Thursday, December 30, 2010

Boone Finances

BOONE, Iowa---Even though the recent report from the State Treasurer pegs the debt of the City of Boone at more than $29-million, Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson says he feels pretty good going into budget preparation. The City Council will hold it's first Budget Work session next Wednesday. Nelson says cost reducing efforts over the past couple of years have really helped.

TreeCycling

BOONE, Iowa---If you were one of the many with a real Christmas Tree this year, you're probably wondering what to do with it now that it's drying out. TreeCycling might be the answer. Boone County Conservation, the cities of Boone, Boxholm, Luther, Madrid, Ogden and the Boone County Landfill team together to make use of those trees. Beginning Saturday, clean trees can be dropped off at designated locations and will be mulched for park use. Remember, trees must be clean of decorations, bulbs, tinsel, tree stands and should not be in bags.

Skating Pond Closed

BOONE, Iowa---It didn't take Mother Nature long to put a damper on ice skaters in Boone. Neil Olson, Boone Park Superintendent said Thursday that the Skate Pond is being closed until further notice. Olson says the mild weather led to quite a bit of snow melt and the ice at the pond is covered with water. He says once conditions improve, the pond will be re-opened. Olson also says they will still take names for volunteers to help with the warming house. Those that are interested should call the City Park Office and leave a message.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Ogden Finances Improving

OGDEN, Iowa---Even though a recent report by the Iowa Department of Education, siting financial problems in several school districts, including Ogden, Superintendent Bill Roederer says great strides have been made to improve the District's position. On the KWBG Tuned In Program, Roederer says the steps implement for the current fiscal year have helped and will continue to help. He says the information published earlier this month was not an indication of the improvement the District had made. Roederer also said the hard work of improving finances is not done.

Retirement Coffee

BOONE, Iowa---A retirement coffee honoring Sheryl Thul, Boone County Recorder and Boone County Supervisor Mike O'Brien will be held at the Boone County Courthouse, Wednesday afternoon from 2:00 until 4:00. Thul has worked for Boone County residents for 39-years and O'Brien has spent 2-terms, a total of 8-years as a Supervisor. The reception will take place in the Board of Supervisors meeting room on the 2nd floor. The public is welcome.

Substance Abuse Prevention Grant

BOONE, Iowa---For many years, an Iowa Department of Public Health comprehensive Substance Abuse Prevention Grant had gone to Boone County Prevention. A little over a year ago, that grant was awarded to Youth and Shelter Services. An appeal was submitted to the Iowa Department of Public Health and the state stood by it's decision to award the grant to YSS. The Supervisors took time Tuesday to ask their own questions of YSS representatives. There will be no change in the services being provided to Boone County clients.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Emergency Medical Dispatch

BOONE, Iowa---Earlier this year, Boone County Communication personnel underwent Emergency Medical Dispatch training, with one of the goals being the reduction in unnecessary emergency responses. Early indications are that the training is doing the job. Louie Greco, Boone County Hospital Ambulance Director says as expected the emergency responses have decreased and non-emergency calls have increased. Greco says the reduction in emergency calls also reduces the chances of accidents, since there are no lights or sirens.

Swearing In Ceremony

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County officials elected in last November's General Election will receive the oath of office during a meeting of the Boone County Supervisors Tuesday. Steve Duffy, who will replace Mike O'Brien on the Board will be joined by County Attorney Jim Robbins and County Treasurer Darcy Bosch. Also receiving the oath of office will be the new Boone County Recorder Veronica Rardin. The Ceremony is planned for 9:00 Tuesday morning.

Supervisors Close Session Tuesday

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will go into a closed session as part of their meeting Tuesday to discuss the potential purchase of property. The closed session is permissible to avoid allowing the plans to become public, in turn inflating a possible purchase price.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Adult Day Gets TV

BOONE, Iowa---Beckwith Adult Day Care, located in the Goldthwaite-Garvey Family Resource Center in Boone, spent time in November and December baking and selling cookies. Staff and clients were raising funds for a new television. Over 1,700 cookies were baked and sold. $589 was raised to purchase a new television and the Boone Walmart stepped in and helped with the cost to allow the Day Care to purchase a new 47" Phillips, wall mounted television, valued at $1,000. A picture of the staff and the television can be found on the KWBG slide show.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Annexation Study Resumes

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has voted 5-to-1 to resume work on an annexation study. The Council actually stopped the study several weeks ago, so Council Members could find out more about the annexation process. A preliminary report from the study identified areas the Council might want to consider for annexation. The focus has been on the industrial park on the east side of Boone. Mayor John Slight says the Council needs to have the completed study so they understand all aspects of possible annexation, whether it would be the industrial park or residential property on the west side of Boone. The study is expected to be completed by late spring.

Baker Relieved of Duties

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors have officially responded to the departure of Richard Baker, Executive Director. In a press release Tuesday, the Board noted that after much consideration and discussion, Baker was relieved of his duties. The Board went on to say they felt the decision was in the best interest of the Chamber and of the community. The Board also thanked Baker for his 3-years of service. A search is expected to begin immediately.

Baltimore Appointments

BOONE, Iowa---Representative elect Chip Baltimore says he's pretty pleased with the Committee assignments he's received for the next legislative session, beginning January 10th. Baltimore says he was pleased to be names Vice-Chairman of the House Commerce Committee, which focuses on business. He also says he asked and was named to the House Judiciary Committee, which he expects will be pretty busy this session. Baltimore will also service on Economic Growth, Local Government and Oversight.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Supervisors Collect Budget Requests

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will begin the process of collecting budget requests for the 2011-12 fiscal year when the Board meets Tuesday. Funding requests are expected from Boone County Community Services, the Public Libraries in Boone, Ogden and Madrid, ACCESS, the Boone County Historical Society and the Madrid Action Committee. The Supervisors traditionally don't promise anything, but do get to ask questions about services provided to Boone County clients. The overall county budget will begin taking shape in January.

Donations Lagging

BOONE, Iowa---The Christmas Campaign for the Salvation Army in Boone is only about 65% of the Christmas Goal of $150,000. Envoy Tim North said earlier the goal provides funding for programming all year long. Last year, weather curtailed contributions at the Red Kettles. So far, the collections are slightly ahead of last year. Red Kettles will be out until Friday afternoon at 5:00. Mail in contributions can be sent until mid-January to Salvation Army, P.O. Box 307, Boone, Iowa 50036. North says if you send a donation, mark it for the 2010 Christmas Campaign.

City Council and Annexation

BOONE, Iowa---Several weeks ago, the Boone City Council voted to temporarily halt the work being done on an annexation study. Most of the focus of the study has been on a preliminary recommendation to pursue annexation of the Industrial Park east of Boone. Since four of the current Council Members weren't on the Council when the annexation study began, it was felt that there should be a review of the process, bringing the newest Council Members up to speed. The Council will need to decide if they wish to pursue the annexation study, which also identified annexation measures on the north and also the west side of the city.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Spending, Jobs and Redistricting

BOONE, Iowa---State Senator Jerry Behn (R) Boone, says he believes alot of time will be spent on spending issues during the upcoming legislative session. The session will begin January 10th. Behn says the legislature will be involved with the redistricting of Senate and House Districts during the session and that should show up pretty early. He also says working at economic development and in particular job creation will take up time. Behn says many other matters will be presented, but he feels the most focus will be on spending issues. He made his comments during the KWBG Tuned In program that aired Friday.

Burglary Arrest

OGDEN, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says a 9-1-1 call Thursday morning helped capture a couple of burglary suspects. The call from the Ogden area alerted authorities, allowing an Ogden Police Officers to stop the suspects vehicle, and allowing Deputies a chance to collect evidence connecting suspects to a burglary. 42-year old Lorinda Breger of Des Moines and 38-year old Thomas Ramsey of Johnston are being held in the Boone County Jail on 2nd Degree Burglary charges. Fehr says the investigation is continuing.

Bond Refinancing

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board hopes to save close to $300,000 in interest by refinancing over $4.6-million in General Obligation School Refunding Bonds. The School Board actually discussed the refinancing a couple of months ago, but hadn't taken any action to proceed. Since then, interest rates have begun to trend up and School Superintendent Brad Manard says the District needed to move now. The School Board will address the bids when they meet January 11th.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Chamber Exec Done

BOONE, Iowa---KWBG Radio has learned that Richard Baker, Executive Director of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, no longer works for the Chamber. Baker made the reference in an e-mail to KWBG late Wednesday evening. When contacted by telephone, Vicki Greco, President of the Chamber's Board of Directors had no comment. Greco did says that the Chamber Board will be meeting Monday and will consider taking formal action if needed.

Boone Man Arrested on Burglary Charges

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Police Chief Bill Skare says officers responded to a call about a car burglary about 2:00 Thursday morning in west Boone. He says officers not only discovered the car had been burglarized, but so had several others and also a home. Skare says the investigation also revealed several attempted burglaries. By 3:30 in the morning, officers were taking 19-year old James Austin King into custody on multiple charges. King was taken to the Boone County Jail and was held pending a court appearance. Skare says an arrest is not an admission of guilt.

