(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board, Wednesday evening, held a Work Session in the Central Office Conference Room in the CCEOC/Link Center on southwest 7^th Street. During their meeting, the Board approved a six-percent salary increase for Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen, who will begin her second year of a two-year contract. The six percent is the same as the district staff members. The Board spent about 35-minutes discussing methods of self-evaluation and Board Goals.

Afterward, they agreed to accept a bid for tree removal on District property. Board President Kristy Pellett explained said they had received several bids, and..

Atlantic School Board meeting, 6-26-24 (video from YouTube)

Superintendent Johnsen said ACSD Maintenance Director Russell Peck recommended the Board accept a low bid of $14,950 from Minors Tree Service. The company expects a majority of the work could take place in two-to-three days, beginning sometime this summer.

The Contract calls for the removal of the trees and refilling the holes. The Board also accepted a bid for the replacement of all of the windows at the CCEOC.

The contract was awarded to Atlantic Glass for $34,600. Work on the project is expected to begin this summer. In other business, the Atlantic School Board set July 17^th at 5:30-p.m., as the date/time for their Board Retreat. The next regular meeting of the Atlantic School Board is set for 5:30-p.m., on July 10^th.

GREENFIELD, Iowa [KCCI-TV] — People in Greenfield are receiving some comfort in the form of quilts. Last month, the Des Moines Area Quilter’s Guild asked members to donate quilts after a tornado tore through town. The quilts came from all over Iowa.

Wednesday night, they were handed out at the Greater Greenfield Foundation Gathering Place. The guild says, even though it’s warm outside right now, the quilts can comfort people who’ve gone through a hard time.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a woman from Ringgold County was arrested today (Thursday), at around 12:45-a.m., at Highway 34 and Mulberry Street, in Creston. 20-year-old Olivia Claire Henry, of Ellston, was charged with Possession/Purchase of Alcohol by a person under age (18, 19 or 20-years old)/1st offense. She was issued a citation and released from the scene on a Promise to Appear in Court.

And, at around 8:15-p.m., Wednesday, Police in Creston arrested 40-year-old Curtis Lee Lamasters, of Creston. He was taken into custody on a Union County warrant charging him with four-counts of Child Endangerment. Lamasters was transported to the Union County Jail and later bonded-out.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department’s Advisory Commission, Wednesday afternoon, received an update from Atlantic Splashpad Committee Member Ali Pieken. She said while work on the project located near the Sunnyside Pool has been slowed by freight issues in getting the splash pad equipment to the site, but now that the material has arrived, officials with the Hensley Group, LLC, in Muscatine, told her preparation work on the site is expected to resume on Monday.

She said “We’ll see some progress here shortly.” An official groundbreaking ceremony for the project was held last month. Earlier this month, Rob Stamp with Stamp Construction was providing an in-kind donation on dirt work for the project.

In other business, Atlantic Parks & Rec Coordinator Jeff Christensen reported to the Parks Commission the flag at the downtown City Park was recently replaced, and discussions continue with regard to replacing a weathered and aging sign at the entrance to the Bull Creek Pathway. The current sign has some broken boards.

The new sign will be acryllic and from J&J Designs in Atlantic, but questions remain about how it will be mounted/framed.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO-TV) — A Johnston man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly placing a digital camera, disguised as a pen, in the dressing room of a West Des Moines Target store. 25-year-old Blake Devens was booked into the Polk County Jail Tuesday evening. He faces a charge of placing a camera and/or electronic surveillance device-trespass /1st offense. Devens was released a few hours later. Devens’ next court appearance is scheduled for July 5th.

A criminal complaint filed in the case says Devens entered a changing room at the Target store on Mills Civic Parkway June 2nd, and a little before 1:00-p.m., and placed a “digital audio and video recording device, disguised as an ink pen, on the bench.” The complaint said Bevens also tried to put another device under the mirror but decided not to “likely due to its conspicuous placement.”

Blake Devens booking photo

A West Des Moines Police spokesperson said the investigation began when Target’s loss prevention personnel discovered the “pen” in a routine sweep of the changing room. The “pen” appeared to be suspicious. When it was taken apart it was discovered that it was a recording device.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell will join Govenor Kim Reynolds for a tour of the flood damaged areas in northwest Iowa today (Thursday). The tour is set to begin in Rock Valley around 9 a-m. They will move to a tour of damage in Cherokee and then Spencer. A federal disaster declaration has already been declared for the area, opening up federal aid to help in the recovery effort.

(Radio Iowa) – The moratorium on new gambling licenses imposed by the state legislature is set to expire at the end of this month. Racing and Gaming Commission administrator Tina Eick  says they are prepared for a discussion of their next step. “The Commission has signaled at the last meeting in June that they would be discussing what to do with any potential applications at its July 8th meeting in Altoona at Prairie Meadows,” she says. A group in Cedar Rapids announced it will seek an application. Eick says the Racing and Gaming Commission discussion will likely center on the impact of any new licenses.

“Historically what the commission has done as a part of any application process for considering new facilities or new licenses would be to conduct a new or its own specific market study at that point in time,” Eick says. She says they will have a full discussion of any issues involving new licenses. “The commission would be looking to gather as much information about any new facility and what the impact good or bad would be to a new license,” Eick says.

The I-R-G-C denied previous license requests for a Cedar Rapids casino in 2014 and 2017 based in part on concerns on the impact of the existing casinos. The I-R-G-C has all new members since that last vote was taken.