Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon says that the communities of Atlantic and Griswold will begin testing their Outdoor Warning Sirens (Tornado warning siren) every Friday at noon, beginning this Friday, March 16th.  Kennon says the siren tests will not occur on days where there is a threat of severe weather.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa House has passed an education reform plan would give the state more control over how student progress is measured and how teachers and administrators are evaluated. Those are among just a few aspects of education traditionally handled by local districts but passed on to state officials in the Republican-backed bill.
 
Under the measure, the Iowa Department of Education would establish new procedures for evaluating teachers and administrators annually. High school students would have to take new tests to determine if they’re prepared for college or a career and third graders not reading at grade level would be held back from fourth grade.
 
The bill passed 53-46 after lawmakers debated most of Tuesday, ending just before midnight when a drafting error was discovered in the bill.

Sheriff’s officials in Adams County say a Prescott man was arrested Monday afternoon for Violation of a Protective Order. 47-year old David Adsit was taken into custody at a residence on 180th Street, after authorities received a report the man was allegedly violating his protective order. Adsit was brought to the Adams County Jail where he was being held pending a court appearance.

One person was arrested early this (Wednesday) morning in Pottawattamie County following a chase that began in eastern Nebraska and ended near Council Bluffs. Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker says his deputies’ involvement in the chase began at around 5-a.m., when a broadcast was sent received indicating Douglas and Sarpy County, Nebraska Sheriff’s officials along with the Nebraska State Patrol, were in pursuit of a stolen vehicle. The chase was along Interstate 680 eastbound heading towards Iowa. When the stolen vehicle crossed the State line, Nebraska authorities terminated their pursuit.

When an Iowa State Patrol Trooper picked up the chase in the vicinity of 130th Street and River Road, the suspect’s vehicle took off north into a field. It then back tracked south through the field before exiting onto River Road in front of Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s deputies.

As deputies pursued the vehicle south on River Road, the suspect drove around a set of spike strips deployed by Council Bluffs Police. With deputies in pursuit, the suspect turned west onto an abandoned set of railroad tracks leading to a swing bridge. Shortly thereafter, he lost control of the vehicle and was taken into custody. The suspect’s name has not yet been released.

An Audubon County Secondary Roads Department employee was injured during a dump truck rollover accident this (Wednesday) morning, north of Atlantic.

Audubon Co. dump truck, photo #2

Cass County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Westering told KJAN News the accident happened at around 8:25-a.m., directly across from the Atlantic Head Start building, about 2.5-miles north of Atlantic, on Olive Street.

A witness to the accident told KJAN when a passenger car turned in front of the dump truck into the Headstart driveway, the dump truck driver swerved to avoid a collision and lost control. The truck, loaded with scrap metal, overturned into the east ditch and came to rest on its top. Another Audubon County Secondary Roads employee who was in a separate dump truck told us the driver of the wrecked truck  58-year-old Edward Leroy Nielsen, was wearing a seat belt and managed to free himself from the belt. He remained inside the vehicle until Atlantic Fire and Rescue and Medivac Ambulance personnel could safely remove him and transport the Nielsen to the Cass County Memorial Hospital.

Atlantic Fire & Rescue on the scene of dump truck rollover

Audubon Co. Secondary Roads Dump Truck, photo 1

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KJAN News Director Ric Hanson delivers a live report on a rollover accident on Olive Street North of Atlantic.

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w/ Ric Hanson

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The Iowa Transportation Commission, Tuesday, approved a Revitalize Iowa’s Sound Economy (RISE) Local Development grant application submitted by the city of Stuart. Up to $303,750 will be made available to assist in construction of approximately 1,100 feet of South Seventh Street, approximately 500 feet of Southwest Eighth Street, and intersection improvements on South Gaines Street and South Division Street located on the southwest side of town. The project is anticipated to be completed by November 2012. 

Officials say the project is necessary to provide access to 68 acres for light industrial purposes. Funding for the grant comes from the city share of the RISE Fund.

(8-a.m. News)

The Atlantic School Board, Tuesday, approved the purchase of a diesel-powered 84-passenger bus, and a propane-powered 64-passenger bus. Transportation Director Dave Eckles had recommended the purchases, because the current 84-passenger bus is on its last legs. Superintendent Mike Amstein quipped “Every time we send it out, we pray for divine intervention that we’ll see it come back again, and it’s not in behind a wrecker.” He said a current 64-passenger bus is going to “nickel-and-dime” the district “to death,” if they don’t do something about it.  Amstein said also, the new 84-passenger bus would have a larger under carriage carrying capacity. Using a small, propane powered bus he says, would save the district money, in the long run. Amstein says the problems experienced years ago with propane powered engines has not cropped up in recent years, according to other districts he’s spoken with.  The buses are not likely to be delivered to the district until sometime in July. 

In other business, the Atlantic School Board amended the 2011-2012 District Calendar, to make May 18^th as the last day of school this year. Amstein says the extra day will make up for a February 15th dismissal, when students and staff were allowed time-off to attend the State Wrestling Tournament. The Board also approved an increase in the price of school lunch prices. Last year, the district increased prices by a nickel, but the State says that should have been 13-cents. An Iowa Department of Education consultant told the district it should increase the cost by a minimum of 4.18% for the upcoming year, especially considering the increase in the cost of fruits and vegetables for the National School Lunch Program. The School Board tabled action on changing the Driver’s Education fee for this summer, until its next regular meeting, when more specific information is available on the cost.

w/ Ric Hanson

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