RAGBRAI Route

BOONE, Iowa---The RAGBRAI route through Boone has been set. Police Chief Bill Skare says riders will enter Boone from the north on Division Street, head east on 10th Street, South on Story to Mamie, then west to Greene Street. Riders will take Francis Mason Drive around Herman Hill and then cross Park Avenue and enter McHose Park. Leaving Boone, Skare says riders will take Park Avenue to South Marshall Street, head north to 1st Street then east to Corporal Snedden Drive. Riders will cross US Highway 30 to Quill Avenue and then head south to county road E-57 or 270th Street. RAGBRAI visits Boone on July 26th.

High Trestle Trail

MADRID, Iowa---Governor Terry Branstad was on hand for the formal ribbon cutting ceremony for the High Trestle Trail Wednesday. Branstad was joined by Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and Congressman Leonard Boswell. The event also included representatives of all the city's and county's that participated in the trail project, state representatives and also members of the Iowa Heritage Foundation. Becky Roorda is Chair of the Boone County Conservation Commission and has been heading up the Madrid Celebration Committee. Roorda says Saturday, everyone is welcome to take part in the "Grand Celebration" for the trail which she said would be a mini RAGBRAI type event.

Conversations on Education

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden School District will play host to Dr. Troyce Fisher, former head of the Iowa School Administrators Association, for a special program about the future of education in Iowa. Fisher has begun an initiative to have conversations about what should and what needs to change to remain competitive in education. Ogden Superintendent Bill Roederer says Fisher will be at the Ogden High School Auditorium, Monday May 2nd at 5:30. Roederer says the presentation is not limited to just Ogden residents, but is open to anyone interested in participating.

Relay for Life Team Registration Deadline

BOONE, Iowa---Organizers for the Boone County Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society are pushing for more team participation this year. Cheryl Lenta one of the Co-Chairs says they are working on attracting more teams, which in turn improves fund raising. One of the team registration deadlines is nearing. The deadline to register your team and still get Relay for Life t-shirts is this Friday. Information on getting your team registered can be found on the Relay for Life website.

Boone 13 year old Receives Acting Awards

BOONE, Iowa---13 year old Harvey Roberts of Boone has been award two Iowa Motion Picture Awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. The awards were presented in a ceremony last Saturday at the Stoney Creek Inn in Johnston. Harvey's Best Actor Award was for his role in the film "CTRL+ALT+DELETE". The Best Supporting Actor nod was received for his role as Nathan Dewey in the feature "Ash". Harvey is the third consecutive Boone resident to receive the Best Actor Award. Wes Worthing and Jamie Aaron Kelley were recipients in 2009 and 2010. A picture of Harvey Roberts, his awards and presenter Mike Pace can be found in the the KWBG Slideshow.

District Patrons Will Need Petition

BOONE, Iowa---Boone School Superintendent Brad Manard will continue to present the public forums on possible options for remodeling and renovating the Boone High School, but to make the project move ahead, school district patrons will need to petition for a vote. The School Board took a look at the options and the financing available and has put the information out, but the Board can not bring the matter to voters unless petitioned. That is expected to happen and it's expected to lead to a bond issue later this year. Manard will deliver the last of the scheduled public forums Tuesday evening at 7:30 at the Boone Middle School.

Kids Klub Program Planning for Summer

BOONE, Iowa---The Youth and Shelter Services Kids Klub Program has grown quite a bit in the past 15 years. The program began in the Boone School District and is now found in four other school districts. Laura Teske is the Kids Klub Director and says the Boone Program offers before and after school opportunities and planning is again underway for the summer. Teske says like many programs, YSS is seeing a growing need with more parents qualifying for the sliding fee scale. Teske says the summer program will serve children that are Kindergarten to 6th grade in age.

Heritage Program

BOONE, Iowa---The Ledges State Park will be the subject for the Boone County Historical Society's monthly Heritage Program, later this week. Charles Irwin, Executive Director for the Society says the park was officially dedicated in 1924 and Carl Fritz Henning was the first custodian. The program will be presented by Vern Condon, Henning's grandson. The public is welcome to attend the program, Thursday evening at 7:00 at the Historical Center. There is no charge.

High Trestle Trail Grand Celebration

MADRID, Iowa---Even though many have been using the High Trestle Trail and crossing the bridge over the Des Moines River, a special ceremony is planned for Saturday, April 30th. Earlier this month, a ribbon cutting was held at the newly refurbished Depot at Woodward on the west side of the bridge. Because of the amount of activity on the trail, organizers are opting for a Grand Celebration, hosted by Madrid and other communities on the trail, Conservation Boards from Boone, Dallas, Polk and Story Counties and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation.

Fire Department Staff Changes

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Fire Chief Justin Adams says testing and interviews have been completed and the department will now have three new Captains. Names to fill the vacant positions were Chip Zenor, Kent Peterson and Max Cook. Besides handling shifts and administrative responsibilities when needed, Adams says the Captains will focus on three areas of interest, Fire Prevention, Fire Operations and Training. Adams says the three are among the seven career Firefighters on the department. There are five part-time Firefighters and ten paid on call Firefighters.

Madrid Threat

MADRID, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says deputies assisted Madrid Police with a call about a man threatening a woman with a gun on Thursday evening. Fehr says the individual was talked out of the home in the 700 Block of 2nd Street in Madrid. Fehr says Madrid Police will complete the investigation. Madrid Police Chief Rick Tasler has not had any additional information at this time.

Assessments

BOONE, Iowa---As expected, new property assessments that were mailed out a week ago are a very hot topic. Some people have seen substantial increases, while others have seen reductions or little to no change. Boone County Assessor D. Kevin Burggraaf says his offices goal is to have fair valuations and avoid equalization orders from the state. He says some 10,000 residential properties have been reviewed. Burggraaf also says ag land is set on corn suitability ratio. The new assessments will certainly draw a number of appeals and Burggraaf says he encourages people to appeal their assessments. He has a link on the county web site to help start the process.