Board Considers Options for Lowell and Bryant

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board has still not taken official action on the future of two-vacated elementary school buildings, Lowell and Bryant. Lowell is now empty for a second winter and Bryant was vacated this past summer. Boone resident Chad Thompson has made an offer to the district of $100 for the two buildings, but the School Board has asked for more information about the intended use of the buildings. School Board President Dr. Jeff Anderson said this week that the intended use must be good for the neighborhoods and the community or the district will need to pursue demolition.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

School Board Votes to Drop Spring Break

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board officially voted to drop spring break from it's school calendar for the 2011-2012 school year. The Board Tuesday held their public hearing to submit their request to begin school early next year. During the discussion, Board Member Kirk Leeds requested that the week for spring break be put back into the calendar. The Board voted 2-to-3 on that question then turned around and voted to adopted the calendar as submitted. Superintendent Brad Manard says the calendar was developed using information from parent and teacher surveys conducted last spring.

Boone County Farmland Value

BOONE, Iowa---The average price of farmland in Boone County did exceed the state wide average according to the annual survey conducted by Iowa State University Extension. Mike Duffy, ISU Extension Economist announced Wednesday that the average value in the state increased 15.9% in 2010, up $693 an acre to a price of $5,064 an acre. In Boone County the average price increased 19.63 %, up $1,022 to an average price of $6,225 per acre. O'Brien County led the way with an average price of $7,148 an acre. Decatur had the lowest dollar value at $2,085 an acre.

Skate Pond Needs Volunteers

BOONE, Iowa---Now that the Park Commission and all the Park personnel have met that public outcry to get the skate pond open, some of the public are going to have to step up to help run the shelter house. Park Superintendent Neil Olson says preparations for the skate pond are expected to be completed this week. Initially, the shelter will not be open just because of a lack of staff. Olson says once volunteers step up, plans are to have the shelter open for some regular hours. Those that are interested in helping out should call the Boone City Park Office at 432-6454. Olson says if no one answers, leave a message and they will return your call.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Driver's Education

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board will consider quotes to provide Driver's Education to Boone Students when they meet Tuesday evening. Since the District discontinued the service and contract with an outside agency, Drive Tek has provided that service. That contract expires the end of May. The District has received two-bids for the service from Drive Tek and from Teen Driver, Inc. Drive Tek has bid a cost of $340 per student for the next year while Teen Driver has offered a cost of $300 for next year with increases in the following two-years.

Shop With A Cop

BOONE, Iowa---Last week's annual Shop With A Cop in Boone went off pretty well. Officer Dave Powers, with the Boone Police Department and a member of the Boone Police Association, says officers were able to take nearly 100-children shopping this year. The Association collected almost $20,000 which included some carry over funds from 2009. Powers says the Association thanks all the organizations, agencies, companies and individuals that help make the program a success. He says the communities participation in donations and volunteering help make the Boone Shop With A Cop program the biggest and most successful in the state.

Park Commission Reviews Projects

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission took time this week to review budget information for Parks, the Linwood Park Cemetery and the Boone Municipal Swimming Poll. The Commission oversees those areas and also serves as the City's Tree Board. With the work on budgeting already beginning at the City, Commissioners reviewed a number of requests. The biggest will be the ongoing lease for mowers and other essential equipment. Other big ticket items are a project to preserve the Herman Park Pavilion and to acquire play equipment. Commission members also reviewed ideas gathered from a community survey conducted earlier this year.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Duffy Ends Nearly 30-Years on Conservation Board

BOONE, Iowa---Steve Duffy of Boone has spent nearly 30-years serving Boone County residents on the Boone County Conservation Board. That service will come to an end this month, because Duffy will be moving to the Boone County Board of Supervisors to replace Mike O'Brien who decided not to seek re-election. Duffy will participate in his final Conservation Board meeting Monday evening at the Boone County Courthouse. The Boone County Supervisors will begin review of the process to determine an appointment to the Conservation Board when they meet Tuesday.

Supervisors Hold Hearing on Financing Request

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will hold a formal public hearing and will consider action on a request to issue up to $2-million in financing for the Westhaven Project. The Evangelical Free Church Home is making extensive changes in their physical plant and seeks to use Assisted Living Facility Revenue Notes. Westhaven officials have already met with the Supervisors to update the Board on plans for the facility. The most recent has been the demolition of the multi-level Free Church Home, with plans to tie the space to the new Westhaven Care Facility.

Hunter Shot Sunday

BOONE, Iowa---A 27-year old Boone man is hospitalized in Des Moines after suffering a gun shot wound to the chest Sunday morning. John "Randy" Roberts was hunt with a group in the Des Moines River Valley. According to the report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 19-year old Austin McBirnie of Boone fired on a deer that ran between the two-hunters, striking Roberts in the chest. Roberts was flown to Mercy Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Boone Officer Cleared in Shooting

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Attorney Jim Robbins announced Friday morning that his review of the October 25th death of Gerald Beals II at the Boone HyVee Store is completed. Robbins says the investigation shows that Officer Rod Thompson was justified in firing his weapon at Beals because he reasonably believed that the force was necessary to defend himself and others. Robbins noted that witness saw Thompson repeatedly order Beals to drop his knife, eventually using a stun gun, which had no effect, and finally using his weapon when Beals continued to approach Thompson with his knife.

Woodbine Man Dies in Accident

BOONE, Iowa---23-year old Jon Chase of Woodbine was pronounced dead at the scene of Thursday nights car-semi accident between Boone and Ogden. The accident occur ed about 9:00 Thursday evening. Authorities report that Chase went through the stop at "L" Avenue and US Highway 30. His car was hit broadside by a semi driven by an unidentified Wisconsin man. The Iowa State Patrol has indicated that their investigation is still continuing.

School Boards Talk Whole Grade Sharing

BOONE, Iowa---School board from the Boone and the United School District met in a special meeting Thursday evening to talk about the whole grade sharing agreement that's in place and see what can be done to make any improvements. The agreement does specify that the school board hold a joint meeting annually but with the administrative changes at both schools, it took a little longer to get it completed. Besides communications, the boards talked about the cost of transportation, technology improvements and dealing with the winter weather.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Hope Foundation Hosts Festival of Hope

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Hope Foundation will host their annual Festival of Hope, Saturday at the Boone County Hospital Atrium. The theme this year is Colors of Hope. The first Festival of Hope was held in 2005 after staff and faculty of Boone Schools took part in a session on poverty. The Foundation was created in 2006 and has continued to grow. The Hope Foundation provides assistance in a variety of ways to students and their families during the year. This years Festival will be held at the Hospital Atrium from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Ogden Council Seeks City Administrator

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden City Council is going through the process to find a City Administrator for the second time. A month ago, following interviews, the search committee was unable to come to terms with their top candidate. The city advertised December 1st and and will receive applications through Friday. KWBG Radio has learned that one of the applications already received is that of State Representative Donovan Olson. Olson was defeated by fewer than 30-votes in the November general election by Chip Baltimore of Boone. The Council's Search Committee will make a recommendation on a candidate for Administrator at a meeting January 4th.

Weather Better for Shop With A Cop

BOONE, Iowa---Compared to a year ago, weather conditions are substantially better for shop with a cop. 15-inches of snow in 2009 created quite a few issues for members of the Boone Police Benefit Association, for the first time postponing Shop With A Cop. Thursday night will see a return to the tradition of children, families and police officers and their volunteers, gathering at the Boone County Fair Grounds. At least 90-children are expected to go shopping this year. Boone Mayor John Slight has said repeatedly that he believes it to be the biggest event of it's kind in the state.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Flood Insurance Rate Map

BOONE, Iowa---An effort by the City of Boone to get the Federal Emergency Management Agency to return to previous flood plain designation has taken a step back. Last summer, the Utility Committee for the City Council supported staff recommendations to appeal a decision of new maps that show flood plain areas within the city. The information provided is being used as comments, but a final determination has not been made. City officials had concerns about property owners in the vicinity of Honey Creek and other natural drainage areas in the city.

Supervisors Lift Moratorium

BOONE, Iowa---As expected the Boone County Board of Supervisors officially repealed resolutions that established a moratorium on construction and development efforts in the Conservation Overlay District of the Des Moines River Valley. In response to a large out cry from property owners, the Supervisors last week suspended any work on the conservation overlay and also cancelled public information meetings. At the time, the Board indicated the moratorium would be considered at the regular meeting. Supervisor Bill Lusher says the repeal is effective immediately.

Signal Light Frustration

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Mayor John Slight says dealing with problems with traffic signals in Boone is becoming very frustrating. Slight says the City Council has agreed to a policy that spells out a time frame for dealing with a malfunction traffic signal, but can't really speed up repairs. The Council learned this week that the traffic signal at 6th and Story was ready to be reconnected until it was learned that the metering equipment didn't meet specifications. Slight says the metering is the same as the city used at Mamie and Story a year ago. Slight says he also hears frequently about the signal at Park and Story, which is also expected to be repaired in a week or two.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Conservation Overlay Moratorium

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will be considering the repeal of resolutions that set a moratorium on construction and development in the Des Moines River Conservation Overlay Area. Board Chairman Bill Lusher had said last week that the Board would consider the matter at their meeting Tuesday, and it is on their agenda. The moratorium was put in place earlier this year while work was being done to develop an amendment to the County Zoning Code. That amendment triggered a huge protest at last weeks County Zoning Commission Meeting.

