(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education held their Annual and Regular Meetings, Wednesday evening. Their Annual Meeting, featured the 2021-22 Annual Report, and 2021-22 Depository Statement.

Here are Superintendent Steve Barber’s notes on the Annual Report:

During the Board’s Regular session, they received a Special Presentation on the 3-year Old Preschool Program, along with regular reports from the District’s Principal’s, and Superintendent Steve Barber. Here are his notes from the meeting:

“A lot of these numbers and scores,” he said, “are gleaned from our ISASP’s results.  Our Middle School received the highest rating category of commendable, while our Schuler building received a Needs Improvement rating.  Each of these two buildings are required to receive Targeted Support for the subgroup of IEP students.  Since, pre COVID the Department of Education have not required or provided the support for schools in the targeted designation.  I am encouraged that each of our buildings have a plan for this work.  Although it is a designation by the State I feel this is a great opportunity to take a holistic view of how we are serving special education students and make the necessary adjustments that research deems best practice to better reach the goal of independence for this subgroup.

“Both the High School (Acceptable) rating and Washington are not required to have any additional support.  Washington only administers the ISASP’s test to third graders, which provides too small of a sample size to garner a rating.”

In other business, the Atlantic School Board approved Action items on their Consent Agenda, including the resignations of: Lisa Andersen, Food Service; and Stacy Van Aernam, CCEOC Para-Educator, and Superintendent Barber’s contract recommendations for the following:

Jacey Hoegh & Zach Christensen – Volunteer Boys Basketball Coaches.
Mike Greving, Caleb Smith, Adam Smith and Dillon Cox – Vol. Wrestling Coaches.
Todd Killion – MS Wrestling Coach.
Kayla Mendenhall – Vol. Cheer Coach.
Gary Miller – School Bus Driver.
Donald Prall & Abby Lauritzen-Olson: Substitute car/suburban Drivers.
Lizzie Walker – Early Learning Center Para.

The Atlantic School Board discussed the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) Renewal Timeline. The schedule includes action on: Jan. 11, 2023 on approving a Resolution to Consider Participation & Set [the] Public Hearing; and on having Feb. 8, 2023 as the date for the Public Hearing, along with possible action on the Resolution. (The Board has 30 days from the date of the hearing to act on the matter) The maximum portion of the ISL cannot exceed 10% of regular program district cost. A portion of the amount is state aid, but the district has not received that portion for the past several years, according to Mr. Barber.

In other business, the Board approved: SBRC Modified Allowable Growth (2021-22) LEP Allowable Costs, in the amount of $65,761.19; SBRC Modified Allowable Growth for Increased Enrollment ($192,960.90) (for spending authority); and SBRC Modified Allowable Growth – for LEP Instruction Beyond 5-years ($3,396.69).

And, finally, the School Board heard Mr. Barber’s recommendation for White Knuckle Driving to receive the Driver’s Education Contract. When the RFP (Request for Proposal) went out, it was for a two-year contract, beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The District also requested two amounts, one for a “regular student,” and one for a “Free and Reduced student.” Deluxe Driving submitted a bid of $350 per “regular” student. White Knuckle’s bid was $355. The district is responsible for some of the expenditures associated with Free and Reduced students.

Bids for the F&R students were $335 from Deluxe Driving, and $325 from White Knuckle. Barber said “Given that the District is responsible for that,” he recommended White Knuckle driving, and the Board that recommendation.

A collision this (Wednesday) afternoon in Monona County resulted in two men being transported to MercyOne Siouxland Hospital by Burgess EMS Onawa. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2003 Ford F250 pickup driven by 82-year old Larry Paul Davis, of Woodbine, was traveling east on Highway 175 at around 12:22-p.m., just east of Mango Avenue, when his vehicle crossed the center line of the road.

The pickup entered the westbound lane into the path of a 2022 Ford EC4 transport vehicle driven by 52-year-old Brady Lyle Barker, of Ida Grove. The vehicles collided head-on in the westbound lane of Highway 175. The Patrol says both drivers were wearing a seat belt.