Rummage and Bake Sale

BOONE, Iowa---The first night of the 30th Annual Boone Area Humane Society Rummage and Bake Sale apparently went pretty well. Large crowds turned out to the fair grounds to participate and support the major fund raiser. As usual, there were lines forming by early afternoon, waiting for the doors to open. The rummage and bake sale continues through Saturday at the Boone County Fair Grounds. The Humane Society will follow up with their next fund raiser annual Dog Obedience classes.

Recreational Trail

BOONE, Iowa---The work was considered unacceptable but the Park Commission and the City Council have taken action to accept the work on the Senholtz Trail adjacent to the Linwood Park Cemetery. The trail was removed during the first phase of the sanitary sewer rehabilitation project. It was replaced last year but the Park Commission refused to accept the work. By contract, the matter went to binding arbitration and the contractor CTI was allowed to walk away at a cost of $25,000. The City Council has voted to direct over $12,000 to the Park Commission to complete seeding and drainage along the trail.

City Takes Steps to Expand Program

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has taken steps to proactively try and deal with a Department of Natural Resources consent order from 2009. That order for the sanitary sewer rehabilitation work called for completion of the work last November. Mayor John Slight says the Council has put additional funds and directed that most of the money in the City's Property Protection Program be used for residents in the northeast part of the city. Slight says the program focuses on disconnecting footing and perimeter tiling from the sanitary sewer lines and includes sewer backup prevention measures.

Supervisors Asked to Restrict Road

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors have been asked to consider restricting traffic on a county road that passes through the Des Moines YMCA Camp north of Boone. 166th Drive is the road in question. The road is the main access to the "Y" Camp. Camp Director Dave Sherry met with the Supervisors to discuss the matter. Board members have not made any decision and will be reviewing the matter with the County's secondary roads department.

Fire Destroys Barn

OGDEN, Iowa---Tuesday morning, Boone County residents were treated to the rare thunder snow event, as thunderstorms moved through the county, with rain changing to snow. With the thunder was lightning and that was the apparent cause of a barn fire in Marcy Township. Sheriff Ron Fehr says the Ogden and Boone Fire Departments were at the scene with deputies. No injuries were reported. The Kevin McCoy barn was considered a total loss. That fire occurred about 8:40 in the morning.

NSP Grant Application

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has voted unanimously to support apply for more than $400,000 in grant funds for the Boone County Homeless Prevention Board to make available transitional living apartments at Crawford Hall. Work has already been done on the building north of the courthouse to deal with family homeless issues. Council members did raise questions about the City's responsibility if the homeless shelter is unable to keep operating. Some council members have expressed dissatisfaction with the number of change orders received for home renovation during the first phase of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

Public Forums

BOONE, Iowa---Boone School District Superintendent Brad Manard will continue the District's campaign to inform patrons about structural issues with the Boone High School and the plans to deal with matters. Manard has done a number of presentations to various groups and organizations and this week will have three public presentations, Tuesday at 7:30 PM at the Franklin Elementary School, Thursday at 8:00 AM in the 4th floor conference room at the Boone County Hospital and Friday at 10:30 AM at the Golden Corral. School district patrons are encouraged to attend any meeting to get their questions answered.

30th Annual BAHS Rummage Sale

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Area Humane Society will host it's 30th Annual Rummage and Bake Sale at the Boone County Fair Grounds, beginning Wednesday evening. The annual event is one of the major fund raisers in Boone County. Shoppers will have to pay an entrance fee of $5 Wednesday evening if they haven't purchased advanced admission from the Shelter for $4. Jane Elsberry says there are several furniture pieces, clothing, Christmas items and more. There is no admission charge Thursday, Friday or Saturday.

Relay For Life

BOONE, Iowa---In less than 7 weeks, the 2011 Boone County Relay for Life will be held. Cheryl Lenta a co-chair for the annual fund raiser says the Boone County groups efforts are still focused on trying to get more teams to participate. Lenta says groups and organizations can still get teams entered. She also noted that there are quite a few changes this year, including stopping at midnight instead of walking all night. More information on this year's relay in Boone County is available here.

Special Meeting to Sell Bonds

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will be back holding a special meeting, Tuesday afternoon at the Boone City Hall. The Council will consider action to sell nearly $7 million in General Obligation Capital Loan Notes for new construction and to refinance five other bond sales. Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson noted that Moody's Investors have assigned an A-1 rating to the sale. Nelson says the improving General Fund balance and the reserves developed over the past couple of years are leading reasons for the rating.

Neighborhood Stabilization Grant

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council tabled action on a possible grant application from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program earlier this month. The matter will be back on the agenda for Monday. The proposal calls for seeking a grant to allow the Boone County Homeless Prevention Board and others to continue with long range plans to rejuvenated Crawford Hall as a homeless shelter and transitional living location. The Council has not been pleased with the number of change orders associated with the original N-S-P grant the city received.

Economic Development Meeting

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council's Economic Development Committee will meet Monday and will make plans for an upcoming visit by Debi Durham, the new head of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Economic Development Director Beth Brincks will also present information about recent inquiries, including one about a possible hotel project. The Committee will meet prior to Monday nights City Council meeting at the Boone City Hall.

Hy Vee Donates to Museum

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Hy Vee has made a big donation to the Iowa Railroad Historical Society for the proposed James H. Andrew Railroad Museum and Historical Center. Fenner Stevenson, Executive Director of the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad accepted the $25,000 donation Thursday at the Boone and Scenic Valley Depot. The proposed facility will feature space for displays, a theater, library and a growing collection of railroad memorabilia, including numerous pieces from James H. Andrew of Jefferson, Iowa.