Ogden Council Gets Update on Administrator

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden City Council will receive and update on the search for a City Administrator. Mayor Kieth Berg had said last month that officials were still working at filling the position. He noted that instead of having an Activities person, the Council felt that having and Administrator and Clerk would provide more opportunity for the community. The effort to find someone to fill the position has taken a little longer than the Council had hoped.

Towing Bids

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Police Chief Bill Skare says he will have a recommendation for the City Council Monday for towing services for the next couple of years. Skare sought bids for service two-years ago and the successful bid was submitted by Elmquist Towing of Ames. Part of the service is dealing with vehicles on city streets when the snow ordinance is in effect. Skare said last Friday it was time to once again ask for bids. Those bids will first go to the Council's Policy, Administration and Employee Relations Committee which will have a recommendation for the full City Council.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Child Injured

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Police Chief Bill Skare says his department and the Department of Human Services are conducting a criminal investigation because of injuries suffered by a three-year old child. In a prepared release, Skare said that officers responded to a call at 616-9th Street in Boone regarding injuries to a three-year old. The child was transported to the Boone County Hospital and then transferred to Blank Children's Hospital. A condition update on the child was not available late Friday. Additional details have not been released.

Snow Ordinance

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Public Works Director John Rouse says the use of the snow ordinance in Boone has saved his department money. Rouse says the snow ordinance was used 4-times the first season and only 5-times last season. But, he did say that several last year were two-day events because of the record snowfall. Rouse says the city spent $132,000 for snow removal last winter and $67,000 the winter before. He says the snow ordinance has allowed his department to move more snow in a shorter period of time, saving money in the long run.

Ogden Christmas Parade

OGDEN, Iowa---Organizers expect pretty good weather Saturday evening for the Ogden's Lighted Christmas Parade. The parade is expected to begin at 6:00 near City State Bank goes to main street and then west to the Leonard Good Community Center. Santa will be in the parade and will then head back to Auto Electric to visit with children. Everyone is welcome to take part in Ogden's Christmas Celebration.

Habitat to Benefit From Concert

BOONE, Iowa---Habitat for Humanity for Boone and Greene Counties will be the beneficiary of this Sunday's Ecumenical Christmas Concert held at Boone High School. This year marks the 10th performance of volunteers from dozens of churches, gathering together for a performance, under the direction of Pam Grunstad. Accompanist are Dave and Jo Howell. The concert is held in the High School Auditorium and begins at 7:00 Sunday evening. Free will donations are accepted and Modern Woodmen of America, Community Bank Boone and City State Bank in Ogden provide matching funds.

Snow Ordinance

BOONE, Iowa---There may not be snow on the ground yet, but Boone officials have started their efforts to remind residents that the city has a snow ordinance and there's a good bet it will be used this winter. This marks the third season for the snow ordinance, which requires that no vehicles be parked on city streets while in effect. Public Works uses the ordinance to hasten snow removal. The Boone Police Department has already put reminder notices on vehicles parked on city streets. Police Chief Bill Skare and Public Works Director John Rouse will be on the KWBG Tuned In Program Friday morning to talk about the ordinance.

Conservation Overlay Issue

BOONE, Iowa---The matter of an amendment to the Boone County Zoning Code, dealing with a conservation overlay for the Des Moines River Valley, is still a pretty hot topic. The Boone County Board of Supervisors suspended any work on the matter and had public information meetings scheduled for Madrid, Boone and Ogden cancelled. The Supervisors have also indicated that the intend to consider lifting the construction moratorium for the affected area when they meet December 7th. In the mean time, property owners have started a petition drive to try and permanently halt the proposed amendment.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Conservation Overlay

BOONE, Iowa---The controversy that was the Conservation Overlay for some Boone County property owners has now been stopped. The Boone County Board of Supervisor Wednesday, suspended all the work on the Overlay and also cancelled the three public informational meetings planned for Madrid, Boone and Ogden this month. In a prepared statement, the Supervisors have said they will also consider action to lift the moratorium on construction in the affected area when they meet next Tuesday.

Santa Claus is Coming to Boone

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Area Merchants will once again host open houses Thursday and the weather shouldn't be a problem for those that want to take in the fun. In previous years, Boone has hosted a Lighted Christmas Parade, but that has been dropped for this year. The Boone County Historical Society will host it's annual soup supper and will offer some additional displays. The Community Christmas Tree will be lite at it's location in the Veteran's Park at 9th and Story Streets.

Community Theatre

BOONE, Iowa---For the second time this season, the Boone Community Theatre has had to cancel a production. Work had begun in October to assemble a cast for "Finding December", which would have been performed over the next two-weekends. All performances have now been cancelled. The previous production also had to be cancelled due to casting issues.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Conservation Overlay

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Zoning Commission had to table action on a consideration of Zoning Map amendments to the County Zoning Ordinance Monday. A crowd estimated at some 500 residents were on hand to address concerns over the requirements for Conservation District Overlays. It now appears that the matter will not make it make to the Zoning Commission until sometime next year. Public Information meetings will be held to get more information out to those property owners affected. The Public Information Meetings were scheduled earlier in November. Information on the meetings is available here.

Baltimore Receives Leadership Appointment

BOONE, Iowa---Representative-elect Chip Baltimore has received a leadership appointment from Speaker-elect Kraig Paulsen. Baltimore has been named Vice Chairman of the House Commerce Committee. Baltimore will be serving his first term in the Iowa Legislature, representing the 48th District. He will also serve on the House Judiciary, Economic Growth/Rebuild Iowa, Local Government and Oversight committees.

Special Council Meeting

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will hold a special meeting Wednesday evening to continue working on Council Goals. The meeting is part of the series of meetings held to put together plans and the budget for the city. Discussion will include a review of the goals that were adopted a year ago and include topics like Economic Development and enforcement of Municipal Infractions.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Zoning Commission Expects Packed Meeting

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Plan and Zoning Commission meets Monday evening and will hold their meeting in the third floor courtroom at the court house. The courtroom was used last month to deal with the large crowd that wished to address a Conditional Use Permit issue for a 10-station Sport Clay Shooting Range in the Des Moines River Valley. Over a year ago, the Zoning Commission voted to recommend that Conditional Use Permit not be approved. The County Zoning Board of Adjustment did approve the permit. Residents from a rural subdivision near the Ledges State Park have opposed the business. The Zoning Commission will also consider the controversial Des Moines River Conservation Overly District.

Drainage Matter Considered by Supervisors

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone and Story County Supervisors will be sitting as Joint Drainage District Trustees Tuesday morning as they try to finalize a drainage district repair project. The whole issue deals with a drain that begins in Boone County and then enters Story County and travels through Ames. Repairs in the district were delayed for several months for a variety of reasons. Acceptance of the project requires both counties to agree on the work that was done.

Sign Up for January Program Underway

BOONE, Iowa---Over 40-participants have already signed up for a January program featuring Mark Wynn, internationally recognized expert on Domestic Violence. Wynn will be a presenter of 4-different topics during a appearance in Boone, January 21st. Alicia Cox, Boone County "ACCESS" Coordinator is handling sign-up and says the free conference will be filled on a first come first serve basis with those in living and working in Boone County getting a first chance to sign up. Open enrollment is expected in mid-December.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Travel Troubles

BOONE, Iowa---Thanksgiving travelers ran into a few problems Wednesday, when light rain turned to freezing rain, causing multiple accidents. Iowa State Patrolman Doug Cutts told KWBG that bridges iced over quickly late Wednesday morning. He said there was a serious accident on IA Highway 17 on the Des Moines River Bridge south of Madrid. The road was closed for several hours while emergency responders cleaned up the site. Cutts says motorists should remain cautious through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Building Purchased

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital Board of Directors have approved purchasing the Boone County Family Medicine Clinic Building. The Board took action Tuesday evening following a formal public hearing. The clinic building has been privately owned. The hospital has been paying rent to house physicians in the building. The purchase price is $1.1-million and the sale is expected to be completed in early December.

City Still Pressing Construction

BOONE, Iowa---Boone City officials know there are few days left to complete this summer's construction, especially through downtown Boone. As of Wednesday, all the streets have been reopened. The most recent was 7th Street from Marshall to Tama. Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson says work is still be done to restore traffic lights and to complete some sidewalks. Nelson says work will continue as long as weather permits.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Patients and Income Down at BCH

BOONE, Iowa---October patient volume and revenue were both down according to the reports for the Boone County Hospital Board of Directors. Even though the numbers are down and trail budgeted amounts, the year to date bottom line is over $200,000 in the black. That is off the budgeted pace by just over $150,000. While the patients and income declined, so did the operating costs. Declines were led by a reduction in salaries and wages.

