A pre-trial conference for a former Harlan teacher accused of sexual exploitation that was supposed to have been held Monday (Oct. 14^th) in Shelby County District Court, will instead be held next Monday (Oct. 21^st). Judge James Richardson granted a continuance in the case of Lee Nelson, who was to have appeared in court on charges of Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee and Assault with Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse. The 72-year-old Nelson had earlier pled not guilty to the charges.  His trial is set to begin Oct. 29th.

A 17-year-old female claiming to be a victim and her parents contacted police on May 30, 2013, and reported that Nelson had allegedly been saying rude and inappropriate things to the female, as well as touching her inappropriately.

The incidents allegedly occurred at school, on band trips and at his residence.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Atlantic Board of Education heard a presentation Monday night from High School Ag Instructor and Atlantic FFA Advisor, Eric Miller. Miller spoke with regard to the district’s proposed CASE curriculum. CASE stands for Curriculum for Agriculture, Science and Education.Miller says the concept is for science- or inquiry-based learning. More specifically, it focuses on math and science, and how those areas relate to agriculture.

Atlantic H.S. Ag Instructor Eric Miller.

He says the curriculum allows a student to see the benefits of math and how it pertains to their agricultural experience. Miller says students sometimes don’t realize how important math is for their careers, whether it’s in agriculture, other industries and trades. He says the program involves student-led agriculture, also. Miller says students have to learn how a process works and find the answer to a question that they develop on their own, through the scientific process.

The program is offered in a year-long course, which Atlantic has not had in quite a while. Miller said it’s a nod back to “The old style of teaching agriculture.” One of the topics is AFNR (Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources), an entry level course. Later offerings may include animal and plant sciences. Miller says the curriculum goes along with the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) courses many schools are teaching, and is aligned with national Ag standards as well as the Iowa Core curriculum.

The big issue he says is the cost. In order for Miller to attend the 10-day certification course, 8-hours per day, is $2,500 plus $10,000 for books and materials. He says some of the equipment can be borrowed from the Science Department at the high school, to save cost, but some will need to be purchased throughout the year. Miller says he has also applied for a $5,000 grant from Pioneer. The CASE curriculum is currently being offered in the Audubon and Griswold School Districts, but is not yet offered in Atlantic.

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The Atlantic School Board, Monday, tabled a last minute addition to their agenda, with regard to the purchase of security cameras for the Middle School. Middle School Principal Josh Rasmussen said recent incidents where he spent a good deal of time investigating what occurred, could have been more easily resolved with the addition of three security cameras.

The Board received two bids for security cameras and related equipment, but the question of how to pay for them dogged the school board. Business Manager Mary Beth Fast said they could add them to the physical plant and equipment levy project list (PPEL), because it’s a safety issue, but that might mean shifting other projects out.

Board President Kristy Pellett said the cameras would be more equipment that would eventually need to be replaced, and something they need to plan for. Board member Phil Hascall agreed. He said he understands it’s a matter of safety, but there needs to be better planning, additional discussion, and how other PPEL projects might be affected. Pellett said there’s already a lot of projects on the list they’ve been putting off, that are equally important.

Pellett said keeping up with technology is important, but she said “Somewhere, we’ve got to set some priorities.” Superintendent Mike Amstein said the matter would be placed before the Board during their meeting next month, once more information has been gathered. 

A teenager accused of killing his 5-year old foster brother in rural Harrison County as the two played near a ravine last August, will remain in jail, and not be transferred to a juvenile detention center in Council Bluffs. The Omaha World-Herald reports  the ruling was issued by a judge Monday, at the Harrison County Courthouse.

17-year old Cody Metzker-Madsen is in solitary confinement at the jail, because minors are separated from other inmates. Another motion to determine whether Metzker-Madsen’s first-degree murder charge would be moved to juvenile court, will be decided on Dec. 6th.

Metzker-Madsen is accused in the death of an Atlantic boy, 5-year old Dominic Elkins, who, according to court documents, had multiple injuries to his head and torso. Metzker-Madsen is being held in the Harrison County Jail on $500,000 bail.

Both were foster children in the care of Don and Julie Coolman, who reside near Logan. Metzker-Madsen had lived in the Coolman home for about three years, while Dominic had been there a few weeks.

