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Audubon School Board approves FY 22 Budget

News

April 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Audubon School District’s Board of Education held a public hearing and a very short, special session, Tuesday evening. Superintendent Eric Trager told KJAN News the Board approved the FY22 Budget as proposed.

(Essentially, he said, the budget reduces the tax asking by three-cents, from $11.90/$1,000 assessed valuation, to $11.87/$1,000. It generates an additional $14,500 for the district for the coming year.)

The next step is for the budget to be certified and sent to the State for filing, before April 15th.

Posted in News |

Governor Reynolds gave two agency directors $96,000 in bonuses this year

News

April 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The Cedar Rapids Gazette is reporting Governor Kim Reynolds has given two state agency directors big bonuses this year. The Gazette got documents showing the governor gave Iowa Homeland Security director Paul Trombino a 46-thousand dollar bonus in February, bringing his annual salary to nearly 160-thousand dollars. Debi Durham, the director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority AND the Iowa Finance Authority, got a 50-thousand dollar bonus in January.

Durham had been Economic Development Authority director since 2011, but in 2018 Reynolds fired the Finance Authority’s director, who was accused of sexual harassment, and asked Durham to lead that agency as well. Documents posted on The Cedar Rapids Gazette website show Durham’s salary this year will top 200-thousand dollars.

Posted in News |

ISU women’s hoops loses two transfers in two days

Sports

April 7th, 2021 by admin

The Iowa State women’s basketball team has seen two players decide to leave the program in the past two days.

On Monday freshman guard Kylie Feurbach announced that she will enter the transfer portal and head to a new school. No particular reason was given for Feurbach’s decision. She averaged 5.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game this year and started 24 games.

On Tuesday Senior Madison Wise announced that she will take advantage of her extra year of eligibility but will do so at another school. Wise averaged 4.4 points and 4.5 rebounds during her final year with Iowa State. Wise has dealt with some family adversity in the past year and expressed a desire to be closer to her family and to head to a school that offers the Masters program she is interested in.

Posted in Sports |

Atlantic FFA Members Participate in the Annual Tractor Ride to School Day

Ag/Outdoor

April 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

(Story by Atlantic FFA Reporter Aspen Nilasen) – To many students, the ride to school usually involves the requirement of driving themselves by motorized vehicles, or having their parents drop them off. But last Friday, March 12th, the Atlantic FFA members had the opportunity to ride to school in a different ride. This “ride” was a part of the annual Tractor Ride to School Day that the Atlantic FFA Chapter conducts every year during the spring. Members who participated met at the Walmart located one mile away from the High School. From there, they drove to the High School in a large line of green, red, and blue tractors.

Picture Left to right
Top Row: Cooper Jipsen, Drey Newell, Dan Freund, Jacob Haupert; Middle Row:
Colton Becker, Wyatt Redinbaugh, Dylan Comes; Bottom Row: DJ Shepperd, Brett Dreager, Chase Vogl, Wyatt Simons, Hudon Goff, Charles Klemmensen, Colton Rudy. (Photo submitted)

This year, 13 members took part in the event. Charles Klemmensen said “I had pride driving my tractor to school! It felt really good seeing people drive by me with big smiles on their faces honking their horns. Representing the Atlantic FFA with my buddies and parking our tractors in front of the school was a great feeling. It was a great experience standing around the tractors and talking with other FFA members and even some non-members who just wandered over because they were interested. I drove a John Deere 455 Lawn Tractor that I took the mowing deck off of. Tractor day is probably one of my favorite days of the year and is a good way of showing the community our pride in our FFA program, as well as a good way to get kids interested in joining. I enjoyed the whole experience and I look forward to future tractor days.”