Teen Faces Sex Abuse Charges

BOONE, Iowa---A 16-year old Boone youth is being held at the Central Iowa Juvenile Detention Center in Eldora after being arrested on a Boone County warrant that cited multiple sexual abuse charges. Sheriff Ron Fehr says the arrest was made Tuesday afternoon following an investigation. According to Fehr, all the charges are alleged to have occurred with an unrelated 7-year old child and took place at various times since last January. Bond for Edward Babbitt is set at $50,000.

Supervisors Consider Mitigation Plan

BOONE, Iowa---After several months and a number of public meetings, the Boone County Board of Supervisors considered approval of the new Multi-Jurisdictional Hazardous Mitigation Plan. The plan is a compilation of plans for the unincorporated part of Boone County and all the cities in Boone County. All the cities in the county will be asked to also adopt the new plan. The County Emergency Management Board did adopt the plan in late October.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Suspect Trys to Elude Deputy

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says a Deputy attempted to make a traffic stop Sunday evening on US Highway 30 west of Ogden. The driver of the vehicle decided to flee from the Deputy, and ended up headed south on "C" Avenue. It just so happens the road dead ends at 250th Street. Fehr says the suspect turned and the Deputy had to ram the vehicle. 40-year old William J. Phipps of Stratford now faces charges of Operating While Intoxicated, Eluding, Speeding, Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device and Open Container. Phipps was taken to the Boone County Jail.

Chase and Drug Arrest in Boone

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Police, with help from a Boone County Deputy, took a 37-year old Carroll man into custody Sunday evening about 9:00. Duane Russell Conroy attempted to run from Boone Police but was stopped in the 800-block of Jefferson on the city's west side. Conroy was wanted on a Carroll County warrant but faces additional charges of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Deliver, Tax Stamp Violation and Attempting to Elude. He was being held in the Boone County Jail.

17th Habitat Home Dedicated

OGDEN, Iowa---Habitat for Humanity of Boone and Greene Counties celebrated the dedication of their 17th home Sunday in Ogden. The Tony and Brianna Schelle home is the fourth located in Ogden. Maggie Stone, Family Programs Chair for Habitat noted that it was only a year ago the Schelle's were selected to be the partner family. They along with their four daughters, Maddie, Abbie, Emma and Lily will be moving in upon completion. The home is located at 520 NE 4th Street in Ogden. Pictures of the dedication are available on the KWBG slide show.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Street Construction

BOONE, Iowa---Boone City officials says several streets have been opened this week, including the intersection at 8th and Benton Streets. However, more work is still planned and the traffic signal at 8th and Benton is still not operational. The intersection at 8th and Benton will be controlled with a 4-way stop sign. Also opened up is Tama Street between 7th and 8th Streets. City Engineer Wayne Schwartz has said even though streets are opening, they are still construction zones and some lane closures and other delays may be experienced while weather permits.

Habitat Dedication

OGDEN, Iowa---Habitat for Humanity for Boone and Greene Counties will hold a formal dedication ceremony Sunday afternoon for the groups 17th home. The dedication will be held at 520 NE 4th Street in Ogden, the fourth home built in Ogden. Tony and Brianna Schelle have worked along with their children to help complete this home. Erich Kretzinger, Executive Director of Habitat in Boone and Greene Counties, says the family is required to invest a minimum of 300 hours on the project. He says homes are then sold to the family with a zero interest mortgage. He says no home is ever given away. The public is welcome to attend the dedication Sunday afternoon at 3:30.

Force Board New Members

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County FORCE Board has been awarding grants in Boone County since 2003. Alan Beste is President of the Board which used to be the Boone County YMCA, says the average annual donations are usually about $38,000 to $40,000. New members were welcomed to the FORCE Board this week. They include Meredith Nerem, Cody Bowers and Everett Johnson. Agencies interested in receiving an application for grant funds should contact Sara Behn at 433-8470 or by e-mail sbehn@boonecountyhospital.com.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

DMACC Enrollment

BOONE, Iowa---Spring semester enrollment is underway on the Boone Campus of Des Moines Area Community College. Provost Tom Lee said Thursday that the number are just slight behind the numbers from last spring. But, he pointed out that there was a double digit increase in both head count and credit hour enrollment last spring. Lee says he believes spring semester enrollment will be similar to this fall, possibly up slightly but not a double digit percentage increase.

Street Work Progresses

BOONE, Iowa---Contractors are very busy in Boone as they try to get street work completed. The Boone City Council this week pushed engineers to try and get the work done by Friday or as soon as possible after that. Boone Mayor John Slight said earlier this week that getting traffic signals completed might take a little longer. Slight says the Council has consistently said that all street work needs to be completed this fall.

Omelet Breakfast

BOONE, Iowa---The annual Fall Harvest Omelet Breakfast drew a pretty nice crowd once again. The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee and the Boone County Farm Bureau cosponsor the event to raise money for 4-H scholarships. This year they have also added the Boone F-F-A chapter to the recipients. The breakfasts are held twice a year, in March and in November.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

ITC Power Line Upgrade

BOONE, Iowa---ITC Midwest is the company that owns many of the big power lines that criss cross the KWBG listening area. Troy Weary is the Area Manager and says they will have a big project coming up in the next couple of years, that may impact some residents. Weary says the plans are to upgrade the line north of Boone to the Boone Junction. There will also be an upgrade from that location into Boone which will affect some residents. Weary says they want the county, city and residents to know it's coming, even if it's more than a year away.

Goal Increases

BOONE, Iowa---The Salvation Army in Boone is seeking quite a bit of support for their annual programs. Envoy Tim North says he was reluctant to increase their fund raising goal, but in the end, increasing demand for services required it be done. North says the Christmas fund raising effort will be $150,000 and that will include the Red Kettles. He says the funding will be directed toward their $277,000 budget. North says in 2009, snow storms severely hampered the Red Kettle Campaign.

C-M-O-M

BOONE, Iowa---C MOM is an acronym for capacity, management, operation and maintenance and it refers to sewer lines, both sanitary and storm. For Boone, it will be focus of new efforts to change the action plan accepted by the Iowa DNR to deal with sewer back-ups in basements. Boone Mayor John Slight says he likes the new effort because they won't be digging up so many blocks of street and will get the work done more cost effectively. The focus of the effort will be on the trunk sanitary sewer line on Linn Street, north of the railroad underpass.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Chamber and Pufferbilly

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors have announced their support for relocating the Pufferbilly Days community celebration back to downtown Boone. The celebration, due to loss of volunteers and declining revenue had moved to the Boone County Fair Grounds for the past three years. Many in the community have pushed to have the celebration brought back downtown where it began as a retail promotion. The Chamber Board has been working with the Steering Committee and also with Boone businesses to address the financial viability of the annual event.

Street Construction

BOONE, Iowa---Will work be completed and streets reopened for travel before Thanksgiving. That's the hope of the Boone City Council. Doug Ernst with Foth Engineering says the intent is to get streets back open this week if possible. Ernst told the Council Monday that he will be meeting with the contractor to push for openings as soon as possible, may even yet this week. He did note that lines need to be repainted and traffic signals need to be made operational. One of the problems at 8th and Benton has to do with damage done to one of the traffic signal poles.

Equipment Purchases

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has approved moving ahead with the purchase of equipment for the city's Public Works Department. Public Works and Parks Director John Rouse told the Council Monday that bids were received for a mini-road maintainer that will be used for alley work, for a new street sweeper and for a new truck. In addition, the department also purchased a new full size road maintainer. The purchases will be funded through a bond sale. There is the possibility that the City may borrow from Public Works reserves to cover the purchase in the interim.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Recycling Awards

BOONE, Iowa---Nearly 180-Boone County businesses and workplaces were recognized Monday for the 2010 Outstanding Business and Workplace Waste Reduction and Recycling Awards. Landfill Administrator and Recycling Coordinator for Boone County, Scott Smith says it's still one of the best days each year. The program, now in it's eleventh year, is sponsored by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, Boone County Conservation and the Landfill and Recycling Center. Smith says another 20-businesses and workplaces were added to the ever growing list. He also recognized the efforts of the schools to teach young people about recycling. Included in our slide show are a couple of photos from the Monday morning ceremony.

Red Kettle Campaign

BOONE, Iowa---This is about the busiest part of the year for the Salvation Army. Envoy Tim North says with the Red Kettle Campaign, the sign up for Christmas Food baskets and the Angel Trees really keep everything hopping. North says last year's winter weather really hurt the fund raising. He says there were several days in December when Red Kettles were not even set out. With better weather this year, it's hoped that fund raising will return to normal. North says the Red Kettles, the mail in donations and other contributions will fund many programs for the next year.

