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Partisan fight, again, over state funding for schools

News

January 24th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

It appears there’s another statehouse stand-off ahead over state funding for public schools. Iowa law requires the legislature to set the level of general state aid for each school year about 18 months before classes start. But House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, a Republican from Hiawatha, says Republicans won’t take that vote in 2014. “The expectation would be in 2015 we’ll address it for the ’15/’16 school year and the ’16/’17 school year,” Paulsen says. Republicans passed a two-year state budget plan last year and Paulsen says that’s their intention in 2015.

Senate Democrat Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs says within two weeks Democrats in the Senate will pass a bill outlining their state spending pledge to schools for the 2015/2016 school year.”We believe it’s important to obey state law,” Gronstal says. Republicans want to repeal the law that requires the state funding decision for schools to be made a year and a half in advance. And Paulsen — the top Republican in the legislature — says there’s another reason Republicans will reject the Democrats’ proposal on school aid.

“Because their proposal actually increases property tax,” Paulsen says. Since the 1970s, the traditional way of calculating general state aid for schools has allowed school districts to collect more local property taxes if state aid increased. Republicans want to make a different calculation, one that would forbid an increase in local property taxes if state support goes up.

(Radio Iowa)

District football assignments for 2014-2015

Sports

January 24th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Iowa High School Athletic Association, Thursday, released its district football assignments in all six classes, which are effective for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The Daily Nonpareil reports three schools are moving up at least one class: Lewis Central (Class 3-A to 4-A), A-H-S-T (Class A to 1-A) and Underwood (A to 1-A).

Four southwest Iowa schools are moving down at least one class: St. Albert (1-A to A), Tri-Center (1-A to A), Clarinda Academy (2-A to A) and East Mills (A to Eight-Man). Also from the region, Charter Oak-Ute will play a JV-only schedule for the next two years.

The next step is for schools to submit priority lists for non-district opponents. The IHSAA then takes that information to formulate the non-district portion of the schedule. The complete schedules are expected to be released by late February.
Here are the new districts involving schools in southwest Iowa:
Class 4-A
District 1: Ames, Ankeny, Des Moines East, Sioux City North, Southeast Polk, Thomas Jefferson.
District 2: Des Moines North, Des Moines Roosevelt, Johnston, Lewis Central, Sioux City East, West Des Moines Dowling.
District 3: Abraham Lincoln, Ankeny Centennial, Des Moines Hoover, Des Moines Lincoln, Sioux City West, West Des Moines Valley
Class 3-A
District 1: Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, Denison-Schleswig, Le Mars, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Sioux City Heelan, Spencer, Storm Lake.
District 8: ADM, Atlantic, Creston, Dallas Center-Grimes, Glenwood, Harlan, Winterset.
Class 2-A
District 8: Carroll Kuemper, Clarinda, East Sac County, Prairie Valley, Red Oak, Shenandoah, West Central Valley.
Class 1-A
District 1: A-H-S-T, IKM-Manning, Missouri Valley, OA-BCIG, Treynor, Underwood, West Monona.
Class A
District 1: Audubon, Griswold, Logan-Magnolia, Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto, Riverside, St. Albert, Tri-Center, Westwood.
District 8: Bedford, Clarinda Academy, Earlham, Martensdale-St. Marys, Mount Ayr, Nodaway Valley, Pleasantville, Southeast Warren.
Eight-Man
District 1: Ar-We-Va, Boyer Valley, Exira-EHK, Kingsley-Pierson, Newell-Fonda, River Valley, West Harrison, Woodbine.
District 8: CAM, East Mills, Essex, Fremont-Mills, Lenox, Nishnabotna, Sidney, Stanton

Nat’l. Weather Service forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area: 1/24/14

Weather

January 24th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

(3:46-am NWS/Des Moines)

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Wind chill values as low as -10 early. Windy, with a southwest wind 16 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Tonight: Rain likely, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Blustery, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph becoming north northwest after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Saturday: Increasing clouds, with a steady temperature around 27. Blustery, with a north northwest wind 7 to 17 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.
Saturday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west 15 to 20 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

Sunday: A 20 percent chance of snow after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Windy.
Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around -2. Windy.

