-old Arthur Loyd, of Vincent, was traveling eastbound on 140th Street when he lost control of the truck entering the north ditch but gained control of the vehicle, losing it again and entering the south ditch.

The pickup rolled over and came to rest upside down. Loyd was pronounced dead at the accident scene.