Westhaven Construction

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will hear about the progress being made on the Westhaven Care Facility of the Evangelical Free Church during their meeting Tuesday. Nan Sloan will provide the board with the update, but will also discuss the possible issuance of Assisted Living Facility Revenue Notes for the Westhaven Project. The Supervisors are being asked to consider a resolution to assist with the issuance of up to $2-million in notes for the project. The action will include a public hearing.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Stimulus Funds Cause Delays

BOONE, Iowa---A couple of utility projects in Boone continue to be plagued by delays because of the use of Stimulus Funds. The City Council's Utility Committee found out there will continue to be delays in work on two sewer lift stations and a high service pump located at the water plant. Superintendent of Utilities Roy Martin has told the Committee that the delay is the requirement that materials used by made in America. Martin has said the delay could be a couple of months. One lift station is at South Linn Street and is being relocated south of US Highway 30. The second is on Division Street on the sanitary sewer line that was rehabbed last year.

Veterans Day Ceremony

BOONE, Iowa---Beautiful weather conditions greeted a nice crowd at the annual Veterans Day Ceremony at the Linwood Park Cemetery in Boone Thursday. Those who attended heard from Boone High School Graduate Eric Sandegren who is currently working with the Defense Department in Military Intelligence. Sandegren spoke about veterans important in his life and talked about some of the issues facing soldiers currently in Afghanistan.

Disaster Sign-up Deadline

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Morlan says Friday is the last day for any homeowners, renters or businesses of all sizes to file for disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Morlan says Boone County was added to the list of eligible counties late, but a number individuals have been able to receive assistance. He says anyone who had storm or flood damage in June, July or August may be eligible for assistance. To register, call toll free 800-621-3362 or go on line to www.disasterassistance.gov.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

School Calendar

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School District calendar for the 2011-2012 school year, does not have a week off for spring break. Superintendent Brad Manard says surveys of parents and staff found that most favored additional days around Easter weekend. He says the calendar would have school beginning on August 22nd and would have a planned end date of May 22nd. He did note that several vacation days are also spread through the year. The calendar has not been adopted yet, but will be addressed when the Board meets in December.

Conservation Board Sets Fees

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Conservation Board has set fees for next season. Most fees charged for camping are unchanged, but shelter rental at Swede Point Park near Madrid is being raised to $40. The only other increases will be in the fees for golfing with the individual and family membership fees increasing by $5. Daily golf fees will remain unchanged. The Conservation Board took action on the fees during a regular meeting Monday.

Ice Skating Pond

BOONE, Iowa---If Mother Nature cooperates, there will be ice skating at the Boone Parks Skate Pond this winter. The Boone Park Commission Monday found out that staff had taken steps top prepare the pond for winter. Weeds and tree branches were dealt with and the area was set to be flooded. Park staff has put in place marking posts to allow skaters to see where the main channel is located. Last year, heavy snow early in the season created problems with safe ice for skating.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

County Conservation Seeks Grant

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Conservation Board has approved a resolution supporting a grant application for the Fish Habitat Grant Program. If received, the grant would be used for maintenance on the spillway floor on the damn at the Don Williams Recreation Area. Another portion would be used for a planned fish kill on the lake. Andy Hockenson told the Conservation Board that discussions will also be held with NRCS and other conservation officials to see about creating additional projects to protect the lake for years to come.

Pool Has Good Season

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Municipal Swimming Pool Manager Darci Newcomb says the 2010 season was better than 2009, but not quite as good as the record season of 2008. Newcomb gave her review of the year to the Boone Park Commission Monday. Newcomb says since most storms this year occurred at night, there were only 11-days affected by the weather. Newcomb told the Commission that gross income from the pool for swimming was nearly $70,000.

Culvert Repair

BOONE, Iowa---A long awaited culvert repair project will move ahead with the awarding of the contract by the Boone County Board of Supervisors. The project is not your ordinary culvert project. It's a large culvert, near Madrid, under the High Trestle Trail. The culvert received extensive damage during flooding in 2008. FEMA recently confirmed that federal funds are available to fix the damage. Bids have been reviewed with the apparent low bidder the Jensen Construction Company of Des Moines for nearly $687,000. The high bid for the work was about $1.1-million.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Election Results

BOONE, Iowa---The results for Iowa House District 48, covering western Boone County and Perry in Dallas County are not official yet, but it appears that Republican challenger Chip Baltimore will become the new House Member. Absentee and Provisional ballots in Boone County were counted Monday morning and incumbent Donovan Olson picked up 20-votes to Baltimore's 17. Updated numbers from Dallas County have not been available. Following the canvas of the results, there could still be a recount.

Lowell and Bryant School Buildings

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board will consider action on a Right of First Refusal Option for the sale of the now vacant Lowell and Bryant Elementary Buildings. The District has received only one formal offer to purchase of properties. That offer came from Chad Thompson and was for one-dollar. The Board has concerns about what will happen to the buildings and were unable to get any details on Thompson's plans. Instead they have offered the Right of First Refusal to allow Thompson time to present his plans to city officials. The Right of First Refusal is for 6-months.

Ogden Administrator

OGDEN, Iowa---Ogden Mayor Keith Berg says negotiations are still underway with a candidate that would service as Ogden's City Administrator. Berg says unfortunately an agreement was completed before last week's Council Meeting. Berg says many have asked about hiring an administrator. Berg says the Council decided to have an Administrator and City Clerk rather than having a City Clerk/Administrator and an Activities Director. He says the goal is to continue providing services to residents while creating continuity at City Hall.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Assistance Still Available

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County residents that sustained property loss or damage from storms or flooding this past summer still have time to register with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Friday November 12th is the deadline. John Mills with FEMA told KWBG earlier that even if residents received assistance from another source, they should still register. He says the may be eligible for additional assistance. To register, call toll free 1-800-621-3362 or on line at www.disasterassitance.gov. Help is also available at the Boone County Disaster Recovery Center located at the Luther City Hall until November 9th.

Election Results

BOONE, Iowa---The final outcome of the Iowa House District 48 race will be determined Monday. That's the day the Absentee Committees will meet to consider those ballots that have arrived this week. Boone County Auditor Phil Meier says the deadline is noon on November 8th. The committee will review the postmarks to try and determined if they are one or before November 1st. Any after that can not be counted. The Boone County Supervisors will meet Monday afternoon to complete the canvas of the election results. At last count, the difference was 25-votes with Chip Baltimore leading Donovan Olson.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Pufferbilly Discussion

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors is inviting any interested businesses to a meeting Monday, November 8th at 5:30 at the 4th floor conference room at the Boone County Hospital. Richard Baker, Chamber Executive Director, says the meeting will be an open discussion about ways to improve Pufferbilly Days. The 35-year old community celebration began as a retail event and will be relocating downtown in 2011.

Street Work

BOONE, Iowa---The good news, street work has moved ahead very quickly this week. At the last Boone City Council meeting, Engineer Wayne Schwartz said under ground work on the sanitary sewer rehabilitation was completed and street paving would be the big item this week. Contractors have moved rapidly to resurface the intersection at 8th and Benton, 8th Street, 7th Street and Tama. Schwartz told the Council that streets wouldn't open right away, but should all be done, weather permitting, with in three weeks.

911 Surcharge

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County voters this week, approved a proposed rate increase in the Enhanced 9-1-1 surcharge. The surcharge is apparent on telephone bills and is currently $.85 a month. With the vote this week, that will go to $1.00 a month. All the proceeds are used for emergency communications in Boone County. That includes new radios for police and fire departments. Revenues have been declining because fewer people actually have land line telephones, instead opting for cell phones. Voters gave the measure a 51-percent approval Tuesday.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Baltimore Leads

BOONE, Iowa---Iowa House District 48 might not have a winner until next week. Currently, Republican Challenger Chip Baltimore has a 28-vote lead over incumbent Democrat Donovan Olson. The unofficial numbers so far have Baltimore ahead in Boone County by 296 votes. But Olson leads in Dallas County by 268 votes. Absentee ballots remain in both counties, at least 270 in Boone County. The Boone County absentees will be counted next Monday, prior to the canvas of the ballots by the Boone County Supervisors.

Ogden Administrator

OGDEN, Iowa---Hopes by the Ogden City Council to name a new city administrator did not work out Tuesday. City officials had conducted interviews with five-candidates over the past couple of weeks. Council Member Brian Reimers says an offer was made to one of the candidates, but the differences over salary and other costs were just to great to overcome. Reimers told the Council Tuesday that the city's offer was rejected, just hours before the Council meeting. Council Members will review the situation but agree that additional staff is needed to help City clerk Deb Vigdal.

Bridge Question Defeated

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County voters overwhelmingly opposed a proposed to sell up to $6-million in bonds to remove and reconstruct the Wagon Wheel Bridge west of Boone, over the Des Moines River. The bridge sustained extensive structural damage last March when it was hit by a tree during the spring flood. A second flood caused the bridge to shift and since then, the Boone County Supervisors have closed it to traffic. Earlier this summer, residents submitted a petition with about 600-signatures opposing the closure. The Supervisors then called for the vote. 70-percent of the votes cast were opposed to the project.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Nov 2, 2010 10:57pm - Terry Branstad has been declared the winner of the 2010 Governor's Race. Chuck Grassley and Tom Latham also declared official winners.

