The 8-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Home prices and the number of homes sold across the state both rose last month compared to February of 2014, according to the Iowa Association of Realtors (IAR). A total of 1,971 homes were sold in February. That’s up from 1,877 homes in the same month one year ago. IAR president Jon Yocum, of Dubuque, says homes are selling quickly. “Our inventory is still very much behind where we would like it to be, but the sales prices are up and days on the market are down, so that means there are a lot of active buyers looking to make it good for an active seller to consider putting their home on the market,” Yocum says.

The median sale price last month was $128,916 compared to $119,900 last year. “The sellers are getting the price they’re asking for their home,” Yocum says. “For anybody thinking of selling their home right now, the market isn’t going to be any better than it is today.”

In February of last year, the average days on market was 103 days. Homes sold last month were on the market for an average of only 94 days. Yocum expects sales activity will continue to climb over the next few months. “The first two weeks of March have been very busy. A lot of agents and realtors across the state have been very busy marketing properties,” Yocum says.

A relatively new federal program — requiring a down payment of just three-percent for qualified buyers — is helping spur home sale activity in the state, according to Yocum.

(Radio Iowa)

The 7:07-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Police in Creston report a Nebraska man was arrested Monday morning, on drug charges. 26-year old Justin William Miller, of South Sioux City, NE., was arrested at around 11-a.m. for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Miller was later released on $1,000 bond.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Prosecutors have dismissed their case against a Sioux City father of a 5-month-old who suffered a skull fracture, but the boy’s mother is still charged. The Sioux City Journal reports that Woodbury County Attorney Patrick Jennings said Friday in his motion to dismiss the case that it was unclear whether Aaron Tucker was at fault. Jennings says the case can be refiled if more evidence surfaces.

The boy’s mother, 25-year-old Kara Jackson is charged with child endangerment resulting in serious injury. Her arraignment is set for Monday. According to court documents, Tucker and Jackson accused one another of dropping the child on several occasions.

The Atlantic School Board, Monday, approved a handful of contracts and/or Letters of Assignment, and one resignation. The Board approved: Emily Brown as the Support Instructional Coach at Washington Elementary, Lisa Munsey as Support Instructional Coach at Schuler and the Middle School, and Jarrod O’Donnell as the Support Instructional Coach at the High School; Mike McDermott was approved as the Assistant/JV baseball coach beginning with the 2015 season. He has been serving as the freshman baseball coach; Paul Dudley was approved as the 9th grade baseball coach; Bradley Schwenke was approved as the Assistant Soccer Coach. And, the Board approved the resignation of Chelsea Ross as 8th grade girl’s basketball coach. Ross is leaving to pursue further education.

And, the Atlantic School Board approved the 2015-16 Fee Schedule. Superintendent Mike Amstein said there were basically few changes to the fees for the upcoming school year, with the exception of School Breakfast and Lunch fees, the information for which was not available at the meeting, but will be presented before the board for approval at their meeting in April.

The Fee schedule is as follow:
High School (9-12):                                                                             Middle School:
All Students – Text book rental $55.00                                         Textbook rental $45.00
Music – Band uniform fee $25.00                                                     Music (Band) $30.00
Varsity Show Choir $75.00                                                                  Activity Ticket (optional) $35.00
JV/Freshman Show Choir $50.00
Towel Fee $10.00                                                                                    Schuler Elementary (grades 4-5)
Activity Fee (optional) $35.00                                                          Textbook rental $45.000
Activity Ticket (optional) $20.00
Washington Elementary (grades K-3)
Textbook rental $45.00
Activity ticket (optional $20.00

Students whose families meet the income guidelines for free and reduced price lunch, the Family Investment Program (FIP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), transportation assistance under open enrollment, or who are in foster care, are eligible to have their student fees waived or partially waived. Students whose families are experiencing a temporary financial difficulty may also be eligible for a temporary waiver of student fees. The waiver does not carry over from year-to-year, and an application must be completed annually.

Anita and Wiota Fire and Rescue personnel were paged out to a single-vehicle injury accident  under the 770th Street bridge for Interstate 80, between the 71-and 72 mile markers, on the north side of the road. The page went out at 6:08-a.m. Two people were said to have been injured. The accident reportedly took place several hours ago and the victims have been trying to flag down help. The vehicle was said to be resting on its nose on the guardrail.