The following is the list of members who participated in tractor day: Drey Newell, Daniel Fruend, Cooper Jipsen, Wyatt Redinbaugh, Dylan Comes, Wyatt Simons, Hudson Goff, Chase Vogl, Colton Becker, Brett Dreager, Colton Rudy, Jacob Haupert and Charles Klemmensen.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Ag/Outdoor |

Cass County Master Gardeners to Host Spring Plant Sale May 8

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Cass County Master Gardeners are excited to announce the return of their annual Spring Plant Sale for 2021. Cancelled last year as the pandemic prohibited public gathering, the 2021 event promises to have a wide variety of spring perennials available for gardeners looking to update their landscape this year. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday morning, May 8, at the Cass County Community Center, 805 W 10th Street, on the Cass County Fairgrounds. The sale will be open to the public to purchase divided perennials suitable for spring planting, as well as possibly some garden tools and decor.

The sale begins at 8 AM, and will be held in the front parking lot of the Cass County Community Center on the fairgrounds in Atlantic. Interested gardeners are encouraged to arrive early for best plant selection, as the annual spring and fall sales occasionally sell out before 10 AM. Due to the pandemic, several safety measures will be in place for this sale, including recommending the use of masks when interacting with others and completing purchase, spreading out sale items to allow for social distancing, hand sanitizer stations and a one-way traffic flow for shoppers.

Cass County Master Gardeners will be bringing a variety of plants from their own gardens, as well as plants dug from gardens around the community, for this sale. Community members are also welcome to donate plants to this event, and members may even help you dig! If you are dividing perennials in your yard this spring and have extra plants to donate, please call in advance and make arrangements to drop off donated plants before the date of the plant sale. As the event gets closer, the group will be sharing a list of plants expected to be available at the sale. Cass County Master Gardeners use funds from the plant sale to support their scholarships and community grants, as well as projects they do around the county each year.

For more information about these events and about Master Gardener activities in Cass County, please call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, or email Cass County Extension Director and Master Gardener Coordinator Kate Olson at keolson@iastate.edu. In addition, you are invited to follow the Cass County Master Gardeners at their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CassCoMG to keep up with local events and tips for gardening. For anyone interested in learning more about the Master Gardener program and becoming a Master Gardener, the next class will begin in August of 2021, with a mix of online and hands-on learning. Find details and sign up on the Iowa Master Gardener website, or call the Cass County Extension office to learn more!

Posted in Ag/Outdoor, News |

Bolton enters the transfer portal

Sports

April 7th, 2021 by admin

Iowa State’s top scorer on the hardwood last season will no longer be with the program. Rasir Bolton announced Tuesday that he will enter the NCAA transfer portal and look for a new school.

Bolton led the Cyclones this season with 15.5 points per game and was named a Third Team All-Big 12 Selection.

This will be Bolton’s third team in four years. He transferred from Penn State to Iowa State in 2019.

Posted in Sports |

Panorama Kip Janvrin Relays 04/06/2021

Sports

April 7th, 2021 by admin

Girls Team Scores

  1. Harlan 130
  2. Panorama 84
  3. Mount Ayr 78
  4. Madrid 52
  5. Greene County 50
  6. Woodbine 46
  7. Glidden-Ralston 42
  8. ACGC 39
  9. Woodward-Granger 22
  10. Ogden 13

Harlan got wins from Ally Curren in the 400M Hurdles, Brooke Goshorn in the Discus. 4x400M Relay, Shuttle Hurdle Relay, Sprint Medley, and Distance Medley. Chloe Largent won the High Jump for AC/GC.

Full results HERE

Boys Team Scores

  1. ACGC 150
  2. Woodbine 114
  3. Mount Ayr 97
  4. Greene County 86
  5. Woodward-Granger 53
  6. Glidden-Ralston 48
  7. Ogden 36
  8. Panorama

AC/GC was led by wins in the 1600M and 3200M from Trevin Suhr. Charlie Crawford won the 800M and Clayton Wardyn won the High Jump. The Chargers also took the Distance Medley win.

Full results HERE

Posted in Sports |

Adair County Board of Supervisors deny alcohol sale request at the fairgrounds

News

April 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Adair County Board of Supervisors, during an electronic meeting Wednesday morning, voted against the sale of alcohol during the Adair County Fair. Prior to the meeting, written objections were raised to the idea from Adair County residents Colleen and Jerry Oxley, Barb Kalbach, and LuAnne Shelley. In her statement, LuAnn Shelley said “The county fair is for the children! (If the adults think they need alcohol, there are several places they can go drink.) Please leave this for the children! They don’t have as many places or choices as the adults have for recreation. Please, leave this for the children!”

