There aren’t many changes to previously announced budget reductions affecting the Atlantic Community School District. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein says the board approved the list announced at the last meeting. He says he recommended and the board approved $766,817 in cost reductions. Early retirement incentives will save the district about $382,000. Reducing para-educator positions, eliminating transportation for the summer school will also help to cuts costs.

In addition, there will be across the board cost reductions in all school departments, a reduction in the Atlantic Middle School Reading position for the 2014-2015 school year, a reduction in the substitute teacher budget, reducing of the text book budget by $50,000, and reductions of Para contracts to 35-hours, and a Para testing position. Amstein says the board also approved settlements with the district’s certified and non-certified staff. The certified teaching staff will see an overall package increase of 3.8-percent, which includes a $1,000 base salary increase. The non-certified staff contract provide for a .35-cents an hour increase and total package increase of 3.88-percent.

Amstein says the Atlantic School Board also approved several contracts for vacant Summer School and new hire teachers’ positions. Among them: Mindy Duff, new Elementary School Music teacher; Paul Dudley, a new instructor for High School Math; Trisha Niceswanger, High School Spanish instructor. At Washington Elementary, new hires include: Katina Coffield, Allison Elliott, Gena Rush, Emily Brown. At Schuler Elementary, the Board approved the hiring of Julia Gross and Michelle McLaren.

The Board approved the resignation of Middle School Math teacher Carrie Clemsen. Amstein said she wants to spend more time helping her husband on the family farm. And, Volunteer Coaching positions were approved for Mike McDermott (9th grade baseball) and Nancy Rasmussen-Jenkins as Assistant Boys & Girls Cross Country Coach.

RED OAK, Iowa (AP) – Some students and other residents of western Iowa’s Red Oak have defended the embattled high school principal. Several dozen people attended a forum at the end of Monday night’s school board meeting to inquire about principal Jedd Sherman and praise his commitment to students.

The board voted May 5 to consider terminating Sherman’s contract. The board said in its notice to Sherman that reasons for his potential termination included failures to develop good relationships with the superintendent, other administrators, outside consultants and some teachers. Board members declined to answer questions asked Monday night, saying that they couldn’t because it was a personnel matter.

Sherman acknowledged having a disagreement with a consultant but disagreed with the board’s other allegations. He’s filed a request for an appeal hearing.

(9-a.m. News)

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A longtime summer employer in western Iowa won’t be hiring students and adults for the hot and hard work of detasseling. Siouxland Detasseling CEO Ron Foster told the Sioux City Journal that the area decline in seed corn production led to the cutback on hiring. Since 1983 Siouxland has hired more than 200 workers each summer.

Detasselers walk through the rows of corn and pull the pollinating tassels off the top of the plants that will produce seed for future planting. Siouxland Detasseling crews usually work fields north of Onawa to Salix in Iowa and the Jefferson and Elk Point areas in South Dakota.

Some federal officials suggest the Farm Bill should be split in two, separating agricultural policies from SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps. U-S Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor, argues that food stamps play a big role in ag income and the two should remain united under one piece of legislation. Vilsack says, “When 15-cents of every food dollar that’s spent in the grocery store ends up ultimately in farmers’ pockets, the reality is that the safety net, the nutrition assistance program, is also part of the overall stabilizing farm prices and making sure we have adequate income for our producers to keep them in business.”

Some Washington leaders have suggested the coalition between agricultural and nutrition interests no longer works, but Vilsack disagrees.  “When 15% of America’s population lives in rural America and 85% lives in urban and suburban America and there’s such a disconnect oftentimes between folks who consume and folks who produce our food,” Vilsack says, “it may be difficult in the future if you separate the nutrition programs and the farm programs to get a farm bill done.” Vilsack understands why some have suggested splitting SNAP and ag programs, given the difficulty in passing the last Farm Bill.

“I would sincerely hope that we wouldn’t try to disconnect the two because I think it would make it very difficult to get farm bills and farm programs supported in Congress,” he says. Vilsack argues the nutrition programs provide a safety net for farm income. SNAP accounts for the largest portion of the Farm Bill, or about 768-billion dollars over ten years. Since the 2008 Farm Bill, funding for SNAP has almost doubled.

(Radio Iowa)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission won’t reconsider its decision to not renew the license of the Argosy Sioux Casino operator. Last month the commission declined to rehear the request from Argosy parent Penn National Gaming Co. and ordered the casino to be closed by July 1. Penn National soon asked the commission to reconsider.

Commission administrator Brian Ohorilko says an application for a rehearing is denied unless the commission grants the application within 20 days after it’s filed. He said Monday was the last day that the commission could have called a special meeting and acted on the request.

Penn National has said it will ask a judge to suspend the commission’s order, which would let the riverboat casino remain open while the company pursues various legal challenges.

Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department report the Department will host the National Law Enforcement Memorial Day Service, this Thursday, May 15th. The service will begin with the memorial flag ceremony on the east side of the Pottawattamie County Courthouse, near the flag pole. During the service, fallen officers of the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa State Patrol and Council Bluffs Police Department, will be honored. The ceremony begins at 6:30-p.m.

Immediately following the flag ceremony, the Law Enforcement Memorial service will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church, where the Council Bluffs Police Chaplin Corps will perform the service. Afterward, those in attendance are invited to a reception in the St. John’ Fellowship Hall.

During the reception, the Council Bluffs Police Department will graduate the 2014 Citizens Police Academy, and honor the Officer of the Year, as well as additional department personnel. Refreshments will be served.

The National Weather Service said late Monday evening, there were not one, but two tornadoes that occurred between Guthrie Center and Panora, Sunday night. Officials say the strongest of the tornadoes formed south of Guthrie Center and quickly tracked northeast across Lake Panorama, where it briefly produced EF-2 damage.

A second tornado formed on the north end of Lake Panorama, and damaged a number of homes along the shore, before dissipating. A third tornado formed south of Dallas Center and tracked across farmland, damaging several out buildings. There were no injuries reported.

Track of the 1st tornado (NWS graphic)

The first tornado formed at around 9:43-p.m. Sunday, 4.5-miles south of Guthrie Center and tracked northeast for nearly 17 miles. The 100-yard wide twister strengthened as it reached Lake Panorama, packing winds of up to 115-miles per hour. It went across Lake Panorama and damaged a number of homes and trees before dissipating 3-miles northeast of Yale.

Tornado 2 track

The second, weaker tornado formed just before 10-p.m. Sunday, about 4-miles northwest of Panora and ended a little more a little than 3-miles northwest of town, or a distance of about nine-tenths of a mile. It was about 120-yards wide and had a peak wind speed of 100-miles per hour. It caused extensive tree, roof and dock damage.

Lake Panorama area damage

The third twister happened at around 10:20-p.m. 3.5-miles north-northwest of Dallas Center and ended 6-miles later, 4-miles northwest of Granger. It was 100-yards wide and packed winds of up to 85 miles per hour. The tornado caused damage primarily to farm outbuildings in the rural areas.

The case of an Oakland man charged in connection with the murder of a rural Cass County woman will proceed to a jury trial. According to the Omaha World-Herald, a trial for 63-year old Robert Arthur Reynolds, Jr., will take place July 1st in Pottawattamie County District Court. Reynolds plead not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder, Monday afternoon. He was charged in the shooting death of 64-year old Patricia Kinkade-Dorsey.

The shooting took place in Reynolds’ Oakland home during early morning hours of April 9th, during a disturbance that involved alcohol. If convicted on the charge, Reynolds faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.