Burn Ban Lifted

Boone, Iowa---The ban on open burning in Boone County was lifted Friday afternoon at 4:00. Boone Fire Chief Justin Adams says the situation has improved nicely over the past couple of days, with additional rain and a green up of vegetation. However, he says there is still ample fuel for fires to quickly get out of control if people don't pay attention. Adams says people need to use common sense when planning any open burning, pay attention to the weather, the wind and the proximity to any structures. And, he says if a controlled burn is planned, notify your fire department about your plans.

School Board Approves Budget

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board did officially adopt a proposed budget for the next fiscal year during a regular meeting Tuesday evening. Superintendent Bard Manard says the budget was prepared using zero percent allowable growth as recommended by Governor Terry Branstad. Manard says the rate will be lowered by more than $2.00 per thousand dollars of valuation to a rate of $16.70. He says minor adjustments may be made by the state, depending on the action of the legislature.

Governor Speaks at Holy Week Event

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Inter-Church Council of Laypersons has offered the Holy Week Series of Services for 58-years. This year group has announced that the featured speaker at the kick-off breakfast Saturday will be Governor Terry Branstad. The kick-off breakfast will be held this Saturday morning at 7:00 at the First United Methodist Church at 7th and Arden Streets in Boone. Tickets are available through local churches.

Park Commission Awards Contract

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission has awarded a contract for the repair of storm damage to Herman Hill and a portion of the road around the hill. Heavy rains last year caused damage to the hill and created issues with the road. The project will repair the road and will address the drainage and culvert system. Con-Struct of Ames was awarded the contract with a bid of just under $59,000. The work is to be completed before the end of July, in time for RAGBRAI. City officials say the cost of the project is covered by FEMA.

Council Tables Action on Grant Application

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Homeless Board was going to work with the City to apply for a Neighborhood Stabilization Grant that would help fund additional transitional housing at Crawford Hall. However, the Council had several questions about the proposed project including estimates for the work. Instead of approving moving ahead with the application, the Council tabled action until their next meeting so they get their questions answered. Boone Mayor John Slight says he supports the Council's decision to delay action even though the City isn't putting any funding into the project. The deadline to apply is the day after the next Council meeting.

Even With Rain Burn Ban in Effect

BOONE, Iowa---A Burn Ban remains in effect in Boone, Greene and Story Counties. Many had hoped the rain Thursday might alleviate the situation, but it wasn't apparently enough rain. The official rainfall for Boone was .37, which was not apparently enough to trigger a decision to lift the ban on open burning. The ban was put in place because of the dry conditions and the large amount of fuel available. The Fire Marshall institutes a Burn Ban after consulting with local fire departments. Story County went into effect Monday. Boone County on Tuesday. Greene County on Wednesday.

Pickup Tractor Accident Injures One

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says an accident Thursday afternoon did send a 16-year old Ogden girl to the Boone County Hospital with injuries. The accident occurred just over three miles east of Boone on 190th Street. 53-year old Larry Gustafson was operating a tractor pulling a harrow. Fehr says Gustafson was heading east and made a turn into a farm field. A pickup driven by 20-year old Stephen Ahrens of Ogden was also traveling east and collided with the tractor. 16-year old Cassandra White of Ogden, a passenger in Ahrens pickup was treated at Boone County Hospital.

Homecoming

BOONE, Iowa---A packed house greeted members of the Iowa Army National Guards Company C, 2nd Battalion, 147th Aviation headquartered in Boone. The unit has been on a peace keeping mission of Kosovo and was mobilized in April 2010. Company C flies and maintains the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters and logged over 2,400 hours flying time. Iowa Adjutant General, Major General Tim Orr welcomed the unit home in a ceremony held on the Boone Campus of Des Moines Area Community College.

Fires Continue Dispite Burn Ban

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Fire Departments have been very busy in recent days, dealing with numerous grass fires and even a couple of structure fires. The State Fire Marshall issued a ban on open burning in Boone County Tuesday. Even with that, the Boone Fire Department reported three grass fires and the Ogden Fire Department had yet another barn fire late Tuesday night. The Boone Fire Department did respond to help with that fire. It was the second structure fire in less than a week for the Ogden Department, and that doesn't include the grass fires they handled. Burn Bans are in place for Boone and Story Counties.

Deputy Accident

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Deputy Andrew Godzicki was pretty sore Wednesday, according to Chief Deputy Gregg Elsberry. Godzicki was pursuing a speeding car Tuesday morning on US Highway 30 between Boone and Ogden. Godzicki lost control when he was forced to break for traffic that hadn't yielded to the lights and siren. Sheriff Ron Fehr says the car and driver being pursued has been identified and charges are pending.

Deputy Crashes on Highway 30

BOONE, Iowa---A Boone County Deputy Sheriff was injured when he lost control of his squad car during a high speed pursuit Tuesday morning. Sheriff Ron Fehr says Andrew Godzicki responded to a complaint of a speeding and reckless driver on US Highway 30. Fehr says Godzicki met the orange and blacked stripped Dodge on the south side of Ogden and turned to pursue. He lost control about 3.5 miles into the chase, rolling his car several times in the median. Godzicki was taken by ambulance to the Boone County Hospital. The Iowa State Patrol will be completing the investigation. Multiple agencies responded to the scene of the accident.

Burning Ban

UNDATED, Iowa---The State Fire Marshall has issued a ban on open burning in Boone County until further notice. The ban took affect at 10:00 Tuesday morning. The action followed visits with Boone County Fire Chiefs, whose departments have been responding daily to numerous grass fires. A Burn Ban was issued for Story County Monday. Boone Fire Chief Justin Adams says the open burning of yard waste in Boone will not be permitted until the ban is lifted. He says the Council may be asked to make an adjustment to the Spring Open Burning days, April 15th to May 15th.

