Police in Red Oak made an arrest following a traffic stop Monday afternoon. Officials say 31-year old Aaron Duwayne Childs, of Stanton, was arrested for Driving While Revoked. Childs was being held in the Montgomery County Jail Monday evening, on a $1,000 cash bond.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education Monday night approved nearly $1-million in cuts for the 2015-16 School Year.

A large crowd packs the Atlantic High School Media Center.

Their action came before a large crowd who gathered in the High School Media Center to learn where the previously announced but unspecified cuts would be made. Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said the Board gave the administrative team a target of $650,000 to make in the form of cuts from the budget. The amount he recommended was $682,616, but Amstein said there were some additional items they are looking at.

The other factors include: Utilizing breakdown insurance to lower the liability to the General Fund; Considering the addition of a Public Education and Recreation Levy (PERL) for playground equipment and other activities (from a voter approved 13.5-cents per thousand dollars valuation); Reducing a full-time TAG (Talented and Gifted) program teaching position, and the reduction of one Special Education Teacher’s position and condensing Special Education Loads.

Recommended budget cuts for the 2015-16 School Year.

Amstein said on top the proposed cuts, there is already announced elimination of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation (TLC) Planning positions, which amounts to $305,256, for a total of $987,872. He said that amount is above the targeted amount because it’s the amount they’d have to cut out of the budget if it stayed exactly the same as it was for the 2014-2015 school year.

Amstein said there are still some inherent, unknown costs of business that will affect the budget, such as allowable growth from the Iowa Legislature, which is now called “State Supplemental Aid,” that officials are guessing may amount to1.25-percent. He says at 1.25, with a three-percent increase in the district’s cost of operations – $350,00 – they would have about $21,000 less than they would have if the amount were higher. There also have not yet been contract settlements with the certified and non-certified staff, and potential insurance increases for the upcoming year.

Amstein said they recently received their insurance increase for the upcoming year from the districts current vendor, which amounts to 19-percent, which he says means an increase of about $200,000. The biggest cuts in the budget include $100,000 from the High School Curricular Learning Teams, $92,056 through Teacher Attrition (including a Washington Elementary Phys. Ed position with transfer), and Sharing with the High School an FCS (Family and Consumer Science) position for two periods, which amounts to a savings of $73,602. In addition, reducing the substitute budget by limiting the number of conferences and training session during the school day, results in a savings of $50,000. Amstein confirmed the Head Dance Team Coaches position would be eliminated, which essentially also means the elimination of the Dance Team.

Anyone with an interest in tourism in Cass County is invited to attend the annual meeting of the
Cass County Tourism Committee. It will be held at the American Legion Memorial Building
(Atlantic Armory) on Monday, February 16. Light appetizers and networking begins at 5:30 p.m. in
the remodeled meeting room, with a short business meeting at 6:00 p.m.

The highlight of the evening will be a tour of the ground level of the building, featuring several
remodeled areas including the Military Museum, updated restrooms, and the future library and
kitchen areas.

After the First World War the veterans in Cass County were quick to organize an American
Legion Post on June 19, 1919. An Auxiliary followed in May of 1925. Discussions were underway in
1927 to find a place for the Legion to meet. A fund-raising campaign began September, 1928.
Work began May, 1929 even though all funds had not been raised. The plans now called for a banquet
hall seating 450 persons at tables, store rooms, offices and a rifle range for the National Guard,
a gymnasium equipped for basketball, volleyball, handball, boxing, wrestling, indoor baseball and
seating for 900 people at basketball games. The American Legion Memorial Building was ready for
use by February, 1930.

Planners of the Atlantic American Legion Memorial Building intended that the community could
put it to a variety of uses. Over the years it has been used by the public, by the school system,
organized groups and businesses.

The Legion Memorial Building was a popular place for regular and holiday dances with local
groups providing music. Lawrence Welk played for a dance and concert on December 9, 1936. The
admission price was 35 cents for women and 65 cents for men. The Harlem Globe Trotters played an
exhibition game there in 1937. An annual Christmas dance was a tradition by 1948.

Boy Scouts of Atlantic were granted use of the building and gymnasium in the original plans.
They continued to use the Building for many years including annual spring “lock downs”. Another
youth group, AWANA, met there for many years. Atlantic Archers practiced and held competitions
during winter months.

The Building was used for Works Progress Administration (WPA) training classes during the late
1930’s. According to some sources, it was the preferred place for settling bar disputes. An incident
would be resolved by having the involved parties report to the drill room the next Saturday for a
resolution.

Offices and meeting space for the Legion and Auxiliary were on the upper floor. Veterans began
meeting in other places in the 1950s. Current use includes a special room just for veterans’ groups
meetings. They also have storage space for their equipment. The space is also used by owners of the
building Atlantic Rock Island Society Enterprise (ARISE) for monthly meetings.

Police in Atlantic report the arrest on Saturday of 19-year old Matthew Paulsen, of Atlantic. Paulsen was taken into custody on a warrant for Failure to Appear. He was booked into the Cass County Jail.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Firefighters say they found a Sioux City man dead inside a burning car near a Des Moines church. According to a police report, 51-year-old Patrick James Murphy, II, was found dead Sunday night inside a Nissan Altima in the back of a church parking lot.

Fire officials say they found the car with the engine compartment on fire. They say they opened the driver’s door as the fire was being extinguished, where they discovered Murphy and determined he was dead. KCCI-TV reports a witness says she was watching TV when she heard a pop and whooshing sound outside. She says she saw the entire front of the vehicle engulfed in flames.

Police say the incident is being investigated. An autopsy has been planned.