Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.6 percent in December, the lowest level since June 2009. Iowa Workforce Development spokesperson Kerry Koonce says the report shows the state’s economy has improved a quite a bit over the last year. The unemployment rate is down from 5.7 percent in November and 6.1 percent in December 2010. An estimated 93,500 Iowans were unemployed in December. That’s down from 102,600 one year ago. The manufacturing sector added 800 jobs last month and 86-hundred (8,600) jobs over the year. Government cut the most jobs in 2011, shedding 43-hundred (4,300) positions.

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

Regularly scheduled meetings of the Cass and Adair County Boards of Supervisors will take place Wednesday, in Atlantic and Greenfield, respectively. In Atlantic, the Cass County Board will hear an Annual Report from West Central Community Action, and the organizations’ Fiscal Year 2012 Budget request. They’ll also hear a quarterly report from County Veteran’s Affairs Director Mitch Holmes. Action items on the Board’s agenda, include allowing or disallowing Family Farm Credits and approval of Agricultural Land Credits, and possible appointments to the County Conservation Board, Pymosa Township Clerk and Trustee’s positions.

In Greenfield, the Adair County Board of Supervisors will conduct a budget session as time allows during their open meeting. They’ll also hear from Cass-Adair County Engineer Charles Marker or his designated representative, with regard to Semi bids and a longevity increase. Tim Ostroski, with the Southern Iowa Council Of Governments (SICOG), will head-up discussion about a Housing Trust Fund, and John Hansen, with Midwest Construction Consultants, will speak via telephone conference call, with regard to an Adair County Public Safety Center utility bill.

Both meetings begin at 9-a.m.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will hold a work session this evening in the High School Media Center, beginning at 7:30. During the meeting, the Board will hear a presentation on the Fiscal Year 2011 Audit. They’re also set to discuss the 2012-2013 Budget, and Middle School Renovation project. Any decisions made during the session will be acted upon during the Board’s regular meeting next month.

Iowa Secretary Matt Schultz has introduced a bill that would change the method in which county supervisor redistricting plans can be challenged if questions regarding the consideration improper political purposes are raised. 

An Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board order dismissing a complaint, filed November 8, 2011, said “The system motivates the supervisors to appoint political allies to the commission to safeguard the interest of their respective political parties.” The bill would require Legislative Services Agency to draw a map for county supervisor redistricting plan if a petition containing signatures equal to 2% of the total votes cast for the office of Governor in the preceding General Election, are collected.

Schultz said “I share the IECD Board’s frustrations with the process and the need to change the current system.   However, I believe that local control must remain a key element in creation of the redistricting plans. I believe this bill takes a necessary step to remove politics from redistricting at the local level while maintaining local control of the process.”

For more information please visit www.sos.iowa.gov<http://www.sos.iowa.gov>

w/ Ric Hanson

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w/ Ric Hanson

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• 1 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup Eagle brand milk

Mix well.  Place 1 can of tart cherries with 1 cup sugar in the bottom of an 8 inch square pan or small glass baking dish.  Put above batter over the cherries.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.  Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

• 1 box chocolate cake mix
• 1/4 teaspoon soda
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 2 eggs

Beat all the above ingredients according to the package directions and fold in 1 can of cherry pie filling.  Bake according to the package directions.  Other flavors of cake mix and pie filling may be substituted.

(Good for Valentine’s Day!)

Last week, members of the Atlantic Education Association met with a team representing the District’s administration, and proposed a 6.9% salary package increase for the 2012-2013 Contract Year. Monday afternoon, those same entities met again, to hear the District’s opening proposal during the Collective Bargaining process. The Atlantic School District’s counter to last week’s salary and benefit proposal included no increase in the base salary rate, which was markedly different than the 5 percent increase in base pay presented by the union.

Atlantic School District Superintendent Mike Amstein proposed several changes in language to the current contract. Amstein says the proposed changes in particular, focused on parts of the contract that either are “permissive,” with no history of how the language was presented, or simply needed clarification. He says the proposed contract is not as long as the current version, and is more understandable.

Some of the language which was considered redundant, or “permissive,” were included in the following sections of the contract: Employee hours; Vacations and Holidays; Leaves; Transfer procedures; Staff reduction procedures; Professional Development; Salaries and Benefits; and Insurance. The Education Association will review the proposed language changes and meet again, most likely next week, with District officials. Both sides are still waiting for the district’s insurance rates to become known, before they can proceed with further, meaningful talks on salaries and benefits packages.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a Red Oak man was arrested this (Tuesday) morning on charges of Possession of methamphetamine and Possession of marijuana. Authorities say 24-year old Timothy James Stewart was taken into custody at around 3:40-a.m..  Stewart was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on full bond.