Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will gather at the High School Monday evening for a budget-related work session. During their meeting in the High School Media Center at 7:30-p.m., the Board will hear first from the A-H-S Building Leadership Team (BLT), and during the Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Budget discussion, they’ll hear from Mary Babinet with Nolte, Cornman & Johnson, P-C, as well as District Technology Director Roger Warne.

The Audubon City Council will meet during a regular session Monday evening. On the agenda for their 7-p.m. meeting: Dave Lake, with Community Insurance, will discuss Insurance Renewal; The Council is also expected to: Act on a pending motion to fix a date, manner, and method, by which the City Clerk should post the Council’s Tentative Agenda; and, there will be a public hearing on a Resolution to acquire or condemn a property at 408 Market Street.

Following the public hearing, the Audubon City Council will take a roll call vote on a Resolution ordering the acquisition or condemnation, if necessary, of 408 Market Street, for the purpose of rehabilitating the site and removing any environmental hazards associated with the site.

The Council will also act on the setting of the date and time for a Special Meeting (work session-related), as March 3^rd, beginning at 7-p.m. And, after reviewing the proposed Fiscal Year 2014-2015 Budget, the Council will act on a Resolution setting March 10^th, 7-pm, as the date and time for a Public Hearing on the proposed budget.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Officials in northwest Iowa’s Woodbury County are considering creating a collections department to go after nearly $12 million in unpaid court fines.  The Sioux City Journal reports part of the money would go to the county, so improving collections would help Woodbury County’s budget.

Several other Iowa counties – including Linn, Polk and Plymouth counties – have already established successful collections programs for unpaid court fines. Usually the job is handled either by the county attorney or sheriff.  Woodbury County Attorney P.J. Jennings says he plans to propose creating a collections department later this year.

The Linn County Sheriff’s office has had a collections program in place since 2003. Major Doug Riniker oversees the effort and says the office collected $807,000 in 2012-13.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A western Iowa couple married for 79 years is being honored for having the longest marriage in the state.  The Daily Nonpareil reports Alvin and Eula Blankenship‘s marriage will be celebrated at a reception today (Sunday).  One-hundred-year-old Eula Blankenship says she and her 99-year-old husband have always loved to dance and travel. And Eula Blankenship says it helps that Alvin is a pretty good guy.

The retired farming couple was surprised when the Worldwide Marriage Encounter group told them they had the longest marriage in Iowa. The couple married in Magnolia on June 12, 1934 – not far from where they grew up in Woodbine and Logan. They honeymooned in Omaha.

Since then, they have visited all 48 lower United States by car or bus.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) – Thousands of people holding flickering candles marched through Springfield, Missouri, to remember a 10-year-old girl who was kidnapped and killed less than a week ago. The Springfield (Missouri) News-Leader reports family members of Hailey Owens led the procession Saturday night while onlookers filled sidewalks.

Hailey was abducted Tuesday while she walked in her quiet Springfield neighborhood. Police believe her captor killed her in the few hours before he was caught.  Mayor Pro Tem Jeff Seifried spoke briefly to the crowd at the end of the march, saying there were no words to express the pain the community is feeling.

Craig Michael Wood is charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and armed criminal action in the fourth-grader’s death. The 45-year-old is being held without bond in Greene County Jail. Hailey is the daughter of Markus and Stacey Owens, of Springfield, MO., and granddaughter of Mark Scanlan, of Red Oak. Hailey’s great-grandmother, Connie Sparr, also lives in Red Oak.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest early Sunday morning of a man on a Disorderly Conduct charge. 37-year old James Lee Clark, Jr., of Red Oak, was arrested at around 2:15-a.m. Sunday, at 410 East Reed Street. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held, on $300 cash bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad is seeking re-election, but his current focus is on the legislative session, not campaign rhetoric. Since lawmakers returned to the Capitol in January, the Republican Branstad has largely kept his attention on his legislative agenda and budget, which must be approved by lawmakers this spring. Even Branstad’s balloon-festooned re-election announcement last month was light on detailed campaign promises.

For now, Branstad is keeping his eye on a modest set of legislative priorities — increasing benefits for veterans, combatting bullying and adding broadband Internet around the state. All three goals have bipartisan support. Branstad campaign manager Jake Ketzner says that will change after adjournment, as the governor outlines his plans if re-elected.

Sen. Jack Hatch, of Des Moines, is in the lead position for the Democratic nomination.