No other details currently available.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Federal officials say the former director of Iowa’s workforce agency created a “perceived pressure” to favor employers over workers in unemployment benefits decisions. The U.S. Department of Labor made the assessment about Teresa Wahlert in a recent letter to Beth Townsend, the new director of the Iowa Workforce Development. The letter makes recommendations, including that the position of a chief administrative law judge be merit based. That protects certain state workers from being fired for political reasons.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – A woman has died in a hospital after a fire damaged her home in Davenport. The fire was reported shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday. Authorities say the fire started in a kitchen. The cause is being investigated. The woman, who officials have identified as 34-yer-old Stephanie Ford, was alone in the home when the fire broke out.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A plan for Iowa to hire an outside contractor to vet some Medicaid recipients is under review in the Iowa Senate. The proposal would require the state to contract with an outside vendor to set up a computerized system that would assess whether people who are elderly, blind or disabled meet Medicaid eligibility rules. This would apply to about 78,800 people currently on Medicaid, out of about 550,000 in the program in Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Federal prosecutors say a former Des Moines police officer who was sentenced to less than two years in prison for severely beating a man during a 2012 traffic stop should be locked away for up to 14 years. Merced Dautovic was convicted of using excessive force and obstructing justice in 2012. Federal Judge John Jarvey sentenced him to less than two years and he was released in January 2014.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education Monday night held a public hearing with regard to the district’s proposed 2015-16 Certified Budget. Hearing no comments for or against the proposal, the budget was approved. The Fiscal Year 2016 Budget, which amounts to $6,512,112, is $226,089 more than last year’s (FY2015) budget (of $6,286,023). The school district’s levy will increase from $14.91-per thousand dollars valuation in FY2015 to $15.22-per thousand, for FY 2016.

The Board however by unanimous vote declined to ratify the Non-Certified Employees 2015-16 tentative contract agreement, thereby sending the matter to mediation, then arbitration, if necessary beyond that. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said the negotiations went fairly fast this year. The tentative agreement they had reached was for part-time employees to receive time-off with pay for the holidays, which only affected two employees. They also granted an hourly increase of 47-cents, which would cost the district $87, 584.

Amstein said that factored in a state supplemental aid increase from 2 to 2.5-percent. Board member Phil Hascall said “He struggled with” the 3.28-percent increase, and other board members agreed. Hascall said “I really think that we should have done maybe a better job of trying to settle for half of that. It’s tough for me to vote for something like that when we’re going to get two and a half percent [from the Legislature] as a district. I wish our bargainer would have done a little better job than that…somebody that can take the heat rather than you [Amstein] or the board…and hold the line.”

Hascall said it’s not that he doesn’t think people don’t deserve a raise, but in his business and elsewhere, it’s hard to justify a nearly three-percent raise. “It’s sends a message to the rest of the employees who haven’t [yet] settled.” Board member Rod Hartwig said the amount was “A little higher than I thought it would be,” and Hascall said he didn’t want to vote for something that might result in the elimination of the para-educators.

In his report to the Board, Superintendent Amstein said the legislature’s failure to act on State Supplemental Aid continues to frustrate administrators such as himself. He said it’s been over the month since the deadline has past under Iowa Code for the amount of aid to be set. Amstein said in talking with Superintendents in other districts, he isn’t optimist they’ll have the final number by April. That he says is sad, because “It holds districts hostage in trying to create budgets, when you don’t know what amount it going to be available for school funding.”

The legislature’s inaction on Early Start Waivers has also impacted districts. Atlantic has created two calendars, one with an August 31st date, and one for August 24th. If they don’t hear anything from the legislature by mid-April, Amstein said the district will have to act on its own accord.

HONEY CREEK, Iowa (AP) – Officials say a large grass fire in western Iowa caused by what was meant to be a controlled burn has been contained. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports  that three area fire departments responded at about 12:15 p.m. Monday to the fire in northwestern Pottawattamie County. Emergency crews contained the fire within an hour.

Deputy Crescent Fire Chief says dry and windy conditions contributed to the fire. No injuries have been reported. The National Weather Service had issued a red flag warning to western Iowa and parts of central Iowa, that was in effect until 7 p.m. The warning indicated dry conditions and low humidity that can lead to flames that spread more quickly than usual.