DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate approved a bill to provide emergency funds to low-income families struggling to pay their utility bills. The Senate voted 41-to-8 Tuesday to approve the bill allocating money to supplement federal funds. The legislation now goes to the House.

The bill would appropriate $2 million to Iowa’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps people unable to pay their utility bills. The federal government funds the program, but states can supplement it.

Democratic Sen. Liz Mathis, the bill’s sponsor, says soaring propane prices and a frigid winter have left many Iowans struggling to afford heating bills. The program assists families with anything from broken furnaces to emergency propane deliveries. Mathis says funds are dwindling. House Republicans have called for waiting to ensure the extra funding is needed.

Authorities in Montgomery County say a Nebraska woman was cited following a collision this (Tuesday) morning, in Red Oak. Officials say a 2009 Hyundai Elantra driven by 58-year old Heidi Adams, of Papillion, NE, was stopped at the intersection of Highways 34 and 48 in Red Oak at around 10-a.m., when she pulled out into the intersection and hit the passenger side of a 1993 Ford Ranger pickup driven by 74-year old Fred Espinosa, of Red Oak, as he was headed southbound.

Damage from the collision amounted to $7,800. No injuries were reported. Adams was cited for Failure to stay stopped at a stop sign.

(12-p.m. News)

The Harlan Community School Board, Monday, received the initial bargaining proposal from the Harlan Education Association (HEA), which represents the district’s teachers and staff. In a regular board meeting, Brian Kaster, representative of the HEA said they are asking for a 6.92% increase in salary for the staff at the Harlan Community School District. The meeting was just the first of what are usually several meetings between the board and the association. The school board did not make a counter offer, and future discussions will be held in closed session.

In other business, the school board held a public hearing with regard to the High School Gym Air Handler. The district is looking at replacing the air conditioning unit in the High School Gymnasium and held the hearing as required by Iowa Code, because the district will be soliciting bids for a project or projects. Having received no written or spoken comments on the matter, the board approved the preliminary plans for the air handler and moved to request bids for the project.

The board is expected to receive bids and finalize the project at a school board meeting in March. The school district will also be saying goodbye to eight teachers who qualified for early retirement. Superintendent Justin Wagner said teachers taking early retirement had to meet certain qualifications. “They have to be in the district ten years and be 55 years old. Basically that’s the IPERS eligibility age for them. With this group of eight, we have over 260 years of experience walking out the door.”

Wagner discussed the vacancies later in the meeting and said the district has already seen interest, and candidates applying for the positions. In one of the final motions, it was approved to hold a public hearing at the next Harlan Community School Board meeting February 24^th, with regard to the 2014-2015 school calendar.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Atlantic Board of Education Monday night continued discussions with regard to the 2014-2015 budget. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein told KJAN News one of the things he recommended the Board look at is levying the SBRC (School Budget Review Committee) for the Special Education Deficit. The deficit was for how much more was spent for Special Ed programming than what was received, which amounted to around $670,000. Also, $600,000 on the cash reserve and $350,000 on the management levy.

Amstein said Board Secretary/Business Manager Mary Beth Fast is looking at how much the levy might be, and right now it appears it will be around $14.55 or $14.60 per thousand dollars of assessed property valuation. He said they’re also trying to find ways to trim the budget. Amstein said the district’s Unspent Balance has been dropping for a number of years. Even though the district is still in the “Safe range” according to the IASB – Iowa Association of School Boards – Amstein says they “Need to change that trajectory by trimming part of the budget.” Right now they’re looking at cutting $400,000 from the budget for the upcoming year. He says the Board would like to keep that part of the budget at 14-to 15-percent.”

The way the budget shakes out will influence where the levy rate will be for any bond issue the district may consider for planned Capital Improvement/Expansion projects. In other business, the Board discussed the 2014-2015 School Calendar. The focus currently is on an hourly calendar, or 1,080 hours as opposed to the present 180 days. He says an hourly calendar would give the district more flexibility as far as making up snow days, and teacher professional development.

