Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman, Tuesday, provided an updated list of candidates who have submitted their papers for nomination to County offices in advance of the June 3rd Primary election. Each of the candidates are Republicans.

As previously mentioned, incumbent Treasurer Tracey J. Marshall is seeking re-election, and is currently unopposed. Atlantic residents Mary Ward and Jess Ehrman are running for the Recorder’s position made open by the retirement of Joyce Jensen, and David Wiederstein is running for County Attorney, a position currently held by Dan Feistner. Feistner has not yet filed for re-election. The last day to file nomination papers is March 26th.

Sunderman reports District 2 Supervisor Gaylord W. Schelling and District 3 Supervisor Mark A. Wedemeyer filed their papers for re-election, today (on Tuesday).

Authorities in Harlan report a Harlan man was arrested Saturday after an incident involving a female subject. The Harlan Police Department says 33 year old Wayne Vohs was arrested when officers were called to 2004 23rd Street by a female who reported Vohs allegedly took her phone preventing her from calling 911 when she felt threatened.

Vohs was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with obstruction of emergency communications. The Harlan PD states when Vohs was released, he was observed making a phone call to a person protected by a no contact order per his release. Vohs was arrested again near the same location and taken back to jail where he was charged with violation of a no contact order.

The H-PD reports also, 48 year old George Hadfield of Harlan was cited for failure to have a valid driver’s license and operating a non-registered vehicle on Friday. Hadfield was cited and released. And last Thursday, 29 year old Keith Wyatt of Harlan was cited for allowing a dog to run at large when the dog was reportedly seen running in the 1100 block of Hill Street.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) – Bullying from some players’ parents and other critics of the program have driven two girls basketball coaches away from their coaching jobs at district schools in the northeast Iowa city of Independence.

Assistant coach Rob Ratchford said Monday that he and head varsity coach Rod Conrad had endured too many menacing or irate phone calls before and after games.  Ratchford says “there were threats made, you know, about wanting to fight and stuff like that.”

Ratchford says he’s happy with how the district handled the situation. District officials have declined to comment.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Atlantic Fire Department  was called to the scene of a reported large brush fire near the Schildberg Quarry Recreation Area this (Tuesday), morning. Atlantic Police Lt. Dave Erickson was first on the scene at around 7-a.m.  He told KJAN News the blaze, which was in a muddy area off of north Chestnut Street, on the northeast side of the quarry, was likely accidental. Erickson said a fisherman probably started the fire and smoldering embers caught the nearby brush on fire. Erickson and the firefighters weren’t able to directly access the fire due to the extremely muddy conditions.  The flames were put out and fire personnel were back at the station within about 45-minutes.

The Atlantic School Board, Monday night approved an early retirement incentive for teachers, that could reportedly save the district about $1.8-million over the next five years. District Business Manager and Board Secretary Mary Beth Fast told KJAN News the offer is being made available to those teachers who are age 55 or older, and have served the district full-time, for at least 10-years. Fast said the district will provide $25,000 for each eligible employee, over a 3-year period. The money will be paid to a third-party administrator, to cover eligible medical expenses.

That includes medical premiums, out-of-pocket co-pays, prescriptions, Medicare supplement premiums, which in-theory, could last much longer than 3-years, depending on how fast the money was used-up. The funds she says are not taxable to either the employee or the district. The first payment would be made on behalf of the teachers, on July 1, 2014. Interested teachers have until March 31^st to submit their application for the Early Retirement plan.

According to Fast, the district has never offered anything like this before. In the past, they’ve usually just offered cash, which is taxable. The current incentive offers retirees the opportunity to remain on the district’s medical insurance plan or they can find their own. The incentive addresses concerns people may have, with regard to health care reform

Fast says there are, at present, 14 teachers who have expressed an interest in applying for the incentive. A meeting will be held this Friday afternoon beginning at 3:45 in the High School Media Center for all interested persons, where additional information will be presented on the offer.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board approved the termination of Head Tennis Coach Shawn Petersen, and the 2014-2015 School Calendar, which will be based on 1,080 hours of instruction instead of 180-days. They also approved May 22^nd, 23^rd and 27^th as make-up days for snow-day class cancellations this year.

A Taylor County man died over the weekend during a snowmobiling accident in northern Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says 51-year old Mike Garner, of Lenox, was killed when the snowmobile he was operating on a trail in Namakagen, WI., went out of control prior to entering a curve, and hit a tree. The crash occurred at around 5:10-p.m., Sunday. Garner died at the scene.

Four people were arrested early this (Tuesday) morning in Montgomery County, on drug-related charges. The Sheriff’s Dept. reports a vehicle was pulled over at around 1:30-a.m. in Villisca for a traffic violation, and following an investigation, deputies arrested 22-year old Ronald William Lessner, of Omaha, and 20-year Evan Edward Endrise, of Bellevue, NE, on charges of Possession of Marijuana, Distribution to a person under legal age, and gathering. Lessner was also charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both men were being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond, each.

In addition, 21-year old Matthew Kanji Kelly, of Omaha, and 17-year old Christopher Orion Barbee, of LaVista, NE, were charged with Gathering where controlled substances are used. Kelly was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond. Barbee was released to the custody of a parent.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County say a Red Oak man was arrested Monday afternoon on a warrant for Assault/Willful Injury. Jason Ray Cornelison was taken into custody at around 1-p.m., and brought to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held on $20,000 cash bond.