(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board met in a regular session, Wednesday evening. During their session, that lasted a little more than three-hours, the Board received updated enrollment and COVID-19 information from Superintendent Steve Barber. All districts are required to certify their enrollment by October 15th, so the official count will be completed by Friday. Mr. Barber said the latest data shows an increase in certified enrollments over last year, from 1,333.32 to 1,376.16.

He said also, there were 25 staff and 60 students out with COVID over the past eight weeks of school. Mr. Barber said 40% of student absences were attributed to OTHER illnesses, such as RSV and Strep throat.

In other business, the Board received a presentation from Atlantic School Foundation President Ted Robinson and Treasurer Steve Tjepkes, with regard to the purpose, and benefits to students and the District derives from the Foundation. More information can be found on the Atlantic Community School District’s website under “District,” and then “Support Groups.”

The Board approved (in their Consent Agenda), approval of resignations, including: Melissa Smith (Food Service), and Marsha Von Seggem (Jr. Kindergarten/End of the 2021-22 School Year). And, they approved Contract Recommendations for: Rebecca Garcia, EL Paraeducator; Melissa Smith, HS Paraeducator; Kirstin Sopcich, WA Office Paraeducator, and Paige Carrier, WA Paraeducator; Lisa Andersen – Food Service at Schuler; and Chris Kennedy, Substitute Bus Route Driver.

The Board discussed the 2020-21 Audit Review and End of Year Financial Report; a Retirement Incentive Program; and Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress (ISASP) Test Scores, along with an Employee Appreciation Day. School Business Official/Board Secretary Sarah Sheeder mentioned there are 22 staff members currently eligible for an early retirement program, IF the district were to offer it. In the past, it was limited to the first 10 to apply. The program was last offered three-years ago.  The Board decided it was be best NOT to offer the retirement package in the coming year, due in- part to the difficulty in replacing those teachers and staff in the current economy.

With regard to Action items on their agenda include, the Atlantic School Board approved:

• The renaming of the Annual Trojans Track & Field Invitational to the Bruce Henderson Track and Field Invitational.
• A Boys Swimming Sharing Agreement with Riverside.
• An out-of-state trip for seven-to 14 students to Louisville, Kentucky, for the National FFA Convention. The trip will take place from Oct. 26-30.
• A rental agreement between the school district and Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church, with regard to the use of classroom space for the Home School Assistance Program classroom. The church will provide all supplies and maintenance for the program. (rental amount, $1,615 per month)
• and, the Board approved the purchase of 15 Interactive Touch Displays for teachers to use in the classroom (total cost: $49,455), and a Digital Trophy Case that will provide current and historical information. The Atlantic School Foundation, Atlantic Booster Club and the Robinson Family have offered to share in funding the display case ($7,800), with the school’s share amounting to $8,875 (total cost for the display case: $16,675).

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports three separate arrests occurred on Tuesday.

• At around 9:10-a.m., 41-year-old Brian Keith Koetting, of California, MO., was arrested in Cole County, MO., for: Stalking – Protective Order Violation; 2 counts Extortion by physical threat; 2 counts Harassment in the 1st Degree; 3 counts Harassment in the 3rd Degree; Violation of a No Contact Order; and Contempt of Court for Violation of a No Contact Order -Domestic. Koetting’s bond was set at $19,000.
• 24-year-old Danielle Beverly Galica, of Council Bluffs, was arrested just before 5-p.m. Tuesday on I-29 in Mills County, on a warrant out of Pottawattamie County for Violation of Probation. Bond was set at $5,000.
• And, 37-year-old Tiffanie Pearl Anderson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at around 9:15-p.m., on a Pott. County warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault. She was being held without bond, in the Mills County Jail.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Parks and Rec Director Bryant Rasmussen says on Saturday October 23rd, at 9-a.m., you’re invited to join the Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department at Sunnyside Park for a leisurely bike ride around the City of Atlantic. The ride will start and end at Sunnyside Park and is about 9.5 miles, but it is broken into 6 stages and goes past all the different parks in Atlantic.

