(Radio Iowa) – The 2022 election may have just concluded, but the presidential politicking for the Iowa Republican Party’s 2024 Caucuses is well underway. During a rally a week ago in Sioux City, former President Donald Trump said he will very probably run again. “Get ready, that’s all I’m telling you,” Trump said. “Very soon. Get ready.” Trump easily carried Iowa as the G-O-P’s presidential nominee in 2016 and 2020, but Trump called for a recount after he finished second in the 2016 Iowa Caucuses.

Despite that rocky period, Trump says he’s rejected calls from national G-O-P leaders to dethrone the caucuses from first-in-the-nation status. “I told you that, remember, four years ago, I said: ‘I’m not going to let it happen,'” Trump said. “…I stopped it so much, it almost became a full-time job. They do want to take it away from you, that I can say, but the Iowa Caucuses are cherished and it’s a national tradition and we are committed to keeping Iowa first for many, many years to come.”

Trump’s presence in the race may prompt other potential candidates to scuttle their presidential campaign plans. Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, a frequent Iowa visitor, has already said he will not run in 2024, while others have publicly said if Trump launches another bid for the White House, they won’t run against him.

The first potential G-O-P candidate scheduled to be in Iowa after the midterm election appears to be Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson. He will speak next Wednesday to a central Iowa group that’s been host to many G-O-P presidential hopefuls of the past. Iowa Democrats, meanwhile, await a decision in December from national party leaders who may move the Democratic Party’s Caucuses out of the first spot on their party’s presidential nominating calendar.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Members of the Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education held their Annual and Regular Meetings, Wednesday evening. Their Annual Meeting, featured the 2021-22 Annual Report, and 2021-22 Depository Statement.

Here are Superintendent Steve Barber’s notes on the Annual Report:

During the Board’s Regular session, they received a Special Presentation on the 3-year Old Preschool Program, along with regular reports from the District’s Principal’s, and Superintendent Steve Barber. Here are his notes from the meeting:

“A lot of these numbers and scores,” he said, “are gleaned from our ISASP’s results.  Our Middle School received the highest rating category of commendable, while our Schuler building received a Needs Improvement rating.  Each of these two buildings are required to receive Targeted Support for the subgroup of IEP students.  Since, pre COVID the Department of Education have not required or provided the support for schools in the targeted designation.  I am encouraged that each of our buildings have a plan for this work.  Although it is a designation by the State I feel this is a great opportunity to take a holistic view of how we are serving special education students and make the necessary adjustments that research deems best practice to better reach the goal of independence for this subgroup.

“Both the High School (Acceptable) rating and Washington are not required to have any additional support.  Washington only administers the ISASP’s test to third graders, which provides too small of a sample size to garner a rating.”

In other business, the Atlantic School Board approved Action items on their Consent Agenda, including the resignations of: Lisa Andersen, Food Service; and Stacy Van Aernam, CCEOC Para-Educator, and Superintendent Barber’s contract recommendations for the following:

Jacey Hoegh & Zach Christensen – Volunteer Boys Basketball Coaches.
Mike Greving, Caleb Smith, Adam Smith and Dillon Cox – Vol. Wrestling Coaches.
Todd Killion – MS Wrestling Coach.
Kayla Mendenhall – Vol. Cheer Coach.
Gary Miller – School Bus Driver.
Donald Prall & Abby Lauritzen-Olson: Substitute car/suburban Drivers.
Lizzie Walker – Early Learning Center Para.

The Atlantic School Board discussed the Instructional Support Levy (ISL) Renewal Timeline. The schedule includes action on: Jan. 11, 2023 on approving a Resolution to Consider Participation & Set [the] Public Hearing; and on having Feb. 8, 2023 as the date for the Public Hearing, along with possible action on the Resolution. (The Board has 30 days from the date of the hearing to act on the matter) The maximum portion of the ISL cannot exceed 10% of regular program district cost. A portion of the amount is state aid, but the district has not received that portion for the past several years, according to Mr. Barber.

