The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will meet this (Wednesday) evening at 5:30, in the High School Media Center. Discussion items on their agenda include: the 2018-19 School Calendar, Driver’s Education Services, Summer 2018 Capital Projects/request for bids, and facility planning. With regard to the Calendar, a committee was formed and two calendars were provided to staff in each of the District’s buildings, for feedback. Given that the first allowable start date is Aug. 23rd, 2018, the final day for school using the current calendar would be the Friday before Memorial Day. School officials say 20 instructional hours were missed due the weather to date, with total being 1,073. This year, the district will add the 25th as a student day, and other small tweaks to the calendar to meet the requirement. Any additional weather delays will result in the make-up of additional instructional hours.

The 2018-19 School Calendar would be different from 2017-18, in that First Semester will have students in school on Dec. 21st. Last year, they did not have school on the Friday before break. The committee thought having Martin Luther King as a professional development day, was too close to the extended break. They agreed President’s Day would be a better time for Prof. Development. The calendar discussion will also include moving spring conferences to later in the school year, or make sure the P/T Conference is the only activity on two evenings. District staff were split 50-50 with regard to changing the week-long break to an extended break around the time of Easter. By doing that, officials say they were able to increase the number of instructional hours in the schedule to create more flexibility with the hours.

Action items this evening include approval of Resolutions pertaining to: the 2018-19 Budget Guarantee, in the amount of $217,766; 2018-19 Board-Approved PPEL in the amount of $152,452, or .33-cents per thousand dollars assessed valuation, and, a 2018-19 Fund Transfer of $8,000, from General to Activity, for Protective Equipment. The Board will also act on the resignation of Emma Bireline as Head Varsity Volleyball Coach, and approve a contract/Letter of Assignment with Kelly Simonton, District Maintenance.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City man has been imprisoned for possessing illegal drugs and child pornography. Federal prosecutors say 23-year-old Jose Ortega-Ramirez was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City to 7½ years. He also must serve five years of supervised release after he leaves prison. He’d pleaded guilty on Nov. 1.

Police say they intercepted a package from Mexico containing nearly 291 grams (10.26 ounces) of cocaine addressed to Ortega-Ramirez’s apartment. Police executed a controlled delivery, then searched Ortega-Ramirez’s home and found the package. He also admitted to having images of a nude minor.

Authorities in Guthrie Center are investigating the cause of a fire late Monday night that destroyed a residence, there. According to Guthrie County Dispatch, the fire at 2041 190th Road began at around 6:30-p.m., Monday. The home is owned by Will and Jennifer Bates. Jennifer entered the structure after returning from a track and field meet. She quickly ran out of the home after seeing smoke and flames.

Officials say no one was injured. The cause of the fire wasn’t immediately clear.  Panora Volunteer Fire Department crews assisted Guthrie Center Fire, at the scene.

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office reports 37-year old Robert Girard, of Lenox, was arrested Tuesday, in the 400 block E Ohio on March 13th. Girard was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, and was being held at the Taylor County Jail on $1,000 cash only bond.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports two people were arrested on drug charges overnight Tuesday into early this (Wednesday) morning. At around 10p.m. Tuesday, Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office served an arrest warrant on 20 year old Max Allen Mitchell, of Farragut.

Deputies had been investigating Mitchell for illegal sales of narcotics. He was arrested at his home without incident and transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center on warrants for delivery of LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, fentanyl, and xanax. Mitchell is currently being held on a $202,000.00 cash only bond.

And, at around 1-a.m. today (Wednesday),  Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office served another arrest warrant on 19 year old Irineo Ramon Gonzalez, of Sidney. Deputies had been conducting an on-going investigation on Gonzalez, who was arrested on warrants and also found to be in possession of a controlled substance during the arrest.

Gonzalez was transported to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office for the warrants of Controlled substance violation, Using a minor in the Drug trade, and possession of a controlled substance. He was being held in the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center on a $61,000.00 cash only bond.