You’re welcome to complete all the stages, or just do a few. Come enjoy great conversation and learn more about the great things happening in the area. There will be local organizations along the route showcasing many upcoming events. Come see what all the fun is about!

Want to join, but don’t have a bike? No problem! The Parks and Recreation Department has bikes and helmets you can use free of charge. If you have questions please contact the Parks and Rec Office at (712) 243-3542.

(Radio Iowa) – A proposal to build what’s called the world’s largest carbon dioxide pipeline is drawing opposition from Iowa farmers and environmentalists. Summit Carbon Solutions plans to build 700 miles of pipeline across Iowa to capture carbon from ethanol plants and bury it deep underground in North Dakota.

Beth Richards’ family farms in Hardin County, which is in the proposed path, and she questions how landowners would benefit from the project.  “Why should landowners welcome encroachment on their land for a project that doesn’t pay direct dividends to them other than a vague promise that ethanol is good for corn prices,” Richards says. “And why isn’t rent going to be paid for the land or profits shared with farmers?” Summit officials say they see the project as a way to keep ethanol viable and secure a market for Iowa corn. In a public meeting Tuesday, Iowa resident John Norris said the project is a false solution to climate change.

“As much as the ethanol industry is important to Iowa, it is an industry that’s on the decline,” Norris says. “The next two decades we will see a continued decrease in the demand for ethanol. We need to start planning for what’s next.” Summit is in the process of holding public meetings in the 30 Iowa counties the pipeline would pass through. After the meetings are held, the company can petition state regulators for a permit.

(by Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – A Jackson County man who used a government cattle loan for his personal expenses will spend ten months in federal prison. Twenty-six-year-old Brian Robert Detwiler of Bellevue pleaded guilty to one count of conversion of property pledged to a farm credit agency.

In his plea agreement, he admits he got a 50-thousand dollar U-S-D-A loan to buy cattle and then used some of the money for work on his house, gambling, food, and alcohol. He did buy 35 head of cattle for 32-thousand dollars — then sold 22 head for a profit — and used the money in casinos and bars.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced a program today (Wednesday) with the University of Iowa Health to offer a statewide opioid addiction treatment program. The program will be funded with nearly four million dollars from an opioid settlement — and will train doctors and many other health care providers. “We think that the training will be certainly population-wise per capita disproportionately in rural Iowa That the practitioners that will be served will be in rural Iowa,” Miller says. “We are very conscious of having a set of programs that cover the whole state.”

U-I professor of psychiatry, Doctor Gerard Clancy, says the pandemic has exacerbated the issue. “Our society is struggling with this pandemic beyond the virus infections themselves, and it shows up with opioid addictions. We are seeing very self-destructive ways of dealing with the stress — with almost an epidemic of self-destructive behaviors across our society,” Clancy says.

Clancy says he sees the issues every day in the emergency room. “There are days when 30 percent of all our patients in the emergency room for heart attacks and strokes, and car accidents — up to 30 percent of the patients are there for mental illness and addiction issues — and that’s an increase. We’ve seen a large increase in calls to our suicide hotline, we’ve seen an increase in high-speed motor vehicle deaths, even though our driving time is down,” according to Clancy. Doctor Alison Lynch is the director of the opioid addiction clinic at U-I Hospitals & Clinics. “The primary medications that we use to treat opioid use disorder are methadone and buprenorphine. And people need easier access to these medications — particularly easier access to buprenorphine — because it is so easy to incorporate into many aspects of clinical care.”

The program trains doctors and others in how to use the drugs to help patients overcome the addiction. There is some concern because buprenorphine is an opioid, but Lynch says it does not give the high that opioid users seek. “But it does make people feel more normal. It reduces cravings for opioid and when they are taking buprenorphine they don’t have to worry about going into withdrawal,” according to Lynch. “….they feel better and it reduces the amount of time and energy that is required when they have an addiction that is not controlled.