In other business, the Board approved: SBRC Modified Allowable Growth (2021-22) LEP Allowable Costs, in the amount of $65,761.19; SBRC Modified Allowable Growth for Increased Enrollment ($192,960.90) (for spending authority); and SBRC Modified Allowable Growth – for LEP Instruction Beyond 5-years ($3,396.69).

And, finally, the School Board heard Mr. Barber’s recommendation for White Knuckle Driving to receive the Driver’s Education Contract. When the RFP (Request for Proposal) went out, it was for a two-year contract, beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The District also requested two amounts, one for a “regular student,” and one for a “Free and Reduced student.” Deluxe Driving submitted a bid of $350 per “regular” student. White Knuckle’s bid was $355. The district is responsible for some of the expenditures associated with Free and Reduced students.

Bids for the F&R students were $335 from Deluxe Driving, and $325 from White Knuckle. Barber said “Given that the District is responsible for that,” he recommended White Knuckle driving, and the Board that recommendation.

A collision this (Wednesday) afternoon in Monona County resulted in two men being transported to MercyOne Siouxland Hospital by Burgess EMS Onawa. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2003 Ford F250 pickup driven by 82-year old Larry Paul Davis, of Woodbine, was traveling east on Highway 175 at around 12:22-p.m., just east of Mango Avenue, when his vehicle crossed the center line of the road.

The pickup entered the westbound lane into the path of a 2022 Ford EC4 transport vehicle driven by 52-year-old Brady Lyle Barker, of Ida Grove. The vehicles collided head-on in the westbound lane of Highway 175. The Patrol says both drivers were wearing a seat belt.

The Ford EC4 is registered to Cygnus Home Service, LLC, out of Marshall, MN.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa 3rd District Democrat Representative Cindy Axne today (Wednesday), conceded a close race to represent Iowa’s Third Congressional District and released the following statement:

“I am honored and humbled by the support I received over the last five years from the people in Iowa’s Third Congressional District. Even though the numbers weren’t in our favor this year, I encourage you all to continue to have the hard conversations with your friends and your neighbors about the issues that matter the most to you.

Unofficial results from the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office show Axne’s opponent, Republican Senator Zach Nunn, garnered 156,237 votes, to Axne’s 154,084 (2,153 more votes than Axne).

Representing Iowa’s Third Congressional District has been one of the best opportunities of my life and I hope Zach Nunn understands the responsibility of this office and will continue my hard work to uplift Iowans’ voices in Washington D.C.,” said Cindy Axne.

(Radio Iowa) – An apartment building in Lake Park that used to be a Methodist Church has been destroyed by fire. Lake Park Fire Chief Brandon Ehret says the old wooden structure in the town of about 1200 was engulfed by fire when his crew arrived on scene around midnight.

“Had fire showing off the north side of the building…It was coming out of the roof. Got our big hoses on it, got a lot of water flowing right away. We weren’t able to make entry on it,” he says. “Spirit Lake came over with its ladder truck and tankers and we had Milford came up with their an engine and tankers and worked the water shuttle off (Silver Lake), hauling water to it, got a lot of hot spots put out and kept an eye on it until about 6:30 this morning.”

Firefighters packed up and returned to the fire station in Lake Park, but were back again about an hour later to deal with a flare up. Ehret says the last apartment resident moved out a few days ago. “The owner was actually in the place yesterday doing some work. She had a lot of art stuff and antiques in there,” Ehret says. “…She couldn’t think of anything out of the ordinary when she was here.”

The Methodist Church was the first church built in Lake Park. Ehret has ordered that the building be torn down because it’s a safety hazard.

(Radio Iowa) – Voters in five Iowa counties have approved new taxes that will support local emergency medical services. According to the Iowa EMS Association, about two-thirds of ambulance services in the state are either fully or partially staffed by volunteers and many conduct fund drives to cover expenses.

A new state law lets county boards of supervisors put local tax referendums on the ballot to support local ambulance services. Like local bond elections, these referendums must get at least 60 percent approval. Voters in Jones, Kossuth, Pocahontas, Osceola and Winnebago Counties have approved EMS referendums that were on the 2022 General Election ballot.

Voters in Calhoun, Floyd and Worth Counties defeated referendums to raise local taxes for ambulance services.