Fairboard member Joe Herr addressed the Supervisors. He said the Fair Board has discussed allowing alcohol on a nightly basis, from one-hour before events to one-half hour after. The venue for serving alcohol would be restricted.

He said alcohol would not be allowed outside of a fenced-in area. Herr acknowledged concerns over persons having too much alcohol, and then drinking and driving.

Herr said allowing alcohol would be a financial benefit to the Fair.

Supervisors Board Chair Steve Shelley made it clear, that if the sale of alcohol is permitted at the Adair County Fair, he will no longer be in favor of Board financial support for the Fair.

Board member Jodi Hoadley suggested if the Fair Board needs the money that badly, the Supervisors could look at increasing the amount they give to the fair each year. In the end, the Supervisors voted unanimously NOT to support the proposal to allow alcohol at the fair.

In other business, the Adair County Supervisors approved a contract for the mowing of the Grove Cemetery. They also agreed to allow in-person meetings at the courthouse, with the provision masks be worn in the courtroom and as social distancing allows, if the governor does not extend her current proclamation. Department heads would have the final decision on whether masks are required in their individual offices.

Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, spoke Wednesday, with regard to a new vehicle purchase/Trade-in. The current 2017 Tahoe has a lot of miles on it. Vandewater has worked out a deal with Karl Chevrolet for a 2021 Tahoe at $36,216. With a trade-in for $18,500, that leaves a net cost of $18,216. The vehicle is Budgeted for already, and board approved the trade-in and purchase.

Posted in News |

Adams County arrest report (4/7/21)

News

April 7th, 2021 by Ric Hanson

The Adams County Sheriff’s Department reports at around 12:10-p.m. on March 31st, Adams County Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Carbon. The driver, 42-year-old Joleen Most, of Carbon, was arrested for Driving While Barred. She was transported to the Adams County Jail.

Posted in News |

No more Hawkeye Express for Iowa football fans

Sports

April 7th, 2021 by admin

IOWA CITY, Iowa – – With the potential of continued social distancing measures during the 2021 football season, a need for future equipment upgrade and overall increases in operation expenses, the University of Iowa Athletics Department and Iowa Northern Railway Company made the decision now is the right time to end this unique gameday experience.

For over 15 years, the Hawkeye Express passenger train has been a part of the Hawkeye football gameday experience. An average of 3,700 fans boarded the train in Coralville and enjoyed a 10-minute trip to Kinnick Stadium each game during the 2019 football season.

“The Hawkeye Express has been a wonderful part of our Hawkeye football gameday experience,” said Matt Henderson, UI senior associate athletics director. “While it was a difficult decision to make, we all agree it is the right decision. This experience would not have occurred without the Sabin family and their Iowa Northern Railway Company.

“We want to thank our partners at the Iowa Interstate Railway, City of Coralville, and business owners near the loading area of the Hawkeye Express,” said Henderson. “A big thank-you goes out to all of the individuals associated with the gameday operations of the Hawkeye Express.”

The Hawkeye Express is owned by the Iowa Northern Railway Company and runs on the track owned by the Iowa Interstate Railroad, which operates between Council Bluffs and Chicago.

“My father, Iowa Northern President Dan Sabin along with Bob Bowlsby (former Iowa athletics director) and Mark Jennings (former Iowa associate athletics director) came up with this unique idea from the past and we have had a lot of fun running this operation since 2004,” said Josh Sabin, Iowa Northern Railway director of administration. “A lot of time and energy goes into this endeavor, but our staff and volunteers have truly enjoyed this experience and seeing the enjoyment of the fans. There is not a good time to close the book on this type of experience, but this decision made sense to both parties.  We are grateful for all the fans who made the train part of their gameday, truly!”

For the 2021 season, fans who enjoyed the Hawkeye Express as their gameday transportation are encouraged to utilize the public parking options around Kinnick Stadium, including free parking at the Hancher or Finkbine commuter lots.  Additional parking information will be posted to www.hawkeyesports.com/gameday.

Posted in Sports |