The Ford EC4 is registered to Cygnus Home Service, LLC, out of Marshall, MN.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa 3rd District Democrat Representative Cindy Axne today (Wednesday), conceded a close race to represent Iowa’s Third Congressional District and released the following statement:

“I am honored and humbled by the support I received over the last five years from the people in Iowa’s Third Congressional District. Even though the numbers weren’t in our favor this year, I encourage you all to continue to have the hard conversations with your friends and your neighbors about the issues that matter the most to you.

Unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office show Axne’s opponent, Republican Senator Zach Nunn, garnered 156,237 votes, to Axne’s 154,084 (2,153 more votes than Axne).

Representing Iowa’s Third Congressional District has been one of the best opportunities of my life and I hope Zach Nunn understands the responsibility of this office and will continue my hard work to uplift Iowans’ voices in Washington D.C.,” said Cindy Axne.

(Radio Iowa) – An apartment building in Lake Park that used to be a Methodist Church has been destroyed by fire. Lake Park Fire Chief Brandon Ehret says the old wooden structure in the town of about 1200 was engulfed by fire when his crew arrived on scene around midnight.

“Had fire showing off the north side of the building…It was coming out of the roof. Got our big hoses on it, got a lot of water flowing right away. We weren’t able to make entry on it,” he says. “Spirit Lake came over with its ladder truck and tankers and we had Milford came up with their an engine and tankers and worked the water shuttle off (Silver Lake), hauling water to it, got a lot of hot spots put out and kept an eye on it until about 6:30 this morning.”

Firefighters packed up and returned to the fire station in Lake Park, but were back again about an hour later to deal with a flare up. Ehret says the last apartment resident moved out a few days ago. “The owner was actually in the place yesterday doing some work. She had a lot of art stuff and antiques in there,” Ehret says. “…She couldn’t think of anything out of the ordinary when she was here.”

The Methodist Church was the first church built in Lake Park. Ehret has ordered that the building be torn down because it’s a safety hazard.

(Radio Iowa) – Voters in five Iowa counties have approved new taxes that will support local emergency medical services. According to the Iowa EMS Association, about two-thirds of ambulance services in the state are either fully or partially staffed by volunteers and many conduct fund drives to cover expenses.

A new state law lets county boards of supervisors put local tax referendums on the ballot to support local ambulance services. Like local bond elections, these referendums must get at least 60 percent approval. Voters in Jones, Kossuth, Pocahontas, Osceola and Winnebago Counties have approved EMS referendums that were on the 2022 General Election ballot.

Voters in Calhoun, Floyd and Worth Counties defeated referendums to raise local taxes for ambulance services.

(Radio Iowa) – The drop in travel on Iowa’s highways brought on by higher gas prices appears to have eased in September as fuel prices went down. The D-O-T’s Stuart Anderson tracks the numbers. “We’ve seen that as fuel prices have moderated, we’ve seen that vehicular travel pick up again,” he says. Anderson says the increase put travel numbers back to pre-pandemic levels.

“September we’re actually about half a percent above the September 2019 levels. So we’re back in the positive range again,” Anderson says. He says the early look at last month’s numbers shows the trend continuing. “October appears to be just a little bit above October of 2019 as well so so I think we’re past that four or five six month period where we saw the impact on vehicular traffic due to high fuel prices,” he says.

Anderson made his comment in an update Tuesday to the Transportation Commission.

[UPDATED] (Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday morning, accepted the resignation of Conservation Board member Phil Pryzchodzin, and the appointment of Blaine Behnken as a replacement. The Board tentatively approved the use of Opiod Recovery Funds in the amount $6,400, to host a mental health class for police and sheriff’s department personnel, in Atlantic. The funds were requested last month by Atlantic Police Chief Devin Hogue, in hopes of hosting the event for law enforcement personnel, in March, 2023. Hogue said CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) classes are being offered in Council Bluffs in January.

There is a drastic difference, he says, between that program and the one he wants to offer, in March.

