(Adair, Iowa) – The Adair-Casey Community School District’s Board of Education will meet in a regular session beginning at 7-p.m. Monday (Nov. 13), in the AC/GC Junior High Media Center (3384 Indigo Ave., Adair). Here’s a preview of their agenda for the evening:

I. Call to Order
II. Roll Call
III. Approve Meeting Agenda
IV. Welcome Visitors/Public Comment
V. Principal Report
VI. Superintendent Report
VII. Board Report
VIII. Financial Reports
A. Cash Balances & Bank Reconciliation
B. Nutrition Fund: Monthly Report
C. Student Activity Fund: Monthly Report
D. All Other Funds: Monthly Report
E. General Fund: Line Item Budget Monthly Report
F. General Fund: Year-to-Date Revenue/Expenditure Summary
G. General Fund: Salaries & Benefits Comparison Report
IX. Consent Items
A. Board Meeting Minutes
B. Monthly Bills
1. Prepaid
2. General Fund
3. Management Fund
4. PPEL/SAVE
5. Student Activity Fund
6. Nutrition Fund
7. VISA Credit Card
C. Open Enrollment
1. OUT- Guthrie Center- Kindergarten
2. OUT- West Central Valley- Kindergarten
3. OUT- CAM Iowa Connections Academy- 12th
4. OUT- CAM Iowa Connections Academy- 12th
D. Special Education Contracts
1. Special Education Contract – Guthrie Center
E. Resignations
F. Contract Recommendations
G. Gifts, Grants & Bequests
X. Discussion Items
A. Little Smiles Daycare
B. Early Retirement Policy
C. Enrollment Discussion
XI. Upcoming Dates
A. IASB Delegate Assembly & Pre-Convention Workshops – November 15th
B. IASB Annual Convention & Trade Show – November 16th
C. Regular Board Meeting- December 20th
D. Thanksgiving Break- November 22-27
XII. Action Items
A. 2021-22 Audit Report
B. Pay App #1 – JH Bleacher Project
C. Little Smiles 28E Agreement
XIII. Adjourn Meeting

(Anita, Iowa) – Members of the CAM School District’s Board of Education will meet in a regular session beginning at 6:30-p.m. Monday, Nov. 13th, in the CAM High School Media Center. Among the items on their agenda, is a presentation from the CAM Cross Country Team.

Discussion and possible action items include (but are not limited to):

• Approval of an Achievement Center Agreement with the Atlantic Community School District.
• Approval of the Corrective Action Plan and Authorizing the Administration to submit the Corrective Action Plan to the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC)
• Election Results
• Discussion with regard to Enrollment for 2023 and Financial Projections
• Discussion pertaining to the Facility Project Process.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic Rotary is celebrating a milestone this year with the annual auction. This year celebrates the 40th anniversary of the auction. It is scheduled for Saturday, November 18th at the Cass County Community Center.

Rotary spokesperson Dolly Bergmann says over those 40 years the auction has raised over 1.2 Million dollars that have been reinvested into the community. Funds have gone to the building of the new community center, providing scholarships for Atlantic High School seniors, assisting with reading programs for the preschool. The funds have also been used toward the Dolly Parton Imagination reading program at the Library. Other donations have been to the Cass County Hospital Foundation, the American Cancer Society Festival of Trees, the Atlantic Community School Teacher Appreciation, Veteran Appreciation. Donations have been made to The Nishna Valley YMCA Partnership with Youth, the Shop with a Cop program, the ARISE Food Box program and so much more.

Bergmann said it is because of the generosity of the area businesses and individuals many wonderful items are donated to the auction. The other key to the success of the auction are those attending and purchasing items at the auction.

A raffle is associated with the auction. This year those proceeds will be going to the Splash Pad project. Tickets can be purchased from any Rotarian or at Midwest Health, located at 1101 E 7th Street. Tickets are $20 each or 6 for $100. The raffle drawing will be for a chance to win either $500, $1,000 or $1,500. The drawing will be held at the auction so you need to get your tickets as soon as you can.

Tickets to the auction are $40 per person. A meal catered by the Downtowner will be served. The evening starts with cocktails (cash bar) at 5:30 PM. Dinner is scheduled for 6:15 PM and the auction will begin at 7:15 PM. If you have not gotten your tickets please contact Ted Robinson at First Whitney Bank, 243-3195 before Friday, November 17th.

A great number of items have been donated for the auction. Some of those items include an air compressor from Atlantic Ag and Auto, an Amana washer from W & S Appliance, four-night stay at Keystone Colorado Condominium, a catered event at the Whitney Room up to 20 people by Carol Johnson from the Downtowner. You will also find two beautiful necklaces from Hanson Fine Jewelry have been donated. There is a Victorian Terrarium donated by Darrin Kimball from RELIC. There are so many more items available. Check out the Atlantic Rotary Facebook page for pictures of many of the items available.

PANORA- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is investigating a fatal hunting incident that occurred Saturday in Guthrie County. Seth Egelhoff, 26, of Chesterfield, IL, was killed Saturday while waterfowl hunting at the Bays Branch Wildlife Area in Guthrie County.