The Atlantic District has had two snow days so far this school year. Those days will be added to the end of the current school year, which will mean classes will dismiss May 23^rd instead of May 21^st…assuming there are no more make-up days due to the weather.

The School Board, Monday, also approved a $50,000 matching Grant Award Letter of Agreement from the Iowa West Foundation. The funds will be shared by the Atlantic, Exira-EHK, CAM, AHST, Griswold, Harlan and Riverside. Amstein said the grant was possible due to the efforts of the six Superintendents in the region, who worked this past fall on a plan to expand Career Tech Educational opportunities in southwest Iowa.

And, the Board approved an agreement with Cass County Historical Museum for the donation of Native American artifacts in the school’s possession to the museum, with the stipulation that if the Museum should ever permanently close, those artifacts be returned to the district.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A man wanted on a warrant for Domestic Abuse/Serious Assault was taken into custody last Friday night after being tracked down by a Guthrie County Sheriff’s Dept. K-9 unit. According to reports, at around 8-p.m., Friday, authorities responded to a residence where it was thought 36-year old David Michael Hunt, Jr. would be found. When they arrived, officials discovered Hunt, Jr., had escaped out the back window of the home and fled on foot.

Officers with the Guthrie Center Police Department and deputies with the Guthrie County Sheriff’s office coordinated their efforts to locate the man, with the aid of the sheriff’s K-9 Unit. Approximately 45 minutes later, they tracked Hunt, Jr. into a timber area in the northern part of Guthrie Center. A perimeter was established with the assistance of the Iowa State Patrol and the IA DOT’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division, and within minutes, the K-9 “Rage” and his partner found Hunt, Jr. and took him into custody.

Hunt was being held without bond in the Guthrie County Jail.

A call to police in Red Oak Monday night with regard to a woman who was allegedly caught stealing money from a restaurant resulted in an arrest of the woman on numerous drug-related charges. Red Oak Police say Elizabeth Riley, of Red Oak, faces possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and illegal possession of prescription drugs charges, along with a drug tax stamp violation.

She was taken into custody after officers responded to the Rainbow Cafe at 105 West Market Street at about 7:15 p.m., Monday.  Upon their arrival, officers were told Riley allegedly stole tips from other waitresses’ tables, and money out of the manager’s purse. The manager told police she didn’t want to press charges, but she alleged Riley had a needle in her pants.

Police say Riley admitted she had a needle, then removed it and placed it on a table. Riley also admitted to police she had marijuana and some pills in her purse. Upon further investigation, police found marijuana, a one-hit marijuana pipe, 38 Buproplon pills, and 19 Clonazepam pills.

Riley was taken to the Montgomery County Jail, and was unable to post bond.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet Wednesday morning in Atlantic, and one of the action items on their agenda is action on the termination of employment for long-time County Mental Health/General Assistance Coordinator, Teresa Kanning. No reason was given in the agenda for the termination of employment.

In other business, the Board will hold a public hearing on the vacating of portions of Secondary Roads Right-of-Way, with regard to portions of: 644th Street in Section 14 of Grove Township; 700th Street, between Sections 2 & 3 in Benton Township, and Galt Lane, in Section 5 of Lincoln Township. Following the hearing, the Board will act on vacating those sections of roadways.

The meeting begins at 8:30-a.m., Wednesday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Two groups in Iowa want to teach people about the alternatives to demolition.  The Center on Sustainable Communities and the Iowa Waste Reduction Center are hosting four workshops in March to talk about deconstruction. The practice involves carefully disassembling something so its materials can be reused.

The groups say deconstruction is an alternative to demolition that provides social, economic and environmental benefits. The workshops are scheduled March 11 in Ida Grove; March 13 in Corning; March 18 in Keosauqua; and March 20 in Elkader.

The Center on Sustainable Communities is a nonprofit group in Des Moines. The Iowa Waste Reduction Center is at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Their efforts are funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Natural Resources.