Des Moines, Iowa – Officials with the Des Moines International Airport, Wednesday, announced a significant milestone in its history, surpassing the unprecedented mark of serving 3 million passengers in a given year. This achievement is a testament to the airport’s commitment to growing air service and its pivotal role in connecting communities. The Des Moines Airport Authority served 252,219 passengers in December, a 11.7% increase over 2022, totaling 3,097,006 total passengers served in 2023. The remarkable accomplishment of surpassing 3 million passengers reflects the trust and confidence travelers place in the services provided by the airport, the airlines, and all the tenants who strive to make the travel experience convenient and pleasurable.

Airport officials credit this achievement to strategic collaborations with airline partners to offer desirable service to business and leisure travel destinations, continuous infrastructure enhancements to sustain growth, and a steadfast commitment to providing a seamless and enjoyable travel experience. The Des Moines International Airport team thanks passengers, airlines, and the community for their unwavering support in reaching this historic milestone.

DsM International Airport

Kevin Foley, Executive Director of the Des Moines Airport Authority, said “We are thrilled to celebrate this momentous occasion and express our gratitude to the passengers who have chosen Des Moines International Airport as their gateway to the world. This milestone is a testament to the collective efforts of our dedicated team, the enduring support of our community, and the appetite for air travel in our market. We remain committed to elevating the travel experience with the terminal expansion and contributing to the growth and prosperity of our region.”

The Des Moines International Airport, he said, looks forward to building on this success with ongoing initiatives to enhance infrastructure, expand services, and strengthen connectivity to and from Iowa. As the airport continues to play a vital role in connecting people and places, it remains dedicated to providing world-class service to the growing number of travelers choosing Des Moines as their preferred gateway.

To commemorate 2023’s passenger record, the Des Moines Airport Authority is celebrating publicly in the terminal on January 11 with giveaways and a chance to win a $500 flight voucher on the airline of their choice. They will draw three winners from a chance drawing shared on social media, one for every million passengers served last year. The lucky individuals drawn will be announced on the Airport Terminal intercom and will be notified via phone.  Additionally, the airport’s flagship restaurant, Portermill will offer a food and drink special to celebrate reaching 3 million passengers.

No purchase, payment, donation, or account is required to enter or win the prize. A new winner will be drawn if the winner cannot be reached within 24 hours. The winner will receive a $500 flight voucher on an airline offering commercial service at the Des Moines International Airport.

(Radio Iowa) – The number of Iowans who volunteer their time is growing, and college students in northeast Iowa are a big part of that. The Volunteer Center of the Cedar Valley pairs potential volunteers with some 250 area organizations and engages with multiple colleges nearby. Executive director Lauren Finke says since the pandemic, she’s seen a serious re-commitment from college students. “I think they’re staying and wanting to be a part of things,” Finke says, “which has been a really cool twist on seeing students who really connect to their community.” The center has paired about 95-hundred individuals with volunteer opportunities in the past year, up from five-thousand during the pandemic. Finke says talking to students about volunteering in the wake of COVID has helped spur that growth.

“Really having the opportunity to allow students to understand the impact they’re having as a volunteer has definitely made their follow-through, their commitment, and their desire to continue serving even after their assignment’s done for class,” Finke says. The volunteer center is regularly reaching out to at least four area colleges to recruit students, including a standing office at U-N-I. An AmeriCorps study ranks Iowa 4th in the nation for number of volunteers, and more than 40-percent of Iowans have formally donated time over the past two years.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education met Wednesday evening in the High School Media Center. The Board received annual updates from Russell Peck, Facilities Director, and Roger Warne, Technology Director.

Following the District Principal reports, the Atlantic School Board heard from Superintendent Dr. Beth Johnsen, who said the fatal shooting incident in Perry last week was once again “An awakening on the safety of our kids, our most important things that we have.”  Dr. Johnsen extended her appreciation of, and “prayers” for, the Perry community and school district, with regard to the tragedy and what they are going through. The incident was “Horrendous. It’s a parent’s worse nightmare,” she said.

When it comes to the Atlantic CSD, Dr. Johnsen said “We’re gonna work hard to make sure that our kids are safe, give parents the peace of mind that we are going to protect and take care of our kids, no matter what the situation.” She also thanked officers with the Atlantic Police Department who were in the building when the events began to unfold in Perry. “We didn’t ask them, they just showed-up because they knew just their presence gives us that peace of mind that they’re always there to be part of who we are as a school district, to support our families and our kids, and staff.” She said administrators are working on the district safety plan and crisis review, by updating the plans, policies and procedures.

Dr. Johnsen said the district is “sitting good,” with regard to Snow Days and student attendance hours, but considering this upcoming second round of snow storms, there’s less than two days left to miss before hours will have to be made up. Staff however, are going to have to make up some days, regardless of any further time-off for missed days. Those hours could be made-up at the end of the year.

The Board then proceeded to discuss: A Review of the scope of needs for facilities study; Next year’s school calendar, and a change of date for February’s Board meeting. Dr. Johnsen said the Winter (Christmas) break was very long, and staff have said they prefer to have a longer Spring break, which would also align with Iowa Western Community College. She asked the Board to consider how the calendar affects families, when it comes to putting together the 2024-25 District Calendar, and a public hearing on the matter. Board member Josh McLaren was concerned with the lack of “wiggle room” the District would have when it comes to meeting the requirement for student instructional hours, given the 15 hours lost so far this week, due to the snowstorm.

They also discussed and concluded moving their February, 2024 Board meeting to Feb. 7th instead of the 14th, would work out better, taking into account a leadership conference and other matters. Board Secretary Lisa Jones was concerned the Board packet and financial information and bills may not completely available that soon. The Board will hold a Work Session 5:30-p.m. January 24th, at the Central Office Conference Room.

With regard to the Consent Agenda, in the Atlantic School Board approved:

• An Open Enrollment-In Application for an 11th Grade student from the AHSTW School District.
• Resignations:
  1. Aya Hamanaka, 6th – 12th Grade, ELL Teacher, effective the end of 23-24 school year
  2. Traci Luke, Suburban/Car Driver, retro-active to 12/29/2023
  3. Aliyah Jordan, Elementary Sped Para 1 on 1, effective 01/10/2024
  4. Linda Nichols, Home School teacher, effective the end of 23-24 school year
  5. Jessica Burcham, effective 01/10/2024
• Early Retirement Incentive Policy requests from:
  1. Terry Hinzmann, HS History teacher, effective end of 23-24 school year
  2. Kathy Hobson, HS teacher, HS Girls Golf Coach, TLC Mentor effective end of 23-24 school year
  3. Janice Dickerson, Elementary Librarian, effective end of 23-24 school year
• Contract Recommendations and/or Letters of Assignment for:
  i. Kendra Henningnsen, Boys Golf Coach, Spring 2024 season
  ii. Heath Kelley, Junior High Boys Track Coach, Spring 2024 season
  iii. Aliyah Jordan, Middle School Library Para, effective 01/11/2024
  iv. Jessica Burcham, High School Nurse,effective 01/11/2024

And, the following fundraising Requests: I-Jag Fundraiser; Speech & Debate Club Fundraiser.

During the Action Items portion of the agenda, the Atlantic School Board approved:

a. An Out-of-State Trip for Speech team
b. A Modified Supplemental Amount (MSA) for Dropout Potential Prevention, At-Risk Students, of $539,871.
c. And the first reading of certain 400 through 700-series Board policies.