TreeCycle Program Begins Sunday

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County residents have long supported the Boone County TreeCycle program and the same is expected again this year.  The program takes real Christmas trees and mulches the trees for use in the parks in Boone County.  Lisa Anderson, Boone County Environmental Coordinator says residents are invited to take their real trees, clean them of decorations, ornaments, tinsel, tree stands and drop them off at designated locations.  She says the program is free of charge and will run from the 1st through the 15th of January.  Additional information is available here.

Teams Already Registering For Wellness Challenge

BOONE, Iowa---Nicole Bruce, Director of Live Healthy Iowa says teams are already signing up for the next 100 Day Wellness Challenge, beginning in January.  On the KWBG "Tuned In" Program Friday, Bruce said registration started on December 20th.  She says the online registration is the easiest way for people to sign up or learn more about the program.  Bruce says there is a nominal fee to register, but coupons to lower the cost are available.  She says those that are interested can chose to record activity or weight loss or both.  Information on getting a team registered is available at www.livehealthyiowa.org.

Multiple Injuries In Thursday Accident

BOONE, Iowa---Three people were taken to the Boone County Hospital Thursday evening, following a multiple vehicle accident on US Highway 30 west of Boone.  Sheriff Ron Fehr says deputies investigated the accident that started when a pickup with a trailer full of hay was struck by a vehicle that was apparently struck by yet a third vehicle.  Taken to the Boone County Hospital were 21-year old Megan Engleen of Boone, 20-year old Curtis Sievers of Jefferson and 19-year old Joseph Hupp of Scranton.  None of the injuries were considered life threatening.

Candidates Announce

BOONE, Iowa---Most of the political campaign focus is on the Presidential candidates in Iowa, but after the Caucuses next Tuesday, attention will turn to the June Primary and local candidates for public office.  After winning a term for Boone County Sheriff in 2008, Ron Fehr indicated it may be his last term.  If Fehr decides to retire, there are already candidates that have shown an interest in running.  Current Chief Deputy, Gregg Elsberry has indicated he will seek the Democratic nomination for Sheriff.  Rick Lampe of Ogden, retired from the Iowa State Patrol and currently the Boone County E911 Coordinator, has indicated he will seek the Republican nomination for Sheriff.  

Compensation Board Asked to Reconsider Increases

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Compensation Board met earlier this month to consider recommendations for salary increases for Boone County elected officials.  The Board's recommendations go to the Supervisors and can be accepted, lowered or rejected outright.  The last couple of years, proposed increases were eliminated.  This year, the Compensation Board recommended dollar amount increases based on salaries for similar positions in similar sized counties.  The proposal created some issues for the Supervisors and for Department heads as well.  A letter is being prepared, asking the Compensation Board of reconvene and reconsider their recommendations.

Special Conference Board Meeting Delayed

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Attorney Jim Robbins told the Boone County Supervisors that they currently have the authority to call a special meeting of the Assessor's Conference Board, however he also encouraged the Board to give Assessor D. Kevin Burggraaf a chance to respond to issues raised by the Iowa Department of Revenue.  The Assessor's Conference Board is expected to hold a regular, annual meeting January 24th to consider the Assessor's Budget.  A second, special meeting could be held in February to address the Revenue Department's concerns over the handling of the Commercial and Industrial Valuations in Boone County.

One Injured in Single Vehicle Rollover

BOONE, Iowa---23 year old Mandy Cox sustained an apparent broken ankle when she lost control and rolled her vehicle north of Boone Tuesday afternoon.  Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says Cox was traveling north and lost control when her front tire went onto the shoulder.  She was taken to the Boone County Hospital by ambulance, where she was treated.  Investigators estimated damages to her vehicle at $5,000.  Cox was alone in her vehicle at the time of the accident.

Snow Removal Budget Looks Good

BOONE, Iowa---The good news about the extremely mild weather this fall and during the first few days of winter is the condition of the city's snow removal budget.  A year ago, Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson noted that the city had gone through a good portion of the budget as well as supplies of salt and sand.  Things have been quite a bit better this December.  Public Works has actually been out three or four times to spread sand and salt at intersections because of slippery conditions.

Arrest Made in Stabbing Incident

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says his department has charged 22-year old Blaine R. Snyder of Boone in connection with a stabbing incident at a party east of Boone last Saturday night.  Fehr says injuries to 18-year old Bailie J. Biersner led to a Felony Serious Assault charge.  Injuries to 18-year old Jackson Martin led to a charge of Aggravated Assault.  Injuries to Biersner were to her face and resulted in 60-stitches.  Fehr says she is receiving additional treatment at Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines.  Martin was treated and released from the Boone County Hospital.

Hiker Falls at Ledges

BOONE, Iowa---Emergency personnel answered a call to the Ledges State Park Wednesday afternoon, to rescue a hiker who fell while hiking on the Lost Lake Trail.  Detailed information is not available at the present time, but the hiker was apparently had to be approached off the Des Moines River.  Boone County Sheriff's Deputies, Boone County Ambulance, Boone Fire and Rescue, Boone County Search and Rescue and park personnel handled the rescue.  The unidentified individual was taken to a hospital in Des Moines. 

Tree Trimming Continues

BOONE, Iowa---Mild weather conditions have allowed Boone Public Works personnel to continue their efforts trimming street trees.  Boone Mayor John Slight this week said he was pleased with the amount of work Public Works was able to complete this year.  The trimming of street trees, those on the parking, have been an issue for Slight.  He feels the city should deal with the trimming while city code says it's the responsibility of the property owner.  Public Works and Parks Director John Rouse says city personnel are now working on the south half of the city.

Supervisors to Consider Property/Liability Insurance

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will be making a choice on property and liability insurance quotes when they meet Wednesday.  Currently the coverage is with Quam Insurance and the Board has also received information on coverage from Boehm Insurance.  Presentations were made to the Board last Wednesday.  Since then Supervisors have been comparing the information, seeking the most cost effective coverage.  Usually quotes for insurance coverage is sought every three years.

Frosty Conditions Cause Accidents

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr reported that his department had 4-single vehicle accidents between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM Monday.  Fehr noted that frosty, slippery road conditions were to blame for all the accidents.  The first occurred on the west side of Boone, one at the junction of Highways 30 and 17, one  on Kale Road near Fraser and one north of Boone on Nature Road.  At least two people were transported by ambulance and another visited the hospital by private vehicle.  No serious injuries were reported.  Fehr noted that mild weather conditions have limited drivers exposure to slippery road conditions.

Council Decides Stop Sign Unnecessary

BOONE, Iowa---Since the traffic control system at South Story Street and Park Avenue has malfunctioned, public works has left a 4-way stop sign in the intersection, even though the signals are all flashing red.  City Council Member Gary Nystrom brought the matter up during Monday's Council meeting.  The Council decided that because of the traffic, it would be better to remove the 4-way stop sign and just go with the flashing red lights.  Parks and Public Works Director John Rouse says his department is still waiting for a newly constructed controller to install at the intersection.

Two Injured In Knifing at Party in Rural Boone.

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says Detectives are continuing their investigation into a stabbing incident, reported by the Boone County Hospital Emergency Room personnel Saturday night.  Fehr says an adult male teenager and and adult female teenager were at the party, reportedly at 2180 180th Street, about 6 miles east of Boone.  The female received severe slashes to the head and face and the male was slashed across the arm.  A suspect was located and a knife was confiscated.  Charges are pending.  The identity of those involved has not been released.

Frosty Roads Responsible for Multiple Accidents

BOONE, Iowa---Like many parts of the state, weather conditions this morning made the commute a trying affair.  Boone County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Morlan says roads built up a frost cover as temperatures dropped.  Then traffic compacted the frost, creating a glazing condition.  At least four accidents were reported when vehicles left the road, hit the soft shoulder and ditch and then rolled.  A number of people were taken to the Boone County Hospital for treatment of injuries.  Conditions improved as throughout the morning.

Fire Department Recruiting Interested Volunteers

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Fire Department is in the midst of it's annual campaign to attract interested people to be paid on call fire fighters.  Fire Chief Justin Adams says this is the third year recruiting and training will begin in mid-January.  He the paid on call effort has been as successful as he'd hoped it would be, but it's a constant effort to continue adding and replacing personnel.  Qualifications to apply for the paid on call program are available at the Fire Department Headquarters at 923 8th Street in Boone are on line at www.boonegov.com.

Baltimore Expects A Busy Session

BOONE, Iowa---Representative Chip Baltimore, Republican Representative from Boone, says the legislature will have some important matters to deal with beginning in January.  Baltimore on the KWBG "Tuned In" program says he thinks some progressive things can be done for mental health services in the state.  He also says there will be a big focus on education reform.  However, he still expects most of the attention to be on the economy and jobs.  The legislature will convene on January 9th.

Duffee Recognized at Gold Star Event

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Veteran Ray Duffee will be part of a presentation honoring World War II Heroes, Saturday afternoon at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum at Camp Dodge in Johnston.  Duffee's story as a Navy Corpsman with the Marines at the Battle of Tarawa is included in a book by Scott McGaugh called Battlefield Angels.  Duffee is included in the list of special guests for the event that begins at 2:00 PM.  It is open to the public.

Tree Trimming Half Done

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Public Works and Parks Director, John Rouse, told the Boone Park Commission that the city's tree trimming program is half done when work was completed north of Mamie Eisenhower Avenue.  Rouse told the Commission this past week that trees in the parking had been trimmed when access was available.  Work will move south of Mamie Eisenhower and with luck will be completed in a year or so.  The Boone City Council has diverted funds used for tree planting to tree trimming rather than enforce the city ordinance requiring property owners to have the street trees trimmed.

