The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education gathered in the High School Media Center for a work session on the budget Monday night. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said they heard from Mary Babinet, with the accounting firm of Nolte, Cornman & Johnson, with regard to the District’s account balances, and how they are forwarded. Typically he says, they can be designated as “Restricted” or “Unrestricted” accounts.

Amstein says they learned several accounts set up years ago had not been designated for Restricted accounts and instead went into the General Fund. Amstein says “It caused an issues with our books.” The auditors he says, helped the district get those issues taken care of.

The Board also heard from District Technology Director Roger Warne, with regard to prices he’s researched for the proposed 1-to-1 Initiative, which many districts already incorporate into their educational programs. Warne, he says took a look at prices for the MacBook Air, which would be used in the High School, and Google Chrome Books for the Middle School Students.

Amstein says the Board will examine what’s been spent for technology over the past few years and see if it would be possible to pay for the 1-to-1 initiative at the High School, and/or Middle School, through as part Capital Improvement Project fund. In other business, the District’s Building Leadership Team (BLT) discussed the school calendar with the Board, and the rational for the proposal they will present to the Board at its meeting on March 10^th.

(9-a.m. News)

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were injured during an accident Monday night, north of Harlan. The accident happened at the intersection of Highway 59 and 1800th Street at around 7:20-p.m., when a 2006 Chevy Malibu driven by 27-year old Naomi Krapfl, of Defiance, went out of control on the slick, snow covered road. The car crossed the center line and hit a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 32-year old Lilian Garcia, of Harlan. The Chevy also hit a 2012 Hyundai, driven by 53-year old Roger Petersen, of Harlan.

Two passengers in the Malibu were transported by Medivac Ambulance and Earling Rescue, to Myrtue Memorial Hospital in Harlan. They were identified as 48-year old Della Behrendt, and 8-year old Madeline Krapfl, both of Defiance. The accident remains under investigation.

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Melanie Petty, the mother of Trevor Frederickson, says applications are now being accepted for the 5th Annual Trevor Frederickson Memorial Scholarship.  Applications may be obtained from the Atlantic High School guidance office at 1201 E. 14^th Street or the Atlantic High School website: www.atlanticiaschools.org. Two $750 scholarships are available to those graduating from Atlantic High School in the spring of 2014.

Trevor Frederickson

Applicants must plan to attend a college or vocational school, show involvement in school and/or community activities, supply a copy of their college acceptance letter, provide two letters of reference along with their 7 semester transcripts, and maintain academic achievement of 2.5 or better.  The scholarships will be awarded at the Atlantic High School Class Night held in May.

Funds for the scholarships are raised at an annual golf tournament.  Plans are already in the works for the 6th Annual TFred Memorial Golf Tournament to be held on Saturday, August 9^th, 2013.  Organizers look forward to another successful tournament so they can continue to grant scholarships for many years to come.

Trevor Frederickson graduated from Atlantic High School in 2006.  He went on to further his education at Southwestern Community College in Creston where he studied automotive mechanics and played baseball for the Southwestern Spartans.  Two additional $750 scholarships will be available for Southwestern Community College students this fall.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Frontier Airlines says it will resume flights into the Sioux City airport beginning this summer. The Sioux City Journal reports Frontier in June will begin flights three days a week between Sioux City and Denver.

Denver-based Frontier will return to Sioux City six years after it pulled out of the market. Frontier will become the second carrier at Sioux Gateway Airport, joining American Airlines. The new flights will use 138-seat Airbus 319 jets.

In an update to our story on Feb. 4th, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reports a meeting over the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) designed to gather the public’s thoughts on the hunting and trapping regulations for this fall, that was originally scheduled to be held at the St. Albert High School in Council Bluffs, has instead been moved to Lewis Central Middle School. Also another meeting location has been added at the public library in Atlantic.

The Lewis Central Middle School is located at 3504 Harry Langdon Blvd in Council Bluffs. Park in the single lot in front of the building along Langdon Blvd and enter the front door by the sign for the ICN room. The Atlantic Public Library is located at 507 Poplar Street. Both meetings will be held February 26th, from 6 to 9 p.m.

These meetings are part of the process for making rules in state government. At each meeting DNR staff will facilitate a discussion about what went well last fall, what didn’t, and what changes hunters and trappers would like to see for this fall. The discussions along with the data that the wildlife bureau collects on harvest and population numbers will be used to develop recommendations for any rule changes this fall. Any changes must be approved by the Natural Resource Commission and then go back to the public for further comment before taking effect next fall.

If you have questions call Matt Dollison at (712) 350-0147.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A proposal by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to shrink the Army National Guard by 20,000 soldiers and the Army reserve by 10,000 over the next few years has Iowa soldiers worried for their jobs. The Iowa Army National Guard has 7,200 soldiers statewide.

The Des Moines Register reports spokesman Col. Gregory Hapgood Jr. says the worst-case scenario would mean a loss of 500 to 600 soldiers. Or there could be no cuts. He says the state’s commanders are preparing for possible scenarios. Gov. Terry Branstad, who commands the soldiers in peacetime, says Democratic and Republican governors are telling federal government not to cut the National Guard.

When not fighting war guard troops respond to natural disasters, such as floods and tornadoes.

The Daily NonPareil reports a fund has been established for a Hancock family that was displaced after their house burned down earlier this month.37-year old Cim Bird and three of her children were in their mobile home at 126 North Scott Street, when the fire broke out at around 5:40-p.m. on Feb. 3rd.

All four got out safely thanks to an alarm from a smoke detector. Cims’ oldest daughter and fiance, Charles, were not home at the time of the fire. The Hancock, Oakland and Avoca volunteer fire departments were called the scene. Despite their efforts, the home and its contents were a total loss.

A Council Bluffs man originally charged with two felony counts of Attempted Murder and one count of 1st-degree Arson, has instead plead guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree arson in connection with a Nov. 21st, 2013 fire at his home. 21-year old Jacob Rolfe admitted to setting the blaze while his mother and 12-year-old brother still inside the home. According to the Daily NonPareil, Rolfe’s plea Monday in Council Bluffs District Court comes with a deferred judgment and supervised probation. The 21-year-old is currently serving a 60-day sentence for two counts of assault related to the incident, with his release set for mid-March.

In court, Jacob Rolfe’s attorney, Eric Nelson, in asking for the deferred judgement on the arson charge, noted his client had no prior brushes with the law, not even a traffic ticket. Judge Kathleen Kilnoski told Jacob Rolfe he must undergo substance abuse and mental health evaluations as part of a plea deal and must adhere to any recommendations for treatment that come from those evaluations. The judge told Rolfe he must spend a total of 40 hours engaged in a combination of time at work, at school (he attends Iowa Western Community College), or treatment. If the man doesn’t meet the terms of his probation, he will be sent to prison on the arson charge.