Council Expands TIF District

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council began the process to amend the Southeast Boone Urban Renewal District Monday evening. The Council had received no comments during their public hearing and approved the first consideration on the ordinance amendment. Boone Mayor John Slight says the move will make TIF dollars available to help cover the cost of on going sanitary sewer rehabilitation. Slight says he and the Council wanted alternatives to raising water and sewer rates.

Keep Boone County Scenic

BOONE, Iowa---The 2nd Annual Keep Boone County Scenic Litter Pickup day is going to be held April 16th. So far, volunteer efforts for Boone and Boone County have lagged behind other communities. There is still time to get signed up, either as a group or individually. Everyone is being encouraged to take a walk and pick up litter on Saturday the 16th. Lois Powers, Keep Boone County Beautiful Coordinator says there's still time to get signed up. Information and a registration link are available here.

Two 15 year olds Found in Indianapolis

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says his department was notified Saturday morning about a runaway and a missing car from the southwest part of Boone County near Perry. Fehr says later Saturday, his department was notified that the vehicle was recovered and two juveniles were being detained by Indianapolis, Indiana authorities. Fehr says the two juveniles, 15-year old Devan B. Hall of Perry and 15-year old Zachary A. Henderson of Ogden will be returned to Boone County and will face charges of Operating a Vehicle Without the Owners Consent.

Perry Man Hospitalized Following Accident

OGDEN, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says a 66-year old Perry man was hospitalized in Boone, following a single vehicle accident south of Ogden over the noon hour Saturday. Investigating deputies reported that James Walker was traveling south and attempted to pass another south bound vehicle operated by 57-year old John Pithan of Perry. Pithan made a left turn and Walker left the road, went into the ditch, over an approach and rolled. Walker was cited with failing to maintain control.

Annexation Issue Remains Quiet

BOONE, Iowa---Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson says not much has happened recently between the City and businesses in the Boone Industrial Park. The Park has been talked about as a possible area of annexation by the City and the businesses have been campaigning against a study being done to address the matter. Nelson says he has been involved in discussions with businesses and the most recent concept has been annexation over an extended period of time. He says businesses are reviewing the matter at this time. Nelson says Snyder and Associates continues to prepare the often referred to annexation study.

Behn on Electric Rates

BOONE, Iowa---State Senator Jerry Behn, Republican from Boone, is the Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce Committee. This week, the Committee held yet another meeting to receive comments from about proposed legislation that would allow MidAmerican Power to pursue investors for a possible nuclear power plant. Behn says most of the focus has been on the cost and the return on investment. He says there has been less concern recently over safety issues. Behn says the problem he sees is that the cost of electricity will continue to increase. The issue is what's the most cost effective way to meet the demand.

Celebrate Families

BOONE, Iowa---Nice weather should greet families that turn out for the first ever Family Fun Fest in Boone County, Celebrate Families Saturday at the Boone Middle School. The Middle School will be packed with groups that want to share information about what they have for the whole family. The middle school youth leadership program Ricochet challenges parents to try their obstacle course while texting, with the focus on distracted driving. County Sanitarian Mike Salati will have information on Radon and test kits to give to families. And, a free pancake breakfast will be served beginning at 7:30.

Teen Maze In Boone

BOONE, Iowa---Several Boone County service organizations have partnered to bring a new learning event to 7th graders from Boone, Greene and Story Counties. Kiwanians from the three counties along with Youth and Shelter Services, local law enforcement, educational institutions and others will present the Maze to 7th graders next week. An open house for parents, school and community officials is planned for Tuesday afternoon from 3:00 until 5:00. The Teen Maze will be set up in the Community Building at the Boone County Fairgrounds.

Redistricting

UNDATED, Iowa---Proposed new maps of Congressional districts and the Iowa Senate and House Districts have been released. The proposed maps combine Congressmen Tom Latham and Steve King in a district and Congressmen Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack. The new State Senate District for Jerry Behn would be Boone, Green, Hamilton and portions of Story and Webster Counties. The House Seat held by Chip Baltimore would shift west and would include much of Boone, Greene and portion of Webster Counties. The House Seat held by Lisa Heddens would be the Eastern portion of Boone County, the northwest portion of Story County, Hamilton County and a portion of Webster County.

City Waiting on Sewer Project

BOONE, Iowa---Work is expected to begin next week on the remaining portion of the third phase of the Boone sanitary sewer rehabilitation. City Administrator Luke Nelson says the contractor will be working on 8th Street from Benton to Clinton. Nelson says the work will certainly be an inconvenience for residents, but should not hinder traffic. The next segment of work is expected north of the underpass at Linn and 11th Street. So far, Nelson says the DNR has not approved of the updated plan to fix the bottleneck. The city hopes to have that portion completed by early summer.

Supervisors Adopt Ordinance Amendments

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors rarely waive readings on ordinances and ordinance amendments but did so twice on Wednesday. The Board first waived the third consideration on the Floodplain Management Ordinance and then followed that by waiving the third consideration on the amendment eliminating Conservation Overlay language from the Zoning Ordinance. Brian Berge wanted to make sure that waiving the third reading to rescind the language of the Conservation Overlay, wouldn't create a loophole to allow the matter to resurface.

School Board Moves Ahead on Demolition

BOONE, Iowa---As expected, the Boone School Board has taken action to retain the DLR Group as the consultant to assist the district with the demolition of the Bryant and Lowell Elementary Buildings. DLR personnel have been assisting the district in preparation of the expected project, but a formal contract had not been addressed until this week. The Board has also formally accepted the bid of Iowa Environmental Services to work with the district on asbestos abatement. A public hearing on the proposed demolition will be held at the next regular meeting, April 12th.