10:20pm Unofficial Boone County Election results. All precincts reporting, but not all absentee votes counted. About 10000 votes cast, just under 60% of Boone County

State House of Reps: Baltimore, Heddens, Quirmbach Supervisor-Duffy Bo CoTreas- Bosch Bo Co Recorder – Rardin Bo Co Attorney – Robbins US Senate- Grassley US House-Latham Gov-Branstad Secretary of State-Mauro State Auditor-Vaudt State Treas-Fitzgerald Secretary of Ag-Northey Attorney General – Miller Judicial retention- Boone County voted NOT to keep the Supreme Court justices. Did vote to retain appellate court judges. 911 Surcharge – yes Allow wagon wheel bridge replacement – no

Annexation Delay

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has temporarily delayed moving ahead with an annexation study to allow council members a chance to learn a little more about annexation and the process. Council Member Gary Nystrom raised the matter during Monday's Council Meeting. Nystrom also proposed establishing a committee of staff members and a Council Member to discuss alternatives with businesses in the Boone Industrial Park. The Industrial Park is considered one of the prime areas for annexation according to information provided to the Council by Snyder and Associates.

Free Clinic

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County now has a new free health care clinic in Boone. The clinic is a volunteer based health care program and is located at First United Methodist Church at 703 Arden Street in Boone. The clinic will operate the first and third Tuesday of every month from 6:00 until 8:00 PM. Dr. Eric Peterson is the Medical Director, Jennifer Clubine is the Clinic Manager with Char Wilkening and Sandy Puntenney providing assistance. Anyone is welcome and all patient information is confidential.

Historical Center Recognition

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors took time Tuesday to approve and sign a Proclamation celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the Boone County Historical Center. Executive Director of the Historical Society, Charles Irwin was on hand for the presentation and invited the Board to the Center Thursday evening at 7:00 for a brief program and tours of the facility. A picture of the Supervisors with Irwin is on the KWBG slide show.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Three Injured in Accident Near Ogden

OGDEN, Iowa---A Des Moines man was flown to Des Moines Sunday afternoon following a two-car accident west of Ogden. Sheriff Ron Fehr says 22-year old Brandon Drost was traveling south on US Highway 169, stopped at the stop sign and turned onto US Highway 30. Drost was struck by a westbound car driven by 35-year old Jon Schuttinga of Denison. Schuttinga and a passenger, 7-year old Aiden Schuttinga were taken by ambulance to the Greene County Medical Center. Fehr says Drost will be cited for failing to yield the right of way. Damages amounted to nearly $13,000.

Barn Fire

BOONE, Iowa---Fire fighters from Boone, Ogden and Stanhope were at the scene of a barn fire, about three and a half miles northeast of Boone Sunday afternoon. Sheriff Ron Fehr says the call initially came in as a fire at a cattle confinement building. Tim Anderson, owner did use the barn to store alfalfa bales for cattle, but Fehr says no cattle were lost in the fire. The barn and all it's contents were destroyed. Boone County Search and Rescue did assist personnel at the scene. The cause remains under investigation.

Consulting Agreement

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will receive a committee recommendation during their Monday meeting regarding the proposed Consulting Agreement between the City and Darrel Rensink, the retiring City Economic Development Director. Boone Mayor John Slight proposed the agreement at the end of the last Council meeting in October. That led to a heated debate and a vote to move ahead with the agreement of 4-to-2. The formal agreement will go through the Council's Policy and Administration Committee Monday evening, prior to the Council meeting.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Hospital Audit

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital Board of Directors accepted the most recent audit report during a meeting Thursday. The report did show a slight decrease in total assets for the hospital as well as a decline in liabilities. Kevin Morey with BKD a Kansas City firm, did encourage the board to continue it's efforts to incorporate electronic health records, noting funding is available to assist. Morey did note the on going issue of segregation of duties, a common occurrence audits for smaller hospitals, cities, schools and other entities.

Gano Receives Recognition

BOONE, Iowa---Des Moines Area Community College Boone Campus Nursing Professor Barb Gano has been named the DMACC Distinguished Teacher by the DMACC Foundation. Gano was recognized during the President's Day activities earlier this month. Gano began teaching at DMACC in 1968 and has been an educator, advisor, mentor and colleague to many during her career. She received her award from DMACC Foundation Board Member Dotty Thurston. Gano, Thurston and Dr. Kim Linduska are pictured in the KWBG slide show.

BAMA Trick or Treat

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Area Merchants Association had a pretty successful kick-off to fund raising for the Shop With A Cop program Thursday. The Trick of Treat for Shop With A Cop drew hundreds of children to downtown Boone. Merchants handed out treats to the children and collected donations for the Boone Police Departments annual holiday shopping extravaganza. Last December, the original date for Shop With A Cop was postponed because of a blizzard. This year, the Shop With A Cop is set for December 9th.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Candidate Visits

BOONE, Iowa---In the final days of the 2010 campaign, candidates are criss crossing the state, encouraging supporters to get out the vote. Thursday, US Senator Charles Grassley joined 4th District Congressman Tom Latham in Boone. Grassley says people that are comfortable with social networking should use it to encourage their friends to vote. Governor Chet Culver visited Boone Wednesday and talked about his campaign and pushed for his supporters to get their friends to the polls as well.

Early Voting

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Auditor Phil Meier says any resident that wants to have an absentee ballot will need to get that request in by the end of business Friday. Meier says Friday is the last day he will be able to send out the ballots by mail. Meier says already the county has had about double the absentee requests of four years ago. Eligible voters will be able to vote at the Auditors office at the Courthouse Friday, Saturday and Monday. Early registration ended last Saturday, but Meier says same day registration will be conducted with the proper identifying information.

Youthful Offender

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says a Deputy Zach Zeutenhorst responded to a call Monday evening in Pilot Mound that led to a confrontation with an 11-year old. Fehr says Zeutenhorst arrived at the scene and the out of control 11-year old was hitting another child with a baseball bat. The 11-year old ran from the Deputy into the home and pulled a gun. Zeutenhorst did draw his weapon but ended up tackling the child and took him into custody. The gun turned out to be a BB gun. Skylar Allen was charged with assault on another juvenile, assault on a peace officer and going armed with intent with the baseball bat.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Identifies Released

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Police Chief Bill Skare says a 29-year old HyVee employee, Gerald Beals II was the man with a knife Monday at the Boone HyVee. Skare says the first officer on the scene to confront Beals was Rod Thompson. Thompson ordered Beals to put down his knife which he refused to do. Beals approached Thompson who them used a taser which had no affect. Skare says Thompson then had to use his service revolver then, firing multiple shots at Beals. Beals was pronounced dead at the scene. The 911 calls have been released by the Boone County Communications Center and are available on this website. The DCI autopsy results show that Beals was NOT H-I-V positive.

Ogden Community Survey

OGDEN, Iowa---The planned Ogden Community Survey is underway and will continue for about another week. Earlier this week, Ogden Mayor Kieth Berg noted that the youth portion of the survey was leading adult participation. Tuesday, Ogden Superintendent Bill Roderer said he was pleased with the numbers of youth participating and the school district has encouraged the students to do just that. He says by taking part, the youth will have a stake in the future of their hometown.

Final Public Mitigation Meeting

BOONE, Iowa---The third of three planned public meetings to allow Boone County residents a chance to review the proposed County Mitigation Plan is being held in Boone Tuesday evening. County Emergency Management Director Dave Morlan has said the meetings are an opportunity for the public to review the 61-mitigation action plans developed from earlier public meetings. Participation also helps meet some of the required matching commitment to the grant paying for the work. The meeting is at the Boone City Hall Auditorium and begins at 6:30 PM.

Monday, October 25, 2010

HyVee Shooting

BOONE, Iowa---Not a lot of additional information has been made available about a shooting incident at the Boone HyVee store Monday morning. Boone Police Chief Bill Skare says officers were called to the store right before 11:00 about an employee with a knife. He says the call led to an officer involved shooting. Specifics about the incident have not been released at this time. The Department of Criminal Investigation is conducting the investigation. The store was evacuated and has been closed since shortly after the incident.

Let's Just Talk

BOONE, Iowa---The Teaming Together 4 Teens is expanding efforts to spread the word about unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases among teens in Boone and Story Counties. The next step is to spread the word to adults. Sue Doran with the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program through Youth and Shelter Services, says the participation has been excellent and is growing. October is "Let's Talk Month" and their campaign is "Let's get it started..The Talk". Organizers have events planned for November and have more information at their website here.

Visioning Meetings

BOONE, Iowa---Volunteers serving on three different committees will be meeting at the Boone City Hall Monday to move ahead with the next step on developing a plan for the Iowa Great Places Program. Work so far has led to the committees working on three different topics, Community Pride, Business Vitality and Downtown Beautification. Richard Baker, Executive Director of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce says he remains excited about the work being done.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

County Zoning

BOONE, Iowa---A possible issue over a conditional use permit will come before the Boone County Zoning Commission Monday. The property owner is seeking the permit to allow for a 10-station Sport Clay Shooting Range. Early indications are that some neighbors have concerns about the location. The property, in Worth Township is along Montana Road and is south of the Boone County Landfill and Honey Creek Golf Course. Since the matter involves a conditional use permit, the Boone County Zoning Board of Adjustment will also be involved in the process.

