KWBG HEADLINES ON APRIL 7, 2010

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden City Council continued to move forward with plans to deal with downtown buildings considered nuisances. The Council met with one building owner, Daryle Johnson this week. Johnson told the Council he planned to try and preserve the building if possible. He would not reveal plans to the Council but did agree to meet with them in two-weeks. The Council is concerned about Johnson’s plans because they are considering demolishing a neighboring building.

BOONE, Iowa---Engineers and contractors met in Boone Wednesday to discuss a change order for work last year on the city’s sanitary sewer rehabilitation project. Work at the city’s underpass was estimated at some $55,000. The work did not go according to plan and the contractor submitted a change order asking for an additional $148,000. The Council refused the contract and rejected a recent appeal. It’s not certain what the impact will be on the $3.3-million dollars worth of work under contract this summer.

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Community Endowment will be making awards of more than $105,000 to 20 non-profit entities in Boone County in two-weeks. Each April, the Endowment Board distributes dollars from the fund established to re-allocate state gambling revenue. The year the Board received 33-applications seeking more than $203,000.

From the Associated Press:

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) - Governor Chet Culver has signed into law two measures that improve benefits for Iowa's military families. One allows benefits paid from the Veterans Trust Fund to be exempt from state income taxes. That fund is to help veterans pay for travel to get medical care and for jobless benefits.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Des Moines police say the city's first homicide of the year is a fatal domestic shooting that apparently stemmed from a fight over alleged marital indiscretions. Donte Gilmore has been arrested in the death of his wife.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Authorities say Iowa will be receiving more than $18 million in federal funding to turn around its lowest achieving schools. The funds are part of the $3.5 billion that will be made available to the states this spring from money set aside in the 2009 budget and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Des Moines fire officials say an 18-month-old child suffered burns after falling into a fire pit during an Easter egg hunt last Sunday. Authorities say fire pits - often used for cooking hot dogs and marshmallows - aren't allowed in Des Moines.


(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)