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Jan. 23, 2016

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Atlantic

Inside Scoop
Salute
Gymnastics

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News Telegraph

Serving Cass, Shelby, Guthrie, Audubon and Pottawattamie Counties for over 141 years. Volume 235 - No 019

Local News

Audubon News

The State of Education

State releases annual Condition of Education Report

Iowa schools during the 201415 school year, up from 34,509

NT Publisher
in 2013-14 and 33,610 in 20002001. The state lost eight school
ATLANTIC - Pay for Iodistricts with 338 while the
was teachers is increasing acper-pupil expense climbed
cording to a new report from
to $10,240 from $9,888 the
Iowa Department of Educaprior year.
tion, with the average salary
While the State Legislaincreasing rising 2.7 percent
ture has yet to set the School
reaching $55,356 and moving
Supplementary assistance
Student enrollment
Iowa from 26th to 25th in narate, Iowa Governor Terry
rises from 478,921 to
tional rankings.
Brandstad has proposed an
That was one of the nd480,772
increase of 2.45 percent.
ings in this years Condition
The problem, experts point
of Education report released
90.5 percent of
out, is that the districts need
Thursday by the Iowa Departstudents from class of
about a 3 percent increase
ment of Education. The report
2014 graduated
just to maintain the status
comes just as the Atlantic
quo.
School district and the Teach 41.3 percent of
The challenge is that
ers Association are engaged in
students from class of
we
have
to collective barcontract negotiations for the
2015 too a higher level
gain our wages with our
coming school year.
math course.
staff, we cant just say there
The Association is seekarent going to be raises or
ing a 5.8 salary increase while
71.9 percent of schools we arent going to give more
the districts proposal keeps
are equipped with 50mb
than 2.45 precent raises,
salary within the current conor more of bandwidth
said Iowa School Finance
tract. After exchanging proposals, the two sides will no
seek mediation. According to
Education..... see page 12
the Department of Education,

By Jeff Lundquist

$1.00

the average teacher salary in Atlantic is $53,598.

According to the report
there were 34,725 teachers in

Its
Show
time!

The Annual

Condition of
Education
Report

THE

RUNDOWN

Audubon
Community
Cinema hopes to
re-open theatre

Iowa Department
of Education

By Jill Christensen
Special to the NT

2015

Spread
the word
Keith Leonard and Eugene
Topolewski were out on Friday afternoon, on the anniversary of the Roe Versus
Wade decision, Jan. 22, 1973
reminding passers by of the
Supreme Court decision on
abortion. Leonard said that
since that day, 56 million babies have been killed. When
you kill 4,000 babies a day, its
just an atrocious thing. This
is the second time Leonard
has taken time out to walk
up and down Seventh Street
in front of the Cass County
Courthouse to protest.
Photo by Laura Bacon

County News

Rieken wont seek re-election

CASS COUNTY Cass County Supervisor Charles Rieken said ofcially on Thursday
that he would not be running again for this seat
on the Cass County Board of Supervisors.
Rieken said he has served for about 25
years, and said, I just want people to know Im
not going to run again. Ive enjoyed my time.
Its been a great experience. Its been wonderful
representing the people of the fourth district in
Cass County.
Rieken said he wanted to ofcially announce
he wasnt going to run to allow anyone interested

Weather

School Calender

Saturday

Sunday

- Partly sunny,
with a high near 28.
Wind chill values as
low as 5. South wind
6 to 15 mph. Saturday Night - Mostly
cloudy, with a low
around 23. South
southwest wind 11
to 13 mph.

- Partly sunny, with a high near 37. South wind around 11 mph.
Sunday Night - A slight chance of freezing rain between 9pm and midnight, then a chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.
Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than
a tenth of an inch possible.

Monday

- A 50 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 30. Blustery. Monday Night- A 20 percent chance of snow. Cloudy, with a low
around 18. Blustery.

saturday 1-23 copy.indd 1

in running to start the process, including getting

nomination papers led, and let people know
he would like to focus on doing other activities
other than the work of a county supervisor.
A primary election will be held in June, and
besides Riekens seat, two other supervisors
seats will be on the ballot. Those include the Cass
County District 1 Supervisor seat, currently held
by Duane McFadden, and Cass County District 5
Supervisor seat, currently held by Frank Waters.
The positions of Cass County Auditor and Cass
County Sheriff will also be on the ballot as well.