Lynch is also professor of psychiatry and family medicine, and says getting the opioid addiction under control can help with other addictions as well. She says this new program will target some of the areas to make it easier for people to get the treatment they need. “We are going to be working with emergency departments across the state of Iowa to encourage them to offer buprenorphine to people who come into their emergency room seeking treatment for opioid use disorders,” she says. “Another part of this project involves the recognition that many contacts within our criminal justice system involve substance use. And by working with county jails we are going to help increase the capacity of jails to help people with opioid use disorder get started on the path to recovery through medication treatment.”

Lynch says those who go through the trainer get a waiver to use the drugs for opioid treatment. “One of the issues is that even when we have trained people, not everybody that gets the waiver uses it. We will be doing some things to really help people not just get the training — but also get the waiver and use the waiver,” Lynch says. If you are seeking help with mental health issues and drug or alcohol abuse, you can find a list of drug treatment providers, counselors and other treatment options via a free program called “Your Life Iowa.”

Visit yourlifeiowa.org.

Des Moines, Iowa —The Iowa Department of Public Health today (Wednesday) released new data that indicated there have been 94 additional COVID-19 deaths. IDPH officials reported the 94 additional deaths happened between August 22nd and Oct. 7th. It brings the total number of deaths to 6,748 since the start of the pandemic. The number of positive tests in the last seven days continues to fall. IDPH reported 7,713 positive tests, down from 8,355 at last report on Monday. There have been 507,525 positive tests in Iowa since the start of the pandemic.

Iowa’s test positivity rate had been holding steady at 9.5% but has now dropped to 9.2%. Of those testing positive for the virus, 22% are under the age of 18. The next largest group are those between the ages of 30 and 39, at 18%. While positive test results are falling, hospitalizations are back up. IDPH reported 598 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa, up from 566 at last report on Monday.

The health department reports 3,551,153 vaccine doses administered in Iowa. That means 66.8% of Iowans 18 and older are fully vaccinated, while 69.2% of all Iowans 12 and up have had at least one dose. IDPH reports 29 long-term care facility outbreaks, down from 30 on Monday.

The Iowa Department of Public Health releases COVID-19 data each Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports absentee voting is available for the November 2, 2021 CITY / SCHOOL ELECTION.  Voters may vote an absentee ballot in the Cass County Auditor’s office during regular business hours (8:00 A.M. thru 4:30 P.M.) now thru Monday, November 1, 2021.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS:  Any eligible voter who so chooses may vote a ballot before November 2 (called ABSENTEE BALLOT).  This ballot may be applied for by mail or may be voted at the office of the County Auditor on any day the office is open up through November 1.

IF VOTING AT THE COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE: beginning now, the absentee voter may come to the CASS COUNTY COURTHOUSE during the regular office hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday thru Friday, up through the day before the election and cast a ballot.  In addition to regular office hours, the office of Cass County Auditor will be open until 5 P.M. on Monday, October 18 and Friday, October 29.

IF VOTING BY MAIL: A written request may be mailed or hand delivered to the County Auditor’s office.  (Absentee request forms are available at the auditor’s office and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.iowa.gov).  A ballot along with instructions on how to complete the ballot will be mailed to the requester.  Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 PM on Monday, October 18.  For the ballot to be counted, the completed ballot then must be returned either by personal carrier or by mail to the office of County Auditor before close of polls on November 2 (8:00 PM).  Ballots received after that date and time will not be tallied.  All BALLOTS ARE TO BE RETURNED whether they are voted or not voted.  A postage paid return envelope is provided with each absentee ballot mailed out.

VOTER REGISTRATION: In order to vote in Iowa a person must be registered in the person’s current county of residence, under the person’s current name, and at the person’s current address.  Registration forms are available at the county auditor’s office, many State of Iowa service offices and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.iowa.gov

The county election commissioner recommends that persons not currently registered or who have moved since last registering and are planning to vote in the November CITY / SCHOOL ELECTION, pre-register in the office of the County Auditor as soon as possible.  You may register or re-register and vote absentee on the same day.  Last day to pre-register in the office of the County Auditor is Monday, October 18, 2021.  Auditor’s office is open until 5:00 P.M. on October 18.