Monday: Sunny and cold, with a high near 6. Windy.

Area basketball scores from 1/23/14

Sports

January 24th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

BOYS BASKETBALL
Lenox 55, Central Decatur, Leon 29
Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto 69, East Sac County 63
Martensdale-St. Marys 66, West Central Valley, Stuart 37
OA-BCIG 71, Siouxland Community Christian 61
Wayne, Corydon 36, East Union, Afton 32
Corner Conference Tournament
Semi-Finals
East Mills 59, Fremont Mills, Tabor 50
Sidney 53, Heartland Christian 50

GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City 52, Sioux City, East 39
Central Decatur, Leon 71, Lenox 23
Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto 67, East Sac County 63
OA-BCIG 65, Siouxland Community Christian 30

Iowa News Headlines: Fri. Jan. 24th 2014

News

January 24th, 2014 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

WASHINGTON (AP) — New rules set to be approved by Republican leaders would allow Iowa and New Hampshire to retain their coveted spots atop the presidential primary calendar. South Carolina and Nevada would also secure top spots, as they have in the past, as part of a larger plan that would significantly shorten the GOP’s 2016 presidential selection process. Today’s vote comes as the Republican National Committee works to create an easier path to the White House for its next nominee, roughly a year before campaigning begins in earnest. New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina and Nevada will vote in February 2016 under the new schedule.

WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) — Officials with the Waukee School District say they planned to begin school late due to subzero temperatures but had to cancel classes in part because many district buses wouldn’t start. KCCI-TV reports the central Iowa district initially was going to start late but then had to cancel school after 17 of its buses wouldn’t start because of the intense cold. Des Moines schools also closed yesterday, but a district spokesman says that was due to student safety, not because of bus problems.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say a Des Moines man is recovering at a local hospital after he slipped on ice and accidentally stabbed himself in the chest. KCCI TV reports William Harrison was listed in serious condition at Iowa Methodist Medical Center yesterday morning.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A used car dealership in eastern Iowa has been ordered to refund fees that officials say were improperly collected from customers. Attorney General Tom Miller said in a news release yesterday Urbana Motors Incorporated was accused of collecting improper fees, sidestepping legal protections for consumers behind on payments and not disclosing some costs. They have 90 days to contact affected customers.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Fire officials say they haven’t determined the cause of an early morning fire that damaged a Mason City bowling alley. The Globe Gazette reported yesterday that the fire department was still investigating the fire, which was reported at The Rose Bowl just after 3 a.m. Wednesday.

CCHS offers health career scholarship

News

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The CEO of the Cass County Health System says CCHS  is providing a $1000 health career scholarship again this year.  According to Todd Hudspeth, the award is available for a student studying to become a healthcare professional.  Applicants must be accepted to or currently enrolled in a health career educational program leading to at least a bachelor’s degree.  Applications are available at area high school guidance offices, the human resources office at Cass County Memorial Hospital and on the hospital’s website, www.casshealth.org.

Hudspeth says the scholarship “Is an opportunity for us to give something back to the people of southwest Iowa. “We welcome the opportunity to encourage students from this area in their educational endeavors.”

Applications for the scholarship are due April 1, 2014.  For further information, contact Sara Nelson, CCMH Public Relations Director, at 712-243-7408.

Atlantic School Board to act on $19.9-million bond referendum matters Monday

News

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will hold a work session Monday evening (Jan. 27th) in the High School Media Center, with regard to the issuance of $19.959-million dollars in bonds for Capital Improvement Projects. The Board will first receive petitions from the Atlantic School Improvement Committee (ASIC), asking for a Bond Referendum, before acting on passing a Resolution setting the date for a Special Election on the issuance of the bonds. The election will likely be held on April 1st. Earlier this week, members of ASIC the Atlantic School Board and others, sat down with members of the local media to answer previously submitted questions with regard to the Bond Election. That information will be forthcoming after the Board makes its decision Monday night on approving the special election.

