Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education Monday night, approved the hiring of Head Girls Swimming Team Coach Dean Junker, as the head Boys Varsity High School Swimming Coach for the current, Winter season, which started Monday. The recommendation came from High School Activities Director/Assistant Principal Matt Alexander, and was forwarded to the Board by Superintendent Mike Amstein. The Board however, had many questions about the program, before approving the hiring of Junker.

They asked f the number of students participating in the program could be sustained throughout the season. Alexander said they are “locked-in” to the current season, so regardless of whether they lose a couple of members along the way, they will still be able to participate in district events.  Board member Phil Hascall said told Alexander he has trouble approving programs and positions more than three months after the school year began, given the fact they are looking at ways to cut the budget.

Hascall told Alexander “You come to us after the season started, with no discussion about any of this.” Alexander said the Swim Team was approved by the Board last year, but acknowledged they probably really wanted to see what the number of participants were before the agreed in total to having the program. He said there originally more than a dozen students interested in the team, but later found it a struggle to sign-up more than eight.

Alexander said there are currently 10 students participating in the program. Board member Rod Hartwig said they agreed to the program if a minimum of 10 Atlantic students were involved. He asked, since it was difficult to sign-up kids this first year, if it wouldn’t be better to look to surrounding districts for participants.  Alexander said Junker has looked to the areas to our north and east – Exira and Audubon, for instance – that are farther away from Lewis Central. They might look at approaching Red Oak, Griswold and CAM, at prior to next year’s season.

He says he’s already had initial talks with some of the district officials.

During Friday’s Iowa-Nebraska football game, the American Red Cross will honor two men, one from each state, who went above and beyond in the face of crisis. Red Cross spokeswoman Kara Kelly says the Iowan who’s being singled out for recognition as a “citizen hero” is 18-year-old Austin Benson of Winterset, a senior at Winterset High School. “Austin acted with great bravery when his friend was thrown from her horse,” Kelly says. “The horse rolled on top of her and the saddlehorn punctured her leg. It ended up being very critical injuries. Austin applied pressure to the wound and kept her awake while waiting for the ambulance. According the medical professionals, he reallys saved her life.”

The honoree from Nebraska is Gene Willers, the president of the Midwest Bank Branch in Pilger, a town that was forever changed on June 16th. “You may remember, there was a very large tornado that went through that town this summer,” Kelly says. “Gene put eight people in the bank safe. It only locks from the outside so he locked them inside and then went into the basement. The bank was in fact destroyed but luckily, everybody survived.”

Benson and Willers will be honored during the Hawkeye-Cornhusker game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City. “We have a great presentation that will happen during halftime at Friday’s game,” Kelly says. “We have two videos that will show their stories. They’ll also have their names engraved on the Hy-Vee Heroes game trophy and then they’ll receive honorary plates from both athletic directors. It’s really a wonderful tribute to these two men.”

Benson, Willers and members of their families will be guests of the Hawkeyes and the Huskers at the game and will participate in a variety of special pregame activities. Fans of both schools were invited to nominate residents of Iowa and Nebraska who have performed extraordinary acts of heroism and service in their communities. Staff and volunteers from the Red Cross selected the winners.

(Radio Iowa)