A public hearing will be held Monday evening in Audubon, as part of the Audubon Community School District’s meeting of the Board of Education. The hearing, which takes place at 6-p.m. in the Board of Education’s meeting room at the Audubon High School, is with regard to the Fiscal Year 2018 School Calendar. Patrons wishing to speak for or against any changes to the calendar should contact Superintendent Brett Gibbs or School Board President Christy Konkler, prior to the meeting.

Following the hearing, the School Board will act on approving the FY 2018 School Calendar, the initial proposal with the Audubon Education Association, and Personnel matters.

Prior to adjournment, the Board move into a closed session for the purpose of discussing strategy with regard to negotiations with a Collective Bargaining Unit.

An accident in Red Oak Saturday evening was blamed on sun glare and following too closely. 35-year old Bobbie Jo Bruce, of Red Oak, told Police the sun was in her eyes and she didn’t realize how close her 1995 Dodge Stratus was to a vehicle in front of her, before rear-ending the other vehicle at around 5:40-p.m., Saturday.

The accident happened as a 2005 Toyota Tundra pickup driven by 68-year old Walter Williams, of Glenwood, was slowing down before crossing the intersection at 3rd and Elm Streets in Red Oak. No injuries were reported. Damage from the collision amounted to $3,300. There were no citations issued.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a man was arrested late Saturday night on drug charges. 19-year old Lucas Alexander Gray, of New Market, was taken into custody in Villisca at around 11-p.m. and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Gray was also cited for Possession of Alcohol under the legal age. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

And, Montgomery County Deputies arrested 19-year old Amilee Mylie Squires, of Villisca, at around 6:30-p.m. Saturday, in Villisca. Squires was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense. Her bond was set at $1,000.

Red Oak Police report the arrest of three people this (Sunday) morning. At around 4:23-a.m., officers took 21-year old Nikolus Brenton Schooling, of Red Oak, into custody on charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond at the Montgomery County Jail was set at $1,000.

At around 2:30-a.m., Red Oak Police arrested 56-year old Gary Richard Germar, Jr., of Red Oak, for Domestic Abuse Assault. Germar, Jr. was being held without bond at the Montgomery County Jail, until being seen by a magistrate.

And at around 1:35-a.m., Red Oak Police arrested 23-year old Stefani Rae-Ann Smith, of Red Oak, for OWI/1st offense. Smith was being held at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on a $1,000 cash bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:25 a.m. CST

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City man has been found guilty of second-degree murder. The Daily Nonpareil reports a Pottawattamie County jury found 48-year-old Elias Wanatee, of Sioux City, guilty Friday after eight hours of deliberation.

It was the second trial for Wanatee in the case. His first trial ended in a mistrial in December after Woodbury County jurors couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict. Wanatee’s second trial was moved to Council Bluffs to avoid pretrial publicity.

Authorities say Wanatee stabbed to death 50-year-old Vernon Mace in Sioux on Feb. 17, 2016. Wanatee’s defense attorney had argued that Wanatee acted in self-defense because Mace had threatened him with a firearm weeks before.

DENISON, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of crashing his car into a river in western Iowa, killing a teenager, has pleaded not guilty to all nine charges against him in the case. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports 24-year-old Ramon Hernandez remains jailed in Crawford County. He is charged with vehicular homicide and eight drug and alcohol counts.

Authorities say Hernandez drove through a farm field with four teenagers in his car before it plunged into the Boyer River on Jan. 19. He and three of the others reached safety. The body of 15-year-old Yoana Acosta was found a week later on Jan. 26.

Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle has announced the Cass County Democrats will hold their 2017 Off-Year Caucus on Tuesday, March 21st, at the Cass County Court House, second floor Court Room, in Atlantic. The Caucus will be called to order at 6-p.m., but Democrats are advised to arrive between 5:30-and 6-p.m., in order to register. For those who are not currently registered as Democrats, voter registration forms will be available to allow as many voters to participate as want to. One must be a registered Democrat in order to participate in the Caucus.

Toelle said that it would be a great opportunity for Democrats to discuss the issues they feel are important to them, whether those be local, state, or national concerns. Those issues will then be forwarded to the Iowa Democratic Party for candidates who decide to run for office in 2018. In a statement she said “We hope to bring even more passionate Democrats into the Central Committee, filling vacancies that currently exist. We also will be advocating for Democrats to run for local and state offices in 2018. Democrats who are considering a run for political office should contact me to further discuss that possibility.”

Following the Caucus, the Cass County Central Committee will hold its biennial organizational meeting at which time committee officers will be elected. Snacks and beverages will be served since the meetings fall over the dinner hour. All Democrats are encouraged to attend the Caucus.

SIDNEY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have ticketed a teen driver involved in the crash of a pickup and school bus in southwest Iowa last month, saying the boy was texting when the crash occurred. The Iowa State Patrol tells the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil that 18-year-old Drew Graham has been ticketed on suspicion of texting while driving, driving on the wrong side of the road and not wearing a seat belt.

Authorities Graham’s truck hit a bus leaving Sidney Junior-Senior High School grounds the morning of Feb. 22, causing minor injuries to the 60-year-old bus driver and two students on the bus. Graham was critically injured and was flown to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. He is expected to recover.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Council Bluffs officials hope a $36 million redevelopment of a key thoroughfare will spark economic development and brighten a busy area. The Omaha World-Herald reports work will start this month on a five-year overhaul of West Broadway, which connects Council Bluffs and Omaha, Nebraska.

The work will include colored pavers, new street lights and decorative pillars. Crews also will install new sewers, which should lessen cracking caused by pooling water that freezes and thaws. The three blocks closest to Omaha should be completed by this fall, providing a sense of what’s to follow.

Officials say the work follows city moves to buy and demolish a number of dilapidated buildings along Broadway, leaving grassy plots the city hopes to sell. The project is funded with public and private sources.