RAGBRAI Entertainment

BOONE, Iowa---The Register's Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa will overnight in Boone on July 26th and local organizers have announced the entertainment that's been signed for the downtown stage. Dale Blue will kick things off that evening. Damon Dotson and his band will follow and will lead up to the main attraction, Hairball. Denny Hamman has been heading the committee working on entertainment and says he likes what they've been able to put together. Besides the main stage downtown, local bands are being secured to perform at the Herman Park Pavilion. Hear more of the announcement here.

Audit Report

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County has had the State Auditor conduct the annual audit for a number of years, and the recently completed report for the 2010 Fiscal Year has just been released. Local tax revenue in Boone County was just under $40 million. The County retained just over $7 million to finance operations. Total County operations were at $18.6 million. $6.5 million went to roads and transportation. $2.8 million was spent on public safety. The audit report was released Tuesday.

Weekend Fatality

BOONE, Iowa---A 23-year old Perry man has died as a result of injuries sustained in a single vehicle accident Saturday morning near Luther. Sheriff Ron Fehr reported that Ventura Chavez-Emiliano was on 270th Street a mile east of Luther when he apparently lost control, struck a culvert and flipped his pickup. Fehr says the accident occurred about 5:30 AM Saturday and remains under investigation.

Plan and Zoning Recommends Expansion

BOONE, Iowa---The City of Boone is considering an expansion of it's Southeast Boone Urban Renewal District. It's one of several districts in the city referred to be some as TIF districts. The proposed expansion will be considered at a public hearing when the Council meets April 4th. City Administrator Luke Nelson says said the expansion to include the north central, north west and west central portions of the city is being considered to make another possible revenue source available for ongoing sanitary sewer work. The Boone City Plan and Zoning Commission recently met and considered the plan and have recommended the Council proceed with the expansion.

Park Commission Waits on Trail

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission has refused to accept work on the city's Senholz Recreational Trail that runs past the Linwood Park Cemetery. The trail was reconstructed last year after being removed due to the on going sanitary sewer rehabilitation project. The work was considered unacceptable and Commission members wanted the job done correctly. The matter recently went to binding arbitration and City Attorney Alan Schroeder told Commission members the contractor has been told to either grind down the imperfections on the whole trail or pay the city $25,000. The contractor for the project, CTI, has until April 4th to make a decision.

Flood Management Ordinance Amended

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors began amending a county ordinance this week, besides the controversial Conservation Overlay matter. The Board began the process of updating the county's Floodplain Management Ordinance, originally adopted in 1993. The amendments are necessary to keep Boone County residents eligible to purchase federal flood insurance, if they so choose. Supervisor Tom Foster says it doesn't affect all Boone County residents, but after the flooding that's occurred over the years, residents need the option to get the insurance if they want. The ordinance amendment is being considered on the same time frame as the amendment to the Zoning Ordinance. The next public hearing for both will be Wednesday March 30th.

RAGBRAI Committee Chooses Logo

BOONE, Iowa---You've seen it on the KWBG slide show and it is official. The Boone RAGBRAI Executive Committee this week officially selected the logo for the July 26th visit to Boone. The logo features a rider with a locomotive background and after climbing out of the Des Moines River Valley at "Twister" Hill on County Road E-18, riders will certainly be Chuggin' into Boone. Committees continue to meet and volunteers are still be sought. The City is hosting a RAGBRAI site for the overnight visit in Boone. Check it out here.

Supervisor Hold 1st Hearing On Overlay Repeal

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors approved a first consideration to rescind a section of the county zoning ordinance. The Supervisors held their first public hearing on the ordinance amendment Wednesday, and quickly took action. Chairman of the Board Tom Foster said he would vote to remove the language from the ordinance because it was what the public wanted. He pointed out to those attending the hearing that two more hearings are going to be required. The second consideration will be part of the Board meeting on March 30th and the third on April 6th.

Celebrate Families

BOONE, Iowa---Organizers are planning the 1st Boone County Family Fun Fest, Saturday, April 2nd at the Boone Middle School. Kathy Pinkerton, Decat Coordinator, and Kelly Wooden, Drug Free Communities Coordinator, say that the focus is on the family and all family members. The day will begin with a pancake breakfast and will be followed by a chance to visit with many different agencies and organizations to find out what's available for families in Boone County. There's no charge to attend, and whole families are encouraged to plan and spend some time at "Celebrate Families".

JumpStart Boone

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Mayor John Slight is pleased the City Council has continued to move ahead with a program to help Jump Start Boone. Slight says early discussion were directed toward a program for commercial properties, but since then has grown to include residential properties. Slight says the program requires an improvement that would increase the valuation by at least 10%. In turn, the City will offer property tax rebates as an incentive. The program could run for 10 years.

Highway 30 Construction to Begin

AMES, Iowa---The Iowa Department of Transportation says road construction on US Highway 30 from University Boulevard on the east end to the Erickson Curves on the west end will begin next week, weather permitting. The project will be a major reconstruction of the highway and will result in head-to-head traffic in the construction zone. Many people that travel the highway have complained about the condition of the road. Work actually began on cross overs last summer.

Habitat for Humanity Groundbreaking

BOONE, Iowa---Habitat for Humanity of Boone and Greene Counties will be breaking ground on their 18th home in April. Executive Director Erich Kretzinger says the ceremonies are planned for April 10th at 1317 Tama Street in Boone, the site for the next home. This home will be the first under the new partnership with the Boone Community Schools Building Trades Program. Habitat is also focused on trying to complete two additional homes this calendar year.