During the Board’s meeting in December, they chose from two concepts to deal with increased enrollment and what they feel would offer the best opportunities for education. The first would have cost a little more than $8-million. Instead, they chose the second, more costly option, based upon a recommendation from Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein, who said the proposal was based on input from faculty, staff, the administrators, school board discussions, and input from the community.

Among other things, the bonds, if approved, would allow for the construction of: Four new classrooms on the northeast side of the Washington Elementary School, which will provide space for the two Pre-school classes currently in place at the Old Lincoln School building, as well as space for the Special Education classroom; The addition of a new Middle School building (for grades 7 and 8) next to the High School; The construction of eight new classrooms on the west side wings of the High School, and  the expansion and renovation of the Industrial Technology and Agricultural Education Lab; Replacement of 18-year old heat pumps at the high school; Reconfiguration of the Schuler and Middle School buildings, but no new construction other than a possible renovation of the Level 3 Severe and Profound classroom at Schuler or the current Middle School. The Old Lincoln building would house the Cass County Educational Opportunity Center (CCEOC), which was previously housed at that facility.

Other action items during Monday night’s Atlantic School Board Work Session include approval of personnel recommendations, and payment for the Spanish Trip. Discussion items during the work session include: Talks with Design Alliance Architect Jerry Purdy, with regard to the New Junior High Drawings and Model;The Fiscal Year 2015 Budget. and Board Long-term goals.

The meeting begins at 7:30-p.m., Monday.

Iowa State says Palo was eligible to transfer

Sports

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State is refuting reports that it prevented guard Bubu Palo from transferring to another school by delaying the decision in his student-conduct case. The university says Thursday that athletic director Jamie Pollard told Palo’s attorney, Matt Boles, that Iowa State would support a waiver for Palo to transfer. That’s after Palo was kicked off the team Aug. 30 by President Steven Leath.

Iowa State also says that Palo would have been able to transfer after the fall semester had started, but that neither Palo nor Boles gave the university an official transfer request. Palo was reinstated by a district court judge last week in a decision publicly criticized by Pollard. Palo is listed on Iowa State’s roster for its home game Saturday against Kansas State.

New CCHS CEO’s 1st week on the job

News

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

The new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Cass County Health System is spending his first week on the job. Todd Hudspeth began his duties on Monday, January 20th. He was hired to succeed the retiring Pat Markham, whose last day on the job was last Friday. In a Press Release, Hudspeth said “I am thrilled to be selected as the next CEO of CCHS. Pat and her leadership team have done a tremendous job creating an excellent health system and I am excited to work with the board, leadership and the entire hospital team to continue to make CCHS a great place for patients, employees and physicians.”

Todd and Jessica Hudspeth

Todd and Jessica Hudspeth

Ned Brown, Chairman of the CCMH Board of Trustees, said Hudspeth brings over 15 years of success as a CEO in critical access hospitals. He added “We are confident that his expertise and leadership are just what we need to guide our health system through the many challenges facing the healthcare industry today and in the years to come.”  Brown noted there were over 100 applicants for the position.

Hudspeth most recently served as the President and CEO of Jamestown Regional Medical Center, a 25-bed regional hospital in Jamestown, ND.  Prior to Jamestown, he was CEO at Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake, Iowa.  He has also served as CEO at Guthrie County Hospital in Guthrie Center.  Hudspeth recently relocated to Atlantic.

His wife, Jessica, and two of their five sons will move to Atlantic at the end of the school year.  The boys will be in 6th and 4th grades next fall.

Lawmakers working on tougher kidnapping penalties

News

January 23rd, 2014 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers are seeking to enact tougher kidnapping penalties following the kidnapping and killing of a teenage girl last year. The Des Moines Register reports a House subcommittee on Thursday granted preliminary approval to a bill that would increase the punishment for kidnapping if the victim is 15 or younger.

The legislation raises the sentence for such crimes to 25 years and blocks those convicted of certain crimes from the ability to reduce a sentence. The legislation responds to the death of 15-year-old Kathlynn Shepard, who is believed to have been killed by registered sex offender Michael Klunder. Klunder’s 41-year prison term was cut in half under Iowa law, which shaves sentences by an additional 1.2 days for every day served. He killed himself after the incident.