Saturday, Jan. 23

DCG Show Choir Contest at DCG

IHSSA District Large Group Contest at Atlantic
8 a.m. - Archery Tournament AMS Gym, Schuler
Gym
10 a.m. - Wrestling: Varsity John Harris Tournament Corning at Corning High School
11 a.m. - Swimming: Boys Varsity Invitational
Lewis Central at Lewis Central High School

Check out our

pictures on SmugMug
Go to Atlanticnewstelegraph.com and
click on SmugMug!

AUDUBON - A group of ambitious Audubon County residents have

been working together over the past
several months to bring a movie theater back to the city of Audubon.
Linda Blomme, a member of
the Board of Directors for the newly
formed Audubon Community Cinema
said, For years, several Audubon
county citizens have pondered the
idea of showing movies in Audubon
again, but kept the thought to themselves. By fate, divine intervention
or whatever you want to call it, last
August, the subject came up during a
casual conversation by a few of us at
a wedding reception. The idea gained
momentum, talks continued, others
were made aware and soon a group of
positive, very interested citizens was
formed.
The ACC has had held several
meetings. Committees have been
formed and a non prot status has been
applied for with the state. Blomme
says the group has some exciting plans
in place.
Once a location is secured, the
group plans to renovate the building
to show digital movies, and update
seating and entrance areas, she said.
Costs will be kept low by utilizing
volunteer help wherever possible.
ACC has been in talks with the
communities of Lake City, Carson and
Red Oak, who are all currently running
movie theaters.
Blomme said, We hope to gain
the knowledge and information necessary to make sound nancial decisions
in regard to plans for the Audubon
theater. The groups who are currently
running community theatres can give
us great advice.
ACCs Board of Directors is made
up of Tim Andersen, Linda Blomme,
Audubon .........................see page 2

SPEAK

Call us at:
243-2624
ext. 204

UP!

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Tell us what you think!

The News Telegraph has started a new

Speak Up line where you can phone in and
leave your opinon.
No names, no problem. The anonymous
comments will be published in upcoming editions of the paper.
To participate just call the News Telegraph
at 243-2624 and ask for extension 204. Record
your message (please keep it short - someone
has to type these!) and then go about your day
without the stress!
The paper does reserve the right not to run any comment we deem
to be offensive or slanderous. Comments must be left on our phone
line. Unsigned written comments will not be accepted

1/22/16 5:52 PM

12

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Local

Atlantic News Telegraph

Putting together the pieces of a puzzle

of genealogy. My family has always been tired
of hearing about it, she said, but I always
have something new to tell them. I think its
If you have ever wondered about your like a bingo thing, with the bingo balls rolling
family history, an office at the Atlantic Public around and popping out; I think as we search,
Library might hold some answers, and Mary new things pop up.
Her search has led to family trips... to
Hoegh might be able to help you find out what
cemeteries.
you wanted to know.
My children have asked, Do we have to
Mary volunteers many hours in the Cass
County Genealogical Society room looking stop at this cemetery? she said. Shes made
through records in old books as well as digital several trips to Indiana to visit cemeteries to
files to answer questions people have on their check out grave stones.
Some people take pictures of old gravefamilies.
As you can tell, she said, I like to do stones, others use crayon or pencil rubbings
to make a copy of one theyve found, I have
this. Its like a puzzle, I love it.
Mary has lived in Atlantic over 50 years. tried rubbings, but havent had a lot of luck
I moved here as a young bride, she said, not- with it, Mary said.
Actually you can kind of rub your finger
ing her family had been from southwest Iowa.
I graduated from Red Oak, and as a child I a little bit, maybe, and get something to come
went to school at Essex and Farragut, then I up, she said, You can take a little brush,
sometimes too. I remember one time we were
graduated from Red Oak.
After graduating she went to Omaha, way out in the country in Indiana and I didnt
where she met her husband Russell, a self em- have anything to use (to brush off a stone with)
ployed plumber and electrician. Mary, herself and I said to my hsuband go get your toothworked at a state liquor store in Atlantic and brush, we will use your toothbrush. Well get
then when the store closed, went to work at you a new one.
Her interest has led to a collection of difLake Anita.
ferent
things at her home.
Mary said a relative originally spurred her
Im
not a good organizer, she said, Im
interest. I was probably in my early 20s, and
one of my mothers brothers was doing some a good researcher, but Im not a good organizer.
family research. I
She originally
dont know where
joined the Genehe got the inforalogical
Society
mation from, but
back in the mid
he thought we
1980s when she
had a connection
was working for the
to an inheritance
state liquor store,
in Ireland. And
but said when the
so that started it.
store closed, and
He did quite a bit
she went to work
(of research) on
at Lake Anita, the
my mothers famjob and her hours
ily, she said. I
changed.
She
was just curious,
found
she
was
too
Looking
through
old
records,
like
these
I wanted to know
where I came funeral home books, can yield information tired to go to the
genealogy meeton family members.
from.
ings which were
She said the
stories family members told were interesting, held at night. She rejoined the group about
Like my father said his grandmother was four or five years ago.
In the office, and at home, Mary works
born in a covered wagon moving from Kenwith
both old and new tools to find informatucky to Kansas, and that was not the case at
tion
from old books to modern digital imall. She was married in Indiana, she had children in Indiana, Mary said, She might have ages. Old newspapers can be a good source
had a child while she was moving but she of information, but sometimes its hard to find
old editioins. In a file cabinet in the office,
wasnt born in a wagon.
For her part of the interest is getting to the Mary said she had about 180 rolls of microbottom of those stories. Sometimes its just filmed copies of the Atlantic News Telegraph,
but those arent currently accessible because
proving those myths wrong.
Her family has heard a lot about her love the microfilm viewer wont work with their

