The Atlantic Board of Education held a public hearing Tuesday night on the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Budget, which begins July 1^st. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said the budget reflects a 2% allowable growth, and will reduce the total tax levy by 60-cents per thousand dollars property valuation. The levy drops from $14.75 per thousand in FY 2011-2012 to $14.15 for FY 2012-2013. Amstein says the administration believes it’s a “responsible budget, and will meet the needs of the students and employees of the district.” Amstein said the certified budget, which was approved Tuesday night by the School Board, is not what the district actually intends to spend. Instead it’s for the maximum it is allowed to spend under standards set by the State. The certified budget amounts to just under $30.95-million. 

During a public hearing on the budget at the start of the school board’s meeting, Atlantic resident Paul Lundquist questioned how the money was being spent, including for certified staff salaries. Amstein said the maximum the district can spend on salaries is $15-million. Lundquist asked if that included insurance and IPERS. Amstein said it doesn’t. He said it represents an increase in additional staff. The teachers union had requested a 6.9% increase in their salary and benefits package, but Amstein said the actual amount of increase is still under negotiation. Lundquist questioned how the School Board justify a substantial increase in teacher salaries without some sort of local standards for teaching and learning, that would make them accountable for their students’ performance. He also questioned how the board could pass a Certified Budget, without having the salary increase figures in place. Amstein says the State requires them to pass a Certified Budget now, but the timeline for settling with teacher’s unions is different. He said the District could easily still be in negotiations through late April. The district is allowed to conduct negotiations through late April or early May before talks go to arbitration, if that becomes necessary.

A new record High temperature was set in Atlantic, Tuesday, when we reached 79-degrees here at KJAN, the official National Weather Service record-keeping and reporting site for the community. The old record was 76, set as recently as 2007. Prior to that, the record was 73, in 1933.  The Weather Service says we can expect to see a new record high temperature set today, and near record highs for Thursday and Friday. The record high for March 14th in Atlantic was 72 degrees in 1908. We expect to blow that away today, as the Weather Service is calling for a high of 80.  

53-years ago on this date, a major Winter storm hit Iowa, and lasted for three-days.  The precipitation began as rain in the southwest part of the State, and left a total of 8-to 10-inches on the ground.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Department reports this (Wednesday) morning, a Hastings man was arrested Monday night in Cedar Rapids for Failure to Appear in Adams County, on an original charge of Circumventing an ignition interlock device, which is designed to prevent an individual from operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. 22-year old Seth Everett White was arrested in Cedar Rapids at around 7:40-p.m. Monday, and transported back to Adams County, where he was being held without bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

(updated 3/15/12 – ISP corrected the couples’ ages)

The Iowa State Patrol says an elderly couple from Kansas City, KS were injured during a single vehicle accident Tuesday evening, in Fremont County. The driver of the car, 88-year old Charles Best, and his passenger, 99-year old Marie Best, were transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where they were listed in “Fair” condition. 

The Patrol says the Bests’ 2004 Toyota Highlander was traveling north on Interstate 29 at around 6:45-p.m.,  when for reasons unknown, the SUV left the road, traveled into a ditch, a field and a creek before coming to rest in a field. Neither of the Bests’ were wearing their seat belts. The accident remains under investigation.

A native of Guthrie Center has returned home to become the new Office Coordinator at the Guthrie County Extension Office. Vicki Frohling (formerly Vicki Hansen) started working at the Extension office on March 5th.

Vicki Frohling

As Office Coordinator, Vicki has the responsibility of coordinating the office needs in Guthrie County, delivered by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

She brings to the position a background in health care administration,  and most recently served as the Executive Director of the Russell, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce. Frohling graduated from Guthrie Center High School and attended Northwest Missouri State University. She and her husband Wyatt recently moved back to Iowa from Kansas, and live on an acreage three miles west of Guthrie Center.  The couple has two adult children who live in Kansas.

Frohling says she’s “Excited to be living back in Guthrie Center and working for the extension office,” and the she looks forward to becoming an active part of the community. ISU Extension invites you to stop by the Guthrie County Extension Office at 212 State Street in Guthrie Center and welcome Vicki back to Guthrie Center and to her new position.

Officials with the Cass County Memorial Hospital Foundation remind area graduates that the deadline for the Elsie and Louie Hansen Memorial Scholarship is April 2nd, 2012. To be eligible for a scholarship you must be a Cass County high school graduate who is enrolled in, or has been accepted to and will be attending, a college of nursing or medicine leading to an LPN, RN, or MD degree. The Louie and Elsie Hansen Scholarship was established through the generosity and careful planning of these two life-long Cass County residents.  The Hansen’s believed in higher education, so much so that over 70% of their estate was bequeathed for that purpose, including a gift to the CCMH Foundation. 

Under the supervision and guidance of the CCMH Foundation, scholarship opportunities are provided yearly.  Scholarship candidates must have graduated from a Cass County high school and be enrolled in an accredited nursing or medical doctor school. Applications are available on line at www.casshealth.org or may be picked up from the CCMH Foundation office.

More than 750 county officials will be traveling to Des Moines this week for education, skills training and networking.  The Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) will be holding its 69th Spring School of Instruction March 15-16 at the Des Moines Marriott Downtown. In addition, ISAC will award scholarships to eight outstanding high school students during ISAC’s Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony on March 15th. 

Scholarships in the amount of $3,000 will be awarded to: Amanda Kesterson, a student at the Denison High School; and Amanda Steffes, from the Audubon High School. A Runner-up scholarship in the amount of $1,500 will also be awarded to Paige Kennon, from the Atlantic High School. Ethan Westering from the Atlantic High School, will receive a $2,000 scholarship from the Iowa Counties Information Technology Organization.  And, Michaela Kennedy from Abraham Lincoln High School will receive the Past President’s Scholarship in the amount of $3,000. 

Criteria used in judging the scholarships are scholastic achievement, financial need, participation in extracurricular/community activities, and overall character.  Eligibility is limited to children of county officials or county employees. ISAC scholarships are funded through the ISAC Education Foundation.  Also during ISAC’s business meeting, county officials will review and approve the association’s budget for fiscal year 2013.