Police in Glenwood arrested a man on an assault charge Monday. Officials report 43-year old Dwayne Rollins, of Glenwood, was arrested for Assault Causing Bodily Injury. His cash-only bond at the Mills County Jail, was set at $15,000. And, early this (Thursday) morning, Glenwood Police arrested 26-year old Alan Baburek, of Omaha, for OWI/3rd offense. Baburek was being held in the Mills County Jail on $5,000 bond.

The Iowa Department of Corrections reports one inmate at a work release facility has been apprehended, but another has been reported missing. Dept. spokesman Fred Scaletta said 29-year old Michael Cowden, who was listed as escaped from the state work release facility in Des Moines, Wednesday, has been captured and was being held in the Clarke County Jail.

Robert Lee Garrett

Another man remains on the lam, though. 46-year old Robert Lee Garrett, was listed as escaped, Wednesday, after he failed to return to the Ft. Des Moines Work Release Facility (WRF). Garrett is a black male, 6-feet one-inches tall, and weighs about 197 pounds. He has a left ear piercing and scars on his right calf and left wrist.

Garrett was serving a sentence for conviction on numerous charges, including 1st degree robbery, 1st degree theft, child endangerment and assault on a peace officer, causing injury. He began serving his sentence in June, 1990 and was transferred to Work Release on Feb. 26th, following a decision by the Iowa Board of Parole.

Anyone with information on Garrett’s location should call the Des Moines Police Department or Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

The Atlantic School Board, Wednesday, approved the language for a proposed Special Election ballot pertaining to a Voter-approved Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (V-PPEL) and combined Income Surtax. The election will be held Sept. 13^th, 2016. Information sessions are planned for district patrons, to further explain how the combined regular PPEL and Income Surtax will reduce the tax amount property owners pay on their assessed valuations, yet still maintain the 85-cent per thousand dollars the district receives from taxes.

Business Manager/Board Secretary Mary Beth Fast explained the Income Surtax cannot exceed 20-percent, but that it’s unlikely that it will never be that high.

Superintendent Mike Amstein says state law allows the district to use a combined property tax and income surtax for the PPEL, but the district hasn’t done that since 2012. Only property tax assessments are currently used to support the PPEL.Board Vice President Kristy Pellet reminded the Board and informed the public, that because there is a limit of 85-cents, “Even with that combination of Income Surtax and Property Tax, we can’t generate more than 85-cents per thousand (dollars of assessed valuation.)”

Mary Beth Fast said if the Income Surtax had been in-place for the current school year, it would have cut the property tax rate about 60-cents. Kristy Pellet said the combined PPEL and Income Tax Surtax would essentially make it fairer, because more people would contribute to the PPEL, not just property owners.

Fast told the Board the amount of the Income Surtax would be determined each year in March, when the District’s budget is being formulated.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday, approved the final year of Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein’s contract and related pay increase. The vote was 4-to-1, with Dr. Keith Swanson voting “No.” Business Manager/Board Secretary Mary Beth Fast said the contract includes a three-percent raise and changes that went into effect July 1^st, which had previously been approved by the Board.

Amstein’s salary will increase from $137, 904.00 to $142,041.00. The contract also calls for the District to pay him $25,000 upon his retirement. Those funds will be put into an Health Reimbursement Account (HRA), future use.

Amstein had earlier announced he plans to retire at the end of the 2016-17 school year.