The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education held a work session Monday evening at the High School. Superintendent Mike Amstein told KJAN News the Board approved the replacement of a sound system in the Atlantic High School Auditorium, but tabled until their August 14^th meeting, the replacement of lighting for the auditorium, while more information is gathered.

In other business, the Board approved various resignations and contracts. The resignations included a teacher at the Middle School, and High School Guidance Counselor Heather McCue, who has served for about 5-years. Amstein says McCue will be replaced by Jennifer Thurston, who has a degree and experience in counseling, as well as in the areas of intervention for persons with addictions, and At-Risk children.

Amstein said the Board also heard from Larry Sigel, with Iowa School Finance Information Services (ISFIS). He says Sigel primarily went over with the Board a handout they received last month with regard to school board elections and school bond elections. The bond election is slated for February 4^th, 2014, and is with regard to an expansion of the district’s facilities, as part of its Capital Improvements Plan.

The plan involves added space at the Washington School, and the possibility of a cafeteria, so the gymnasium could be used full-time, instead of having to be closed during the lunch period. He says that’s especially important with the increase in the number of students the building has to handle. Another aspect of the Capital Projects Plan, is the addition of 11 classrooms onto the Schuler building, and moving third grade students to the Schuler building. Amstein says Principal Stacey Hornung is set to experience a big influx of students this fall. 

She’s looking at 550 kids in her building for the 2013-2014 school year. Two preschool classes were moved from the Washington School last year to the old Lincoln building to try and accomodate students. An expansion of the Schuler building Amstein says, would provide relief to the classrooms and allow for more instructional space. That would also make the Schuler building a 3^rd through 5^th grade facility. The plan would also allow for a commons area at the Middle School and a cafeteria, so those students don’t have to eat lunch in the Schuler gym. There are also tentative plans for the addition of classrooms at the High School.

Amstein says they will consult with the faculty and staff this fall and show them the conceptual plans, as well as gather input on what changes they think should be made, before any final plans are presented to the public.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will hold a closed session for roughly an hour, Wednesday, prior to opening their regular meeting. The session is being held under provisions set for by the Code of Iowa, and is one of a handful of such meetings set to take place over the next few months with various County personnel. On Wednesday, the Board will meet at 8-a.m. to conduct an annual performance evaluation and contract review with County MH/DD/General Assistance Coordinator Teresa Kanning.

When the Board resumes their normal session at around 9-a.m., the will act on a nomination and the appointment of an additional member to the Local Emergency Planning Committee. Action is also expected on accepting or rejecting bids for a Hot Melt Asphalt (HMA) resurfacing with milling project on County Road G-43 from Highway 6 to Highway 71, and a resurfacing project on County Road M-56, from G-30 to the junction with Highway 6.

And, if the documents are ready, the Board may act on approving a 28-E agreement for Mental Health Regionalization. As time allows, the Supervisors may also hear a regular report from officials with Medivac Ambulance.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports part of Hazel Road will be closed beginning today (Tuesday). The 2100th block of Hazel Road is closed due to a bridge repair just south of 2117 Hazel Road in Union Township between sections 20 and 21. The repair will take approximately 4 weeks to complete, weather permitting.

The Shelby County EMA says addresses in the 2100 block will only be accessible from the north. Addresses in the 2000 block will be accessible from the south. The bridge repair will impact the Earling area. Emergency crews should plan to take alternate routes when responding to nearby residences. If you have questions, contact the Shelby County Engineer’s Office at 712-755-5954.

In a followup to our story last week about a shooting incident near Grant, authorities say a Cumberland man was cited for reckless use of a firearm, and public intoxication. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, 31-year old Danny Shannon was cited for his role in the incident which took place during the late night hours of July 18th.

Several law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, after receiving reports of a man shooting a gun from a bridge and threatening to take his own life. Shannon was eventually apprehended at his residence near the bridge, and brought to the Cass County Memorial Hospital for evaluation. At the time, Sheriff Darby McLaren said no charges had been filed.