Supervisors to Consider Ordinance Amendments

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will address two ordinance amendments this week during their regular meeting Wednesday. The first will update the county's flood plain management plan. The second will address the elimination of a section from the county zoning ordinance. Section 4.13 specifies language for a Conservation Overlay. The County Zoning Commission has recommended the language be rescinded following the receipt of petitions with more than 1,200 signatures. The first public hearing on the flood plain management will be at 9:00 AM and the public hearing on the zoning ordinance will be held at 10:00 AM.

Diabetes Alert Day

BOONE, Iowa---Susanne Kersey, RN CDE for the Diabetes Education Program at the Boone County Hospital will guest on the KWBG Talk to the Expert/Health Talk Program, Tuesday and will provide information about Diabetes Alert Day. Diabetes Alert Day is called a one-day "Wake-Up" call to the American Public to find out their risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes. Talk to the Expert/Health Talk airs at 9:05 AM Tuesday on KWBG.

Park Commission Reschedules

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Park Commission has rescheduled their meeting from last Monday to Tuesday evening at 7:00 at the Park Office. The agenda remains fairly light for the meeting, with the primary items being the repair of storm damage from last year. The project is expected to be funded by FEMA. The Commission will also received the Arbitration decision over the matter of the recreational trail near the Linwood Park Cemetery.

Behn Supports Power Plant Legislation

BOONE, Iowa---State Senator Jerry Behn (R) Boone is the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee. Behn was a supporter of legislation that moved through the Committee two weeks ago, streamlining the regulatory process for any business planning on developing a nuclear power plant. Since then, the catastrophe in Japan has led many people to question the direction of the Iowa Senate. Behn says one issue that's been raised is the amount that would be charged back to cover the cost of plant development, whether the plant is built or not.

School District Goals

BOONE, Iowa---Boone School Superintendent Brad Manard has been making the rounds of community and civic organizations to present the School Districts Goals and Concepts for Boone High School. On Tuned In this month, Manard says the School Board is faced with a decision about the future of the High School. Discussion has focused on an addition and remodeling project with the eventual demolition of the oldest part of the building. Manard next presentation will be Monday for the Boone City Council.

Jump Start Boone

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will hold a public hearing on the Boone Urban Revitalization Plan when they meet Monday. The plan has been proposed as a method that will help revitalize economic activity. The proposal being considered would basically make available tax rebates for property improvements with a taxable valuation increase of at least $10,000. The proposal would affect residential and commercial property.

Suspect Caught

Madrid, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says Deputies and Madrid Police Officer responded to an alarm at Van Wall Equipment east of Madrid about 1:00 AM Thursday. Fehr says they discovered a burglary in progress. He says one suspect escaped on the High Trestle Trail, but a second man, 38-year old Jeffrey A. Webb of Polk City was taken into custody. Additional charges include possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools. Fehr says the suspects used ATVs on the trail to approach the business. One of the recovered ATVs was reportedly stolen in Perry about 2 weeks ago. Fehr says the investigation is continuing.

Passport Law Changing

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County residents have been picking up passports in the County Recorders office at the rate of about 400 per year. But with a new law taking affect in May, something will need to change. Supervisor Tom Foster says the new law does not allow an office that handles other vital records like birth certificates to issue passports. Foster says because the Recorders office is one room and the staff is small, a change will need to be made. He says the Board feels the service is needed at the Courthouse and they will try to put together a plan to keep it there.

Parent Meeting for Kindergarten

BOONE, Iowa---Parents that plan to enroll their children in kindergarten or optional kindergarten in the Boone School District will be meeting at the Boone Middle School on Tuesday, March 22nd at 6:30 PM. The program is expected to last about and hour and a half and children do not need to attend. Those parents that can not attend or have not submitted their child's name are encouraged to contact either the Page or the Lincoln Elementary buildings.

St. Patrick's Day Safety

BOONE, Iowa---St. Patrick's Day has become a popular night to celebrate Irish Heritage, even for those that aren't Irish. Boone Police Department Commander Chuck Pepples says the department is urging the public to keep the streets safe this year. Pepples says drink responsible and have a designated sober driver before heading to the parades or the pub. During the same time, other agencies are taking part in a sTEP or special Traffic Enforcement Program, focusing on seat belt usage, speeding and driving sober.

15 Year Old Charged

BOONE, Iowa---A 15 year old Perry youth has been charged with 2nd Degree Arson by Boone County Authorities. Sheriff Ron Fehr reported that Detective Sargent Kenny Kendall had investigated the March 4th incident, in which a vehicle, taken from Ames was abandoned and burned in Boone County. Devon B. Hall was taken into custody Tuesday. Hall is being held in the Juvenile Detention Facility in Eldora. He had been arrested early Sunday morning by Boone Police following a Criminal Mischief investigation. Fehr says Kendall's investigation is continuing.

Charges Pending in Accident Case

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says charges are pending following an accident investigation from Tuesday morning. Fehr says took the call about 6:30 in the morning about a man entering a home on Highway 17 near Luther. The suspect tried to lay down and sleep. 19-year old Guadalupe Diaz of Davenport was taken to the Boone County Hospital. Fehr says the charges will depend on the lab results. Diaz' vehicle was in the ditch, but no injuries were reported.

Water Meter Replacement Program

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council's Utility Committee is expected to recommend the Council allocate more money to continue a regular water meter replacement program. The Committee was presented with a plan to replace residential water meters on a 10 year rotation and larger meters on a 5 year rotation. Staff have been replacing residential meters to take the old telephone service reads out of service. That has been completed. The program to replace meters is estimated to cost $135,000 a year.

