The Audubon School Board, Monday, approved the sale of a small parcel of land on the south end of the Elementary School playground, and that is not used by the District and extends right up to a house next door. Superintendent Brett Gibbs told KJAN News the parcel sold for $500. The home, he said, is for sale. The prospective buyers wanted to purchase the parcel so they could install a driveway and a small garage. He said the entire process should be wrapped-up within the next month, so the sale of the house can proceed.

In other business, Superintendent Gibbs said the Audubon School Board approved the 2019-2020 School Calendar, with a start date on August 23rd. A wrinkle in the Calendar this coming year, adds a week-long Spring Break in March, in order to accommodate the Band trip to the southern U-S, which is something they do every four-years. 2019-20 is the year for the trip under that schedule. The change essentially puts the District right up to the end of May 2020 to finish the school year. In other business, the Audubon School Board accepted the initial proposal from Audubon Education Association’s Bargaining Unit, representing the District’s teachers. Both public meetings on the proposals will take place during the Board’s regular meeting on March 18th.

And, the Audubon School Board agreed to hire Kelsey Griffith as Elementary Special Education Teacher for the 2019-2020 School Year. That still leaves four openings to fill in the District. Gibbs said they hope to have an announcement this Friday morning on who they’ve hired as Middle School/High School Principal. Eric Trager, 5th-through 12th grade Principal, was hired as Superintendent to succeed Gibbs at the end of the current school year. Gibbs had earlier announced his resignation as Superintendent, and retirement.

The Exira-EHK School Board and Education Association – representing the Teacher’s Union – presented their initial contract proposals during a meeting Monday night. Superintendent Trevor Miller told KJAN News that the Education Association proposed a three-year contract and a 3.25-percent raise. The District proposed in its initial offering, a zero-percent increase in salary. The two sides will meet again March 12th to get further into the process.

Miller said also there were no concerns from the Board or those in attendance, with regard to the 2019-20 School Calendar, which the Board ultimately approved, and which begins in August. Classes start on the 23rd of August, end finish May 21st 2020. In other business, the Exira-EHK School Board approved the hiring of Andrea Nulle as High School Science Teacher and Assistant Softball Coach. Nulle graduates from Morningside College this year, and has been an Assistant Softball Coach for IKM-Manning the past couple of years.

The Griswold School Board, Monday night, accepted an offer from Chris Jahnke, with 3-H-O, LLC in Atlantic, for the purchase of the former Lewis Elementary School Building. Griswold Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News the Board and Jahnke agreed the building would be purchased for $9,000, which is considerably less than the $40,000 he proposed during a meeting last month. Henrichs said the offer was lower, due to the amount of work that must be done on the building before it can be occupied.

Jhanke said he would be willing to pay between five- and 15-thousand dollars, because through his research, he had concerns over the potential cost he would incur over asbestos abatement, an improperly working air conditioner unit in the gym – his main business would be located in that area. The cost to abate the asbestos would be somewhere between 60-and 80-thousand dollars, and to replace the A/C, another 5-thousand dollars. In addition, Jahnke was concerned with asbestos under the floor tiling. Pallet jacks would be used in that area. If that gets disturbed, there’s another issue. An epoxy covering would cost him $20,000 to 25,000. Carpeting is an option, but he would need to get a motorized pallet jack, at a cost of $8,000-to 10,000.

In addition to settling on the $9,000 purchase price, the Board made an agreement with Jahnke for trucking and manpower services to help move all the materials from the Lewis and Elliott buildings to the new building. Henrichs said it would have been very costly if the District chose to reject the agreement and demolish the building, instead, it would costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. And, he said it keeps their promise to District patrons and residents of Lewis, not to let the building become an eyesore.

In other business, the Griswold School Board agreed to leave the 2019-2020 School Calendar the same as this year, with the start date in August, on the 23rd.

Red Oak, IA— The Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Office in Montgomery County is offering two, four-week, after school STEM programs for local youth at the Montgomery County YMCA. Kindergarten through 2nd graders are invited to participate on Tuesday afternoons throughout the month of March. The 3rd through 5th grade program will be held on the following Tuesdays in April: April 2, April 9, April 16 and April 30. The program will start at 4:00 PM and conclude at 5:30 PM each day. Throughout the program, youth will learn how to code with robots, why some chemical reactions occur and how the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) discipline is used in our daily lives!

The deadline to sign up for the Kindergarten through 2nd grade program is February 25th. Those wishing to participate in the 3rd through 5th grade program are asked to register before March 25th. Registration is limited and there is a registration fee of $15. All Montgomery County 4-H members will receive a $5 discount on their registration.

Registration forms can be found online at www.extension.iastate.edu/montgomery or by contacting the Montgomery County Extension Office. If you have any questions about the program, please contact Celine Beggs, County Youth Coordinator at the Montgomery County ISU Extension Office by calling (712) 623-2592 (or by emailing cmbeggs@iastate.edu)

CONRAD, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say two University of Northern Iowa students, including one from western Iowa, were killed when their car collided with a semitrailer, Sunday. The collision occurred around 12:40 p.m,, a few miles north of Conrad on Iowa Highway 14. The Grundy County Sheriff’s Office says the northbound car went out of control on the snow- and ice-covered roadway and crossed into the path of the southbound semi.

The Sheriff’s Office identified the car driver as 21-year-old Justin Kime, who lived in Stewartville, Minnesota, and his passenger as 21-year-old Tristan Marlow, who lived in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The truck driver wasn’t injured. He’s been identified as 27-year-old Laurence Smith, of St. Louis. The accident is under investigation.

The Creston Police Department reports 21-year old Brandon Joseph Lee Tull, of Creston, was arrested at around 3-a.m. today (Tuesday), following a traffic stop. Tull was arrested for Driving While Suspended.

And, four people were arrested on separate charges, Monday: A little before 6-a.m., 33-year old Cassie Ann Wilmeth, of Creston, was arrested on Highway 25 in Creston, for Driving While Suspended; At around 2:10-p.m., 47-year old Misty Dawn Darst, of Creston, was arrested at Birch and Summit Streets in Creston on an Adams County Warrant. She was transferred to the custody of Adams County Deputies; Just before 10:30-a.m. Monday, 51-year old Edward Earl Jones, of Creston, was arrested at his residence, for Violation of a Protection Order. He was being held in the Union County Jail awaiting initial appearance; And, at around 8:30-a.m. Monday, Creston Police arrested 58-year old Pamela Dea Claiser, of Creston, on an Adams County Warrant.  Claiser was subsequently released on a $200 bond.