Trail and Bridge Maintenance Fund

BOONE, Iowa---A number of participants in the High Trestle Trail and Bridge have been talking about developing an agreement that would require the groups to contribute money for a maintenance endowment fund.  Discussion could also include a Regional Trail District for maintenance and management consistency and sustainable funding.  The proposed 28-E agreement was only recently presented to the County Supervisors and  Conservation Board.  It's still to early to tell exactly how the plan will play out, but Boone County officials have been interested in seeing what develops.

Efforts Addressing Delinquent Bills Continues

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Utility Committee is on a mission to try and reduce the number of shut-offs and delinquent utility bills.  Staff told Committee members this week that the more they dug into the matter the more difficulties they encountered.  Part of the problem is that some of the soft ware used to develop reports hasn't matched up to usage reports.  Utility Committee Chair, Council member Gary Nystrom says working at reducing delinquencies will benefit all users of the city water system.

Boone County Family Y Hosts Open House

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Family YMCA is hosting a Silent Night-A Holiday Open House, Friday afternoon and evening.  Part of the event is inviting the public in to take a look at the work that was done following the fire a couple of months ago.  The fire was actually confined to a basement office, but there was extensive smoke damage.  The renovations includes moving some activities around and installing new equipment.  A Silent Auction will be held from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM.  Santa Claus is expected to participate.

Hope Foundation Has Successful Festival

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Hope Foundation annual Festival of Hope Saturday turned out to be the biggest fund raiser the group has had.  At the end of the Festival on Saturday, the Foundation at $22,101.  The amount exceeded the $15,700 received last year and the more than $16,000 in 2009.  So far this year, the Hope Foundation has expended nearly $28,000 to assist more than 75 families and more than 130 Boone School District students.

Supervisors City Continue Talks On Paving

BOONE, Iowa---Businesses in the Boone Industrial Park are pushing for the city and the county to move ahead quickly with a plan to pave the Industrial Park Road and a portion of Quartz Avenue.  The road has not received much attention because of uncertainty about annexation.  The recent voluntary annexation agreement has taken care of the uncertainty.  The city has federal money, allocated for the proposed overpass project and will use that money next year if possible.  The county is planning on a project that would be ready to go in 2013.  City Administrator Luke Nelson is expected to update the Council next week.

Utility Committee Considers Phase 4

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council's Utility Committee has voted to move ahead with planning for the fourth phase of the mandated sanitary sewer rehabilitation project.  The fourth phase affects the northeast part of the community and is projected to cost about $1.5 million.  Perry Gjersvik with Foth Engineering told the Committee that the Iowa DNR has signed off on the proposal and the next step will be to finalize plans, expected in January.  The Council recently endorsed an application for a Community Development Block Grant to defray some of the expense.

CIE Receives Cash Contribution

BOONE, Iowa---The effort to obtain pledges and donations for the Central Iowa Expo site in Boone County received a nice show of support Tuesday.  Monsanto donated $150,000 to help support the 2012 Farm Progress Show Hay Expo to be held next June.  Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey says he was pleased to see Monsanto step up and help promote the show and he hopes other ag businesses in Iowa will follow suit.  Northey says having a site promoting agriculture is an investment for Iowans.  Monsanto Corporate Affairs representative Dave Tierney present the big check Tuesday.

Park Commission Preps for Skate Pond

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission is determined to have a successful skate pond, if it ever gets cold enough for ice and skating.  Park Commission members this week learned that new skates have been delivered and also helmets for those just learning.  Older skates were being checked and cleaned up.  The warming house was being prepared and Park Commission members put out a call for volunteers to help run the warming house, when the skate pond opens.  Those interested in volunteering can get additional information by calling the Boone Parks Department at 432-4211 extension 142.  If there's no answer, leave a message.  Opening of the skate pond is weather dependent.

Conservation Board Rescinds Alcohol Policy

BOONE, Iowa---Last month, the Boone County Conservation Board took action to deal with alcohol related issues that either are or are expected to occur on the High Trestle Trail and Bridge in Boone County.  This month, the Commission rescinded their action after receive input from the Boone County Sheriff's Department. The trail is considered a public area and there are already state laws that regulate alcohol on those areas.  Commission members agreed to work with current state code.  Concerns had been raised about potential problems with alcohol on the High Trestle Bridge.

Festival of Hope Saturday

BOONE, Iowa---The 7th Annual Festival of Hope will be held Saturday at the Boone County Hospital Atrium.  The Festival is the brainchild of the Hope Foundation, established by Boone School District personnel to raise money and use it to help students and families of students in the Boone School District.  This year, for the first time ever, the Foundation has actually used up all the money they've raised last year.  Rhonda Getschman is a board member and says there's a waiting list of families that need additional assistance.  The Festival of Hope will run from 10:00 AM until 4:00 PM.

Pufferbilly Logo and Theme Deadline Nears

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce has returned to having the annual Pufferbilly Days Logo and Theme contest.  Chamber Executive Director Kurt Phillips says local artists are encouraged to submit their ideas for the 2012 Pufferbilly Days festival.  The winning logo and theme will each receive $25 in Boone Bucks.  Phillips says the plan is to judge and announce the winners on December 19th.  More information on the contest is available here.

Paul Campaign Draws Crowd Thursday

BOONE, Iowa---Congressman Dr. Ron Paul brought his Presidential Campaign to Boone County Thursday and packed the Ericson Public Library meeting room.  Paul, currently running second in the polls among Republican candidates has consistently held a strong following in Boone County.  Paul spoke about his plans to cut a trillion dollars in federal spending in his first year as President.  With the caucuses in Iowa just over 3 weeks away, Paul Campaign members took time to organize.

Power Outage

BOONE, Iowa---More than 1,700 Alliant Utilities customers in Boone were without power for more than an hour Wednesday afternoon.  Scott Drzycimski, Communications Program Manager, says the problem was traced to a transmission issue, were an arrestor on a transmission line on the south side of Boone failed causing the outage.  In fact, the outage also affected some of the service for Midland Power customers.  Repairs were made and service was restored by 3:30 in the afternoon.

Employees Recognized

BOONE, Iowa---Each year, the Boone County Board of Supervisors takes time to recognize county employees that have served Boone County residents for 15, 20, 25, 30 or more years.  This week, the Board took time during their regular meeting to recognize 10 employees.  Pictured are Bill Mulder (15 years); Supervisor Bill Lusher; Tim Sheibley (30 years); John Grush (25 years); Dennis Consier (20 years); Veronica Rardin (15 years); Roger Koch (20 years); Sheryl Hurst (35 years); Supervisor Tom Foster; Lois Powers (15 years) and Supervisor Steve Duffy.  Not pictured is Tamara Reimers with 15 years of service.

Shop With A Cop

BOONE, Iowa---There are Shop With A Cop programs and then there's the Boone Police Associations Shop With A Cop program.  Thursday marks the annual Shop With A Cop program for more than 100-children.  The number is narrowed down from the more than 200-children that were nominated.  Members of the Boone Police Department host the event, but hundreds of volunteers will be helping.  Earlier this week, Boone Mayor John Slight, a long time supporter of the program, said monetary donations were still coming in with the most recent check, more than $1,900 from Pat Clemons, Inc.

Grant Received for Miles of Lights

BOONE, Iowa---The Miles of Lights campaign received a big boost with a grant from the Leonard Good Trust of Ogden.  Public Works and Parks Director John Rouse says the Boone Area Merchants Association and Holly Larson in particular worked to secure the grant that will be used to help purchase additional new lighting for the city.  Rouse says the $5,000 will be spent after the holidays in hopes of securing a better price.  Early, Rouse said city personnel were using multiple decorations for parts to make one working street decoration.  Most of the decorations had been in place for 20 years.  Rouse says the city maintains a separate Miles of Lights account and people can donate to the account year round.

Supervisors Amend Ordinance

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Supervisors quickly amended their recently adopted ordinance establishing voting precincts in Boone County, effective next month.  The recommended changes were made by state officials after a review of the previously adopted ordinance.  Part of the amendment included identifying city ordinance for Boone and Madrid which spell out voting precincts in those communities.  Auditor Phil Meier says if either city amends it's ordinance, it will be covered automatically by the county ordinance.  By the way, the Madrid City Council Tuesday amended their ordinance at the request of the state.

Hospital Selects HMS to be Project Manager

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital has retained the services of HMS technology services to be the project manager for the new electronic health records system.  Joe Smith, Chief Executive Officer says HMS was selected because of their working knowledge of the Meditech software system.  Smith says virtually all the hardware has been installed and now the hard work of developing the program for local medical records gets underway.  Hospital staff have estimated the entire project will cost about $5-million, much of which will be reimbursed by the federal government. 

Supervisors To Amend Voting Precinct Ordinance

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will be considering an amendment to the recently adopted ordinance setting out voting precincts in Boone County.  Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Phil Meier says the amendment will focus on the precincts for Boone and Madrid.  Both cities establish voting precincts by ordinance and the amendment will identify the precincts by those ordinances.  Meier says that way if the cities make a change, it will automatically be included in the county's ordinance.

Traffic Signal Malfunction

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Public Works and Parks Director John Rouse told the Boone City Council this week that he will not recommend repairs on the traffic signal at South Story and Park Avenue.  Rouse says the signal has been a problem since a lightning storm last May.  He told the Council Monday that the company that built the system is now in the process of building a new controller box.  Rouse did not have an estimated time frame to get the traffic lights operational.