The Audubon City Council has passed a resolution authorizing an amendment to a loan and disbursement agreement between the City and the Iowa Finance Authority. City Clerk Lora Hansen told KJAN News the agreement allows the City to reissue more than 2-million dollars in Sewer Revenue Capital Loan Notes (Series 2002), and take advantage of a lower interest rate from the IFA.

The Council also heard from Peggy Toft, with the Exira Community Club, with regard to a proposal for a Community Development Plan that would incorporate all the communities in Audubon County. The idea is for the County and its communities to contribute financially to the plan. No action was taken on the proposal during Monday evening’s meeting.

The Council did however, approve requests from the Audubon Chamber of Commerce pertaining to the T-Bone Celebration that takes place during the first Saturday in August. The request included moving picnic tables from the various city parks to the main City Park, approval of the parade route and related street closings, and the use of folding tables, sandbags and trash cans, as needed.

In other business, Tyler Thygesen provided the Council with a report on the flushing of the City’s water mains, and fire hydrants that are in need of repair or replacement.

w/ Ric Hanson

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High winds, heavy rain and hail walloped parts of Iowa last night as a cold front pushed out the extreme heat. Meteorologist Rod Donovan, at the National Weather Service, says the biggest hail fell in north-central Iowa.The Clarion area reported two-inch diameter hail, as did Boone, with smaller hailstones the size of golf balls reported in Garner.

Some areas had tree damage with winds gusting to 65 miles an hour. In the KJAN listening area, quarter-sized hail was reported by spotters in Guthrie Center just after 9-p.m. Quarter-sized hail and winds of 40-50mph occurred near Bagley, in Guthrie County, at around 8:30-p.m. A few minutes earlier, nickel-to quarter-size hail fell in Avoca. Quarter-sized hail also fell at around 8:10-p.m., three-miles northeast of Shelby. Half-dollar-sized hail fell at around 7:20-p.m. four miles South of Missouri Valley in Pottawattamie Co., and quarter-to half-dollar sized hail fell at around 7:10-p.m., one-mile south of Missouri Valley, in Harrison Co.

Donovan says the storm front is leaving behind weather that’s much cooler that it was a year ago. The forecast is for highs in the 70s and 80s for the next several days with another cold front expected by the weekend, keeping highs only in the 70s. Last night’s severe storms forced the cancellation of a host of planned events in Perry for the thousands of overnight visitors on RAGBRAI, who head for Des Moines today.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN – Ric Hanson)

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – An Omaha man who aimed a laser point at a jetliner and police helicopter has been given two years in federal prison. 30-year-old Michael Smith was sentenced on Monday.

Prosecutors say a Southwest Airlines pilot reported that a laser pointer was aimed into his cockpit as the airliner was landing at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield on the morning of July 11, 2012. A police helicopter responded, and it, too, was targeted several times by a laser pointer. The pilot of the helicopter reported that he was temporarily blinded by the laser beam.

A Douglas County sheriff’s deputy testified that he found Smith in his backyard, pointing the laser at aircraft.

Sheriff’s officials in Page County say a Nebraska man was injured during a two-vehicle crash late Monday morning, southeast of Shenandoah.  Douglas E. Metcalf, of Waverly, NE, suffered incapacitating injuries, and was flown by helicopter to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, following the crash, which happened at around 11:30-a.m., near the intersection of Highway 2 and E Avenue. The driver of the other vehicle, 43-year old Steve Allen Harris, of Shenandoah, was not injured.

Officials say Harris was northbound on E Avenue at the intersection of Highway 2, and failed to notice an eastbound motorcycle driven by  Metcalf. When Harris’ vehicle pulled into the path of the cycle, the bike clipped the left front bumper of Harris’ vehicle. The motorcycle went out of control across Highway 2 and tipped over, tossing Metcalf off. The bike came to rest on it’s left side, on the north shoulder of Highway 2.

The accident remains under investigation.