The Atlantic Police Department reports 55-year old Terry Calhoun, of Atlantic, was arrested Monday. Calhoun was taken into custody on charges of Serious Assault and Disorderly Conduct, following an incident that took place Monday evening. He was booked into the Cass County Jail and held, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

The Elk Horn-Kimballton and Exira Boards of Education held a joint meeting Monday evening, in Elk Horn. Superintendent Dean Schnoes told KJAN News the schools are on the right path towards consolidation, a path that began last year, when the districts entered into a Whole Grade Sharing agreement, and is becoming more likely, because the incentives for having such an agreement are running dry. He said that path includes bringing in consultants from the AEA, community update meetings. Schnoes says the timeline for consolidation or reorganization are being affected by the fact funding districts receive for Whole Grade Sharing will be gone by June 30^th, 2014. Schnoes said the next incentive affecting patrons of both districts is tax reductions.

He says reorganization would reduce the tax burden from $5.40 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation to $4.40 per thousand. The rate would gradually increase over the next three-years following consolidation back to $5.40. Schnoes said in addition to the removal a Whole Grade Sharing incentive, there are also no more incentives for districts to share a superintendent, business manager, and other administrative positions. He says both districts had held site visits, and the State has noticed both districts need each other. The unofficial report from the State Department of Education recommends both districts keep moving forward and look at consolidation, to take advantage of much of the incentives the State has to offer for districts considering the move.

In order to move forward, the districts need to stick to a timeline. He says they’d like to have things finalized by no later than June 30, 2014. Schnoes says after they hear from the AEA representatives during their next joint meeting on November 26^th in Exira, they’ll hold community meetings, and hopefully have the petitions completed for reorganization, along with a vote to consolidate, sometime early next year. He says the mood seems favorable toward reorganization, but they won’t know for sure until the community meetings take place.

w/ Ric Hanson

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Farmers, crop inspectors and grain elevators in Nebraska, Iowa and other corn-producing states are keeping an eye out for corn contaminated by a poison-producing fungus.  They’re watching for signs of aflatoxins. Experts say aflatoxins are chemicals produced by certain mold fungi and that at high levels aflatoxins are poisonous to humans and animals. They tend to show up during hot, dry summers.

Mark Fulmer of the Lincoln Inspection Service said that during the drought year of 2002, there was a high amount of aflatoxin in the state’s corn. Fulmer says of the corn samples his company has tested this summer, most show little or no contamination. But he says some of the corn has tested out at more than four times the federal threshold.

w/ Ric Hanson

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An accident this morning in Montgomery County involving a vehicle and a herd of cattle caused about $3,500 damage, but no one was injured. The Sheriff’s Office said at around 5-a.m.,  William Lalone, of rural Stanton, was traveling north on N Avenue, north of 230th Street, when he came upon about 15 black cows standing on the road. While attempting to avoid the animals, the 2012 Mazda 2 Lalone was driving came into contact with one of the cows, possibly injuring the animal.

The cattle which were on the road fled to the north and east, possibly into a nearby cornfield. The owner of the cows, Richard Kennon, arrived and checked his nearby field, but was unable to determine how many of the animals had strayed from the field, due to the presence of fog in the area, along with the dark conditions.

No citations were issued.

WINTERSET, Iowa (AP) – A former Winterset teacher has been given two years of probation for kissing and groping a high school student.  Drew Lipovac was sentenced on Monday. He’d been convicted of sexual exploitation by a school employee.  Authorities say an investigation began last year after they received a report of inappropriate physical contact between Lipovac and at least one girl who Lipovac knew was a district high school student.  The 27-year-old Lipovac also was fined $625 and ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.

The Audubon City Council Monday night, approved resolutions to enter into loan agreements which amounted to $660,000, for improvements to the swimming pool, along with an airport resurfacing and water tower/water treatment plant repair projects.  Their decision to opt for repairs to treatment plant instead of replacing the current, 28-year old facility, came at the suggestion of JEO Consulting’s Lucas Billesbach. The move saves the City nearly $1.3-million dollars. A study will be conducting by JEO to determine the need for future repairs to the treatment plant.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold a work session tonight, at the High School. On the agenda for the 7:30-p.m. session, is discussion with school administrators with regard to the 2012-2013 initiatives, goals and expected outcomes. The Board will also discuss the October Iowa Association of School Board’s Fall Regional meeting to be held in Red Oak, prior to their adjournment. The meeting takes place in the high school media center.

The Farmers’ Almanac is predicting wild temperature swings and periods of storminess this coming winter for much of the Midwest – including Iowa. Almanac editor Peter Geiger says Iowans can expect something slightly more harsh than the rather mild weather of last winter. “It’s not going to be like the coldest winter ever, but I think you’re going to get some decent precipitation, which you need badly,” Geiger said.

The Almanac predicts areas east of Iowa, like Wisconsin and Illinois, will experience colder than normal temps with a varied mix of snow, sleet and rain. People from the Great Lakes to northern New England are being advised to prepare for a very cold and snowy winter. The Farmers’ Almanac has been releasing winter weather predictions for 196 years. Geiger notes the publication is accurate with the forecast about 75 to 80 percent of the time. According to Geiger, the forecast is based – in part – on a “mathematical and astronomical formula” created by Almanac founder David Young in 1818.

(Radio Iowa)