Council Goal Setting

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will hold another work session Tuesday to complete work on Council goals for the coming year.  Boone City Administrator, Luke Nelson has said he would bring out Council goals for the past several years so everyone gets a good feel for the progress that's been made.  Five years ago, the top goal dealt with annexation.  The Council last month accepted a phased in 37-year voluntary annexation of the industrial park.  However, an annexation study being conducted to consider other areas has yet to be submitted by Snyder and Associates.

Airport Development Request

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council Economic Development Committee will continue discuss a request from the Airport Commission to participate with a development proposal to locate Half-Fast Flying Adventures at the Boone Municipal Airport.  Discussions have been going on for most the past year, but the Committee has been concerned about committing any funds to a project at the airport when few if any jobs are tied to the proposal.  Staff has been working possible tax rebates for a hangar project.

Ohlson Assumes Council Seat Tuesday

OGDEN, Iowa---David Ohlson will take the oath of office Tuesday, filling the unexpired term on the Ogden City Council.  Ohlson was elected in November to fill the position on the Council held by Lyle Conklin.  Former Mayor Mark Trueblood had filled in since Conklin passed away, but did not seek election to the seat.  Ohlson will be sworn in prior to the regular meeting Tuesday evening.  Other unexpired terms were filled on the Boxholm City Council and the Luther City Council.

LP Tanker Site Cleaned Up

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says the clean up of an LP tanker that tipped into a ditch near Moingona was uneventful.  Fehr says as a precaution, residents within a quarter of a mile were evacuated. He says the driver, 31-year old Lee B. Butterfield made the turn a little short causing the trailer to roll into the ditch.  The trailer did have some 2,000 gallons of LP on board.  Damage was minimal and Fehr says the clean up occurred without incident.

Council Meets Monday

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will have a pretty light agenda for their Monday meeting.  Council members will be considering a couple of change orders for the Community Development Block Grant Housing Rehabilitation program.  The change orders were briefly discussed at a previous Council meeting.  The Council has historically been concerned about unexpected change orders on projects.  The change orders actually affect to housing rehab projects.

Chilly Night Greeted Parade Goers

BOONE, Iowa---Wind chill was very noticeable Thursday evening for the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Holiday Lighted Parade in Boone.  After a year off from the Boone Area Merchants Association hosted event, the Chamber picked up the opportunity.  Judging of the entries was held and the float entered by U.S. Bank took top honors.  Lora & Company was second and third went to the Boone National Guard.  The Community Tree was lite following the parade.  Organizers felt that gusty north winds did limit the crowd.

LP Truck Rolls In Boone County

BOONE, Iowa---Emergency responders were handling a single vehicle accident Thursday afternoon near Moingona in Boone County.  An LP tank truck rolled into the ditch.  Authorities are planning a controlled evacuation of the area while they deal with the situation.  The Boone County Sheriff's Department and Ogden Fire Department were handling the call initially.  There are no reports of any injuries.  Additional details are expected later.

Community Concert

BOONE, Iowa---The 11th Annual Community Concert celebrating the Christmas Story will be held at the Boone High School Auditorium Sunday evening.  The annual event features more than 60-volunteer members of a combined choir representing numerous congregations across Boone County.  Pam Grundstad of Boone directs the performance.  There is no admission charge, but a free will offering for Habitat for Humanity of Boone and Greene Counties will be accepted.  This is the largest annual fundraising event for Habitat for Humanity.

Potential Winter Storm

BOONE, Iowa---Thursday's passage of a week cool front caused a little flurry activity in the KWBG listening area, but there's a better chance of a more substantial winter storm headed into the weekend.  Boone County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Morlan says the down side at this time is the uncertainty of the storms track.  Morlan says the certain part is that we will have some precipitation but exactly what and how much is still being studied.

Environmental Health Trailer Presentation

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County has another asset in case of an emergency.  Boone County Planning and Development, Health and Sanitation presented the county's Environmental Emergency Response trailer at a press conference Wednesday.  Mike Salati, Sanitarian and Code Enforcement Officer says the hopes are that the trailer will only see limited use, but just in case, he feels Boone County is ready to respond.  The trailer project is a combined effort of several agencies in Boone County.  Salati says much of the cost was covered through grant programs.

Nelson Says Infrastructure A Priority For Council

BOONE, Iowa---Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson says the City Council has begun the process of planning and preparing the budget for the city.  He says the first work session was a review of goals for department heads and how they fit into the Council's goals.  As expected infrastructure remains a primary concern.  Nelson says the concern is no different than any other city, infrastructure is deteriorating faster than dollars are made available to make repairs.  Nelson made his comments on the KWBG Tuned In Program.

Soup Served

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Historical Society will host their Holiday Soup Supper Thursday evening at the Historical Center.  Charles Irwin, Executive Director says it's a great way to kick off the evening followed by the Boone Holiday Lighted Parade and then the lighting of the Community Tree at Veterans Heritage Park at 9th and Story.  Irwin says tickets for the Historical Society fund raiser are available at the door.

Three Arrested on Drug Charges

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr say three Boxholm residents were arrested Monday on drug related offenses.  Fehr says deputies and the Central Iowa Drug Task Force arrested 19-year old Alicia L. Easterday for selling and furnishing precursors to manufacture meth.  Also arrested were 36-year old Sherry A. Troutwine and 36-year old Daniel L. Troutwine on charges of the sale or transfer of precursors with the intent to manufacture meth.  Both were arrested in Boxholm while Easterday was arrested in Boone.  All three had bond set at $10,000.

World Aids Day Thursday

BOONE, Iowa---World Aids Day on Thursday will be a time when Central Iowa residents will be reminded by shrouded art work.  Janelle Durlin with Mid-Iowa Community Action says it's something that was started sometime ago and is continued today.  Durlin on KWBG Tuesday said HIV and Aids continues to affect many in Central Iowa including men and women of all ages.  

Police Deal With Increases In Calls

BOONE, Iowa---Through the month of October, Boone Police Chief Bill Skare reported increases in several different categories.  Reported assaults and intimidation increased slightly over 2010 while burglary and theft reports went up by almost one-third.  Skare noted that stolen property value was nearly $44,000 compared to the nearly $13,000 reported last October.  Criminal mischief calls were pretty close to last year's numbers and the cost of the damage was about half reported in 2010.

City Council Approves TIF Request

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has approved the annual city request for Tax Increment Finance dollars, amounting to more than $1.3-million dollars.  The largest affected area is the Southeast Boone Urban Renewal District, which was expanded this year by the Council to include the north part of the city.  The newest additions drawing the funds will be for the third phase of the Sanitary Sewer rehabilitation project.

Nystorm Named City Rep on CIE Board

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has nominated Council member Gary Nystrom to be the city's representative on the Central Iowa Expo Board.  The CIE Board will be meeting Tuesday and will consider the nomination.  Nystrom will replace Darrel Rensink.  Rensink has served as the city representative on the Central Iowa Expo Board since it's inception.  Rensink was instrumental in pursuing the opportunity to bring the Farm Progress Show to Boone County every other year.

School Board Proceeds With Bond Sale

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board quickly took the necessary steps to proceed with the sale of nearly $5.8-million in School Infrastructure Sales, Services and Use Tax Revenue Bonds.  The sale is expected to be completed by the next regular board meeting in December.  The bond sale is part of a series of moves being made to finance the renovation of the Boone High School.  The next expected bond sale will be in early 2012 and will be for at least $10-million in general obligation bonds.

Annexation Agreements Adopted by Council

BOONE, Iowa---It took several months, but the Boone City Council has officially accepted the voluntary annexation agreements between the City and property and business owners in the Boone Industrial Park.  The voluntary annexation was driven by an annexation study, conducted on behalf of the City.  On going discussion led to an agreement with phased in annexation over the next 37 years.  It's not known if any similar type of agreement has ever been developed.  The completed annexation study has not been submitted to the City.

Hospital Board Approves Remote Pharmacy

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital Board of Trustees have approved beginning at remote pharmacy program to assist with a reduction in medication errors.  Efforts have been underway to reduce the errors, but the numbers tend to rise when pharmacists are not available for consultation.  The Trustees have accepted a recommendation to retain the services Cardinal Health to provide, remotely, consultations aimed at reducing medication errors.  The service is expected to cost about $5,000 a month.

Supervisors Adopt Proclamation

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Homeless Prevention Board was on hand Wednesday as the Boone County Board of Supervisors adopted a proclamation designating November as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month in Boone County.  The Homeless Prevention Board has spent the last couple of years on the Crawford Hall renovation project, turning into a family shelter.  In the past 7-weeks, ten families have passed through the doors of the shelter.  Three families are still housed at the shelter.  Pictured are some of the Homeless Prevention Board members with Supervisors Tom Foster and Steve Duffy.

Council Hears Equalization Explanation

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council heard first hand from County Assessor D. Kevin Burggraaf and Bob Ehler, President of Vanguard Assessment Software during Monday's City Council meeting.  Burggraaf was updating the Council on the recent equalization order issued by the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance.  Burggraaf and Ehler both confirmed there had been a computer error that significantly altered Commercial and Industrial valuations.  Who caused the computer error is not known.  A 23% equalization was successfully appealed by Burggraaf, returning valuations to 2010 levels.  A revaluation of Commercial and Industrial property has been ordered by the state.

Hospital Numbers Close to Budget

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital was close to budget for revenue through the month of October. Net gain during October was over $75,000, slightly below budget.  So far, the year to date net gain remains ahead by budget by more than $95,000.  Total net gain of more than $435,000 is more than double the amount reported through October 2010.

