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JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) – A committee has decided to recommend Iowa provide education services for blind and deaf students at existing campuses in Vinton and Council Bluffs and three new sites in a regional system. The proposal will be forwarded to the Iowa Board of Regents. A board vote isn’t expected until February.

The proposal will cost $3.2 million more than current spending to serve the deaf and blind students. But School for the Deaf Superintendent Patrick Clancy says the extra cost would be shared by various entities, including local school districts.  The regents charged the committee to review the effectiveness and efficiency of the services.

The state serves about 500 students who are blind or visually impaired. It serves about 1,500 students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

A request to expand educational opportunities in the Walnut School District by establishing a Charter School was rejected during a meeting Monday night, of the Walnut School Board. The Board voted 4-to 1 against the proposal after a lengthy period of discussion during their regular meeting.

A local group comprised of parents, a school district member and a community member, had asked the School Board to consider the proposal for a K-through 12 Charter School as an option for their students. During Monday night’s meeting, information was brought up about students having researched and debated the matter. Their conclusions raised concerns, and, it was pointed out efforts to establish a Charter School in Des Moines had failed.

The Walnut School District has experienced a decline in enrollment, to the point where there are just over 100-students. The school currently has a sharing agreement with A-H-S-T.

Governor Terry Branstad says today’s (Tuesday’s) “bullying prevention summit” may yield ideas for new policies at the state level. “You know, a survey of students shows that about 50 percent of the students have been bullied in the past year,” Branstad says. “So this is a significant problem and it’s a serious effort to address it.” But Branstad cautions it’s going to take more than policy pronouncements from officials.

“We know that it’s going to take the involvement of school leaders and parents and communities,” Branstad says. “We are all in this together and we all have to work together and I’m hopeful that we can come up with some good strategies that will work for parents, that will work for school districts, that will work for communities.”

A child bullied on a Sioux City school bus was featured in a national documentary called “Bully” that called attention to the prevalence of bullying and the superintendent of Sioux City schools will speak at today’s conference. This past April, a northwest Iowa teenager who openly admitted to being gay killed himself. His family says he was being bullied on-line and at school with gay slurs. In August, Governor Branstad announced a statewide bullying prevention summit would be held because in his words “it is time to do more to stand up to bullying.” Registration is closed for the summit. Over a thousand people signed up to attend.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce says nominations for the annual ATHENA Award are currently being accepted through December 5th by the Chamber, and Deter Motor Company.

Athena Award

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Megan Roberts said “The ATHENA award is one of the most prestigious awards given at the Chamber Annual Dinner. The strongest of our female business leaders are recognized” at the event.

Atlantic is the only community in Iowa that sponsors the award thanks to more than 10 years of partnership with Deter Motor Co. of Atlantic. Past recipients include LaVon Eblen, Judy Marnin, Leanne Pellett, Denise O’Brien, Margaret Slepsky, Glenda Farrier, Carole Schuler, Jan Kinnison, Janell Hansen, Ann Pross and Wendy Richter.

Roberts says “The sculpture given to the recipient is a custom design, unique to all other Chamber awards, and the application process requires a thorough history of the nominee’s leadership in business.” Nominations can be submitted by contacting the Atlantic Area Chamber for the nomination form by phone 712.243.3017 or email at chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

Local Chamber members in Atlantic are teaming up to offer 24 chances to win $100 extra spending money for Christmas in Atlantic this year. Chamber Special Promotions and Events Chairman Dr. Keith Leonard said the Chamber has hosted the 12 Days of Christmas contest for three years. Leonard said extra holiday spending cash is always helpful and by giving away AtlantiCash, the Chamber knows the dollars will be spent at some of their 230 members’ businesses.

More than 57 merchants have registration boxes on their store counters and 18 businesses sponsored the AtlantiCash giveaways. Chamber officials said winners will be notified by phone as well as announced weekdays on the local radio stations and listed in the local paper. No purchase is necessary and only one winner per household for the duration of the contest.

For a list of sponsoring merchants and other holiday happenings visit ChristmasInAtlantic.com, call the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712.243.3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

The Iowa Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and Illinois Department of Transportation, has announced the scheduling of in-person public hearings and online, self-directed meetings for the Chicago to Omaha Regional Passenger Rail System Planning Study.Public input will be sought on the Draft Tier 1 Service Level Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), including the project’s purpose and need, all reasonable alternatives, the affected environment, and the potential environmental impacts of the alternatives considered. The basis for recommendation of the preferred route alternative will be presented.

Earlier this month, Atlantic’s City Administrator Doug Harris, told the City Council the community is still in the running as one of the towns the passenger train might pass through on its way to Omaha from Chicago. Preliminary reports, including environmental documents with exhibits and maps, will be available for review. Each public hearing and online meeting will contain the same presented information, so individuals can attend in-person at the public hearing, or view and comment at the online meeting. Officials are encouraging all those interested to participate. The public hearings will be conducted the week of Dec. 11, 2012, using a combined informal open forum and formal format. Iowa DOT staff will be available to discuss the project informally between 4- and 5:30-p.m. A formal presentation will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session concluding at 7-p.m.

The public is invited to attend the open house public hearing to be held in Des Moines, on Wednesday, Dec. 12th, at the Des Moines Botanical Center, and in Council Bluffs, on Thursday, Dec. 13th, at the Council Bluffs Public Library (400 Willow Ave.), Conference Room A/B.  An online, self-directed open house public hearing will be available through Dec. 26, 2012, on the study’s website at www.iowadot.gov/chicagotoomaha. Information included on this website will be identical to the presentation made at the in-person meetings.

Comments on the Draft Tier 1 EIS can be provided in multiple ways through Dec. 26th, 2012, to be considered part of the official public comment record: Leave a comment on the study website. Submit a comment at any of the in-person open house public hearings. You can also E-mail a comment to email@chicagotoomaha.com.  Call the study’s toll-free information line at 800-488-7119 to obtain printed hearing materials.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Police in Harlan reported Monday, the arrest of three persons last week. Officials says 24-year old John Anderson,  of Persia, was arrested Nov. 17th, following a traffic stop. Andersen was cited for driving under suspension and released. That same day, 37-year old John Thometz, of Harlan was arrested on an OWI charge. And, on Nov. 21st, Harlan Police officers took 30-year old Steven Procko, of Harlan into custody on an active Shelby County warrant. Procko was transported to the Shelby County Jail without incident.

The H-PD says also, that officers were called to the residence of Joanna Houston in Harlan on Nov., 25th, where she reported that several items were missing. There are no suspects at this time and the case remains under investigation.