Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber, Tuesday, released the District’s latest COVID-19 data. In his statement, Barber said “We continue to see positive cases and quarantined individuals, yet we have not experienced a breakout in any of our buildings.  Our absenteeism rate for students not quarantined is around 1% daily, which is really good.  We serve our quarantined students remotely, as each student has a device and internet is available to ensure that all have access.  Our staff continues to work hard at using the technology tools to enhance these experiences.”

He said also, “As a school district, we were fortunate to make it nearly four weeks before we were notified of a positive case requiring our nursing staff and Cass County to identify close contacts and quarantine those identified.  Since then we have had staff and students who have tested positive that required us to inform those affected that they must quarantine.  I realize that quarantine presents a lot of difficulties for parents, students, and staff and it is amazing to me how cooperative and understanding many have been when they receive a call from the school and/or Cass County Health.  Our data shows that this practice has been successful in preventing spreading within the school.”

“From day one,” Barber says, “we have gathered both school and county data to help us make decisions or modifications as we hold health and safety our top priority.  Starting on September 24, the week following our first case, we have kept data on the number of positive cases in the district as well as the number of students and staff quarantined.  These data points have been recorded each week at the same time to help make decisions.”

The Superintendent says “As new information becomes available to us in regards to COVID-19, we revisit and reassess how we can enhance the mitigation strategies that we have in place to help overcome the negative consequences associated with COVID-19 and maintain a high level of safety and health while our students are in our care.”

(The above information, Barber says, will be updated to the public each month to protect confidentiality of students and staff.)

Red Oak Police report two men were arrested on separate charges, Tuesday night. At around 7:30-p.m., 50-year old Kevin Wayne Watkins, of Red Oak, was arrested on a warrant for possession of a controlled substance/2nd offense. Watkins was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond. And, at around 10:50-p.m., 42-year old Matthew Larry Eichelberger, of Elliott, was arrested following a traffic stop in Red Oak. Eichelberger was charged with Driving Under Suspension, and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on slightly more than $566 bond.

PATON, Iowa (AP) — For the second time in as many months, a huge blade has broken off from its wind turbine in central Iowa. Television station KCCI reports the latest incident happened Thursday near Paton in Green County. No one was hurt. That follows a similar incident in mid-September, when another blade dropped from a turbine near Adel and crashed into a corn field. Officials say the blades are 177 feet long and weigh 18,000 pounds.

Mid-American Energy tells the station that in both cases, the blades were equipped with a specific type of lightning protection system. MidAmerican said such incidents are “extremely rare,” but acknowledged that even one incident is unacceptable.