Rensink Resigns

BOONE, Iowa---Darrel Rensink has served in a number of capacities for the City Boone over the past several years, most recently as an Economic Development and Government Relations Consultant.  Rensink formally resigned from those responsibilities this week.  The resignation was accepted by the Council Monday.  Boone Mayor John Slight says Rensink has assisted in a number of ways, including two stints as interim City Administrator, once when Administrator Brent Trout was on active duty and again, after Trout left for Mason City and before Luke Nelson came on as Administrator.  The resignation is effective the end of the year.

Equalization Order Update For Council

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Assessor D. Kevin Burggraaf and Bob Ehler, President of Vanguard Assessment Software will be meeting with the City Council Monday evening to discuss with the Council and answer questions about the recent equalization order handed down by the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance.  The order was the result of an appeal by the Assessor on a mandated 23% increase in commercial property valuations.  The order also noted other issues and those are expected to be discussed.

Consulting and Government Relations Contract

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council's Economic Development Committee will be discussing some possible changes in the status of the contract between the City and Darrel Rensink on Monday.  Rensink has served as interim City Administrator, he's been the Boone Economic Development Director and most recently took on some duties as a consultant, assisting with Government Relations and Economic Development.  

Shop With A Cop Deadline Approaching

BOONE, Iowa---The deadline to nominate children for the annual Shop With  A Cop program will be this Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.  Boone Police Officer and School Resource Officer Dave Powers says a number of nominations have been received from schools, social service agencies and local churches.  Powers says nomination forms are available at the Boone Police Department at 6th and Story for anyone that wants to make sure a child has been nominated for the holiday event.  Powers says the community has been very supportive with donations, but volunteers will also be needed.  The Shop With A Cop shopping spree will be December 8th.

Alcohol Banned From Bridge

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Conservation Commission has decided to ban open containers of alcohol, which includes beer and wine, from being consumed on the High Trestle Trail Bridge. Commission members this week did not indicate that there was a serious problem, but felt it would be in the best interest of the public to prohibit the practice. Commission members say their intent is not to prohibit alcoholic beverages from the trail, just from consumption on the High Trestle Trail Bridge itself. Signs will be posted and Conservation Officers will begin the enforcement.

Suspicious Fires

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says his department is investigating a series of ditch and field fires that have continued to show up in eastern Boone County. Fehr says several suspicious fires have occurred over the past several days. All have been contained without causing much damage to this point. Fehr says if anyone sees and suspicious activity they should contact the Sheriff's Department with the information. Suspicious activity would include vehicles or people in the area that stop along the roadway, especially if they are unknown to residents.

Graduate 4-H Members Honored

BOONE, Iowa---Over one hundred 4-H members and adult volunteers were honored for their achievements at the annual Boone County 4-H Awards Day at Boone High School. Six outstanding 4-H members received recognition for their achievements and were presented with scholarships that included funds from the Ag Omelet Breakfast, Boone Bank and Trust and US Bank of Boone. Honored were Lauren and Leah Haglund of Ogden, Aja Porter of Boone, Spencer Larson and Kaitlynn Romitti of Madrid and Alexa Lingren of Pilot Mound.

Record Low Interest For Revenue Bonds

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board was pretty excited about setting the record for the lowest interest rate received for nearly $5.8-million in School Infrastructure Sales, Services and Use Tax Revenue Bonds Tuesday.  Matt Gillespie of Piper, Jaffrey says the true rate was 2.87 % the lowest ever received for that type of bond sale in the state.  Gillespie told the board that the difference in the bid and late September estimate amounted to more than $400,000.  The sale is part of the overall plan to finance the renovation of the Boone High School.

Hunger and Homelessness Week

BOONE, Iowa---This week has been proclaimed Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in Iowa and locally, the Boone County Homeless Prevention Board is hosting a open house at the recently opened Crawford Hall Family Shelter.  Pastor Andrea Kraushaar of the First United Methodist Church says homelessness in Boone County doesn't always look like homelessness in big cities.  However, it's a growing problem evident by the fact that the new shelter has only been open a month and half and has been full since the doors opened.  The Thursday open house will be from 4:30 to 6:30 and the public is welcome.

4-H Scholarships Awarded

BOONE, Iowa---Eight scholarships were given out at the 2011 4-H Awards Day last Sunday in Boone.  Scholarships and recipients include the Alice M. Flynn Memorial Scholarship which went to Taylor Johnson of Stratford.  A Scholarship in memory of Julienne Blomgren went to Nicole Ruhnke.  The Helen Jean Bice Scholarship went to Kaitlyn Romitti.  The Chet Randolph Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Andrew Heineman.  Four scholarships from multiple sources went to Stephanie Haberer, Michelle Blair, Jake Venner and Jamie Soderstrum.

Recycling Awards

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce, Boone County Conservation Board and Boone County Landfill and Recycling Center recognized 180-businesses and workplaces for efforts in recycling on Tuesday.  Landfill Administrator Scott Smith says the recognition coincides with American Recycles Day.  Smith says particularly proud of those recognized because everything they do is voluntary.

Fish Kill Begins at Don Williams

BOONE, Iowa---Efforts to eradicate the gizzard shad from the Don Williams Lake in Boone County started Monday, as the Iowa Department of Natural Resources applied chemical that removes oxygen from the water.  The result will be the kill off of the gizzard shad which have become a problem at the lake.  Andy Hockenson, Conservation Director says it's the last step in a plan that included lowering the lake level 16-feet, making repairs on the spillway of the dam and also doing some clean-up of the lake bottom.

4-Her's Honored

BOONE, Iowa---The annual 4-H awards program was held Sunday November 13th and over one-hundred 4-H members and adult volunteers were honored for their achievements.  Eight outstanding Freshmen 4-H members were honored by the family of Arnold and Marie Harris.  Recipients included Cory Irwin, Kenton Reece, Kelsey Williams and Jessie Soderstrum of Boone, Delaney Aitchison and Mary Heiller of Madrid and Grant Heineman and Zane Satre of Ogden.

Arsenic In Water Supply

BOONE, Iowa---A study by the University of Iowa has found that hundreds of Iowa residents are drinking tap water polluted with arsenic and health workers are increasing efforts to have private well owners test their water.  There were a couple of public systems that had tested high for arsenic, but Boone officials say the city's water supply hasn't had a problem with arsenic.  Utility Superintendent Roy Martin says all city tests have results below the minimum limit.  According to Martin the next scheduled test will be in 2014.  

Supervisors to Canvass Election Results

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday to canvass last Tuesday's municipal election results.  Most of the numbers are not expected to change.  Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Phil Meier indicated last week that two-absentee ballots that had been sent overseas had not been returned.  There were several contested races in Boone County, especially in Boxholm, Luther, Ogden and Pilot Mound.  

Veterans Groups Donate to PTO/PTA Groups

BOONE, Iowa---Three veteran organizations in Boone were recognized by the Boone School Board and the District for donations to the elementary PTO and PTA groups.  The Marine Corps League, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars make up the Boone Veterans Council.  The monetary donations are going to be used to buy students the necessary winter clothing and footwear they need but can't afford.  The organizations were represented by Erling Larson, Marine Corps League, Dick Thul, American Legion and Dave Christensen,  VFW.  Dr. Pam Nystrom presented the recognition to the School Board.

Boone County Mayors

BOONE, Iowa---Several Boone County Mayors were uncontested in Tuesday's municipal elections, but there were a couple of races.  One of the closest was for Luther.  Mary Bergeson is the apparent winner over Franklin Duroy, 21-to-18.  For Boxholm, voters had two names to select from for Mayor and chose James Scheuerman over Dave Huffman.  Pilot Mound voters elected Leda Burton over Jay Williams 53-to-19.  Uncontested or write-in winners for Mayor included John Slight in Boone, Jeff Gibbons in Madrid, Keith Berg in Ogden, Kenneth Elsberry in Beaver, George Moore in Berkely and Jeff Paris in Fraser.

Boone Park Commission

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission will have two new members and at this time, it appears that write-in campaigns by Taylor Tidgren and Brenda Wafful were successful.  Tidgren formally announced a write-in campaign last week.  Wafful's campaign included text messages to friends.  Voter turnout was extremely light in Boone, with only 274 votes cast.  The unofficial returns have Tidgren with 34 votes and Wafful with 24.  Numerous others received votes for the Park Commission.

Water Main Break Affects Fareway Warehouse

BOONE, Iowa---Most people were cautioned about an anhydrous ammonia leak at the Fareway warehouse Monday evening.  Sheriff Ron Fehr says the several agencies responded, including Emergency Management and Des Moines Haz-Mat.  Fehr says the warehouse was evacuated.  No injuries were reported.  He noted the leak was confined to a small area and was no danger to the public.  However, a main waterline beneath the floor of the warehouse ruptured and heaved the floor apparently causing the anhydrous leak.  Quite a bit of water and mud entered the warehouse creating a massive clean up.  The cause of the water line break has not been determined.

Development Agreement Completed

BOONE, Iowa---Proposed changes to a development agreement between the City of Boone and Wal~Mart have been accepted by Wal~Mart.  Last month, the Council sought changes to the agreement including an increase in the cost of making traffic improvements should they be required after Wal~Mart relocates on the south side of Boone.  Boone Mayor John Slight says the agreement is not so much for Wal~Marts project, but to provide assistance to the City if traffic issues arise.  Part of the agreement includes a $75,000 letter of credit for any possible future work to be determined within 2-years of the new store opening.