Secondary Road Projects

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will be consider plans for the next bridge project for the Secondary Road Department. Due to declining revenues, the Secondary Road Department has had to drop to one bridge project a year. Plans under consideration this year will be for a bridge on Little Beaver Creek in Peoples Township. Last year, a bridge was redone in Beaver Township. County Engineer Bob Kieffer has said the actual dollars received for bridge work has declined and the cost of the work keeps increasing.

Conservation Board Reviews Trail Rules

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Conservation Board is one of several entities working on establishing rules and regulations for the High Trestle Trail. Five communities and four counties have been addressing the rules and regulations so there's consistency along the trail. Since most counties have comparable regulations for parks, there's already some consistency. Individual communities, including Madrid are adopting their regulations. The Boone County Conservation Board wants to be consistent with the Madrid and with the other counties. Work on rules and regulations is expected to continue.

FastTrac Program Begins in a Week

BOONE, Iowa---First Step FastTrac, a trademarked program for entrepreneurial training begins in a week on the Boone Campus of Des Moines Area Community College. Classes will be held on the Boone Campus, Tuesday evenings until May 24th. Dave Cook will facilitate the program and says it's exciting that the program is being made available locally. Previously anyone wishing to participate needed to travel to Newton. Besides that, the cost of the program is reduced because of a grant from the Iowa Foundation for Microenterprise and Community Vitality. A Boone business, Specialty Leathers is also providing scholarship assistance to those that would like to attend. Information is available from Dave Cook at 515-460-1424. Registration is being handled by DMACC at 515-964-6800.

Ogden Economic Development

OGDEN, Iowa---There's still enthusiasm about economic development plans for the City of Ogden. City Administrator Donovan Olson says among other things, the name of the Ogden Community Development Corporation has been changed to Ogden Legacy. He says it's all part of the effort to bring new focus to the communities efforts. Olson says there currently a couple of projects that are being worked on, one a downtown wellness center and the second a project involving Boone County producers that are willing to participate in a marketing plan for produce to organized camps in Boone County.

County Budget Adopted

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors were able to adopt the Boone County Budget for the 2012 Fiscal Year, during a special meeting Monday morning. The original hearing was to have been held on March 9th, but had to be moved due to a missed publication. The budget calls for a 5% increase in property taxes being sought by the county. The urban rate will remain unchanged while the rural rate will increase .10 per thousand dollars. Budgets for the County and the cities in the county need to be submitted by Tuesday.

Supervisors Set Public Hearings

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors have set public hearings on two different ordinance amendments. One, the controversial Conservation Overlay and the second the County Flood Management Plan. The Conservation Overlay proposal is to rescind section 4.13 from the County Zoning Ordinance. The Flood Management Ordinance will be updated for new FEMA maps and language making residents eligible for Federal Flood Insurance. The hearings will be held during regular Supervisors meetings, March 23rd, 3oth and April 6th with the Flood Ordinance at 9:00 AM and Zoning at 10:00 AM.

Daylight Savings and Smoke Detectors

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Fire Chief Justin Adams says the Boone Fire Department encourages everyone to take time and replace their batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors this weekend. He says making it a habit when you change your clocks to daylight savings time and back in the fall will keep your detectors operating properly. Adams also says if you have a detector installed prior to March 2001, it's time to invest in a new one. The general life of a detector is 10 years. He encourages people to look for the new detectors that detect fires two different ways.

Community Theatre

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Community Theatre will begin two weekends of performances of "On Golden Pond" Friday night at the Boone Community Theatre and Playhouse. Performances were pushed back a week because of the weather, illness and the recent death of longtime community theatre participant John Davies. Evening performances will be held Friday and Saturday the 11th and 12th and again Friday and Saturday the 18th and 19th. Curtain goes up at 7:30. Sunday the 13th will be a 2:00 matinee. All tickets are $10.00 and are available at the door or online.

School Board Drops Tax Rate

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board has set the public hearing on the district's budget for a regular board meeting on April 12th. Boone Superintendent Brad Manard says the proposed budget seeks about a $1 million decrease in property tax dollars in the next year, which will effectively reduce the tax rate by more than $2. Manard says the difficult decision made by the Board and Administration 4 years ago have now come around to the benefit of the district and patrons.

City Begins Next Phase in NSP

BOONE, Iowa---The City of Boone is moving into the next phase of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). Federal stimulus funds were received and used by the City to purchase foreclosed on properties. Those homes have now been rehabilitated, and are now going up for sale. City officials say that potential buyers will need to meet income guidelines. The City has worked with the Region XII Council of Governments. Boone Mayor John Slight says it was nice to get to this point, even though he and the Council have had quite a few concerns about all the change orders tied to the rehabilitation work.

Watershed Planning Update

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County residents interested in participating in some of the planning being done for watershed improvement in the Don Williams Lake Watershed, can participate in a public meeting Thursday evening at 6:30 at the Don Williams Park Office. Several Boone County organizations, including Soil and Water Conservation, Keep Boone County Beautiful, Boone County Conservation and others, along with property owners in the watershed, have been involved in a number of assessments. That information will be reviewed and the next steps in the planning process will begin.

Audit Improvements Recognized.

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council received a very positive audit report from Kevin Houston during their meeting Monday. Houston's firm conducts the city's audit and he noted improvement in several categories in the past couple of years. Houston noted there are still a number of capital projects that have not been closed out, some about 10-years old. Boone Mayor John Slight says Boone Finance Officer, Ondrea Elmquist has already begun the work to try and resolve some of those outstanding projects.

Annexation Proposal

BOONE, Iowa---An anticipated proposal from businesses in the Boone Industrial Park to the Boone City Council, addressing possible annexation did not materialize. Businesses in the industrial park have been meeting with some city representatives to try and resolve concerns about an annexation study that's currently underway. The study does identify the industrial park for possible annexation. So far, a proposal under review was consider unworkable by legal counsel. The City has offered a voluntary annexation over an extended period of time. Details have not been made available to the City Council.

