The Audubon School Board, Monday night, made an official invititation to the Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton District, for their students to join Audubon’s Wresting Program. Superintendent Eric Trager….

They also approved a Sharing Agreement with the Coon Rapids-Bayard School District for a Human Resources Director.

The Audubon School Board approved the District’s State-Mandated Emergency Management Plan.  Eric Trager said they already had one in-place, but brought it up-to-date and made it fit the State template.

Members of the Griswold School District’s Board of Education, Monday evening, tabled approval of a Resolution of Intent to sell the District’s Elliott Elementary property. Superintendent Dave Henrichs said it’s been put on hold for the second month in a row due to an issue with the legal description. He said an Abstract is being updated and it’s hoped the frst step in the sale process can be taken soon.

Henrichs said the Board, Monday, took the final step in the sale of the Lewis Elementary building. He said they approved the Deed and authorized delivery, so they are set to transfer ownership on July 2nd. The Board also approved a required Emergency Operations Plan. All district’s are required to have a plan which covers all possible hazards that a school may have. The deadline is July 1st. For each hazard, he says, there has to be three components to the plan. One is mitigation – or preventing an event from happening, the second is what will the district do during an event, the third part is what will the district do afterward?

Henrichs says the Board also approved an eSports Team as part of the District’s Culture Initiative. He said the eSports Team allows students to compete with other schools in the area of electronic gaming on a trial basis. About 40 students have expressed an interest in the program. The Board approved some new hires for the coming school year, along with other personnel matters.

In other action, the Griswold School Board approved a fuel bid by the Tiger Mart in Griswold, and a Tech Support bid of $40/hour from MITS, which is unchanged from the 2011-12 school years. They approved City Agreements for sharing of goods and services with Griswold, Lewis and Elliott, and a continued School Resource Officer. There were also some minor changes to the Student Handbook that were approved as well.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say a northwest Iowa man was killed after his motorcycle struck a vehicle that had stopped for congested traffic in northeast Omaha. The crash occurred around 5 p.m. Monday. Police say 49-year-old Vernon Hunter was headed north on U.S. Highway 75 when he ran into the rear of the other vehicle. His motorcycle then spun into another traffic lane, where it was hit by a school bus. Police say Hunter was pronounced dead at the scene. He lived in Sioux City, Iowa. No other injuries have been reported.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A man accused of fatally punching a Sioux City resident intends to argue self-defense at his August trial. Woodbury County District Court records say 24-year-old Ray Avila filed notice of that intent Monday and pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, assault and flight to avoid prosecution. Avila was arrested last month in Jalisco, Mexico, where he had relatives. His trial is set to begin Aug. 20.

Sioux City police say Avila became involved in an altercation last July between Juan Espinoza and Peter Johnson. Police say Johnson suffered a skull fracture when Avila knocked him to the pavement.

CAMANCHE, Iowa (AP) — A pipe company is planning to lay off more than 100 workers from its eastern Iowa plant in Camanche. TMK Ipsco spokeswoman Donna Smith said Monday that the company’s notified 101 workers of the closing. The remaining 18 workers will run the plant on a limited basis. Smith says the Houston-based company is taking the step because of a “downturn in the business and the demand for our products.” The pipes are used in oil production.

(Radio Iowa) — Authorities have arrested an Estherville man for allegedly stealing funds from a booster club for Estherville Lincoln Central athletic teams. The Estherville Police Department has completed an eight-month-long investigation into allegations an Estherville man misappropriated more than 29-thousand dollars from the E-L-C Booster Club from August, 2015 until his removal in November, 2018. Fifty-four-year-old Timothy Loock, of Estherville, has been charged with first degree theft, a class “C” felony. He’s being held in the Emmet County Jail and is scheduled to make a court appearance today.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two juveniles from Stanton, along with 20-year old Ashley T. Crouse, of Red Oak, were arrested Monday on Criminal Mischief charges. The charges are the result of an investigation into an incident where several vehicles in-and-around Stanton, were vandalized on June 7th. Additional arrests are anticipated, as the investigation continues. The juveniles were released to the custody of their parents, and Crouse was released after she posted bond.

Montgomery County Deputies also investigated two accidents on 200th Street that occurred about 150-yards west of the intersection of M Avenue and 200th Street. Both accidents were the result of drivers traveling westbound on 200th Street, who were unable to see that the roadway had buckled upwards over a culvert in the road, after construction crews had ground off the top layer of asphalt. The first accident happened at around 4:10-p.m., Monday. A 2006 Dodge Durango, owned and operated by 58-year old Edith Mattson, of Villisca, struck the heaved portion of the road, causing it to go airborne. A 16-year old passenger who was unrestrained in a rear seat, to hit the interior roof. The teen suffered from a back pain following the incident. The Durango sustained about $200 damage.

A 2018 Chevy Silverado, owned by Twin Pines Farms, Inc., and driven by 70-year old Gary D. Mundorf, of Griswold, was also traveling westbound on 200th when it hit the damaged portion of the roadway. The pickup also went airborne. Mundorf was not hurt, but the vehicle sustained an estimated $4,500 damage. In both cases, no citations were issued. Authorities note that 200th Street is closed to traffic from Highway 34 to Highway 71, while it is under construction. Drivers should find an alternate route while construction is underway.