Council Rules Dog Vicious

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council usually doesn't have many hearings to determine the status of a dog following a dog bite, but the Council did have a case Monday.  Boone Mayor John Slight says the case began with a notification by the Emergency Room Personnel at the Boone County Hospital.  The Boone Area Humane Society serves as animal control for the city and quarantined the dog for 10 days.  It has since been released to the owner.  Because of the bite and the owners reluctance to restrict the dogs activity, the Council voted to euthanize the dog.  Slight says he feels the Council's decision is best for the safety of the public.

Municipal Elections Take Center Stage Tuesday

BOONE, Iowa---There are several contested races in Boone County for Tuesday's municipal elections.  There are Mayoral races in Boxholm, Luther and Pilot Mound.  There are various City Council races in Boxholm, Luther, Madrid, Ogden and Pilot Mound.  County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Phil Meier says polls open at 7:00 AM in Boone and Madrid.  All other polls will open at 12:00 PM.  All polls will close at 8:00 PM.  There are expected to also be a number of write-ins, including write-ins for Boone Park Commission where Taylor Tidgren as announced as a write-in candidate.

School Board to Review Certified Enrollment

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board will receive the official certified enrollment information during their Tuesday evening meeting and District Business Manager Paulette Newbold will present the board with information on the impact on the 2012-2013 school district budget.  Reports already have the Ames District talking about staff reductions because of a nearly 60 student decline in enrollment.  The monetary impact per student is over $5,500.

Red Kettle Campaign

BOONE, Iowa---The Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign will kick off this Thursday and will continue through December 24th.  Lt. Bill Rutledge says The Salvation Army of Boone County has an aggressive goal of  at least $150,000.  He says that will fund programs and maybe even expand some of those programs.  The biggest need now will be Volunteers to help "Ring the Bell!"  Information on signing up as an individual or a group is available at www.ringbells.org or by calling 515-432-5770.  Bell ringers are need from 9:00 AM until 9:00 PM, Monday through Saturday except on Thanksgiving.

City and County Consider Road Project

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors and the City of Boone could be coming together to work on a road reconstruction project.  The Industrial Park Road has been a consistent target because of the City plan to annex the Industrial Park.  It appears that discussions have led toward a possible three-way partnership to complete a repaving of the road.  Participants would be the City, County and the Industrial Park The Council has yet to receive any of the Voluntary Annexation Agreements present earlier this summer.  The Council has also not received a completed Annexation Study from Snyder and Associates.

Beckwith Recognized by IGIA

BOONE, Iowa---The 18th Annual Iowa Grocery Industry Association Hall of Fame Dinner was held in West Des Moines this week, and Richard P. Beckwith, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Fareway Stores was selected the recipient of the Retailer of the Year Award.  Beckwith began working at Fareway at the age of 16.  He became Chairman of the Board and CEO last year.  Beckwith is the fourth Fareway employee to earn Retailer of the Year from the IGIA.

Meals From The Heartland

BOONE, Iowa---The first time local effort to package Meals from the Heartland in Boone seems to be coming together pretty well.  Volunteers have been handling the work at the Sacred Heart School in Boone.  Meals will continue to be packaged on Saturday.  Many participants have traveled to Des Moines to participate in the package of meals before and others have participated in other communities.  This two day event is the first time Boone area residents have hosted the event locally.

Ogden Council Works With Fitness Center

OGDEN, Iowa---Last fall, Ogden residents indicated they would like to see a fitness center locate in their city. That is a step closer with the City Council directing Administrator Donovan Olson to sign a contract with No Sweat Fitness.  Mark Quinn, owner of No Sweat Fitness, will locate in a lower level room at the Leonard Good Community Center for up to two years.  Olson says the use of the Community Center could help get the Fitness Center off the ground.

Supervisors Approve New Commissioner

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors took action to formally approve William L. Sharp as the news Commissioner on the Boone County Veterans Affairs Commission.  Sharp replaces Jennifer Doak who resigned this summer.  Sharp joins Ray Neumann of Madrid and Craig Wearmouth of Ogden on the Commission.  Orvil Nelson, long time Commissioner and World War II veteran continues to work with the Commisison.

Another Scam Surfaces

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says yet another scam has surfaced in Boone County.  He says this week, a rural Boone County couple notified the Sheriff's Department that they were called by an unidentified person and told to go to Wal~Mart and purchase a green gift card.  They were told they could win $5,000 and a new car and all they had to do was call in the numbers off the card.  Fehr says the gift cards require people to put a dollar amount on the card.  He says giving out the numbers will allow someone to use the card.

Durham Speaks to Boone's Future

BOONE, Iowa---Boone's Future, the Economic Development group for Boone County, held an annual meeting Tuesday and featured speaker was Debi Durham, Director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority.  Durham told the group that the economy is not a partisan problem, but an economic problem and a combination of things need to be done to make improvements.  Durham says some good things have been done at the federal and the state level, but it's just a beginning.  Boone's Future named Rhonda Nelson of CDS as the new President, replacing Fred Greiner of Fareway.

Recycling Award Nominations

BOONE, Iowa---Within the next week, the deadline will arrive for the annual Boone County Outstanding Business/Workplace Waste Reduction and Recycling Awards.  Lisa Anderson, Boone County Environmental Education Coordinator says last year 176 awards were presented.  She says the number has increased every year as businesses find it more cost effective to participate in recycling.  Anderson says nomination forms are available from the Boone County Landfill and the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce.  There's also information on the Boone County website www.boonecounty.iowa.gov.

Safe Room Project

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors are continuing to work with the Iowa State University 4-H Foundation to secure federal dollars for a safe room to be constructed at the 4-H Camp in Boone County.  The Foundation is working with the Supervisors because it take a governmental entity to access the program.  This week, the Supervisors will consider a resolution regarding the local match for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. 

City Elections in One Week

BOONE, Iowa---Municipal elections will be held in one week.  For Boone, none of the seats for Mayor or Council are being contested.  Two openings on the Park Commission don't even have candidates.  Meanwhile in Ogden, there are four candidates for three regular Council seats and two candidates are vying to fill an unexpired term on the Ogden Council.  There are races in Boxholm, Luther and also Pilot Mound.  County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Phil Meier says some are wondering about the new voting precincts.  Meier says they don't take affect until 2012.

Ogden Farmer Dies in Accident

OGDEN, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says 74-year old Richard "Dick" Shaw of Ogden was the farmer pronounced dead at the scene of a farming accident near Pilot Mound Saturday morning.  Fehr says a hose on an anhydrous ammonia tank apparently broke and caused huge toxic cloud that settled over the field.  Officials believe Shaw was overcome by the fumes.  Shaw's son Michael, 54, attempted to rescue his father and shut down the anhydrous tanks, but calm conditions allowed the cloud to stay over the field.  Four first responders were also treated for affects of anhydrous at the Boone County Hospital.

Farm Accident

PILOT MOUND, Iowa---A farm accident with the application of anhydrous ammonia has resulted in one death and hospitalized several others. Boone County Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Morlan says calm weather conditions were a real problem as the toxic cloud covered a large area and kept moving with the variable wind conditions. The operator of the tractor did not survive the exposure. One other is hospitalized in Des Moines and several first responders were or are being treated at the Boone County Hospital.

RAGBRAI Checks Awarded

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone RAGBRAI Committee continued the distribution of proceeds from this year's RAGBRAI visit to Boone. Earlier this week, over $3,300 was presented to the Boone Police Department of Shop With A Cop. Friday, Non-profits that applied for a portion of the money received their checks. $500 for the Boone County ABWA, $600 for the Boone Pioneer Senior Citizens Center and $300 for the First Baptist Church coffee house project. A fourth check for more than $3,600 was given to the City of Boone Fireworks Fund. Two foundations will also receive money, the Boone Parks Foundation and the Boone County Hospital Foundation.

Go Ahead Given For Project Manager

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital Board of Trustees have set some parameters a project manager for the current Electronic Medical Records project. This week, the Board authorized hospital administrators to select someone that fits the parameters and get them started on the multi-million dollar project. Hospital CEO Joe Smith says interviews have been conducted with two firms and two additional will be interviewed. A selection is expected in the next couple of weeks. The project is expected to be completed in about 4 years.

Trick or Treating and Beggar's Night

BOONE, Iowa---Boone and Ogden residents will have Trick and Treaters visiting their homes on Monday, Halloween and Madrid will have Beggar's Night on Sunday due to a home football playoff game. Madrid residents are also encouraged to bring their children to the Madrid Home and the Cedars for Beggar's Night. In Ogden, residents can also participate in Trunk or Treat in downtown Ogden. As always, if you wish to have children visit your home, leave on the outside light. With mild weather conditions, law enforcement is also encouraging motorists to be aware of the extra pedestrian traffic.

City Continues Property Protection Program

BOONE, Iowa---Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson says the City is continuing it's support of the Property Protection Program for residents that want to make sure footing tile and sump drains are disconnected from sanitary sewer lines. This week, Nelson said the focus will be on making that assistance available to residents in the northeast part of Boone, the targeted area for the next phase of sanitary sewer rehabilitation. Nelson says the Council approved additional funds to provide assistance to more residents. Information on the program is available at the Boone City Building Officials Office.

Christmas Assistance Deadline Friday

BOONE, Iowa---The Salvation Army of Boone County will close the application process for Christmas Assistance Friday afternoon. Lt. Bill Rutledge says the application process has been underway nearly two weeks. He says the assistance, which will include food and toys, will be distributed in mid-December. Rutledge also says the Salvation Army will begin their Red Kettle Campaign in two weeks on November 10th.