The Guthrie Sheriff’s Department received an emergency call around 1:00 pm of a hunter sustaining a gunshot wound to the face at Bays Branch Wildlife Area.  Egelhoff was transported by Panora EMS. Lifesaving measures were given en route to Life Flight but were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced deceased shortly after leaving the scene.

The incident remains under investigation by the Iowa DNR Law Enforcement Bureau.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Department, Panora EMS, and Iowa State Patrol assisted in the investigation.

The wildlife area is open for public use.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic will host a Legislative Roundtable Monday evening, for newly elected members of city councils in Cass County. As we previously reported following the November 1st Atlantic City Council meeting, City Clerk Barb Barrick informed the Council during the meeting, that special guests at the forum will include Senator Tom Shipley, of Nodway, and Representative Thomas Moore, of Griswold.

Newly elected members of the Atlantic, Anita, Cumberland, Griswold, Lewis, Marne, Massena, Wiota and Red Oak city Councils, were invited to attend. Barrick says there may be a quorum of council members present from those communities at the meeting, and while legislative issues pertinent to cities will be discussed, no formal action by any council members will take place.

The forum will be held beginning at 5-p.m., Monday (Nov. 13, 2023) in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall, in Atlantic.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City of Atlantic’s Personnel and Finance Committee will meet 1:30-p.m. Monday at the offices of Snyder and Associates (1800 W. 22nd St., Atlantic), to discuss with the City Engineer, the Splashpad Project. The Committee will seek a recommendation with regard to the Project, and separately, pose questions about the placement of the Atlantic Entrance Sign.

In other business, the Committee will discuss and act on a recommendation to partner with Snyder and Associates Engineers, for a series of New Development Conceptual Designs.

Des Moines, IA – State Auditor Rob Sand is encouraging Iowans to become watchdogs in their organizations and communities as part of International Fraud Awareness Week, November 12-18, 2023.

“The Auditor’s Office is the taxpayer’s watchdog. We want every Iowan to be a watchdog and we want them to bark if they suspect fraud or misuse of tax dollars in their organizations and communities,” said Sand. “Tips from people who want to see their tax dollars used as intended and for the greater good, lead to the majority of the investigations by the Auditor’s Office.”

Since taking office in 2019, Sand has uncovered nearly $29 million in fraud and misuse of taxpayer funds, including $21 million in CARES Act dollars. That’s more than any other Iowa Auditor of State. In addition, the Government Accountability Office and the Federal Trade Commission estimate federal agencies made $247 billion in improper payments, and consumers lost $8.8 billion in 2022 alone.

Sand will be joined by representatives from the Des Moines Chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners at a news conference to highlight the latest forms of fraud and fraud prevention efforts in the public and private sectors, as well as unveil a week-long campaign to spread fraud awareness.

“We hope to unleash watchdogs across the state,” said Sand. “By fighting fraud together, we can better sniff out the scammers and help Iowans hold onto their hard-earned money.”

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold FY 2024-25 Budget Workshop meetings this week in their Board Room located in the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic. The sessions are viewable through Zoom via the link or call-in number, both posted at the bottom of this story.**

The tentative schedule of meetings with Department Heads is as follows:

**Join Electronically:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2899195216?pwd=R0hSa2FOOTh0NUdra1ZSdVhVWHpMUT09
Meeting ID: 289 919 5216
Passcode: 012064
Call In:
312-626-6799, press *9 to indicate you wish to speak.

(Creston, Iowa) – Creston Police report two separate arrests took place, Saturday. At around 2:28-p.m., 37-year-old Sean Cody Stauffer, of rural Creston, was arrested at S. Elm and Clarke Streets, on charges that include Driving while Suspended, and Interfere with Corrections Official w/out injury or damage. Stauffer was taken to the Union County Jail and later released a $600 cash or surety bond.

And, at around 9:46-p.m., Saturday, Creston Police arrested 45-year-old Dale Lee Shatto, of Creston. Shatto taken into custody at his residence and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault/1st Offense – Causing Bodily Injury. He was transported to the Union County Jail and held without bond until seen by a Magistrate.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the driver of a vehicle that backed into a concrete barrier at a BP gas station was arrested Friday night, for OWI/1st offense. Authorities say at around 11:19-p.m., Deputies observed a 2011 Chevy Traverse strike the barrier. Deputies pulled into the BP to contact the occupant of the vehicle, to check on their welfare. As they pulled into the parking lot, Deputies saw the SUV begin to move forward and backward a few times before coming to a stop.

When Deputies made contact with the driver of the vehicle, they noticed open containers of alcohol in the cup holders. The driver was identified as Orlenis Matos-Azaharez. Matos-Azaharez admitted to having consumed five beers, and was showing strong signs of being impaired, according to the report. Deputies continued with their investigation, and ultimately booked Matos-Azaharez into the Montgomery County Jail on the OWI charge.

Bond was set at $1,000.