Supervisors To Set Public Hearings

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will be setting public hearings Wednesday for two ordinances. One will be on the recommendation from the County Zoning Commission to rescind a section of the zoning ordinance dealing with Conservation Overlays. The second will be the County Flood Plain Management Ordinance dealing with the new FEMA flood maps and mandates that will apply to Boone County.

Baltimore Economic Development Bill

BOONE, Iowa---The Iowa Legislature had a funnel deadline last week and many bills were eliminated from this session. Many bills also continued moving forward and one supported by Boone Representative Chip Baltimore creates a public-private partnership for economic development. Baltimore, a Republican, serves on the House Economic Growth Committee and says he's excited the bill is still alive. He says it received bipartisan support coming out of committee and will hopefully do the same on the House Floor this week.

School Board to Continue Demolition Process

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board will continue to move ahead with the possible demolition of two vacant elementary school buildings. The Bryant and the Lowell buildings have been offered for sale, but the School Board has insisted that who ever buys the buildings have a project that will be a benefit to the neighborhoods and the community. Some district patrons have recently questioned the decision to proceed with possible demolition. Plans for demolition have been approved, but bids have not been received.

Expansion Proposed for Urban Renewal District

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will be considering an amendment to the Southeast Boone Urban Renewal District. The proposal calls for including an area of north central and northwest Boone. The Council will set a public hearing for their first meeting in April, but before that, will hold a meeting with other taxing entities, the school district, the county and hospital and so on, to explain the proposal. The consultation meeting is planned for March 15th.

Boone Budget

BOONE, Iowa---Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson said this week that he feels pretty good about the proposed budget for the City of Boone. Nelson says the Council had wanted to keep the actual rate unchanged and that was accomplished. He says the actual tax asking will vary a little from the current fiscal year. Nelson noted that a couple of capital projects are still in the budget, but a couple of others had to be pushed back. The City Council will conduct it's budget hearing on Monday.

Fair Board Fund Raiser

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Fair Board annual pancake feed will be held Friday afternoon and evening and Saturday morning. The Fair Board has hosted the pancake fundraiser for several years and always designates the proceeds to a specific project, usually in the community building. The Boone Lions Club will donate the cooking expertise and 4-H clubs take turns in helping out. Tickets are $5 and are available at the door. More information is available here.

United Budget Work Continues

BOONE, Iowa---The Board of Directors of the United Community School District will continue try and implement necessary budget reductions in an effort to complete the district's proposed budget for the 2012 Fiscal Year. The focus has been on reducing expenditures by as much as $400,000. The Board will consider contract reductions for Principal and Business Manager. The formal public hearing for the budget will also be set during the meeting Thursday evening.

Annexation Proposal

BOONE, Iowa---City Administrator Luke Nelson says he expects the Boone City Council will receive a proposal in lieu of involuntary annexation at the next City Council meeting. The divisive issue has been driven by an Annexation Study being conducted for the City by Snyder and Associates a contract engineering firm. Nelson says the proposal going to the Council was generated by legal counsel for Industrial Park businesses, including Fareway Stores, Incorporated a mainstay of the Industrial Park. Nelson says the businesses and the City Council have agreed that any proposal be made available for review by the public. The next City Council meeting is Monday, March 7th.

Ogden Council to Review Ordinance

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden City Council will spend the next couple of weeks reviewing a proposed ordinance that will deal with "Small Wind Energy Conversion". SWEC means small wind generators that can be mounted on the roof of a house, barn or garage. City Administrator Donovan Olson says a resident has expressed an interest in the program and the ordinance is being prepared to handle the activity. Olson says residents are encouraged to find out what's in the ordinance and more about the wind generators before the Council's meeting in April.

Supervisors Review Options for CIE

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors have been investigating options to try and deal with shortfalls in reimbursement from the Central Iowa Expo. The Central Iowa Expo was created to oversee the site east of Boone that hosts the Farm Progress Show. Fund raising for the site has fallen short of expectations and off year activities have not generated the kind of income needed to meet the debt obligations.

Zoning Commission Holds Public Hearing

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Zoning Commission held a public hearing Monday as a result of a petition opposed to a section of the county zoning ordinance. The Conservation Overlay section became controversial last year, when it was applied for the first time to a parcel of property being subdivided for a minor subdivision. The matter involved a moratorium, a proposed amendment to the zoning ordinance and a petition drive with more than 1,200 signatures. The Zoning Commission has voted to recommend to the Boone County Supervisors that they amend the Zoning Ordinance to eliminate the section on Conservation Overlay. The matter will probably go the Supervisors on Wednesday, March 9th.

Hospital CMS Hearing

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital Administrators will be arguing for the right to continue operating a skilled nursing unit on the 3rd floor of the hospital. About a year ago, the Kansas City Regional Office determined the service need to stop because the floor wasn't full of patients all the time. Last year, an Administrative Law Judge ruled that the Hospital did have grounds to appeal the determination, setting up the hearing planned for next week. The skilled nursing service was closed down as a result of the initial ruling by CMS.

Relay For Life

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Relay for Life is planning a big kickoff for the 2011 Relay, currently scheduled for June 3rd and 4th. Angie Johannsen, Publicity Co-Chair, says the March Blitz is an effort to generate more team participation. The Blitz will begin Friday at 6:30 PM at The Gigglin' Goat in Boone and Sunday at 2:00 PM at Spinning Wheels in Ogden and finally at 6:00 PM Sunday at the Tiger Bowl in Madrid. Johannsen says several other fund raisers are already being planned.