Supervisors Collect Additional Budget Information

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors have continued to collect budget requests for the new fiscal year, and are expected to get a couple more this week, including one of the bigger portions of the overall county budget.  John Grush, the Boone County Central Point of Contact will present the Fiscal Year 13 funding requests for DCAT, Drug Free Communities, Case Management, Social Services and Mental Health.  The biggest portions of the county budget are Public Safety, Secondary Roads and Mental Health.

Commission Recommends Rezoning

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Zoning Commission has recommended that the Boone County Board of Supervisors proceed with rezoning two parcels of property in Boone County.  Winfield Solutions is located in Jackson Township, right east of Boone.  The recommended change is rezone the property A-2 for an Ag Business.  Winfield does seed research.  The second recommendation is south of Boone on Oriole Road.  Harold Shearer wants to sell a small piece of property to be used for the construction of a house.  The property is located in an area that has seen residential development.

Harkin Visits Boone County Democrats

BOONE, Iowa---Iowa Senator Tom Harkin paid a visit to Boone County Democrats Saturday afternoon, for a Meet and Greet at the Boone County Historical Center.  Harkin said he senses building excitement for the 2012 elections.  He told those gathered that the President is re-energized as seen in the State of the Union address and the recent visit to Iowa.  Harkin said he also feels good about Christie Vilsack's campaign for the new 4th District in Iowa.

Examining Board to Meet

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Examining Board will meet Tuesday to begin the process of finding a new assessor for Boone County.  By law, the Examining Board requests the certified list of candidates from the Iowa Department of Revenue.  The Board can than either begin to review the list or turn the list over to the Assessor's Conference Board.  When Kathy Anderson was retiring as Assessor a couple of years ago, the Examining Board turned the list over to the Conference Board and they conducted the search for the Assessor.  Those appointed to the Examining Board in 2009 were Holly Larson, Keith Vest and Luke Nelson.  Their meeting will be a noon at the Courthouse.

County Zoning Commission to Meet

BOONE, Iowa---It's been a couple of months since the Boone County Zoning Commission last met.  The Commission does have a couple of petitions to rezone some property.  One for Winfield Solutions, to change the zoning on their property east of Boone to better accommodate their existing agricultural seed research business.  The other from Harold Shearer to rezone a small piece of property south of Boone from agricultural to residential.  The Zoning Commission meets at 7:00 at the Boone County Courthouse.

Rescued Dogs Attract Attention

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Area Humane Society, one of five agencies working with Sac County authorities on a puppy mill case, has seen a strong response from the community.  Heidi Drees White, Executive Director for the Humane Society in Boone says people have helped with some supplies, food and cash donations, but more will be needed.  She says it's possible the dogs may be housed for several weeks while the Sac County case proceeds.

Hospital Board Accepts Audit Report

BOONE, Iowa---Some of the numbers were not quite as good as had been hoped, but the Boone County Hospital Board of Trustees did accept the annual audit report Thursday.  Kevin Morey with BKD CPA's and Advisors from Kansas City noted a couple of compliance issues, one for a wrong rate on a mileage reimbursement and a delay in the filing of certification for self funded health insurance.  Both have since been corrected.  Morey also cautioned the Board to monitor a couple of line items, especially accounts receivable.

Baltimore Watches Mental Health Legislation

BOONE, Iowa---State Representative Chip Baltimore, Boone Republican, has been watching closely the development of legislation that will strive to improve mental health services in Iowa.  Baltimore has said before that a problem is lack of consistency between counties.  The legislation in the works would create a regional approach and would also include some additional funding from the state.  In Boone County, mental health services uses a very large portion of the property tax asking.

BAHS Assists With Dog Rescues

BOONE, Iowa---21 or the 88 dogs rescued from a Sac County farm Wednesday are currently housed at the Boone Area Humane Society.  Heidi Drees-White, Executive Director for the Boone Area Humane Society says the dogs were mostly Cocker Spaniels and Japanese Chins and were living in deplorable conditions.  She says volunteers joined the staff and began grooming dogs Thursday.  All the dogs were being examined and treated by veterinarians.  Drees-White says the Boone Shelter is in need of dry dog food and puppy food, puppy pads and monetary contributions to help cover the veterinary costs.

County Foundation Applications Due February 10th

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Endowment Fund has more than $88,000 to distribute to qualifying agencies and organizations in Boone County.  The deadline for the grant applications for 2012 is February 10th.  The Boone County Endowment Fund was established to distribute the funds that would foster philanthropy throughout the county.  To find out if an agency, organization or project qualifies, information is available online here.

DCAT Discussions

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County has recently joined with Story County to provide early childhood services to clients of both counties.  Previously both with served with their own Empowerment Boards.  Another area of service is called DCAT, which focuses on child welfare and juvenile justice funding.  Boone County has been sharing the position with Dallas County, but recent state action is now pushing Boone County toward Story County.  Representatives of County Community Services told the Board of Supervisors this week that discussions will be held to determine if any changes in structure should be considered.

