The Audubon School Board met in an electronic session Monday evening. During their session, hearings were held with regard to the proposed plans, specifications, form of contract, and estimate of cost for Phase One of the Middle School/High School Improvements. A second hearing was held with regard to the FY21 School Budget.

The Board heard some more details on the roof top HVAC unit replacement, from RDH Engineering President Rick Hiatt. He said two units that are five-to six-years old can be left in place. Two units above the weight room will be replaced; A roof-top unit above the locker room will also be replaced with a energy efficient unit. And, a rooftop unit above the elevator lobby is also set for replacement, with an energy efficient unit. The Board later set the bid letting date as May 6th. A Special Board meeting was tentatively set for May 8th to open the bids.

As for the FY21 Budget, it was approved after the Public Hearing. Superintendent Eric Trager went over all the details. What it boils down to is an increase over the last Fiscal Year, of 21-cents per thousand dollars of taxable property valuation, or from $11.69/$1,000 to $11.90/$1,000 (an increase of 12.6%).

The Audubon School Board also approved a canvass of the votes from the March 3rd Special Election. A $7.5-million bond for updating and remodeling the district facilities passed at that time by approximately 70% to 30%. In his report to the Board Superintendent Trager didn’t sugar coat the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the future financial picture.

Trager said one of the impacts will come in the form of sales tax revenue, which is expected to take a hit, and affect the District’s SAVE funds “a great deal, going forward.” He said also, “It’s likely that Income Tax at the State level will be down drastically for 2020. It’s also likely that we will see a financial impact on families in our community, which will affect our Free and Reduced Lunch rate” and other areas. “The financial impact of this,” he said, “Is gonna be significant.”

Trager said also, it’s too early to begin discussions on how to cut services or supports for our families and students. I think it’s probably the opposite of that. This is going to have an impact. This is gonna affect our bottom line. This is probably going to reduce our unspent budget authority which we worked hard to turn around. But I also think that this is a time for us to step up and say ‘yeah we’re gonna have to make some tough financial decisions, but NOT today. When we figured out how we support our families and kids through this, that’s the time to do that.”

Page County has it’s 5th confirmed case of COVID-19. According to Page County Public Health, the individual is an older adult (61 – 80 years) and has contracted the virus via community spread. They are currently hospitalized.

Health officials in Pottawattamie County, Monday evening, said the number of positive COVID-19 cases remains unchanged at 18. Twelve patients have recovered, five are self-isolating at home, and as we’ve previously mentioned, there was one death. Pott. County Public Health says they continue to work closely with the meatpacking and processing plants within the county, as well as with the Iowa Department of Public Health, so as to mitigate any potential out breaks at those facilities.

In Harrison County, they are reporting two additional cases of COVID-19, marking 15 total cases in the county. The individuals are one adult male and one adult female, both ages 41-to 60. The individuals are household contacts of a previously established Harrison County positive case, and have been in home isolation since the previous case tested positive. All contacts that have been deemed at risk have been notified.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An on-duty Linn County sheriff’s deputy working at the Linn County Correctional Center has tested positive for the new coronavirus. The sheriff’s office said in a news release Monday that the deputy showed up for work at the center on Thursday evening symptom-free, but left work near the end of his shift when he began displaying symptoms, including a high fever, and was tested.

He is to remain in self-isolation until he meets guidelines for returning to work. The sheriff’s office says the deputy did not expose any inmates to the virus, but that 11 coworkers were exposed. The sheriff’s office says those coworkers will continue to report for duty as long as they remain asymptomatic.

The Montgomery County Auditor’s Office reports the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors authorized the installation of a new drop box, as another way residents can interact with the Montgomery County Courthouse operations. The drop box is located curbside on the south entrance of the courthouse on Coolbaugh Street.

The drop box is weatherproof, tamper-resistant and is located in a monitored area for security. Auditor Stephanie Burke asks those who have business with the County, to “Please put everything in a secure envelope and address it to the desired county office along with your contact information on the outside of the envelope. No postage is necessary, and the box will be checked every day by authorized personnel.”

The drop box can be used for the following: Treasurer’s Office-MV registrations and property tax payments; Auditor’s Office – absentee ballots and absentee ballot request forms; Recorder’s Office – Real estate documents, certified copy requests and boat & off-road vehicle registrations; Assessor’s Office – real estate credit applications and protest forms; Clerk of Court’s Office – child support, alimony, payments on fines and any documents that are requested to be filed; Veteran’s Affairs Office – forms such as DD form 214 and NGB form 22.

(Radio Iowa) — More than one-hundred Iowa prison inmates have been tested for coronavirus so far and one has tested positive. Three state prison staff members have also tested positive. Iowa Department of Corrections director Beth Skinner is issuing a request to the administrators of Iowa’s 99 county jails:

Skinner says prison officials are working to reduce Iowa’s inmate population which, a month ago, was 22-percent over capacity. Since then, 811 inmates were released, but another 748 were taken in. She’s asking the State Board of Parole to release those who would likely succeed in a community setting.