The AHSTW School Board of Directors announced on Friday afternoon that Mr. Darin Jones has been hired to serve as the new Superintendent of Schools for the AHSTW Community School District. Jones will begin his duties officially on July 1, 2018.

For the past 11 years Darin Jones has served as the Elementary Principal for the Montezuma Community School District and prior to that he was K-12 Dean of Students in that district for 3 years. Jones also had teaching stints at Montezuma and Deep River-Millersburg.  He received his undergraduate degree at Buena Vista University in Elementary Education and went on to earn a Masters in Administration-Principal from the University of Northern Iowa and a Superintendent Endorsement Certificate from UNI.

AHSTW Schools said the interview process involved approximately 60 members of the school district including students, support staff, teaching staff, administrators, community members, parents, and the Board of Education.  ASHTW Board of Education President Bryan Simonsen said, “With an understanding of rural school challenges Mr. Jones demonstrated with passion during the day-long interview process a sincere desire to listen and involve students, staff, and community to move the AHSTW School District to the next level. His focus on students first and his instructional leadership knowledge will ensure success for AHSTW students in school and life. We are thrilled Mr. Jones has agreed to serve as our next Superintendent. I know everyone shares my excitement in bringing Mr. Jones into the AHSTW family. We all look forward to working with him to make AHSTW the number one school district in the state of Iowa.”

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports, that on Wednesday, April 25th, 23-year old Alan Calderon Reyes, of Sioux City, Iowa, appeared before United States District Court Senior Judge James E. Gritzner, and was sentenced to 151 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On April 10, 2017, following a high-speed car chase with law enforcement in Washington County, Nebraska, Reyes crossed the Iowa state line into Pottawattamie County, where Pottawattamie County deputies continued to pursue Reyes. Reyes lost control of his vehicle, drove into a ditch, and attempted to flee from deputies on foot.

Reyes was eventually apprehended and a large quantity of methamphetamine was seized from his vehicle. The case was investigated by Washington County, Nebraska Sheriff’s Office, Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a medic working for a Dubuque ambulance service died after a crash on a Mississippi River bridge connecting Dubuque with East Dubuque, Illinois. Officers were dispatched to the Julien Dubuque Bridge around 2:10 a.m. Friday. Police say the ambulance ran into the back of a semitrailer that had stopped for construction in the westbound lanes. The ambulance driver, 19-year-old Jack Dillman, was taken to UnityPoint Health-Finley Hospital for treatment. The 34-year-old medic with him was pronounced dead at the scene. His name hasn’t been released. The truck driver wasn’t injured.

The crash shut down bridge traffic for more than five hours. Paramount Ambulance Service says the ambulance was returning to Dubuque after taking a patient to a medical facility in Chicago

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — The Dubuque public library plans to approve a fine-free test period but will eventually return to charging patrons for overdue books because of a lack of funding. The Telegraph Herald reports that Carnegie-Stout Public Library’s amnesty period would begin July 1. The library currently has a daily fee of 20 to 50 cents per overdue item. The proposed plan says that during a six-month period, library patrons wouldn’t be fined for overdue items, but would still be charged for lost or damaged materials. Board members hope waiving fines will incentivize patrons to return materials.

Library Director Susan Henricks says she plans to give board members an outline with details about the plan on May 24. Henricks says the fines would return in January because the library lacks the funds.

LA PORT CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities intend to renew their water search for an eastern Iowa teenager who’s been missing for nearly three weeks. Sixteen-year-old Jake Wilson, of La Porte City, was last seen around 9 p.m. April 7, going for a walk to nearby Wolf Creek. A search began less than an hour later, when he didn’t return home. His mother, Megan Neiswonger, has said Jake has autism with a mild intellectual disorder and functions at the level of a 9-year-old.

La Porte City Police Chief Chris Brecher says trained crews from law enforcement and fire departments will be involved Saturday and Sunday, as well as heavy equipment to pull apart log jams in Wolf Creek. He says the creek and other water bodies need to be rechecked as water levels rise and fall, changing conditions.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s Department of Transportation does not currently have the authority to order cities to remove automated traffic-enforcement cameras from highways and interstates. The state’s high court on Friday reversed a state judge’s ruling last April that found the department did have that authority.

The ruling comes on the appeal of three Iowa cities — Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Muscatine — of the judge’s ruling. Those cities had sought the judicial review in 2015 after the DOT ordered some speed cameras turned off, determining that the cameras did not make interstate highways safer.

The three cities had argued that the DOT was infringing on cities’ ability to self-govern and that it lacked statutory authority to make rules regulating speed cameras.

An Atlantic family-owned hardware store in existence for 79-years, and in Cass County for 98-years, is closing its doors. Jack Jensen, owner of Robinson True Value Hardware on Chestnut Street, formally announced today (Friday), that he’s going out of business, effective June 30^th. Jensen said the business wasn’t always located in Atlantic. It was originally located in Wiota in 1920. The business moved to Atlantic in 1939. Jack’s dad, Rodney Jensen took over running the business from Bruce Robinson and bought it in the mid-1960’s. Jack said he spent his time playing and having fun in the store when he was growing up.

Robinson True Value owner Jack Jensen talks about the store’s closing in June.

He’s also seen political celebrities walk through his doors, including Walter Mondale, who served as Vice President under President Jimmy Carter, in the mid-70’s. Jack has worked in the store for 44-years. His dad worked there for 54-years. Jack over the business when his dad developed cancer. He took a hardship deferment from Arizona State University and planned to spend just a few weeks running the business, but that turned into decades. Now, he’s closing up shop in June due to his own health and other reasons. He said he had a heart attack in January, and that “Put the icing on the cake.” He attributed the decision also, to a lack of foot traffic in the store over the past couple of years due to on-line sales and big box stores. Jensen said it’s hard for a brick and mortar store to compete. It wasn’t always that way, though. He said “Things were good for a long-long time…but the times…we just started to see the wave.”

Jack said also, he put in 60-hours per week-plus for 40-years, at the store, and that’s taken away time from his family. His kids, he said, don’t want to take over the business for that very reason. He said he’s only taken one two-week vacation his entire life, and plans to take this summer off. Both he and his dad were always active in the community, and in fact both served as Presidents of the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce.

In order to help liquidate his inventory, Robinson’s will offer big discounts beginning May 1^st. The store itself is also for sale. Jensen wants to thank his customers and his five employees for their patronage and service. One of the customers, who died recently at the age of 100, had conducted business at the store for more than 44-years. Jack said he was honored to be an honorary pallbearer at her funeral. He also thanked his employees for their hard work. There will be a party at the Elk’s Club June 30^th, with a live band to celebrate the business’ storied history Jack’s retirement. More details will be released at a later date.