The Atlantic High School Forensics Department announced Monday (Oct. 15th), the dates for the fall play. “Nevermind How It Happened, How Did It End?” will be performed at the Atlantic High School Auditorium on October 31, November 1st and 2nd, at 7:30 p.m.

Director, Matthew Smith says he is very excited about this year’s theatrical offering, stating, “We have some very committed actors in this production–and that will be evident in their acting! I have been surprised at our younger cast members, as well. We have a lot of talent coming up.”

The play is a generational romantic comedy written by David Rogers. The story revolves around mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters and how each generation’s choices echo from the past. The plot  illuminate’s the family’s love stories, their struggles with teenagers and parents, their conflicts between choosing careers and raising children to make choices that are founded in their parents’ wisdom. There are many flashback scenes that weave in and out of the present.

“This is a true ensemble production with nearly 40 cast members,” said Smith. “There are two or three people playing the same character but at different stages in life. The audience will be quite familiar with the many of the locations as the play is set is small-town Iowa.”

With Atlantic’s city-wide trick-or-treating ending at 7:00 p.m.on October 31, the public will have plenty of time to make the 7:30 curtain time. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. for all productions and admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students. Activity passes will be honored at the door.

(Press Release)

Cass County Deputy Corey Larsen had some good news during Monday night’s meeting of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education. Larsen, who serves as  School Resource Officer (or, SRO) for the Atlantic,CAM and Griswold School Districts, says there haven’t been a lot of issues.

Cass Co. Deputy Corey Larsen

Larsen says the number of truancy cases has dropped this year over last, in-part because it’s been demonstrated that officials, including himself, are cracking down on the problem and making sure kids get to school on time. Larsen said he spoke with Cass County Attorney Dan Feistner about spreading the word, that once mediation is held with parents of kids who’ve missed 10 days or more without a valid reason, an arrest warrant can be issued. 

Larsen said most of his time has been dealing with electronic issues involving students, such as those related to harassment or bullying through social media. He says squabbles form between students on sites like Facebook, along with harassment. The issues in the virtual world tend to be brought into the real world at school, and that’s something Larsen says they’re trying to quash.

He says the prevalence of smart phones and kids’ access to social media sites has exacerbated problems of harassment. Larsen said also, he’s taught some law enforcement-related classes and how to deal with electronic forms of harassment. He says the freshman class receives a course on the Criminal Justice system and cyber bullying. Larsen says he’d like to increase the number of sweeps through the buildings by the Cass County Sheriff’s Department K9 teams, including his k9 partner, Mufasa.

The deputy says he’d like to make at least two sweeps per year to show the students and the public the effort is being made to keep the district’s facilities safe and drug free.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a Villisca man turned himself in to authorities at around 11:20-p.m. Monday, after he allegedly assaulted a 14-year old male earlier that evening. 30-year old David Michael Wright, of Villisca, was booked into jail and then released on $300 bond.

And, Police in Red Oak report the arrest Monday evening, of 20-year old Dallas Eugene Davis. Davis, who’s from Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 7:35-p.m. near north 5th and Maple Streets, on a charge of Public Intoxication. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court will hear cases in a Burlington school auditorium on Nov. 5. In one case a blind student is appealing a lower court decision that said sight is a requirement for studying to become a chiropractor at Palmer College of Chiropractic and having a sighted assistant was not an adequate solution. A second case involves a hunter who is challenging a state law that limits landowner hunting licenses only to Iowa residents.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition says 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin will speak at its annual banquet in November. Palin served as governor of Alaska from 2006 through 2009. Since leaving office, she has been a best-selling author, public speaker and Fox News contributor. Utah Sen. Mike Lee is headlining the November program that’s being held in Des Moines on Nov. 9.

SPENCER, Iowa (AP) — Arrest warrants have been issued for an Iowa attorney once contracted by the State Public Defenders Office. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says the warrants for 60-year-old Ney McDaniel, of Spencer, are in connection to a July audit that questioned his billing practices. The audit identified more than $177,000 of improper disbursement to McDaniel. In one case, he claimed to have worked 24 hours or more in a single day during 80 days.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A dozen organizations have received $100,000 each from the estate of a Marshalltown couple. The Marshalltown Times-Republican reports that recipients of funds from the estate of Verle and Ellen Hunt include the Animal Rescue League, First United Methodist Church, Iowa 4-H Foundation, Mid-Iowa Council of Boy Scouts of America and the Iowa State University Foundation.