(Atlantic, Iowa) – Public Hearings will be held 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, March 29th in the Atlantic High School Media Center, with regard to an extension of the current Instructional Support Levy (ISL) by another five-years. A second hearing will be held with regard to the 2023-24 School Calendar. Both hearings are part of a Special Atlantic School Board meeting. The Board will act on an ISL Resolution and Calendar, toward the end of their session. Discussion will follow the hearings, with regard to the 2023-24 Certified Budget.

The Board will then act on several resignations, including:

• Scot Aden, Middle School Principal (Who has accepted a job with the Carroll Community School District)
• Derek Hall, 6th Grade Science Teacher; Head Boys Basketball Coach & Asst. Girls Track Coach
• Mikayla Schuler, Kindergarten Teacher
• Marcella Peck and Jenifer Rugaard, Paraeducators.

They will also act on several contract recommendations proposed by Superintendent Steve Barber, including:

• Hannah Alff, 2nd Grade Teacher
• Kirstin Blake, Kindergarten Teacher
• Christin Simonton, Preschool Teacher
• Shawna Macha, Substitute/Activity Driver
• Derek Knisely, Asst. Boys Soccer Coach
• and several Volunteer Coaches: (corrected from previous post)
  • Girls Golf: Marty Hobson & Nathan Berg
  • Boys Golf: Darby McLaren
  • Boys/Girls Track: Bruce Henderson
  • Tennis: James Northwick
  • Boys Soccer:Cal Heuton
  • Baseball: Josh McLaren & Darby McLaren
  • Softball: Bob Gross

The final order of business for the Atlantic School Board, Wednesday evening, is setting the date for a Public Hearing/Regular Board meeting as April 12th at 5:30-p.m.

(Radio Iowa) – Today (Monday) marks the start of Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa, as residents are reminded about some of the hazards that may be coming in the weeks and months ahead. Meteorologist Chad Hahn, at the National Weather Service, says tornadoes are one of the worst risks to lives and property, and last year, we had plenty.  “In Iowa, we had 43 tornadoes observed across the state,” Hahn says. “That’s slightly lower than our normal or average historically, which is right around 50 that we typically observe. Of course, we’ve had some years that we’ve had over 100, so there’s wide variability when it comes to the number of tornadoes.”

Each day this week, there will be a different weather focus. Today, Hahn says, they’re zeroed in on severe thunderstorms.  Hahn says, “We’re talking about what requires a thunderstorm to be considered severe, which is one-inch or larger hail and/or thunderstorm wind gusts in excess of 58 miles per hour.”

Other days this week will center on things like flooding, the difference between a watch and a warning, and how best to stay informed through old-school weather radios or smartphone apps. A statewide tornado drill is scheduled for Wednesday at 10 A-M. Hahn says the weather service is opening a series of storm spotter classes today in Marion County.  “We picked about 20 spots this year, many of them that we haven’t been since before COVID, actually, physically in the location, so we’re excited to get out into the communities that we serve,” Hahn says. “I’m happy to say we’re going to be getting into a lot of the far reaches of our areas of responsibility, including Emmet County, way up in the northwest, all the way down to Taylor County in our southwest.”

Learn more at www.weather.gov/dmx.

(Radio Iowa) – Republicans in the Iowa legislature are proposing an asset test and a new system to conduct frequent income checks for Iowans who’re enrolled in Medicaid or receiving what are commonly known as food stamps. The 34 Republicans in the Senate approved a bill last week to take those steps. Senator Jeff Edler, a Republican from State Center, is chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

“We have a responsibility as elected officials to ensure that tax dollars are being responsibly allocated,” Edler said. “The use of technology for real time verification is critical.” Senator Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, first proposed more frequent checks for Iowans receiving government assistance in 2019.

“If they do not not meet the standard and they are of higher assets or higher income or have won the lottery,” Schultz says. “I mean that came up in previous years.” Under the Senate-passed bill, Iowans with more than 15-thousand dollars in assets that can quickly be converted to cash, like stocks or a savings account, would no longer be eligible for food stamps.

A vehicle or a house would not be included in the asset calculation. A bill under consideration in the House sets up the same asset test, but also includes a proposed ban on using food stamps to buy pop or candy. Democrats oppose the changes. Senator William Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo, says some Iowans qualified to receive food and health care benefits will be kicked off the programs because they won’t have enough time to re-confirm that they’re eligible.

“This is just furthering a fallacy that people are too lazy to work and that they’re on the public dole and, man, we’re feeding kids when we shouldn’t be,” Dotzler said. Senator Sarah Trone-Garriott, a Democrat from Waukee, cites an analysis indicating an estimated 600 Iowa children would lose health care coverage if the bill becomes law.  “It’s really, really important that children do not lose access to these vital programs because these are significant changes,” Trone-Garriott says, “huge changes to the process.”

The House bill on this topic is eligible for debate in the House Appropriations Committee. It would require most adults receiving food stamps or enrolled in Medicaid to work or volunteer 20 hours a week. Iowans who are unemployed, taking care of a family member, pregnant or physically or mentally unable to work would be exempt from the work requirement. Those work requirements are not included in the Senate bill.

(Radio Iowa) – A former Fort Dodge man wanted in connection to a Christmas Day murder in Fort Dodge was arrested in southeast Minnesota Saturday morning. Authorities say Darwin Green is currently being held in the Fillmore County Jail pending local charges as well as a warrant out of Webster County. The Fillmore County Sheriff’s office says deputies and Preston, Minnesota Police officers located Green in a residential garage north of Preston, which is 40 miles north of Decorah.

Authorities issued an alert for Green after he fled a traffic stop in the area on foot on Friday. Green is charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder of the death of Montreail Dungy in Fort Dodge on December 25th.

Another suspect in the case, Lakendrick Mosley of Des Moines, is also in custody. Mosley was arrested Friday night in the same Minnesota County where Green was arrested Saturday morning.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop at around 12:40-a.m. today (Sunday at Highway 48 and 140th Street, resulted in the arrest of 36-year-old Claire Ashly Thalken, of Emerson, for OWI/1st offense. Thalken was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.