FEMA Inspector Investigation

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Morlan says an investigation is being conducted into a complaint by a Boone County resident that complained about a FEMA Inspector. Morlan says if a resident is not registered, a FEMA Inspector will not just come to your house to do an inspection. He says appointments are made with people that register. Morlan also says FEMA Inspectors will readily show you their identification. He says make sure before you allow anyone to inspect your property.

Survey Underway

OGDEN, Iowa---Ogden Mayor Kieth Berg is hoping that Ogden residents will take time to complete a brief survey that will be used to help give direction for future development in the community. There's been a resurgence of interest since the demolition of three-properties in downtown Ogden. Berg says youth are also being encouraged to participate in the survey. The actual survey can be completed on line here. Copies of the survey are also available at the Ogden City Hall.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Boone County Assistance Rises

BOONE, Iowa---As of Thursday morning, the Federal Emergency Management Agency had approved nearly $73,000 in grants to homeowners and renters in Boone County as the result of storm damage and flooding from June, July and August. John Mills with FEMA says the number of registrations continues to increase daily and inspectors are able to quickly move in an assess the damages. Mills says even if residents received assistance else where, through the state, Red Cross or some other agency, they still may be eligible for FEMA assistance. He says registration continues through November 12th. Call 1-800-621-3362 or visit DisasterAssistance.gov.

Open House Successful

BOONE, Iowa---A couple of hundred people turned out for the Boone Fire Departments Open House on Wednesday. The crowd did include quite a few children as expected, but also a good number of Realtors, insurance agents and even a couple of contractors. Fire Chief Justin Adams says the contractors, Realtors and insurance agents were really the targeted group because they were displaying the newest information on home sprinkler systems. Adams says current city code doesn't include a requirement for residential sprinkler systems, but it is a growing trend.

Fair Board Haunted House

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Fair Board is set to hold their Halloween Haunted House over the next two-weekends. The Haunted House is going to serve as a fund raiser for the Fair Board and also as a way to collect food for the local food pantries. Admission is only $5 but goes down by a dollar with a couple of canned food items. Fair Board members warn that some material may not be suitable for children under 5 and people should enter at their own risk. The Haunted House is open this Friday and Saturday from 7:00 PM until 10:00 PM. Proceeds will be used for building upkeep on the fairgrounds.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

City Appeals Consent Order

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has responded to a letter from the Department of Natural Resources regarding the order agreed to in May of 2009 about the completion of the City's sanitary sewer rehabilitation project. City Administrator Luke Nelson presented the information to the City Council Monday. The response addresses the Council's financial concerns and also proposed a revised Action Plan to deal with storm water that enters the sanitary sewer line. The deadline to meet the consent order was November 1st.

Fringe Development

BOONE, Iowa---An update on the Fringe Development Plan for the City of Ames and Boone County will be reviewed for the County Zoning Commission during a regular meeting next Monday. Representatives of the City of Ames Planning and Housing Department are slated to meet with the Commission. In years past, there's been a difference of opinion about the Fringe Development Plan and it's impact on Boone County.

Nominations Sought

BOONE, Iowa---Nominations are being sought for the annual Boone County Local Workplace Business Recycling Awards. November 8th is the deadline for the nominations to be submitted for the recognition. In 2009, over 140 Boone County workplaces were recognized. The event is held in conjunction with America Recycles Day and is sponsored by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, the Boone County Conservation Board and the Boone County Landfill and Recycling Center. Nomination forms are available at the Boone County Landfill, the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce or on line here.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Council Debates Consultant Agreement

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has a heated debate Monday, about the extent of services being handled by retiring Economic Development Director Darrel Rensink. Boone Mayor John Slight developed an agreement allowing Rensink to serve as the point person securing federal appropriations, overseeing the progress on the planned Corporal Snedden Drive Overpass and continuing to head up the Annexation Study. Councilmember Greg Piklapp disagreed and wanted the Annexation Study handled by income Economic Development Director Beth Brinks. Following a heated exchange, the Council voted to move ahead with the agreement on a 4-2 vote.

Registrations Increase

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Morlan says he expects more registrations with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Morlan says when FEMA announced that Boone County would be eligible for individual assistance for residents and businesses, there were 52-people registered. By Tuesday morning, the number increased to 68. Morlan says not everyone will receive assistance, but without registering, you know you won't receive assistance. To register with FEMA for storm related damages that occurred in June, July or August, call toll free 1-800-621-3362 or go online to www.disasterassistance.gov. The deadline to register is November 12th.

Rezoning Moves Ahead

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors have approved the second consideration to rezone property near the junctions of US Highway 30 and Iowa Highway 17, east of Boone. The rezoning will allow for the development of an agriculture related business. Tuesday, the Supervisors found out that AgReliant Genetics would like to relocated their Boone County operations to the site. The company has out grown the current location in eastern Boone County.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Ogden Administrator

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden City Council will be involved with interviews of candidates for the job as City Administrator over the next two-weeks. Mayor Kieth Berg says the list of candidates has been narrowed down and by the beginning of November, it's hoped that a candidate will have been selected. Kimberly Claypool was the Ogden City Administrator and Clerk. Prior to her departure, she helped the Council restructure Administrator/Clerk and Community Activities Director positions. The Council has already hired Deb Vigdal as the City Clerk.

Fire Department Open House

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Fire Department will host an Open House Wednesday, featuring a live demonstration of a side by side burn that will show the effects of a sprinkler system. Fire Chief Justin Adams says interest in a couple of areas about sprinkler systems, especially in residential settings, is driving displays similar to the one being used in Boone Wednesday. The matter could come up for cities that adopt the 2010 International Building Code and the International Fire Code. Adams says the display is funded by a grant from the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition.

Storm Damage Sign ups

BOONE, Iowa---Registered Boone County residents and businesses increased over the past weekend, after the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that Boone County was eligible to apply for individual assistance. Just over 50 registrations had taken place before the announcement Friday. By Monday morning it increased to nearly 60. Inspectors were in the county over the weekend and by Monday had approved more than $40,000 in assistance and grants. Registration for anyone that suffered any kind of damage from storms or flooding in June, July and August continues until November 12th. To register by telephone call 1-800-621-3362 or on line at www.disasterassistance.gov.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Disaster Declaration

BOONE, Iowa---Late Friday, it was announced that Boone County was one of three additional counties in Iowa to qualify for the July Presidential Disaster Declaration, which makes individual assistance available to residents and businesses. Boone County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Morlan has been pressing the appeal for the past several weeks. He says the biggest matter right now is that any Boone County resident or business that sustained any kind of damage from weather in June, July or August, needs to register with FEMA. Registration can be handled over the telephone by calling 1-800-621-3362.

Annexation Study

BOONE, Iowa---The much talked about annexation study, commissioned by the Boone City Council, will be presented to the Council when they meet Monday afternoon. Already, business in the Boone Industrial Park met with the City Council in a special meeting to express their concerns about possible annexation and the impact it would have on business and the community. The Boone City Council meeting will actually begin at 5:30 Monday to allow for the presentation of the study.

Missouri Man Electrocuted

BOONE, Iowa---A 47-year old Missouri man, working for an electrical contractor on power lines north of Boone Friday, was electrocuted when his boom truck basket came in contact with a power line. Sheriff Ron Fehr says Kelly L. Bruce of Hannibal, Missouri was working for Hydacker and Wheatlake, a Missouri contractor. Fehr says Bruce apparently contacted the Emergency Communication Center. He was described as conscious and talking. Fehr says Bruce was flown from the scene to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. His condition was not immediately available.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Ogden Development

OGDEN, Iowa---Demolition of three buildings in downtown Ogden are serving to push the community ahead to consider a number of marketing options. A market analysis webinar was held this past week and beginning next week, community surveys are going to be done. Much of the work is being done on line, but paper copies of surveys are also being developed. Mayor Kieth Berg has said the communities participation will help with the success of future plans. Berg will be a guest on the KWBG News and Public Affairs Program "Tuned In" Monday morning. Information about the work being done is available here.

Field Fire

BOXHOLM, Iowa---One of the bigger field fires of the season hit western Boone County Thursday afternoon. Sheriff Ron Fehr says the call came in about 2:00 in the afternoon about a large cornfield fire near Boxholm. Firefighters from Boxholm, Grand Junction and Ogden responded and Boone County Emergency Management and the Iowa State Patrol assisted deputies with traffic control. Fehr says farmers in the area used chisel plows to create fire break to stop the fire. He says an area, about a half mile long and a quarter mile wide was affected.