Drug Drop Off

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County will once again hold another Drug Drop Off event, Saturday from 10:00 until 12:00 at the police departments in Boone, Madrid and Ogden. Kelly Wooden, Boone County Project SAFE Coordinator has said the Drug Drop Off event has proven to be a success locally. Residents have a safe way to dispose of unused and expired medications. The Drop Off accepts prescriptions, over the counter medications, vitamins, supplements and unused and expired pet medications.

Ogden School Addition Progressing

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden High School addition and renovation project has been moving ahead very well according to Superintendent Bill Roederer. Roederer attributed the progress to the weather, which has allowed the contractor to actually stay outside and do work that was expected to be addressed next spring. A big part of the work is for the cafeteria at the High School. There will be additional class room renovation as well.

City Acquires Property for Water Tower

BOONE, Iowa---Acquiring the property is one thing, building a new water tower on the southwest side of the city is another. Over the past couple of City Council meetings, the Council accepted applications for voluntary annexation of property near the corner of Park Avenue and Marion Street. Altogether, the City obtained just over three acres for less than $30,000. A water tower on the southwest side of the city is expected to improve water pressure for the area, which could lead to additional residential development. Roy Martin, Superintendent of Utilities, has targeted such a project for several years.

RAGBRAI Proceeds Being Distributed

BOONE, Iowa---Organizers for RAGBRAI in Boone hoped the event would more than break even and if that was the case, additional proceeds would be doled out to a variety of community agencies and activities. The first of seven distributions was held Monday when Cody Bowers of the RAGBRAI Finance Committee presented a check for $3,359.62 to the Boone Police Department Shop With A Cop program. The Shop With A Cop program was selected because of it's strong community support and the opportunity it makes available to children.

Municipal Elections

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Auditor and Commissioner of Elections Phil Meier says some voters are apparently misunderstanding the recent action taken by cities and the county to establish new voting precincts. Meier emphasised that the any change does not take affect until January 15th, 2012, next year. He says the municipal elections in two weeks will use the same voting locations as they have in the past. The most recent change for voting in Boone was the move in the Boone 4th Ward from Franklin Elementary to the Ericson Public Library. Only Boone and Madrid have multiple precincts.

School Board To Set Bond Sale

BOONE, Iowa---In what will be the first of a series of bond sales to finance the renovation of Boone High School, the School Board will be taking action Tuesday to set the sale of Sales Tax Revenue Bonds yet this calendar year. The sale is actually planned for November and will be finalized prior to the end of the calendar year. The District is limited on the amount of debt that can be sold in a calendar year. The Sales Tax Revenue Bond sale is about $5.5 million.

"Y" Reopens

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Family YMCA was finally able to open for business Thursday afternoon, but staff members point out the facility is not completely recovered from a fire last Friday. The fire was confined to a basement office, but did cause quite a bit of smoke and water damage. Many of the upper levels were reopened, but the pool, weight room and aerobic fitness room are still being cleaned up. Several programs are being rescheduled and will continue as soon as possible. On going information about the work to recover from last week's fire is available through the "Y"s website.

Guard Conducts Boss Lift

BOONE, Iowa---Several business representatives from central Iowa participated in a "Boss Lift" by the Iowa National Guard Wednesday, all part of the renewed effort to recognize the Iowa Employer Support of Guard and Reserve. The ESGR orientation was held at the Aviation Support Facility in Boone and included a flight on a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter. Becky Coady told those on hand that of the 2,800 members of the guard that recently returned from Afghanistan, about 700 are currently unemployed and their effort was to help reduce that number.

Consent Order

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Mayor John Slight says he will be signing a consent order with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources regarding the City's on going sanitary sewer rehabilitation work. The Boone City Council approved the document for signing this week. The new order was amended at the City's request. Four years ago, Slight refused to sign the original consent order that included penalties for failing to make improvements under the DNR timetable. The new consent order waives the penalties.

Carroll Man Sentenced After Boone Arrest

DES MOINES, Iowa---37-year old Duane Russell Conroy of Carroll was sentenced in U.S. District Court this week to 170 months in prison and 8 years of supervised release following imprisonment. Conroy was arrested in Boone in November 2010 and plead guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The case was investigated by the Central Iowa Drug Task Force, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Boone Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

Burning Hours Extended

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council, on a 4-to-3 vote, approved making it more convenient for Boone residents to be able to get home from work and burn yard waste in the fall. The Council approved extending the hours of open burning until 7:00 PM. The ordinance adopted in 2000 set the hours from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM. The Council was presented with a petition with a few dozen signatures asking that no change be made in the time for open burning.

Supervisors Discuss Program for Drainage Districts

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will be meeting with Don Reefer during their regular meeting Wednesday to discuss a rotation program for brush and weed control in Drainage Districts. Reefer specializes in control brush and weeds that clog waterways, creating expensive clean outs. Several recent clean outs in Boone County dealt with trees and tree roots affecting drains. The Board's discussion will be about a 3-year rotation of a brush control program for Boone County Drainage Districts.

Library Board Seeks Two Members

BOONE, Iowa---Barb Rardin, Director of the Ericson Public Library told the City Council this week, that two board members are departing after several years of service to the community. Roberta Reideler and Don Shaw were last appointed to the Board of Trustees in 2008. Trustees are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Council.

Final Equalization Order

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Assessors Office will be a pretty busy place for the next couple of weeks.  Late last Friday, the County received the 2011 Final Equalization Notice for Boone County.  The notice is the result of an appeal of a 23% assessment increase on commercial and industrial property.  Boone County Assessor D. Kevin Burggraaf says over the next week, notices will be prepared and will be sent out, offering commercial and industrial property owners a chance to appeal any increases.  The order also requires that all Commercial and Industrial properties go through reappraisal, for the 2013 assessment year.

Amended Consent Order

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council is hoping to be able and give consideration to an amended Consent Order from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  The Consent Order requires that the City continue to deal with sanitary sewer issues.  The Council has already agreed to continue work but had some issues with language that said there would never be another sanitary sewer back up in the community.  Council Member Gary Nystrom noted that this past summer, parts of Dubuque received 14-inches of rain which would most certainly cause sewer back up.

Banner Covers Damage

BOONE, Iowa---Residents will see a new banner on the front of the Boone Police Department, replacing a banner that touted RAGBRAI's visit to Boone earlier this summer.  The banners cover damage to the from a summer storm that occurred earlier in July.  Already, the City Council has been appraised of the situation and will be considering some other options.  Water damage to the covering has forced the discussion of removing the covering a considering restoration of the building front.  City Administrator Luke Nelson told the Council earlier this summer that such a project would help promote some of the City's downtown revitalization efforts.

Fire Damages YMCA

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Fire Department spent a number of hours late Friday night and early Saturday putting out a fire at the Boone County Family YMCA. Officials report that the fire originated and was essentially confined to the office area of the facility. The damage was considered extensive. There are also reports of quite a bit of smoke and water damage. The Boone County Family YMCA, part of the Y of Greater Des Moines is closed. Off site activites are still scheduled. The cause remains under investigation.

Burning Hours Could Be Extended

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will be considering a request to extend the hours of open burning of yard waste. Currently, City Code sets the burning time from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM. Earlier this month, Council Member Gary Nystrom called for an amendment to the ordinance because most people that work aren't able to get home to burn their yard waste. However, the Council does have the authority to extend the hours by resolution and will consider doing that Monday. If approved, the change could go into affect right away. The original dates and hours were set by ordinance in 2000.

Two from Sacred Heart Honored

SIOUX CITY, Iowa---Two Boone residents were honored recently during the 15th Annual Bishop's Dinner for Catholic Education for the Diocese of Sioux City. Doris Riesselman, 4th grade teacher at Sacred Heart received one of four Excellence in Education Awards and William Richter the head custodian at Sacred Heart received the Good Shepherd Award. The awards were presented by Bishop R. Walker Nickless.

Humane Society Open House

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Area Humane Society Annual Open House will be held Sunday afternoon at the shelter at 228 West 16th Street. The Open House will be held from 1:00 PM until 3:00 PM and offers the public a chance to see the shelter and get questions answered about the operations. There's no charge to attend, and there will be door prizes. Memberships will also be available. The Annual Membership meeting was held last Tuesday.

High School Renovation Timeline.

BOONE, Iowa---Tom Penney with the DLR Group, Architect for the Boone High School renovation project, says their group will be very busy trying to stay on schedule with the Boone School District project. Penney says the first part of the work, including concept design, is expected to be completed by December 1st. He told the School Board this week that he hoped to go out for bids in June and see construction begin in August 2012. The early projection for completion is August 2015.

Trail Users Affecting Residents Near Madrid

MADRID, Iowa---Residents along QF Lane, west of Madrid, near the High Trestle Trail Bridge have enjoyed the use of the recreational trail but have been having some problems because of the trails location. During construction, it was suggested that a small, gravel parking lot be constructed there to allow handicap accessibility to the bridge. It turns out that quite a few people like parking there and the vehicles have ended up on QF Lane, making the road impassable. Residents have asked the Boone County Supervisors to make some changes to help, including setting speed limits. Recently, vehicles parked on the road blocked a combine from getting to a field for harvest.

Salvation Army Begins Christmas Signup

BOONE, Iowa---The Salvation Army in Boone County will begin taking applications for Christmas assistance next week. Lt. Bill Rutledge says families and individuals needing assistance will be able to stop at the Salvation Army Office Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 9:00 AM until 3:30 PM and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00 Noon until 6:30 PM. He says a picture ID will be needed and social security numbers for each member of the family along with proof of address. The application deadline is October 28th.

