After reaching an impasse on what to name a reorganized school district representing AHST and Walnut, school board members decided to stick to their original compromise: AHSTW, a five-letter acronym for Avoca, Hancock, Shelby, Tennant and Walnut that already adorns the Avoca-based district’s secondary school, which educates middle and high school students from Walnut through a grade sharing agreement.

School officials say board members from both districts unanimously accepted AHSTW as the name for a proposed reorganized school district, during a brief, joint session of the AHST and Walnut School District Boards of Education, Tuesday evening, at the Walnut Community School. The vote means the process of collecting signatures for a petition to reorganize the districts into one, can begin.

At least 400 signatures from AHST and 178 signatures from Walnut district patrons are required, in order to advance the petition to the Green Hills Area Education Agency, which would hold a public hearing and approve an election to determine whether the districts will merge.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Senate has passed a bill that would allow law enforcement officials to more easily regulate Iowa’s ban on texting while driving. The Senate voted 44-6 Tuesday to make texting while driving a primary offense instead of a secondary one. It now heads to the House for consideration.

Iowa law prohibits a person from reading, writing and sending messages on an electronic device while driving. The bill would remove a stipulation that a law enforcement official must stop a person for a different offense to enforce it.

Sen. Tod Bowman, a Democrat from Maquoketa, says distracted driving kills people. Most lawmakers voted for the bill, which has Gov. Terry Branstad’s support. But some Republicans questioned whether the legislation was needed.

A Page County man was arrested early this (Tuesday) morning on a drug charge. Clarinda Police say 24-year old Quentin Russell Horter, of Clarinda, was taken into custody in a parking lot at 1107 S. 16th Street, at around 12:30-a.m.

Horter faces a misdemeanor Possession of drug paraphernalia charge. He was subsequently released on his own recognizance pending an appearance before a Page County Magistrate.

HONEY CREEK, Iowa (AP) — A resident who tried to burn dead grass caused a fire that spread to nearby field, requiring the efforts of four southwest Iowa fire departments to control it. Pat West, who lives northwest of Honey Creek near Interstate 29 and 152nd Street, tells the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil that he intended to burn only a small section of his backyard. Instead, strong gusts of wind carried the flames north into a nearby field, and West says his attempts to extinguish the fire himself were futile.

Four area fire departments responded to the fire at about 12:15 p.m. Monday and contained it within an hour. The National Weather Service had issued a warning reflecting the dry conditions, but West won’t be fined because Pottawattamie County wasn’t under a burn ban.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A new report shows Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped to 4.2 percent in January from 4.3 percent in December. Iowa Workforce Development said in the report released Tuesday that the rate is one-fifth of a point below the January 2014 rate of 4.4 percent. The new Iowa figure places the state below the national jobless rate of 5.7 percent in January.

The report also shows Iowa added 3,100 nonfarm jobs from December to January, with the state’s trade, transportation and utilities sector alone gaining 2,200 jobs. Professional and business services saw an increase of 1,800 jobs across the state, but a loss of 1,300 positions in education and health services offset some employment advances.

Since January 2014, Iowa added 24,800 jobs, led by the state’s construction sector at 6,500 new positions.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – An investigation by the state auditor of a western Iowa town’s volunteer fire department has identified more than $100,000 in improper spending over a three-year period. Auditor Mary Mosiman issued the report Tuesday on the investigation of the Woodbine Volunteer Fire Department that found $106,268.62 of unsupported and improper spending from Jan. 1, 2009 through March 31, 2014.

The former Woodbine city administrator requested the investigation after the city revealed concerns about the use of fuel credit cards following an internal review. According to the report, the department wrongfully spent more than $11,000 on alcohol and over $1,000 in personal fuel purchases. It identifies just more than $92,000 in unsupported disbursements.

Mosiman also noted that the department didn’t maintain documents to reflect many of its expenditures.

The Audubon Community School District’s Board of Education Monday night, approved a contract with Midwest Tennis and Track out of Denison, for the Track Renovation. Superintendent Brett Gibbs said they had the lowest of two bids, in the amount of $97,000, plus crack repair at $4.50 per lineal foot. It won’t be known how much extra that will run until they remove the rubber coating. Gibbs said MTT was the original contractor behind the track installation more than a dozen years ago.

In other business, the Audubon School Board set April 8th as the date for a Public Hearing on a Budget Amendment and Budget Plan Publication. The budget amendment hearing begins at 5:30, followed at 5:45 by the Budget Hearing to set next year’s levy. Gibbs said they have tentatively set their levy at 4-percent. He says that equates to a little more than $12 per thousand dollars valuation, which is 31-cents less than the current year. Realistically, though, Gibbs said legislation that has been introduced by the State to pick up the property tax increase, which could make the levy $11.92.

The Board he says discussed the School Board election timeline, as well. There are three members up for election this year. The deadline to file applications to run for election or re-election is at the end of July. The forms will be available the first part of July. The election is Sept. 8th.

In other business Brett Gibbs said the Board replaced the district’s At Risk Coordinator who is retiring at the end of the school year. The board agreed to hire Anne Miller to replace that person for the upcoming school year. They also transferred Rachael King from Special Ed to 6th and 7th grade Language Arts. The person who currently holds that position will instead, become an Instructional Coach.

Gibbs said their basketball coaches also switched positions. Darren Miller, who was the Assistant Girls Coach, will become the Head Girls Coach, and Kim Subbert will become the Assistant Coach, per their mutual agreement. And, Blaine Kerkhoff the long-time Wrestling Coach tendered his retirement resignation Monday night. He cited the fact his last son is graduating this year, as a reason for stepping aside. Gibbs said Kerkhoff has served the program well over the years.

Officials with the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency are asking businesses and fire departments with Fire Danger signs in their windows, to set the signs at HIGH this week. Emergency Manager Bob Seivert says burning of any kind is restricted unless approval is received from local Fire Chief. Controlled burns that are not reported will result in Fire Department being dispatched, and Fires extinguished if determined to be un-safe. Please call 712-755-2124 with questions. The goal is to prevent fires, through good communication, public cooperation, and planning.

Seivert says also, when someone has the need to burn a pile of brush, debris, or buildings, they are asked to contact the Emergency Management Agency at 755-2124. The dispatchers will obtain the location and nature of the planned burn and will provide the caller with the Fire Chiefs contact information. Through this expanded communication process, we have found some burns can be rescheduled to a different time of day, where wind and moistures are more acceptable. The Fire Chiefs can have input as to how the burn can be conducted safely and be aware of the activity should it become unmanageable.