Landfill Equipment Purchase

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors have moved ahead with a plan to purchase a new piece of equipment for the Boone County Landfill.  The Board officially approved the purchase of the KompTech grinder during their meeting Wednesday, contingent on obtaining financing.  The purchase is being made through an Open Municipal Lease proposal.  In all the cost, with interest could be about $850,000.  The grinder will extend the life of the current landfill and will offer additional alternatives for waste disposal.

Hollingshead Announces Candidacy

OGDEN, Iowa---Ogden native Chet Hollingshead has officially announced that he is running for Boone County Supervisor.  Hollingshead will be on the Republican Primary ballot on June 5th.  In a statement, Hollingshead said "Boone County is facing many challenges and we need conservative leadership at the courthouse."  Currently, Hollingshead is President of the Ogden School Board, first elected to the Board in 2009.

Baltimore Manages First Bill Through House

BOONE, Iowa---State Representative Chip Baltimore, Republican of Boone, managed the first bill of the year through the Iowa House Wednesday.  The bill received unanimous approval and puts into law Governor Terry Branstad's Executive Order that requires new rules to have a "Jobs Impact Statement".  Baltimore says it means state agencies look into the impact of rules and regulations before they're implemented.

Supervisors to Consider Trail Agreement

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will give consideration to an amendment to a Joint Public Service Agreement between Boone and Polk Counties, Conservation Boards from Boone, Polk, Dallas and Story Counties and the Cities of Ankeny, Madrid, Sheldahl, Slater and Woodward.  The proposal would create a long term fund for future repairs on the High Trestle Trail.  All entities would contribute to the fund.  The Boone County Conservation Board was receptive to the proposal.  Conservation Director Andy Hockenson will discuss the proposal with the Supervisors.

Applicants Still Sought for Citizen's Police Academy

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Police Department is once again planning their annual Citizen Police Academy.  Boone Police Chief Bill Skare says the program will begin February 23rd and will last until April 12th.  Skare says there's no cost, but it does require that anyone interested commit three hours each Thursday evening.  Skare says the program has proven to be pretty popular and basically it exposes the public to the operating procedures of the department.  Applications are available at various locations, including online.

"Y" Receives Monsanto Grant

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Family YMCA has been awarded a $15,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund to help cover the cost of renovating portions of the building.  Last Thursday, Steve Morman, Boone Monsanto Operations Manager presented the larger than life check to Jerry Mackie a Boone County Family YMCA Board Member and Vicki Greco the Boone County Family YMCA Executive Director.  The grant will help cover the cost of transitioning the wellness center and Child Watch program. 

ACS Daffodil Days

BOONE, Iowa---American Cancer Society volunteers have begun taking orders for the 2012 Boone County Daffodil Days.  Those that place orders will be able to pickup their purchases at the First United Methodist Church in Boone on Wednesday, March 14th.  Two years ago, Daffodil Days sponsors were sought and the number has grown to 14 this year.  But, Mary Maybee says their goal is to get daffodils to everyone in the county on March 14th.  She says orders for daffodils are being taken until mid-February.

Supervisor Continue Budget Work

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will be meeting Tuesday in the board room at the Boone County Courthouse for a budget work session.  The Board has been collecting budget requests from various agencies that receive service from the county, but major portions of the budget have yet to be presented.  Public Safety, Secondary Roads and Mental Health are the three big portions of the overall county budget.  Last week, Boone County Transportation submitted a budget request for $60,000.  The amount is unchanged from a year ago.  This year, Boone County Transportation is receiving over $54,000.

Three Killed in Two Vehicle Accident Near Rippey

RIPPEY, Iowa---Three people were killed when two vehicles collided west of Rippey Sunday afternoon.  The Iowa State Patrol is conducting the investigation and reports that a car, operated by 42-year old David James Muir of Rippey went out of control and spun into a pickup driven by 54-year old Dwight Lee Snogren of Jamaica.  Muir's passenger, 19-year old Andrew Gordon Jackson of Orient and the two drivers died as a result of the impact.  The State Patrol has been unable to determine if weather was a contributing factor.

Public Debt Up $4.4 Million in Boone County

BOONE, Iowa---Public debt in Boone County, as calculated by the State of Iowa, totalled $68.7 million in the fiscal year 2011, up from $64.2 million in the 2010 fiscal year.  Public Debt for the City of Boone went up $2.4 million.  The City of Ogden went up nearly $1 million.  Both were financing mandated storm and sanitary sewer projects.  The other notable increase was the Ogden School District which had completed a construction project.  The current fiscal year has already seen a bond sale by the Boone School District with another expected in the next month.