Utility Committee To Review Wind Energy Proposal

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council's Utility Committee is prepared to review an ordinance dealing with small wind energy conversion systems. The ordinance has been sitting for some time as the city waited to see if there was any interest in the community. The most recent issue was the size of the lots, initially limited to one acre. Since then, some questions were raised and the Council directed the matter back to the Utility Committee at their last meeting. The Utility Committee meets at the City Hall Wednesday at 4:00 PM.

Supervisors to Meet With IT Committee

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Supervisors will be meeting with the County's IT Committee during their meeting Wednesday to the future direction of the department. Since the resignation of Bob Duncan earlier this summer, the Supervisor have been investigating what direction to take for the Department. Do they continue as is, make changes and if so what kind of changes. The IT Committee is made up of several different departments and has been reviewing information collected from a number of sources. Increased digital demand is putting pressure on the Supervisors to make some decisions.

Park Commission Approves Tree Removal Bid

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission has approved a bid for the removal of more than 30 street trees over the next several months. The Commission awarded the contract to Rex Schell Tree Service of Boone for a bid of just under $18,000. John Rouse, Parks and Public Works Director, says the work is all over the community and is part of the regular work done to remove diseased, dead or dying street trees. A lower bid was received from David Chapline of Ogden, but the Commission members opted for the bid from Schell.

Boone Parks Sledding Hill

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission is expected to bring up the sledding hill issue at their next meeting. The sledding hill was closed following a lawsuit against the City and others after a woman was seriously injured. Part of the discussion next week is expected to deal with pursuing legislation that would remove the liability if certain things were done to make the hill safer. The discussion about the legislation came up last year, but with the settlement of the lawsuit and the agenda of the legislature, the matter was dropped. The Park Commission meets Monday evening at the City Park Office.

Start Somewhere Walks

BOONE, Iowa---Quite a few people participated in the Start Somewhere Walks held in Boone County Friday. The HyVee-Fareway combined walk drew nearly 140 participants that walked from HyVee to downtown Boone, down Story Street to the Gigglin' Goat, which was the former Fareway Store in Boone, then back to HyVee. Another large walk locally was at the Boone Campus of DMACC, a walk which included several participants from the Boone County Family YMCA. There was a walk organized in Ogden which drew a nice turnout and many schools also participated.

Trains Continue to Run

BOONE, Iowa---Union Pacific Railroad Locomotive Engineers are part of nearly a dozen different rail unions that were poised to strike Thursday night following a 30-day cooling off period. A Presidential Emergency Board of appointed and intervened to keep rail traffic rolling for another 60-days, 30 to review and recommend a contract settlement and another 30-day cooling off period. 97% of the voting members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen voted to authorize a strike.

Communications Upgrade Funding Discussed

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will need to make some decisions soon about funding options for the mandated upgrade in Boone County Emergency Communications. 911 Coordinator Rick Lampe and Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Morlan met with the Supervisors Wednesday and reviewed the current status of the narrow banding upgrade. Lampe says a system has been selected that would be upgradable and provide at least 98% coverage in the county. Depending on additional frequencies, the system could cost about $750,000.

Operation ReLeaf

BOONE, Iowa---Operation ReLeaf, a residential tree planting program, will wrap up in Boone County Thursday. The program involves Alliant Utilities, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Boone County Conservation Commission. Landscape trees have been made available at greatly reduced prices. Trees are being delivered to the Don Williams Recreational Area on Thursday and those that have purchased trees need to pick them up Thursday evening near the boat ramp and bait house at Don Williams.

Ogden Resident Proposes Volunteer Effort

OGDEN, Iowa---Ogden resident Dave Huntley told the Ogden City Council Tuesday that he and his wife would like to try and spur a volunteer effort to keep parts of the community cleaned up. Huntley said he and his wife would like to clean up at the shelter house in the park. He said he hoped his idea would spur others to voluntarily select spots to keep cleaned up. It worked for one Council Member, Margaret Liston said she would volunteer to clean the restrooms in the park.

Council to Consider Extending Burning Hours

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has voted 5-to-2 to bring forward an ordinance amendment that would extend the hours of open burning in the fall from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Boone Fire Chief Justin Adams had said the 5:00 time the fall is important to prevent colder air from trapping the smoke over the city, like smog. Council Member Gary Nystrom says the 5:00 time frame keeps people who don't get home from work later from burning their yard waste. The Burning Ordinance was adopted in 2000 after a number of residents petitioned to eliminate burning of yard waste altogether. The Council will consider the amendment October 17th.

Local Support Sought For CAT Grant

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad is getting closer to obtaining a Community Attraction and Tourism Grant for the State Economic Development Department. Fenner Stevenson, General Manager of the Boone and Scenic Valley says the grant is for the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum and History Center. He told the City Council the state wanted more local financial input and the Council approved adding $20,000 to the $10,000 already committed. The Boone County Supervisors will be asked Wednesday to match to contribution. The Supervisor had previously committed $10,000. Stevenson says about $800,000 has already been raised for the project.

New Police Officer Takes Oath

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Police Department added another officer this week, as Ethan Bailey took the oath of office from Boone Mayor John Slight. Slight in turn asked Bailey's father, Ogden Police Chief Mick Bailey to present his son his badge as a Boone Police Officer. Bailey still needs to attend the Law Enforcement Academy and will be crossed trained, like other Boone officers to respond to fire calls as well. Director of Public Safety and Police Chief Bill Skare says the hiring of Bailey fills a void created with the recent resignation.

National 4H Week

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County 4Her's have a very busy week planned.  This week is National 4H Week and the local clubs are using it as an opportunity for a little fund raising.  4Hers will be doing a couple of "Tip Nights" at the Boone Pizza Ranch and also will hold a "Piled High Potato Dinner" at the Leonard Good Center in Ogden next Saturday.  4H leaders say the proceeds from the week will be put right back into the Boone County 4H program and will be used to help defray some of the cost to youth that participate.

Emergency Medial Dispatch

BOONE, Iowa---After nearly a year, the Boone County Communications Center has made great strides with Emergency Medial Dispatch.  The effort was begun as a way to improve emergency responses, both in timing and efficiency.  John DeLavergne, a Paramedic and member of the Boone County Hospital's Ambulance crew says a review of the records show a marked improvement in both categories.  DeLavergne says in excess of 94% of the calls used the proper protocol.  He says the percentage is very good.

No Injuries Reported in Head-on Collision

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says no injuries were reported following a head-on collision on US Highway 30 in western Boone County late Sunday afternoon.  Deputies reported that 19-year old Lucas C. Johnson of Des Moines apparently fell asleep and crossed the center line, colliding with a vehicle operated by 63-year old Sharron K. Wiederin of Arcadia.  Deputies estimated damages at some $13,000.  Johnson was cited with failing to maintain control and underage possession of alcohol.

Council to Hold Hearing for Block Grant

BOONE, Iowa---Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson says the Council will take the next step in the process to obtain a Community Development Block Grant to cover some of the cost of the next phase of the city's sanitary sewer rehabilitation project.  Nelson say they will pursue a $600,000 grant.  The City Council will hold a required public hearing during their meeting Monday.  The next phase of the project will be on the north end of the city, between Story and Linn Streets.

Open Burning Allowed Saturday

BOONE, Iowa---The open burning of yard waste is permitted in Boone, October 1st through November 15th.  Boone Fire Chief Justin Adams says the ordinance dealing with open burning has been in place for over 10-years and the department still gets called out as much as they did before there was an ordinance.  Adams says the biggest complaint usually comes from neighbors of people burning.  Another big concern is people that start a pile of yard waste on fire and them leave it unattended.  Adams says people should also be cautious because of the extremely dry conditions.

Copper Theft

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says his department is investigating a theft of copper from a warehouse facility in the Boone Industrial Park.  Fehr says the complaint was received from PDM about 10:30 Thursday morning.  Someone had entered a warehouse, cut out the copper and hauled it away.  It was estimated to weigh about a ton.  Fehr says evidence was collected and the investigation is on going.

Boone Sanitary Sewer Rehab Not Done

BOONE, Iowa---Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson says the city's sanitary sewer rehabilitation work is not done. He says the next focus is in the northeast part of the community. Work is currently being done to finalize a Consent Order with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Nelson say the DNR is continuing to push the city to pursue improvements in the sanitary sewer system, and has been agreeable to some of the ideas put forth for improvements. One of the issues that has been dropped recently was a fine for not completing the original action plan.

Special Ed Deficit Reduced

BOONE, Iowa---Boone School Superintendent Brad Manard says the District has made some very good strides in their effort to contain the Special Education Deficit. A couple of years ago, the difference was about $900,000. Last year the deficit was $604,000 and this year, it dropped to about $317,000. Manard says he would like to bring the difference down even more, but it's very difficult to anticipate Special Education needs. The School Board did authorize seeking allowable growth and supplemental aid to offset the deficit.

BCH Lowers Liability Premium

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital Board of Directors have approved a bid for General and Professional Liability Insurance coverage for the coming year, that will result in a savings of nearly $100,000. The current premium for the policy from MHA Insurance was about $240,000 and was bid to go up $15,000 in the next year. The Hospital usually seeks competitive quotes every other year and also received a bid from MMIC for $141,000. Hospital Chief Executive Officer Joe Smith told the Board that both insurance carriers are active in the state.

Municipal Election Ballots

BOONE, Iowa---Municipal elections will be held this November and there are several contested races in Boone County. Boxholm, Luther and Pilot Mound all have two candidates for Mayor. There are also several contested council seats, including races in Boxholm, Luther, Madrid, Ogden and Pilot Mound. For the City of Boone, Mayor John Slight is unopposed as are incumbent Council Members Shari Gillespie, Kevin Hicks and Steven Ray. However, no candidates filed to two openings on the Boone Park Commission.