400 Pound Pumpkin

LUTHER, Iowa---A pumpkin, weighing more than 400-pounds will be part of the Iowa Arboretum's Autumn Hullabaloo Saturday afternoon. Sara Kobilka, Arboretum Executive Director, says the pumpkin was planted by 2-year old Drake Hosteng and will be moved to the Arboretum for Saturday's free event. Hosteng is also taking part. Kobilka says the pumpkin and Hosteng are added attractions for the family fun event that features games, food, prizes, a costume contest, hayride and more. The Arboretum is located west of Luther in Boone County.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Intersection Closing

BOONE, Iowa---Boone residents will need to plan a little more travel time beginning Monday. City officials say Monday morning, the intersection at 8th and Benton Streets will be closed for the sanitary sewer rehabilitation project. Last year, the underpass was closed for two months which created a huge concern for the City Council. This week, work is being done to place a temporary road across the northwest corner of the intersection, through the HyVee parking lot. City Engineer Wayne Schwartz says it will serve traffic to the north and west. 8th street to the east and Benton Street from the south will not be passable. He encourages the public to plan alternative routes.

Burglary Arrest

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Police Cheif Bill Skare says his department has charged a 19-year old Boone man as a result of an investigation into multiple burglaries. Skare says John Allen Rose was taken into custody Monday. When Rose was taken into custody, he also had Methamphetamine in his possession. Skare says the charges are three counts of Burglary and one of Possession of Methamphetamine, 2nd Offense. Skare says the Police Department has been assisted by the Boone County Sheriff's Department and the Central Iowa Drug Task Force. He also says the investigation is continuing.

Street Tree Authority

BOONE, Iowa---Conflicting ordinances have left control over street trees up in the air. The Boone Park Commission this week received an opinion from City Attorney Alan Schroeder, noting that the ordinances deal with both the Tree Board, a responsibility of the Park Commission and the Council's authority through Public Safety and Transportation. City Administrator Luke Nelson sought the opinion in preparation for expected discussion about planting trees on city parking, the area between the street and sidewalk. Tree related matters are usually handled through the Urban Forester, a position included in the responsibilities of John Rouse, Parks and Public Works Director.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

No Sale, Yet

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board has not taken any action to accept an offer from Chad Thompson of Boone for the purchase of the Lowell and Bryant Elementary buildings. Both buildings are now vacant, and Thompson made a formal offer to take the buildings off the district's hands. However, the School Board has expressed a concern about the future of the buildings and the resulting impact on the neighborhoods and the community. Thompson has not shared his plans for the buildings with the School Board.

School Resource Officer

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board and the Boone City Council's Public Safety and Transportation Committee seem to be in agreement about having a School Resource Officer. The Boone School Board this week, approved moving ahead with the development of an agreement for the shared position. Plans are to have a police officer working in the school system to help with various situations. Police Chief Bill Skare has said the position should benefit both the schools and the community.

Shelter Vandalism

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission is making an effort to try and preserve one of the smaller shelters located in McHose Park. Commission members says the Ella McHose Shelter, located near the Teddy Roosevelt Statute, was constructed in the 1920's. The shelter has become a popular hang out for young people. Phil Brown, Chairman of the Park Commission says the graffiti has been painted over. He says the Commission is looking for someone to adopt the shelter to help with it's preservation.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Rezoning gets 1st Approval

Boone, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors have approved the first consideration to rezone property, right southwest of the Junction of US Highway 30 and State Highway 17 east of Boone. The land is currently zoned Agricultural and would be changed to an Agriculture Business designation. The location is close to the Central Iowa Expo location and is considered a highly visible parcel of property of an agribusiness venture. The Supervisors will consider the matter when they meet again next Tuesday.

Vandals hit Don Williams Golf Course

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says his department is investigating vandalism at the Don Williams Golf Course near Pilot Mound, Sunday night or Monday morning. Fehr say a cart shed was entered and several golf carts were used to drive around the course. Several carts were damaged. The incident is similar to a case being investigated by Boone Police, which occurred this summer at Cedar Pointe Golf Course in Boone. It's not known if the incidents are connected.

Purchase Offer for Bryant and Lowell

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board will continue discussion about a purchase offer made for two empty district buildings, the Bryant and Lowell Elementary Buildings. The first and so far only formal offer the district has received came from Chad Thompson. School Board members did not take any action on the request last month, because of concern over the responsibility the district has to the neighborhoods and the community.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Two Rescued from the River

BOONE, Iowa---Two men were rescued from the Des Moines River Sunday, when their pontoon became entangled in debris and began sinking. Sheriff Ron Fehr says the incident happened near the "Y" Camp north of Boone. Boone County Search and Rescue did take 20-year old Joshua Mull of Ames and 47-year old Kevin Moore of Ames off the pontoon. Fehr says the pontoon will be removed when conditions on the river are safer.

Facility Planning

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board will receive an update on the district's facility planning when they meet Tuesday. Board members have been anxious to start taking a look at possible projects for the high school building. This year, work was completed on the Franklin Elementary Building and the Boone Middle School. The cost of the construction and remodeling is being covered by the one-cent sales tax.

Hazard Mitigation Meeting

MADRID, Iowa---The second in a series of Public Meetings about the Boone County Hazardous Mitigation Plan will be held Tuesday evening in Madrid. Boone County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Morlan says the meetings are a time for public review of work that went into the plan. He says 61-mitigation scenarios have been developed. Now, the idea is to make sure nothing was missed. Attendance is also beneficial because public participation counts toward the local match for the cost of the project. The Tuesday meeting is at the Madrid City Hall and begins at 6:30.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Bridge Vote

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Supervisor Bill Lusher says turnout improved for an informational meeting about the Wagon Wheel Bridge project, Thursday evening in Ogden. Lusher says once again, the public has some very good questions about the project. On KWBG Friday, Lusher said the Supervisors decided to put the question on the ballot for a couple of reasons, one it has been in the works as a project for several years and secondly, they did receive a petition earlier this summer with about 600-signatures. Lusher says those that were unable to attend any of the meetings can find out more here.

School Open House

BOONE, Iowa---Boone School District patron are invited to the view the Boone Middle School Addition and the Franklin Elementary School Addition and remodeling during an Open House Monday. Superintendent Brad Manard says the open house will be self guided and will run from 6:00 until 8:00 Monday evening. The two-projects did allow the district to close the Lowell and the Bryant Elementary Buildings. The School Board has received a token offer for the two buildings.

Battery Program

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Firefighters have once again teamed up with Boone Hardware to offer new batteries to Boone residents for their smoke detectors. Fire Chief Justin Adams says the program has been very successful. The program really targets the elderly and others that are unable to change batteries in their detectors. He says the public can schedule an appointment and find out more about the program by calling the department during the day at 432-3446.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

High Pressure Gas Line Damaged

BOONE, Iowa---Emergency responders were on the scene for over 6-hours Wednesday, while repairs were made on a high pressure gas line, adjacent to 220th Street east of Boone. Sheriff Ron Fehr says the incident occurred right before 9:00 in the morning, when a construction crew hit the gas line. Alliant made repairs to the line. The Sheriff's Deputies, Reserves, Boone Fire Department and Boone County Search and Rescue were all on the scene. Only one residence was evacuated. Fehr did not know if Iowa One Call had been contacted.

Fund Raiser for Boone Grad

BOONE, Iowa---The friends and family of Mark Depew have planned a Benefit Open House and Silent Auction Sunday in Boone. Depew, a 1981 graduate of Boone High School was diagnosed earlier this year with a malignant brain tumor. The benefit is to raise funds to help his family with ongoing medical bills and supplies and will be held October 10th from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM at Big G's Log Cabin BBQ at 720 8th Street, Boone, Iowa.

Assessor Offers Forums

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Assessor D. Kevin Burggraaf has announced a series of public forums to help Boone County residents understand the assessment process. Burggraaf says he will cover the basics on assessment practices, but will also be available to answer questions from the public. The first forum will be held at the Boone County Courthouse on Tuesday, October 12th. The Boone County Assessor's Office is currently in the midst of a revaluation of Boone County.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Council Defers Action on Sewer Project

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden City Council has deferred action on a bid received for a planned sanitary sewer rehabilitation project. The low bid for the work was submitted by Municipal Pipe and Tool from Hudson, Iowa. The bid exceeded the project cost by about $40,000. One portion of the bid, a one-block section of open digging was actually over half the project cost. Council members will wait until a review can be done by Fox Engineering and the Community Block Grant Administrator. A special meeting yet this month might allow the project to move ahead.

Final Public Meeting on Bridge Vote

OGDEN, Iowa---The Leonard Good Community center in Ogden will be the location for the final public meeting on the Wagon Wheel Bridge Project. The Boone County Supervisors are hosting the meeting in an effort to pass along information to the public about the ballot question. Voters in the general election will be deciding the fate of the nearly $6-million project. The current Wagon Wheel Bridge received extensive damage in March and additional damage from flooding in June. The Board received a petition earlier asking that the bridge not be closed to vehicular traffic. Supervisor Bill Lusher will appear on the KWBG Tuned In program Friday to talk about the project.

Open House

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Fire Chief Justin Adams says the Boone Fire Department will host an Open House on Wednesday, October 20th at the Fire Department. Adams says the Open House will feature a couple of different things, but one of the big attractions will be a working demonstration about the impact of having a sprinkler system installed in new residential properties. He says sprinkler systems are necessary in certain settings and are becoming more affordable for residential applications.

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