Reminder: You may also update your registration when you update your address for your driver’s license.  Since your Iowa driver’s license is often used as official identification, it is important that the data shown is accurate. Iowa law requires residents to notify the Department of Transportation within 30 days of an address change.  An easy method for changing your address is to visit an Iowa driver’s license station – in Cass County that station is in the Cass County Treasurer’s office, Courthouse, Atlantic, Iowa.

The address for the Cass County Auditor / Election Commissioner is: CASS COUNTY AUDITOR, COURTHOUSE, 5 W 7TH ST, ATLANTIC, IOWA 50022 ; (Phone:712-243-4570;   Email: auditor@casscoia.us)

NOTE: This is a COUNTY-WIDE election.  Every eligible voter in Cass County is eligible to vote in this election.  City residents will vote for both city and school candidates; and rural residents will vote for school candidates only.

THE VOTING CENTERS BEING USED FOR THIS ELECTION WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:

Atlantic 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Wards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th-main entrance)

Atlantic 4th and 5th Wards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th-south entrance)

City of Anita/ Grant, Lincoln Twp  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Anita Community Center (805 Main St)

City of Cumberland/ Edna and Union Twp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cumberland Community Bldg. (200 W 2nd)

City of Griswold/ Noble and Pleasant Twp  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Griswold Community Bldg. (601 2nd St)

City of Lewis/ Bear Grove, Cass Twp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   Lewis Public Library (412 W. Main St, Lewis)

City of Marne/ Brighton, Grove, Pymosa, Washington Twp. .     Cass County Community Center (805 W 10th-main entrance)

City of Massena/ Massena and Victoria Twp  . . . . . . . . . . . . .    Massena Public Library (122 Main St, Massena)

City of Wiota/ Benton and Franklin Twp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wiota City Hall (311 Center St)

(Radio Iowa) – A jury in Sioux County District Court found 71-year-old Gregg Winterfeld of Spirit Lake guilty — for a second time — on a charge of second-degree murder.
The case started on May 9 of 2020, when Grant and Theresa Wilson of Cleghorn, Iowa, were visiting Winterfeld at a rural Ireton, Iowa, home. Grant Wilson and Winterfeld spent the day drinking alcohol, and at one point, Winterfeld locked Wilson out of the home, and armed himself. Winterfeld attempted to persuade Wilson to come back inside, but when he refused, Winterfeld shot him.

Winterfeld was charged with first-degree murder in March and was found guilty of second-degree murder at trial. Before sentencing however, the court noted a procedural mistake and ordered a new trial. The re-trial ended around 9:00 p.m. Tuesday with a second jury finding Winterfeld guilty of second-degree murder. A new sentencing hearing has yet to be scheduled.

(Radio Iowa) – A new report finds about one in every six Iowa kids is obese, which is on par with national figures. Jamie Bussel is a senior program officer with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which released the annual State of Childhood Obesity report. That report studied obesity rates in children nationwide between the ages of ten and 17.  “For Iowa, it’s 16.9% and that’s in comparison to the national average which is 16.2%,” Bussel says, “so Iowa is essentially right at the national average.” Iowa ranks 18th in the nation on this report, a rise from 22nd place last year and a drop from 14th the year before. Bussel says we shouldn’t get too hung up on those national rankings.

“We’re not seeing any statistically significant changes from the year before,” Bussel says. “The most important message here is that childhood obesity rates are far too high across the nation and kids of color and those that live furthest from economic opportunity are at greatest risk.” The pandemic has forced many Iowa kids — and adults — to live a more sedentary lifestyle, and Bussel says it’s absolutely having an impact on our weight and our health.

“I have a feeling that we’re going to continue to see over the next couple of years impacts on obesity specifically related to COVID,” Bussel says. “The fact that kids are getting back into schools, have access to more secure meals at schools, more opportunities for physical activity, certainly those are great signs of hope.” The study suggests solutions which include making universal school meals permanent and broadening federal programs like WIC and others which are designed to pull families from poverty.

See the full report at: https://stateofchildhoodobesity.org/