By Laura Bacon
NT Staff Writer

Mary Hoegh of the Cass County Genealogical Society, has been interested in
genealogy since she was in her early 20s.

Photos by Laura Bacon

Find A Grave. On Family Search, sometimes you can find some of the census, and
some people search Heritage Quest, and its
free. Its through the library, its a free search
but you have to register.
If someone would like help finding out
about a family member, Mary suggests calling the library first to make an appointment
The office is only open when there is a
volunteer there but thats a small staff: its
just Linda and I, she said.
Volunteers with the group keep track of
our volunteer hours. We meet once a month,
and about seven usually attend, and those
members add to the number of hours. We
probably put in about 1,200 hours a year. I
think thats a lot of hours to volunteer.

computers. She said shed love to see all of

those copies digitalized.
For those who considering learning more
about their family, I would suggest, if you
are just getting started, I go to the census,
thats what I do.
Online, she said, there were a few genealogy related sites that are free, but she has a
paid subscription to Ancestry.com, something
she said costs about $300 per year. A free version of that is available on line through library
computers, but its not the same as the paid
version.
When Linda Herman, (the other volunteer researcher) is working down here, shell
call me at home to find something, Mary
said.
Mary uses sites like Family Search and

State of Education

Education................................................................................................
From page one
Subgroup Enrollments
Students Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch
Figure 1-2
Percent of Public School K-12 Students Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals
2000-2001, 2004-2005 to 2014-2015

50%

Free/Reduced

40%

Percent

31.1%
30%

27.0%
23.3%

24.4%

24.4%

8.2%

7.8%

25.8%

26.3%

7.9%

8.3%

Reduced
40.1%

38.9%

37.4%

34.5%

33.6%

32.2%

32.1%

Free

32.6%

30.9%

29.1%

41.0%

41.1%

41.0%

34.2%

34.5%

34.0%

6.8%

6.7%

7.0%

19.2%
20%

10%

0%

7.8%

2000-2001

8.2%

8.4%

8.1%

7.5%

2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015

School Year

Source: Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Information and Analysis, Basic Educational Data Survey and Student Reporting in Iowa.

We want to help you stay

on top of sports and activities

410 Walnut Atlantic 712-243-2624

saturday 1-23 copy.indd 12

Teachers
6.5%

Principals

1%
0%

00-01 vs.
01-02

5.0%
4.2%

4.5%
2.6%
2.4%

2.7%

3.4%
2.6%
1.8%

2.9%

2.9%
1.8%
0.9%

2%

2.0%

2.1%

3%

3.4%
2.8%

3.6%

5.1%

5.8%
4.9%
4.1%
3.7%

4%

3.9%
4.2%

5%

4.2%
3.8%
4.1%

6%

1.1%

Atlantic
News Telegraph

Superintendents
7%

Percent

Call or stop in today!

