A Public hearing will take place 5-p.m. Wednesday in Atlantic, during a regular meeting of the Atlantic School Board. The hearing, which will be held in the High School Media Center, is with regard to the 2018-19 Amended Certified Budget. Later on during the meeting, the Board will act on Superintendent Steve Barber’s recommendation to approve the 2018-19 budget amendment to the “other” category, as presented. If approved, it will allow the district to complete building improvements this summer without overspending the certified budget.

Among the expenditures included in the amended budget and not budgeted for during the current school year is: A sewage problem at the Washington School; Replacing two small sections of the Middle School auditorium roof; LED lighting for the High School Commons area; Replacing a bus transmission, and Technology expenses. Officials say there will be no increase in taxes to be paid in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018.

In other business, the Atlantic School Board will act on the resignation of Taylor Williams, Student Council Advisor, and contract recommendations and/or Letters of Assignment for: Donald Boggs – District Maintenance; Mark Weis – Transportation Director; Derek Hall – Summer Weightroom Coordinator; Michella Bartholomew – Head Cheer Coach; Alyssa Dovenspike – JV Volleyball Coach, and Kelly Juhl – Summer grounds.

They are expected to act also on Winter Sports Coaching Contracts (**see below), and on 2019-20 sharing agreements, including with CAM & Exira-EHK, for Girls Soccer, and Griswold, with regard to Industrial Technology and Transportation Director. The Board is then expected to act on approving a Technology purchase in the amount of $12,950 for backup batteries, a $38,000 agreement with Piper-Jaffray for handing the General Obligation Bond process (Financial services, Bidding agent and Dissemination agent agreements), and Snyder and Associates Engineers, with regard to Survey services for the Athletic Facilities Project, in the amount of $11,800, as well as an agreement with Allender Butzke, for Geotechnical Engineering, in the amount of $23,600.

Their final piece of business is to approve a recommendation from the Superintendent to change the surface of the Trojan Bowl turf from natural grass to synthetic turf, with the $600,000 cost paid by private fundraising and donations. Seeding a natural grass surface at the athletic facility would require the loss of one season of activity at the Trojan Bowl, and experts have said using sod has a number of negative consequences. A fundraising committee was formed. Members said they could secure $300,000 over the duration of the improvements, with the intent to raise all $600,000 to turf the Trojan Bowl and not lose a football season.

If the committee is unable to raise the entire $600k, the district would be responsible to cover the remaining costs.

**Winter Coaching recommendations by Activities Director Andrew Mitchell:

Head HS Wrestling – Tim Duff; Asst. HS Wrestling – Tucker Weber; MS Wrestling – Jordan Newberg & Chase Roller; Head HS Girls Basketball – Dan Vargason; Freshman Girls bball – Shelby McCreedy; MS Girls/Boys Basketball – Terry Hinzmann & Trace Peterson; JV Boys Bball – Jeremy Blake; Freshman Boys bball – Derke Hall; Girls/Boys Swimming – Dean Junker.

The Harlan Police Department, Tuesday, issued a short report on arrests made over the past week. On Saturday, May 4th, 26-year old Jacob Kyle Krienert, of Harlan, was arrested for OWI, and cited for improper rear lamp and improper rear registration plate lamp.; 23-year old Austin Michael Parker, of Harlan, was also arrested Saturday. He was charged with Driving while suspended, failure to prove security against liability, and failure to display license plate.

And, on Monday, 63-year old Gary Lyn McCoy, of Harlan, was arrested for driving while suspended, and carrying weapons.

In a regular meeting of the Harlan Community School District Board of Directors Monday, Justin Wagner, Superintendent of Harlan Community Schools, resigned from his position effective June 30th, 2020.  His last day at Harlan  Community will be June 2nd when he will be deployed overseas.  The following is an excerpt of a statement Wagner made to our sister station KNOD, while he is on military leave. The statement was also read during the Harlan School Board meeting, Monday night.

“For a variety of reasons the 18-19 school year was a challenge for the Harlan Community School District.  After certain accusations were published and other concerns came to the board’s attention, the board and Superintendent Justin Wagner worked together to determine the validity of those accusations and concerns.  Superintendent Wagner denied these allegations, so the board engaged an independent investigator and also conducted a 360 degree survey of staff.  The investigator did not find Mr. Wagner engaged in illegal conduct.  Additionally, as a result of the investigation, both sides recognized certain long standing district practices should be updated.  Both the board and the superintendent value the opinion of district staff and are in the process of addressing some concerns.

“In the midst of that collaborative process, Superintendent  Wagner was called to duty to serve his country overseas.  Current orders are for him to deploy  in June 2019 and to be gone for approximately 7 months.  This means the district must obtain an interim superintendent for much of the 19-20 school year.  Because of this and because Superintendent Wagner and his family will need some time together to re-acclimate, the board and Superintendent Wagner agreed this was a logical time to make a change, not only for the Superintendent and his family but also for the district.

“Therefore, the board and Superintendent Wagner agreed that he will resign effective June 30th, 2020 but will not be required to return to work after his deployment in order to spend time with his family upon his return.  Superintendent Wagner’s last official day on the job in the district will effectively be June 2, 2019.

“Harlan Community School District remains one of the premier 3-A school districts in the state.  The Board is appreciative of Superintendent Wagner’s passion and energy spent in purposeful service to the district’s vision and mission and we also appreciate his military service.”

The Board provided Wagner with a letter of recommendation, also.

Detectives in Council Bluffs have identified 18-year old Ethan B. Edgar, of Hutchinson, Kansas, as the person who died after being shot Monday afternoon, at South Main Street and 9th Avenue.

The investigation, which is still ongoing, indicates that owner of a stolen black 2009 Nissan 370Z, along with several friends, in multiple cars, were in Council Bluffs actively searching for the car, as they had information that it was seen at different locations in Council Bluffs throughout the day. The Nissan had been reported stolen to the Omaha Police Department just after 2-a.m., Monday.

Edgar was behind the wheel of the stolen Nissan, parked on the gas station lot, at South Main and 9th Avenue, when it was located by some of the owner’s friends, who were in two separate cars. One of these cars, a blue Honda Civic, pulled directly in front of the Nissan, blocking its forward path, as the second car, a silver Toyota Camry pulled in directly behind the Nissan, blocking it from backing out of the area.

Edgar, the lone occupant of the Nissan, put the car in reverse and accelerated, slamming the rear‐end of the Nissan into the front passenger side door of the Camry. As Edgar then began to drive forward, a male sitting in the front passenger
seat of the Camry fired multiple shots at the Nissan through his open car door window. The three cars proceeded to ram into each other several times, with the male in the Camry firing additional rounds at the Nissan. A total of 12 spent
.9-mm shell casings were recovered at the scene.

Edgar was able to drive the Nissan off the gas station lot, heading north on South Main Street, with the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry chasing after it. Edgar lost control of the Nissan at the intersection of South Main Street and 5th Avenue,
crashing into a tree. Paramedics transported Edgar to UNMC, where he died from his injuries. Edgar had been struck by gunfire twice, once in the upper right back and another time on the right thigh.

The subjects inside the Honda Civic and Toyota Camry remained on the scene and were taken in for questioning. After reviewing all the known evidence with the County Attorney’s Office, it was decided that no one would be immediately
arrested. It is expected the County Attorney will present the evidence to a Grand Jury to determine if the male who fired the shots, 25-year old Jonathan Echtinaw, of Omaha, will face any criminal charges.