The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will meet Wednesday evening at the High School, for a Work Session. The meeting in the Media Center begins at 7:30-p.m.   During their session, the Board will act on approving the hire of a Vocal Music Teacher for the High School, and hold discussion with regard to Board’s 2012-2013 Goals, and Development Activity.

A nonprofit group is honoring a number of individuals, schools, businesses and towns today (Tuesday) with the 2012 Iowa Character Awards. Among the recipients, is the Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company, which won the “Partner of the Year Award.” Amy Smit is with the Des Moines based Character Counts in Iowa organization. She says the highest honor, the Robert D. Ray Pillar of Character Award, is being presented to Drake University President David Maxwell. “President Maxwell has definitely been a huge advocate for us, both on campus and off campus,” Smit said. “I personally think he is just a great guy and he has really shown great character throughout his presidency.” Maxwell has been president at Drake since 1999.

The mission of Character Counts in Iowa, which is housed at Drake University, is to promote what the group identifies as the six “pillars” of character: caring, citizenship, fairness, respect, responsibility and trustworthiness. Smit said Fort Dodge is this year’s Community of Character recipient. “They have great community initiatives from having local events to (displaying) the six pillars on their police cars,” Smit said. “They’ve taken some great ownership of the six pillars and wanting to promote that throughout their community.”

The Iowa Character Awards will be presented at a dinner scheduled for August 3 in West Des Moines. Learn more online at www.charactercountsiniowa.org.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Cass County Memorial Hospital, say CCMH Inpatient Services will move into the new addition this Friday, June 29th.  Inpatient Services include the medical/surgical, intensive care and obstetrics units.  The move will take place throughout the day, with patients being moved in shifts. Diann McLaren, IP Services Director, says they will begin the process of moving their patients after they have had their breakfast and morning medications. The patients will be moved in small groups, with the goal to provide the least inconvenience possible. 

Visitors coming to see patients in the new Inpatient Services addition, are encouraged to enter from the North or East entrances, and use the elevator at the end of the Atrium, next to the newly relocated CCMH Auxiliary Gift Shop.  Effective Friday, June 29^th, the North Entrance (in front of the large staircase) will be open from 6 am – 9 pm daily to accommodate visitors into the evening.  The West Entrance along 10^th Street, formerly used to visit inpatients, will be open from 6 am – 6 pm.  The East Entrance is also open 6 am – 6 pm, but there is an intercom to allow access 24 hours a day. 

With the completion of the hospital addition, work now begins on renovating the existing building to expand space and services for the Outpatient Clinics, Cardiac Rehab, Rehabilitation Services (physical, speech and occupational therapies), Respiratory Care, Diabetes Center, and Wound, Ostomy, Continence Care.

The Atlantic Airport Commission will meet Wednesday morning at the Airport Terminal. During the New Business portion of their meeting, the Commission  will receive information pertaining to two grants. One of the grants, which comes from the F-A-A, was announced by Senator Tom Harkin’s office on May 31st.

The $510, 763 grant will be used to help the facility meet design standards. Snyder and Associates Engineer Tim Teig told KJAN News the funds will be used for grading of the parallel taxiway and paving around the fuel lane, for better access by aircraft to the pumps. Teig says the funds for improvements to the Atlantic Airport, and 26 other municipal airports around the State, come from airline ticket sales and the sale of aviation fuel. He says no taxpayer monies are being used to pay for the improvements, other than those associated with user fees.The grant requires a 10-percent local match.

The second grant, of $36,000, would come from the State of Iowa. Teig says the City had applied for a new, hydraulic hangar door, to replace the City’s’ aging, manual sliding hangar door currently in use. That particular hangar houses a number of aircraft. An application was made for the grant, and after having been deemed eligible, is currently under consideration. A previous application failed to make the cut for State funds, according to City Administrator, Doug Harris.

The Atlantic Airport Commission will also discuss a drainage obstruction at the south end of the runway, the anticipated use of the facility for the “Fly Iowa” event, and other business.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that 12 Iowa water systems have been awarded fluoride certificates by the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors on behalf of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American Dental Association (ADA). In our listening area, DeSoto, Treynor and Stanton each received a 2011 Community Fluoridation Reaffirmation Award.

Fluoridation is the adjustment of fluoride in the water to an optimal level for preventing tooth decay. The award recognizes communities that maintained a consistent level of optimally fluoridated water throughout 2011. The CDC has recognized community water fluoridation as one of the ten great public health achievements of the 20th Century and recommends water fluoridation as a safe, effective, and inexpensive method of preventing tooth decay. The IDPH says it is a strong supporter of fluoridation programs.

Fluoride’s benefits for teeth were discovered in the 1930s. Dental scientists found low tooth decay rates among people whose water supplies contained natural fluoride. In communities of 20,000 people, every $1 invested in water fluoridation results in $38 of savings in dental treatment costs.

To see the fluoridation status of Iowa counties and towns, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/hpcdp/fluoride_search.asp. For more information on fluoride, visit www.idph.state.ia.us/hpcdp/common/pdf/oral_health/benefits_fluoride.pdf.