Annual Percentage Increases in Average Salaries for Iowa Full-Time Public School Teachers, Principals, and
Superintendents 2000-2001 vs. 2001-2002 and 2004-2005 vs. 2005-2006 to 2013-2014 vs. 2014-2015

5.5%

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4.5%
4.8%

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Information Services (ISFIS) representaIt really is the best indicator of the

TableLarry
1-7
tive
Sigel who is working with the number of students we have that are at or
district on
budget issues. And any time near poverty, said Iowa School Finance
K-12 Public School Students Eligible for Free or Reduced Price Lunch by Enrollment Category
the growth in the State Supplementary
as- Information
2000-2001, 2013-2014
and 2014-2015 Services (ISFIS) representative
sistance rate is less than what districts are Larry Sigel who is working with the district
2000-2001
2013-2014
2014-2015
having to give out, that by necessity means on budget issues. Because the federal defEnrollment
K-12
# Free/ % Free/
K-12
# Free/ % Free/
K-12
# Free/ % Free/
cutsCategory
somewhere
else.Reduced
Im not
saying (BEDS)
col- inition
at free or
reduced
goesReduced
up to 180
(BEDS)
Reduced
Reduced of
Reduced
(BEDS)
Reduced
lective bargaining
bad, ImEligible
just saying
the federal
poverty
Enrollmentis Eligible
Enrollment percent
Eligible of
Eligible
Enrollment
Eligiblelevel.
Eligible
its the<300
way it 6,711
is. That presents
a challenge
He added
an increase
2,256
33.6
8,266
3,831
46.3 that6,990
3,297 in that
47.2 numbecause
on average
percent26.5
of a school
could 36.3
lead to 48,490
increase 17,355
in Federal
300-599
50,933 8013,511
48,550 ber
17,629
35.8Title 1
districts
expenditures
are dollars
with 23,773
challenges.
600-999general
77,327 fund
17,966
23.2
65,752
24,328 it also
37.0 comes
65,263
36.4
on1,000-2,499
people. And
if those
costs24.3
grow 113,530
by 3
There
both positives
and
122,830
29,876
43,064
37.9are 115,166
43,977
38.2 chal1/22,500-7,499
percent per
year 21,433
and if the
it (free 94,833
and reduced
on
93,322
23.0per-pupil
94,287 lenges
33,428 to 35.5
33,606 number)
35.4
cost only
grows
by
2.45
percenteven
if
the
positive
side
some
of
our
Federal
money
7,500+ 125,804
43,874
34.9
145,331
73,432
50.5
146,680
73,809
50.3
the district
the same
kids is195,712
allocated
districts
that have
State has
476,927
128,916number
27.0 of 475,716
41.1so that
477,422
195,817
41.0 higer
from
one
year
to
the
next
they
are
losing
free
and
reduced
rates
get
more,
so there
Source: Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Information and Analysis, Basic Educational Data Survey and Student Reporting in Iowa.
ground.
might be a little more of Title 1 money,
Certified enrollment in Atlantic is 1,46 he said. I think on the challenge side, and
and is expected to show modest growth of when I talk to superintendents, the number
the next two years. State-wide number of one thing that I hear about that is that they
students enrolled in public schools rose just come to school with more challenges.
from 478,921 to 480,772. Among those Whether that is having two parents working
8students is
The
Condition
of Education
Report 2015
a Annual
growing
percentage
that qualtwo jobs and just barely getting by or they
Teacher,
Principal,
Salary
Comparison
ify
for the free
or reducedand
lunchSuperintendent
program. dont have
anybody
to read to them at night,
State-wide
the
percentage
dropped
those
kind
of
things.
The average salary of superintendents had a higher percentage increase than the average salary of teachslightly
from 41.1
toto41
percent.and in 2009-2010
The report
also finds
that graduation
ers and principals
frompercent
2000-2001
2005-2006
to 2014-2015.
The average
salary of
The
Atlantic
school
districtincrease
rates signifiratessalary
climbing
state-wide,
up from 89.7
perteachers
had a higher
percentage
than the average
of principals
and superintendents
from
2006-2007
to 2008-2009.
2014-2015,
the lowest
percentage
increase
in average
salary
cantly
higher
with 47.6Inpercent
of teachers
district hadcent
to 90.5.
Although
Atlantics
graduation
(Figure 3-10
and Table 3-32).
students
qualifying
for the free or reduced rate fell from the previous years 89.13 perlunch
program.
cent to 87.7 percent.
Figure 3-10

04-05 vs. 05-06 vs. 06-07 vs. 07-08 vs. 08-09 vs. 09-10 vs. 10-11 vs. 11-12 vs. 12-13 vs. 13-14 vs.
05-06
06-07
07-08
08-09
09-10
10-11
11-12
12-13
13-14
14-15
Year

Source: Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Information and Analysis, Basic Educational Data Survey, Staff files.

1/22/16 3:39 PM