w/ Ric Hanson

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DENISON, Iowa (AP) – A train derailment in west-central Iowa has been blamed on a broken axle. Union Pacific says a loaded coal train headed to Illinois sustained the break about 6:15 p.m. Monday. Two cars derailed. The cars were put back on the tracks early Tuesday morning.

About 600 rail ties damaged in the accident must be replaced. No injuries were reported.

Former Minnesota Governor and Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty will make a stop in Atlantic this afternoon. Pawlenty, who is on a statewide bus tour in advance of Saturday‘s straw poll in Ames, is expected to appear at the Family Table Restaurant, at 12:30-p.m. Pawlenty says the message he’ll convey at today’s town hall meeting is “The Country is in Trouble.”

He says Barack Obama has “had his chance and it’s not working. The Country needs a new direction and a new president.” Pawlenty says he brings to the table experience and results. He says he won’t just deliver speeches on getting the economy back on its feet, he’ll get things done.

Pro-life activists were joined by Pawlenty Tuesday, as they launched a bus tour promoting their conservative agenda. Outside the Iowa Capitol yesterday, Pawlenty touted his record in support of abortion restrictions while governor of Minnesota.

Speaking with KJAN News by phone this morning, Pawlenty said he has an “established record” on the issue, so there’s no need to wonder where he stands. He says he’s strongly pro-life and has advanced the pro-life cause in “historic ways” in Minnesota, proposing and putting into law, a woman’s right to know positive alternatives to abortion legislation, and more. He says the abortion rate in Minnesota is at an historic low, with some 30-to 40-percent decreases in abortion. Pawlenty says while he’s proud of his achievements on the issue, he says there’s still more to accomplish in establishing a “culture of life.”

Some early polls have Texas Governor Rick Perry — who will not be participating in the Iowa straw poll — gaining momentum as a presidential hopeful, even though he has not officially announced his candidacy. Those same early polls don’t list Pawlenty as a contender in the race. He says early polls are not a good predictor of the final outcome, and the Ames straw poll is a chance to show improvement in his standing, and momentum heading into the caucuses.

Pawlenty says President Obama’s poll numbers are way down, he can be beat and will be defeated. One of the key issues Pawlenty will address is how to get the economy moving again. He says his campaign is ready and able to accomplish the task. The details of his plan are on his website, at www.timpawlenty.com.

Other Republican presidential hopefuls who’ve made stops in Atlantic over the past week include former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachman.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Police in Harlan say two people were arrested Saturday on OWI charges. 49-year old Bruce Coenen, of Harlan, was taken into custody following a traffic stop. He was charged with Operating a motor vehicle While Intoxicated, 2^nd offense.

And, 49-year old John Piper, of Defiance, was arrested after the Harlan P-D received a 9-1-1 call regarding a possibly intoxicated driver. Officials say Piper was taken into custody on a charges of OWI, Failure to have a Valid Driver’s License, and Open Container.

Two Cass County residents were arrested over the weekend, in connection with an incident involving alcohol being served to persons under age. Police in Harlan, Saturday, arrested 19-year old Siarra Means, of Cumberland, and 22-year old Nicholas Seyler, of Griswold, after Means was observed allegedly drinking alcohol under the legal age.

Means was charged with Minor in Possession of Alcohol, Public Intoxication, and Interference with Official Acts. Seyler was also charged with Public Intox and Interference with Officials Acts. He also was charged with Supplying Alcohol to persons under age.

Funeral services will be held Saturday morning in Griswold, for a rural Cumberland woman who died Tuesday in a single-vehicle rollover accident just west of Griswold. Pottawattamie County Chief Deputy Sheriff Jim Matthei identified the victim of the crash as 21-year old Kayleen Amos.

Matthei says the woman was traveling north on Contrail Avenue at around 6-a.m., when she lost control of the 2002 Ford F-250 pickup she was driving just north of Highway 92. The vehicle entered the west ditch and rolled over, coming to rest in a corn field. Amos, who was wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The accident remains under investigation. Amos was born in Atlantic, and had attended school in Griswold. She was working for her family’s business, “Amos Family Produce,” when the crash occurred.

Atlantic School District Superintendent Dr. Mike Amstein disputes the Iowa Department of Education’s conclusion that enrollment projections for the upcoming school year will be less than anticipated. Last year, he says, total enrollment was 1,409. For the 2011-2012 school year, the DOE predicts an enrollment of about 1,391 students, or a loss of 18 students. Amstein says the administration doesn’t believe that will be the case.

He says based on preschool numbers for the 2012-2013 school year…which the DOE predicts will result in the loss of another dozen or so students…Atlantic should actually see the same number of students coming into the district, or about 140 students.

He says the numbers may actually rise over the next two-years, based on the number of live birth rate projections. The bottom line, according to Amstein, is that they don’t see the DOE’s numbers “coming to fruition,” which he says is good news for the district.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education, Tuesday night, swallowed a bitter pill and approved a bid for the Middle School HVAC and Renovation Project that was nearly $750,000 over budget. Jerry Purdy, with Design Alliance Engineering said the low bidder for the project was Allied Engineering Company, based in Atlantic. The Board approved their bid of $7.645-million for a project that was budgeted at $6.9-million. Purdy said the highest bid of $8.47-million, came from an Omaha company.

According to Purdy, there five bids were selected from those received, all of which were tightly grouped together for the most part. He says the project came in over budget because of what’s termed “Project creep,” whereby items that were added to it during the design phase for one reason or another, some because of code, others for function or aesthetics, were not adjusted in the final budget.

One of those items was the parking lot, which made-up about five-percent of the nearly 8.3-percent increase in costs. He says the addition of storm piping and other issues meant more than just an overlay, as was planned.

The board had the option to accept the bids as presented, or reject them and make changes, which would also mean a delay in the project completion date of up to a year, and mean it would take up to three-years to finish, instead of two. The board was essentially left with three options if it chose to reject the bids: go for more bonds, which would result in additional cost for bonding fees, etc.; to use the $200,000 set aside surplus and use an additional $300,000 resulting from the sale of bonds at a favorable rate; or, borrow at the end of the project, which also means incurring additional debt in the form of interest.

While the board was not happy with the fact the project went over budget,  they agreed with Superintendent Doctor Mike Amstein who said prior to the vote, their options are limited, and timing is critical if the students are to  receive a quality education with as minimal interruptions as possible.

Board member Glen Smith said he was in favor of the bid because the district would be using a local contractor, who can handle issues and questions quickly, and because there’s a higher “Degree of trust,” than with a firm that is farther away. Board Member Jon Martens reluctantly made to motion  to approve the bid, and following a second by Smith, the motion passed unanimously.

The annual Operation T-Bone cattle sale was held Tuesday at the Anita Livestock Auction as 337 head of fat cattle changed hands.  Anita Livestock owner Bernard Vais said the market was good with prices ranging from $110 to $113.50 per hundred.  Anderson Farms of Audubon sold 42 head averaging 1333 pounds for the top price of $113.50 per hundred and Bill McGuire of Audubon sold seven head averaging 1389 pounds at that top price.  Nebraska Beef, Tyson, Cargill and National Beef were the buyers.  Operation T-Bone is an annual event started in 1951 focusing on the importance of the beef industry to Audubon county.