The Board agreed to have the County Attorney draw-up a Resolution essentially stating that the funds will be transferred to, and administered by, Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services. In his report to the Board, Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken said work is complete on Bridge #182 on 610^th Street, and the road is open. Also, work is underway on a box culvert project on Fairview Road for Bridge #425 is underway. The rest is pretty much regular road maintenance, including hot melt asphalt (HMA) patching, road shoulder work, and the stockpiling of rock.

The Board tabled action for now, on approving a Resolution to amend the Cass County Five-year Construction Program. They approved the hiring of landfill employee James Stokely, as a Secondary Roads Truck Driver (Operator 1). In other business, Board Chair Steve Baier said he was pleased with the bid proposals that were submitted for real estate services, with regard to the sale of the County Farm (the Willow Heights property).

The county-owned farm includes the old Willow Heights building, approximately 115 acres of row crop ground and approximately 35 acres of pasture ground. The Supervisors held a considerable amount of discussion with regard to bids for Real Estate Services, associated with the sale of the County-Farm. They narrowed down their selection to Farmers National and Property Connection Real Estate. The Board will hold separate, final interviews with representatives of those two agents, on Friday. One interview takes place at 9-a.m., the other at 9:30-a.m.

The Board passed a Resolution to rescind a previous resolution that allocates payment of ARPA funds on November 15^th, and changed the date of payment to November 10^th, instead. They also passed a Resolution setting appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022-23.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman was arrested at around 1-p.m. Tuesday. 57-year-old Stephanie Hightshoe, of Villisca, was arrested on two-counts Delivery of Methamphetamine, both Class-C Felonies. She was being held on bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) – Five people are now jailed and more arrests are expected in what Des Moines police say was a drug-related kidnapping. On Monday night, a 20-year-old Des Moines man was reported missing as rumors swirled he’d been kidnapped. On Tuesday morning, investigators found evidence the unidentified man had been held against his will and assaulted in an apartment — but had been moved to another apartment. His captors released him and detectives found him at a hospital with significant injuries.

The five kidnapping suspects range in age from 21 to 25 and all are from Des Moines or West Des Moines. Five guns were seized, including two that were reported stolen. Police say evidence indicates the victim was believed to owe a drug debt.  The suspects arrested include:

Brandon Dwight Johnson, 21-year-old from Des Moines
o Kidnapping – 2nd Degree
o Felon In Possession Of A Firearm

Deng Gai, 21-year-old from Des Moines
o Kidnapping – 2nd Degree
o Possession Of A Controlled Substance With Intent To Deliver
o Failure To Affix Tax Stamp

Michel Gai, 22-year-old from Des Moines
o Kidnapping – 2nd Degree
o Felon In Possession Of A Firearm

Rodney Vincent Benson, 22-year-old from Des Moines
o Kidnapping – 2nd Degree
o Carrying Weapons
o Possession Of A Controlled Substance

Malik Marquis Hawkins, 25-year-old from West Des Moines
o Kidnapping – 2nd Degree

(Radio Iowa) – The U-S Supreme Court will hear constitutional challenges today (Wednesday) to a long-established law that protects Native children from being removed from their families. The Indian Child Welfare Act requires state agencies to work with tribes on child home placements. Iowa Assistant Attorney General Diane Murphy Smith says overturning the law would be devastating to tribal communities. Smith says, “In state court, we’re really facing huge implications for our Native children and Native families, and our tribal state agreements.” She says it would scale back the state’s ability to serve and collaborate with the Meskwaki tribe in Iowa.

Before the law passed in 1978, around one-fourth of Native children were taken from their families by state child welfare agencies. Of those, 85-percent ended up in non-Native homes. Great Plains Action Society representation director Jessica Engelking says reversal of the law would undo decades of work to protect Native children. Engelking says, “I’m absolutely terrified of going back to a time where our children were just stolen with impunity, more so than they are now.” The law’s opponents argue the legislation discriminates based on race, but tribes say being Native is a political designation, not a racial one, which means tribal sovereignty is also under threat.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller filed an amicus brief, urging the court to reject the challenges.

(reporting by Kendall Crawford, Iowa Public Radio)