The Audubon School Board met in a regular session Monday night and acted upon an offer from the Iowa National Guard for the purchase of a portion of the Guards’ property for a baseball field. Superintendent Dr. Brett Gibbs told KJAN News it covers roughly the infield into the Armory area. The rest is owned by the City of Audubon, which is in the process of turning their property over to the school district. The $20,000 cost for the National Guard portion of the land would be paid for through the PPEL.

The Board also set March 6^th as the date for a Public Hearing on the Fiscal Year 2018 School Calendar. More information is forthcoming prior to the next school board meeting. Following the hearing, the Board is expected to discuss changes to Chapter 20 (Collective Bargaining). Gibbs said one of the things that will likely change next year, is the elimination of Spring Break.

He said the teachers overwhelmingly requested not to have a Spring Break next year, which is something they’ve been doing for the past few years, and “The novelty has kind of worn off a little bit.” It’s also a way to wrap up the school year, sooner. The final decision is up to the School Board, but Gibbs said they generally follow the teachers’ recommendations.

The Audubon School Board discussed staffing options for FY2018, keeping in mind the current declining enrollment and decreased State Aid. He says they ended-up with four early teacher retirements, another teacher who didn’t qualify for early retirement but who indicated he will not be back next year, and a secretary who is taking retirement.

Also, as part of the Teacher Leadership Grant, the Model Teachers appeared before the Board to explain what they’re doing to help teachers improve.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Woodbury County’s former social services coordinator has filed a sexual discrimination lawsuit against county officials. The Sioux City Journal reports Patty Erickson-Puttmann says in the lawsuit that the officials treated female employees differently from men and says they reduced her salary because she had filed a state civil rights complaint about her treatment. She also says the officials issued a 19-point corrective plan to her because she’d pointed out that the county auditor, Pat Gill, might have violated privacy laws in the publication of some legal advertisements.

Gill has declined to comment about the lawsuit. Other officials say the pay cut resulted from a reduction in Erickson-Puttmann’s duties. Erickson-Puttmann is seeking back pay and benefits and damages for emotional pain and suffering and mental anguish.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The state has cut nearly 2,100 jobs since Terry Branstad returned as Iowa governor in 2011, a point of pride for the Republican but worrisome to some state workers who argue the reductions have endangered the public and other public employees.

The Des Moines Register’s analysis of data from the Iowa Department of Administrative Services shows Branstad has eliminated at least 2,094 full-time positions in state government. Most of those job cuts occurred in four departments. Nearly 840 jobs were cut from human services, and more than 230 were cut from transportation. The workforce development department saw more than 240 cuts, and corrections had more than 260 cuts.

Ron Forget, a former corrections officer, says reduced staffing led to assaults against him and other prison employees.

The Creston Police Department reports three arrests took place over the past few days. On Sunday, 57-year old Dennis Elva Brown, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While License Suspended. Brown was released from the Union County Jail on his own recognizance. Also arrested Sunday, was 18-year old Donavan Michael Houghmaster, of Creston, for Criminal Mischief. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $300 cash or surety bond.

And, last Friday morning, 30-year old Jessica Renee Pettit, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order. Pettit was later released on her own recognizance from the Ringgold County Jail.