The Atlantic School Board will meet 6-p.m. Wednesday, in the High School Media Center. On the agenda for their regular meeting, is approval of resignations, including Jessica Newcomb – Special Education Paraeduactor, and Brad Rasmussen, Asst. Cross County Coach. Also, approval of contract recommendations for Mark Weis – Transportation Director; Ben Bartholomew – Substitute/Activity Driver, and Josh Perkins, Middle School Wrestling Volunteer Coach.

The Board will also act on Fall 2020 Coaching Contracts, as recommended by Activity Director Andy Mitchell. Mitchell recommends the following persons fill certain positions:

• Mike McDermott – Head Football Coach
• Lee Saathoff – Asst. Varsity FB Coach
• Justin Williams – JV FB
• Joe Brummer – Asst. JV FB
• Derek Hall – Freshman FB
• Oran Perkins – Asst. Freshman FB
• Connor Larsen, Tim Duff, Bryce Casey and Chase Roller – Middle School FB
• Dan Vargason – Head Cross Country Coach
• Macie Silliman – MS Cross County Coach
• Michelle Blake – Head Volleyball Coach
• Alyssa Dovenspike – JV VB
• Jeremy Blake – 9th Grade VB
• Faith McCunn, Amber Moore & Hillary Zimmerline = MS VB.
• The Assistant Cross Country Coach position had not yet been assigned as of last report.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board will discuss the District’s Facilities Projects and receive an update from Bob Sweeney, with regard to demolition of the baseball/softball fields and Trojan Bowl. They will also discuss Capital Projects and Long-term planning, along with a District Survey. Following the conclusion of regular business, the Board will adjourn into a closed session with regard to negotiations and strategic planning.

(Radio Iowa) — The Republican leader in the Iowa Senate predicts the 2020 Iowa legislature will likely raise the legal age for buying and possessing tobacco and e-cigarette products from 18 to 21.  “We’re at a unique period that we’ve never really been at where almost everyone across the board is in favor of raising it to 21, including the tobacco companies. They’ve never had that position.”

Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says legislators are hearing from constituents who are scared about the growing “vaping” problem in Iowa high schools AND middle schools. “That’s a real issue and a serious issue,” Whitver says. “If we can raise it to 21, we think that might have a shot to eliminating the vaping that’s occurring in our schools.”

Whitver made his comments during taping of the Iowa Public Television’s “Iowa Press” program that will be broadcast this Friday. Near the end of the 2019 legislative session, the president of the senate unveiled a bill to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco products — including the pods used for “vaping” with an e-cigarette. Whitver says that initial discussion has laid the groundwork for action in 2020. Public health officials say there have been 49 cases in Iowa of respiratory problems linked to vaping. All but 10 of those cases involved the use of vaping and e-cigarette products that illegally contained T-H-C, the active ingredient in marijuana. No vaping-related deaths have been reported in Iowa.

The newly organized CAM School Board met Monday evening in Anita. After the retiring Board adjourned for the evening, the new Board conducted Organizational business, including the election of Officers. CAM Business Manager Lindsay Jahde told KJAN News the Board re-elected Gary Dinkla as President, Chuck Kinzie as Vice-President, and Jhade as Board Secretary/Treasurer for the 2019-20 School Year.

The Board the accepted the resignations of Joe Wollum, Varsity Football Coach, and Brian Fogleman Assistant Varsity Coach, along with Para-educator Regina Stark. The Board discussed their Facility Projects, Monday, also. Jahde said they authorized the establishing of a Workshop to further continue with the Project Manager and the next steps of the projects. The District is looking at a study of its facilities, and making sure they are fit for the students enrolled.

And, the CAM School Board voted to accept sealed bids for the disposal of a 2006 bus that is experiencing mechanical issues that exceeds the value of the bus.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports one person was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning, following a traffic stop in Council Bluffs. 23-year old Carlos Alberto Villarreal, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody at around 1:50-a.m. in the 2000 block of Nash Blvd. He was arrested on a Probation Violation warrant, and transported to the Pott. County Jail.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo woman has been given a 15-year sentence for scamming a couple out of thousands of dollars by saying she had a kidney transplant, tumors and other medical problems. Black Hawk County court records say 47-year-old Shawn Adams was sentenced Friday. She was convicted Nov. 15 of theft and false reports. She’s also known as Shawn Tomkins.

Prosecutors say she got nearly $58,000 in aid from the Waterloo couple after telling them her tale of woe. Prosecutors say she accused one of one of them of sexually abusing her son when they discovered her scam. In June she was sentenced in Grundy County for an unrelated theft. Prosecutors say she took people to a farm in rural Dike in December 2017, selling them items that she falsely said were hers.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Creston Police Department says a Creston man reported Monday evening that sometime between Nov. 30th and Dec. 9th, his camper was stolen while parked at 312 N Division – property owned by the reporting party. The stolen camper was described as being a white 2002 Four Winds Travel Trailer, valued at $6,000.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of beating to death his grandmother in Council Bluffs has been sentenced to 50 years in prison. Court records say 30-year-old Jacob Heyer pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder. Prosecutors lowered the charge from first-degree murder in exchange for Heyer’s plea. Heyer was arrested in August 2018 for the assault of 71-year-old Karen Fort. She died within a month, and his original charges were raised. Heyer’s grandfather told officers that Heyer had said Fort tried to kill him.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — Rescuers who arrived at the Cricket Hollow Zoo near Manchester on Monday discovered some of the animals were missing. The judge had ordered that all exotic animals at the zoo be removed immediately due to “deplorable” conditions. The zoo’s owners, Pam and Tom Sellner, appealed the case, but last week, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled the rescue could continue. The Animal Legal Defense Fund has said they will be comparing their inventory of animals transferred with the one from the U-S-D-A’s reports to see what animals were missing and then investigate when the animals were transferred.

If the animals left Cricket Hollow Zoo after the court order, that would mean the zoo is in violation of the court order and in contempt of the court – which could result in jail time of up to six months.