The Atlantic Board of Education Monday night continued discussions with regard to the 2014-2015 budget. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein told KJAN News one of the things he recommended the Board look at is levying the SBRC (School Budget Review Committee) for the Special Education Deficit. The deficit was for how much more was spent for Special Ed programming than what was received, which amounted to around $670,000. Also, $600,000 on the cash reserve and $350,000 on the management levy.

Amstein said Board Secretary/Business Manager Mary Beth Fast is looking at how much the levy might be, and right now it appears it will be around $14.55 or $14.60 per thousand dollars of assessed property valuation. He said they’re also trying to find ways to trim the budget. Amstein said the district’s Unspent Balance has been dropping for a number of years. Even though the district is still in the “Safe range” according to the IASB – Iowa Association of School Boards – Amstein says they “Need to change that trajectory by trimming part of the budget.” Right now they’re looking at cutting $400,000 from the budget for the upcoming year. He says the Board would like to keep that part of the budget at 14-to 15-percent.”

The way the budget shakes out will influence where the levy rate will be for any bond issue the district may consider for planned Capital Improvement/Expansion projects. In other business, the Board discussed the 2014-2015 School Calendar. The focus currently is on an hourly calendar, or 1,080 hours as opposed to the present 180 days. He says an hourly calendar would give the district more flexibility as far as making up snow days, and teacher professional development.

The Atlantic District has had two snow days so far this school year. Those days will be added to the end of the current school year, which will mean classes will dismiss May 23^rd instead of May 21^st…assuming there are no more make-up days due to the weather.

The School Board, Monday, also approved a $50,000 matching Grant Award Letter of Agreement from the Iowa West Foundation. The funds will be shared by the Atlantic, Exira-EHK, CAM, AHST, Griswold, Harlan and Riverside. Amstein said the grant was possible due to the efforts of the six Superintendents in the region, who worked this past fall on a plan to expand Career Tech Educational opportunities in southwest Iowa.

And, the Board approved an agreement with Cass County Historical Museum for the donation of Native American artifacts in the school’s possession to the museum, with the stipulation that if the Museum should ever permanently close, those artifacts be returned to the district.

w/ Ric Hanson

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A man wanted on a warrant for Domestic Abuse/Serious Assault was taken into custody last Friday night after being tracked down by a Guthrie County Sheriff’s Dept. K-9 unit. According to reports, at around 8-p.m., Friday, authorities responded to a residence where it was thought 36-year old David Michael Hunt, Jr. would be found. When they arrived, officials discovered Hunt, Jr., had escaped out the back window of the home and fled on foot.

Officers with the Guthrie Center Police Department and deputies with the Guthrie County Sheriff’s office coordinated their efforts to locate the man, with the aid of the sheriff’s K-9 Unit. Approximately 45 minutes later, they tracked Hunt, Jr. into a timber area in the northern part of Guthrie Center. A perimeter was established with the assistance of the Iowa State Patrol and the IA DOT’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division, and within minutes, the K-9 “Rage” and his partner found Hunt, Jr. and took him into custody.

Hunt was being held without bond in the Guthrie County Jail.

A call to police in Red Oak Monday night with regard to a woman who was allegedly caught stealing money from a restaurant resulted in an arrest of the woman on numerous drug-related charges. Red Oak Police say Elizabeth Riley, of Red Oak, faces possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and illegal possession of prescription drugs charges, along with a drug tax stamp violation.

She was taken into custody after officers responded to the Rainbow Cafe at 105 West Market Street at about 7:15 p.m., Monday.  Upon their arrival, officers were told Riley allegedly stole tips from other waitresses’ tables, and money out of the manager’s purse. The manager told police she didn’t want to press charges, but she alleged Riley had a needle in her pants.

Police say Riley admitted she had a needle, then removed it and placed it on a table. Riley also admitted to police she had marijuana and some pills in her purse. Upon further investigation, police found marijuana, a one-hit marijuana pipe, 38 Buproplon pills, and 19 Clonazepam pills.

Riley was taken to the Montgomery County Jail, and was unable to post bond.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet Wednesday morning in Atlantic, and one of the action items on their agenda is action on the termination of employment for long-time County Mental Health/General Assistance Coordinator, Teresa Kanning. No reason was given in the agenda for the termination of employment.

In other business, the Board will hold a public hearing on the vacating of portions of Secondary Roads Right-of-Way, with regard to portions of: 644th Street in Section 14 of Grove Township; 700th Street, between Sections 2 & 3 in Benton Township, and Galt Lane, in Section 5 of Lincoln Township. Following the hearing, the Board will act on vacating those sections of roadways.

The meeting begins at 8:30-a.m., Wednesday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Two groups in Iowa want to teach people about the alternatives to demolition.  The Center on Sustainable Communities and the Iowa Waste Reduction Center are hosting four workshops in March to talk about deconstruction. The practice involves carefully disassembling something so its materials can be reused.

The groups say deconstruction is an alternative to demolition that provides social, economic and environmental benefits. The workshops are scheduled March 11 in Ida Grove; March 13 in Corning; March 18 in Keosauqua; and March 20 in Elkader.

The Center on Sustainable Communities is a nonprofit group in Des Moines. The Iowa Waste Reduction Center is at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Their efforts are funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Natural Resources.

A “domestic situation” early this (Tuesday) morning in Montgomery County has resulted in an arrest. Sheriff’s officials say deputies were called to a residence in the 100 block of west 2nd Street in Villisca shortly after midnight. Following a brief investigation, they took into custody 22-year old Jesse A. Luft. Luft was charged with Disorderly Conduct and brought to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center, where he was being held on $300 cash bond.

And, a Red Oak woman was arrested Monday evening on for Violating the terms of a Protective Order. 43-year old Shelby JoAnn Oliveres was taken into custody at around 6:55-p.m. at a residence on east Maple Street, in Red Oak. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The Iowa Finance Authority is now offering some first-time Iowa home buyers a tax credit of up to two-thousand dollars a year, for the life of their 30-year mortgage. Twenty years ago congress passed a law allowing states to set up this kind of a program and Iowa is doing it for the first time in 2014. Iowa Finance Authority director Dave Jamison says his agency will issue a certificate for that tax credit on mortgages that are handled by a lender participating in the program.

“One important note is that the Mortgage Credit Certificate funding will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds are expended,” Jamison says. Home sales that closed after February 3rd of this year are eligible. There are income limits as to which first-time home buyers are eligible, as well as limits on the price of homes they buy, but Jamison estimates 585 Iowa home buyers will be eligible in 2014. Iowa Association of Realtors C-E-O Dave Bert says this “Take Credit” program should encourage more Iowans to buy a home.

“Not only is home ownership good for individuals, it promotes a prospering economy,” Bert says. “Every home purchase pumps up to $50,000 into the economy over time and homeownership helps support and create jobs.” The Iowa Finance Authority was created in the mid-70s to administer programs that help low- and moderate-income Iowans buy their first home.

(Radio Iowa)