Members of the CAM School District’s Board of Education met Monday evening and approved a resignations and contracts as their first order of business. Superintendent Paul Croghan said the Board approved the following resignations:

Heather Scar – Middle School Language Arts Teacher
Rachel Hill – North Elementary 3rd Grade Teacher
Para Educators Sarah Bartlett & Andy Kinzie resigned.

The Board also approved contracts for Marcus Dougherty as the Asst. Baseball Coach and Tianna Kinzie as a Paraeducator. In other business, the CAM School Board received an opening proposal from the CAM Education Association (CAMEA), with regard to contract negotiations. Superintendent Croghan said the proposal is just one step in the negotiating process.

Croghan said also, the Board approved the renewal of a five-year contract with Iowa Connections Academy, a homeschool alternative offering full-time virtual schooling to students anywhere in Iowa, grades K–12. The agreement maintains a 3.25-percent oversight, with a minimum administrative fee coming to the District in the amount of $125,000 per year, which is $25,000 more than last year.

He said the technology is proving itself to be successful.

In other business, the CAM School Board discussed the FY 2020-21 School Calendar and Budget. Mr. Croghan says proposals will be brought forward in March, and a Public Hearing for April. Their budget needs to be submitted to the County Auditor by no later than April 15th. Croghan said he spoke with the Board about the Early Retirement and Resignation Policies.

With regard to potential upgrades to District’s facilities, Croghan said there were 72 people in attendance at the first meeting held Sunday, and another 85 Monday night. He said they’ve been pleased with the turnout, which were live streamed via CAM Digital Media and KJAN.

The information gleaned from the meetings, the forms handed out to those in attendance, and input from the information posted online, will be used to help determine what improvements the public would like to see by order of priority.

Three people were arrested on separate charges over the past week, in Harlan. According to the Harlan Police Dept., 54-year old Michael Mario Morelli, of Harlan, was arrested Monday, on an assault charge. And, 39-year old Larry John Chambers, of Harlan, was arrested Monday, on a Shelby County warrant. Last Thursday, 58-year old Jeffrey Alan Schmidt, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. He was transported to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Attempted Burglary and Criminal Mischief.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Public Safety report that at around 7:30-p.m. Monday,  the Clarke County Sheriff’s Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) began an investigation into the death of 35-year-old Osceola resident Kyle Wilson. A family member found Wilson dead in the 1900 block of Clover Street in rural Clarke County.

The DCI’s investigation into the death of Wilson will continue with an autopsy to be completed by the Office of the State Medical Examiner. No other information is currently available. Authorities say at this time, there is no threat to the public.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A proposal to build a $225 million casino and hotel at the Des Moines airport got nowhere at the airport board’s meeting Tuesday. Highview Development Group had presented the plan to the Des Moines Airport Authority board last month. The complex would include a 350-room hotel connected to the airport by a skywalk. There also would be a fountain, rock garden, restaurant and wedding and banquet facilities. Station KCCI reported that no board member made a motion at the meeting to vote on the plan, so no vote was held.

HAMBURG, IA — Iowa 3rd District Democrat Representative Cindy Axne today (Tuesday), announced two new Community Facility Disaster Grants totaling $100,000 for the Hamburg Fire Protection Agency, to purchase a new fire truck and outfit volunteer firefighters with new protective equipment. The grants approved by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development cover three-quarters of the total cost of Hamburg’s new fire truck and 14 new self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBAs). The cost of the fire truck includes new equipment like hoses, radios, power saws, and vent fans.

Axne said “Getting this new lifesaving equipment to the brave volunteer firefighters of Hamburg is a critical step to reinforcing their ability to protect their community. I’m also glad to see Community Facility funding that we secured in the emergency disaster bill is making its way to the Iowa towns that need it most as they recover from last year’s floods.”

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has issued a report on recent arrests. On Monday (Feb.10), as the result of a traffic stop on Highway M-47, Shelby County Deputies arrested 38-year-old Shaun Patrick Garner, of Harlan. Garner was charged with prohibited acts, possession of controlled substance (marijuana, 1st offense) possession of drug paraphernalia.   He was transported to the Shelby County jail without incident and held under $3,300 bond until being released on his Own Recognizance, this (Tuesday) morning.

As the result of a traffic stop on Sunday, deputies arrested 19-year-old Levi John Klenda, of Kimballton, for possession of marijuana 1st offense.  Klenda was held on bond until released the following morning on his own recognizance, and given a future court date for appearance on said charge. Last Saturday, 50-year-old Michael Allen Schuemann, of Harlan, turned himself in to authorities, based on an active warrant for violation of probation. Schuemann was released a short time later after posting the required $20,000 surety bond and given a future court date.

And, on Feb. 5th, Shelby County Deputies arrested 31-year-old David Robert Plagmann, of Harlan, on a warrant for charges filed from a pursuit that occurred through Shelby County on Feb. 2nd.  Charges filed against Plagmann include Eluding and reckless driving. He was later released from the Shelby Jail after posting a $2,300 surety bond.