Supervisors to Set Hearing on Precinct Ordinance

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will set the public hearings needed to approve the county ordinance that will update voting precincts to match the 2010 census. Iowa law requires the change, and also requires the adoption of the ordinance. Ten years ago, several changes were made which set the precincts in place today. At that time, Worth Township voters were going to be sent to the Boone County Fair Grounds to vote, but the ordinance was amended to allow the voting to be done at the Luther City Hall. Many of the previous changes were driven by handicap accessibility issues.

Heritage Program

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Historical Society monthly Heritage Program will be present by J.F. Calderon, MD, who will discuss his experiences during the Gulf War in 1990-91. It was over 20-years ago that Iraq invaded Kuwait. Operation Desert Shield began shortly after as a deterrent to keep Iraq from invading Saudi Arabia. That was followed by Operation Desert Storm. Calderon is a retired U.S. Naval officer, who served in the Medical Corps during the Gulf War. The presentation is free of charge and will begin at 7:00 at the Historical Center in Boone.

No Venue Change

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County District Court Judge Steven Oeth has ruled that a change of venue will not be necessary for the second murder trial of Jessica Hill.  Hill charged in connection with the death of her husband Michael Hill in 2007.  Jessica Hill was found guilty of 2nd degree murder as the result of a trial in Pottawattamie County two years ago.  That verdict was overturned by the Iowa Court of Appeals and new trial of ordered.  Oeth ruled that enough time has passed and an impartial jury could be found in Boone County.

Madrid PD Investigates Gun Incident

MADRID, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says deputies assisted Madrid Police with a report of a man with a gun entering a home in Madrid last Friday afternoon.  Fehr says Madrid Police were the lead agency on the case and deputies only assisted.  Madrid Chief Rick Tasler was out of the state and officer requested assistance from the state strategic response team.  The home was entered after six hours and no one was found.  Madrid Police are continuing the investigation.

No Dredging At Don Williams

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Conservation Director Andy Hockenson says many people have asked about plans to dredge the north end of the Don Williams Lake, now that the water level is being drawn down to allow for repairs on the spillway of the dam.  He says there are plans to someday do some dredging on the north end of the lake if funds are available, but that probably won't be for at least a couple of more years.  This falls project is to draw the lake down 16-feet, repair the spillway and have the DNR conduct a fish kill on the gizzard shad located in the lake.

Hospital Finances Exceed Budget

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital has exceed budget projections for the first two months of the fiscal year and are well ahead of the pace set a year ago.  Hospital Administrator Joe Smith says there's still along way to go.  So far, the net gain has exceeded the budgeted amount by some $90,000 and exceeds the first two months of the last fiscal year by $174,000.  

Trees Still Available

BOONE, Iowa---Residents in Boone and Boone County that are customers of Alliant Energy can still purchase landscape trees as part of the Operation ReLeaf Program.  Andy Hockenson, Conservation Director says the program has proven successful in the past.  Those that qualify can purchase up to two trees for $25 each.  Trees will be available to be picked up at Don Williams on October 6th.  Additional information on the program is available here.

School Board Moves Ahead to Sell Property

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board this week did approve moving ahead with plans to sell property that remains following the demolition of the Lowell and the Bryant Elementary Schools.  Superintendent Brad Manard said this week that the Board wants to sell off the property and allow the purchaser to take care of the subdividing.  Manard says the district has looked at making the two open spaces available for parks but the city is not interested.  

Economic Development Committee Meets

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council's Economic Development Committee did meet this week and talked about amending the development agreement with Technochem, located north of the industrial park east of Boone. The amended development agreement was discussed to see if the City could assist in someone the business hit hard by the current economy. City Consultant Darrel Rensink will work with the Technochem on an amended agreement and will present the material to the Council for final approval.

Thomas Returns This Weekend

BOONE, Iowa---Once again, thousands of tourists are expected to hit Boone this weekend, in search of a Day out with Thomas. Thomas the Tank Engine will be appearing at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad Depot Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Last weekend, a rainy Sunday slowed attendance, but didn't stop visitors. With the influx of visitors to see Thomas, people need to remember that there will be some traffic and pedestrian congestion around the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad Depot.

Boone Board Members Take Oath

BOONE, Iowa---Recently elected Boone School Board members took their oath of office Tuesday evening during the organizational meeting of the Board. Dr. Jeff Anderson and Brad O'Neal, both incumbents were re-elected and were joined by Jan Westrum, former Boone certified staff member. Westrum replaces Shilo Burke who decided not to seek re-election. Anderson was elected to continue as Board President. Kirk Leeds was elected to be Board Vice-President.

District Plans for Three Bond Sales

BOONE, Iowa---Boone School Superintendent Brad Manard says he expects work to begin soon on developing the detailed plans for the renovation of the Boone High School.  The district will be working with DLR, the same firm that has worked with the district on all it's facility projects.  Manard says that the first of three bond sales will be held in November and will be for $5.7 million in Sales Tax Revenue Bonds.  Sales will also be held in 2012 and 2013.

River Romp A Success

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Landfill Administrator Scott Smith called this year's Dragoon River Romp a success.  Smith says the mid-September, award winning river clean-up program drew more than 120-volunteers.  Early numbers have volunteers removing 2.6 tons of material from the Des Moines River in southern Boone County.  Smith says the day was pretty long, because it involved nine miles of river and the low river level allowed access to quite a bit of the river bed.

Change of Venue Sought

BOONE, Iowa---The attorney for Jessica Hill is seeking a change of venue for the woman accused of helping to plan the murder of her husband in 2007.  Hill was convicted of second degree murder during a trial held in Pottawattamie County.  Earlier this year, the Iowa Court of Appeals ordered a new trial for Hill because some of the testimony was ruled inadmissible.  Boone County District Court Judge Steve Oeth hopes to hand down a ruling within a week.

School Board Reviews Debt Issuance

BOONE, Iowa---Now that voters in the Boone School District have approved the sale of nearly $16.1 million in bonds to cover the cost of a high school renovation project, the School Board will have to take a look at when they will sell that debt. During the Middle School construction project, the District actually conducted two bond sales in two different fiscal years. The matter is on the agenda for the School Board meeting Tuesday.

Supervisors To Being Interviews for Position

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will begin the process of interviewing candidates to be Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds. The position has been vacant since the resignation of Steve Becker earlier this summer. The Supervisors depend on the Buildings and Ground Superintendent to oversee facilities at the Courthouse, the Law Enforcement Center and the County's Human Service Building. Interviews by the Board will begin Wednesday afternoon.

Small Wind Generators Permitted in Boone

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has approved the first consideration of an ordinance that will permit small wind energy conservation devices within the city limits. The city was approached about permitting small wind turbines over a year ago, but an ordinance was not enacted. Council Member Fenner Stevenson argued that the ordinance was prohibitive because it limited locations to at least an acre in size. That requirement is being amended. The Council will consider the amended ordinance at their first meeting in October.

Thomas Visits This Weekend

BOONE, Iowa---Thousands of visitors are expected to return to Boone this weekend, for a visit with Thomas the Tank Engine. This will be the first of two weekends that Thomas will visit the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. Boone and Scenic Valley General Manager Fenner Stevenson has said in the past that it's still amazing how many people travel from all over the country to visit Thomas. Parking and traffic around the Boone and Scenic Valley depot will be a little more difficult because of the construction of the James Andrew Railroad Museum.

Park Commission Considers Window Security

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission tabled action this week on an idea to purchase security bars for windows on the McHose Park Shelter House. The Commission reviewed information that was presented simply to consider as a way to keep windows from being broken out by vandals. Park Commission members have been debating whether to install the extra security or just plan to replace windows that get vandalized. The matter may be discussed at future Commission work sessions.

Contract for Dam Repair Approved

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors this week approved the contract between the County and C.L. Carroll Company of Des Moines to do maintenance on the dam at the Don Williams Recreation Area. The project has been budget by the Conservation Board for the past several years, but is finally going to take place with the help of a grant from the DNR. Andy Hockenson, Conservation Director for Boone County, says the work includes lowering the lake level 16 feet, repairing the spillway and allowing the DNR to conduct a fish kill on the lake.

Boone Voters Approve Bond Referendum

BOONE, Iowa---A large voter turn out left many standing in line for as long as an hour during Tuesday school election in Boone.  The big attraction, a proposed $16.1 million bond referendum to finance the renovation of the Boone High School.  Voters overwhelmingly approved the measure giving the vote an 81% voter approval, well above the required 60% super majority.  There were 1,560 yes votes to 364 no votes.  The Boone County Supervisors will canvas election results Friday afternoon.

Ogden School Board Results

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden School Board election featured the most hotly contested race in Boone County, with seven candidates originally filing for three positions on the School Board.  Prior to the election Tuesday, Amy Chumbley withdrew from consideration.  Of the six remaining, Sally Good received the most votes, followed by incumbent Tom Cleveland and newcomer Matt Van Sickle.  Those three were followed by Camille Schroeder, incumbent Toby Klauenberg and Taz Cole.  Over 400 votes were cast as more than 15% of the registered voters went to the poll.

Ogden Quiet Zone Discussion

OGDEN, Iowa---Ogden City Administrator Donovan Olson says the discussion about implementing a "Quiet Zone" is expect to continue for a while.  The many on the City Council continue to receive input from the public following a public informational meeting in August and the Council meeting earlier this month.  Olson says the next step is to have a meeting with the Union Pacific Railroad and others to see if the plans being discussed are acceptable.  He says the Council has still not made a final decision about pursuing a "Quiet Zone".