New Historical Center Exhibit Opens Saturday

BOONE, Iowa---"Kate Shelley:  Boone County's Railroad Heroine" is the name of the new exhibit, opening Saturday at the Boone County Historical Center.  Executive Director Charles Irwin says will not only provide new information about Kate Shelley, but will also expand information with Boone County's railroad history.  Irwin says additional information is also made available about the major storm that struck Boone in July 1881 which triggered Shelley's act of heroism.  The new display will be available for public viewing Saturday from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

Top 5 Radon Posters From Sacred Heart in Boone

BOONE, Iowa---Iowa's First Lady Chris Branstad joined several other Thursday in the Iowa Radon Poster Contest Awards Ceremony.  The easy part was that it was held in Boone at the Sacred Heart School.  That's because the top 5 were submitted by Sacred Heart Students.  5th place went to Amanda Brown, 4th place to Sean Fitzsimmons, 3rd place to Marie Volcko, 2nd place to Danny Anderson and 1st place went to Sarah Statz.  The 5 were selected from a field of 177.  More than 300 were initially entered in the statewide contest.

Conference Board Approves Vanguard Contract

BOONE, Iowa---The members of the Boone County Assessor's Conference Board have approved a contract with Vanguard Appraisal for the revaluation of Commercial and Industrial property in Boone County.  The revaluation was ordered by the Iowa Department of Revenue as part of the final equalization order last October.  Conference Board members were not pleased with the action, but had little choice to meet the demands of the Department of Revenue.  The contract identifies dollar amounts for properties and could amount to an estimated $197,000.

Libraries Submit '13 Budget Requests to Supervisors

BOONE, Iowa---Local librarians met with the Boone County Supervisors this week and submitted their annual budget request.  The three public libraries in Boone County have asked for the Board to allocated $80,700 for the next fiscal year.  The amount is the same request submitted the past two years.  This current fiscal year, the public libraries from Boone, Madrid and Ogden are splitting up $67,613.  As is the case, the Board has accepted the request with no guarantee and will consider it and others during budget preparation.

CAFO Expansion Planned

BOONE, Iowa---Last year, William Whitley of Birmingham, Alabama proposed the construction of a confined animal feeding operation in Jackson Township, northeast of Boone.  At the time, residents opposed to the development noted that Whitley could return and expand the operation.  That is the scenario coming to the Boone County Board of Supervisors.  The Board was informed that they will need to submit their master matrix scoring and recommendation to the Iowa DNR on the proposed expansion of Capstone Finishers.  The current facility holds just under 2,500 head and the additional structure will hold just over 2,700.  Information is available here.

Parent Forum on Bullying and Harassment Thursday

BOONE, Iowa---Parents or anyone that's interested is encouraged to attend the parent forum on bullying and harassment at the Boone Middle School Thursday evening at 7:00.  This week on Tuned In on KWBG, Sue Gradoville and Karlene Hughes said parents and the public are welcome to come and learn how Boone Schools addresses problems and also get questions answered.  School Resource Officer Dave Powers said the chance to visit face to face with staff and  parents can get a lot of questions answered.  The program will be held in the commons of the Boone Middle School.

Watershed Management Plan Gains Approval

BOONE, Iowa---Multiple groups, including landowners have helped develop a Watershed Management Plan for the Don Williams Lake in northern Boone County and last week, the US EPA approved the work.  The plan was developed over the last two-years and was submitted last November.  Don Williams Lake was added to the list of impaired waters in 1998 because of siltation and organic enrichment.  The plan outlines a 1,593 ton per year reduction in sediment over a 20-year planning cycle.  

Conference Board Meeting Includes Budget Discussion

BOONE, Iowa---A special meeting of the Boone County Conference Board will give the Board a chance to discuss the items for the assessor's budget for the next fiscal year.  With the recent resignation of D. Kevin Burggraaf, work on the budget has not been completed.  Budget preparation could fall to County Auditor Phil Meier who would be acting as Temporary Assessor for the purposes of developing a budget.  A budget needs to be developed and published so that a public hearing can be held prior to the Conference Board adopting the budget.  The budget is expected to include the cost of a third party revaluation of commercial and industrial property in Boone County, ordered by the Iowa Department of Revenue.

FFA Chapter Conducting Coat Drive

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone A&M FFA Chapter is conducting a Coat Drive to help local residents in need of a winter coat, caps, gloves or scarves.  Theresa Fitzgerald is President of the Boone Chapter and says they have a nice collection of items already, but anyone wishing to donate may do so by dropping off items at the Boone High School Principals Office on the first floor.  Fitzgerald says the club will distribute items to those needing some help, Saturday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Ag Shop of the Boone High School.  She says the entrance is right off Monona Street.  Fitzgerald says coats that don't find a new home will be taken to the Boone County Homeless Shelter.

Council Hopes to Complete Budget Work Tuesday

BOONE, Iowa---Budget work for the Boone City Council has been moving ahead smoothly this month.  Boone Mayor John Slight, on Tuned In, said he hopes the Council will complete their budget work sessions Tuesday evening.  The Council will hear presentations from Department Heads and will eventually pass the information along to city staff for the preparation of a preliminary budget.  The formal public hearing on the budget is not expected until the Council's meeting on March 5th.

Duffy Sets Special Conference Board Meeting

BOONE, Iowa---Steve Duffy, Chairman of the Boone County Board of Supervisors has called a Special Meeting of the Boone County Assessors Conference Board for Wednesday evening.  The Assessors Conference had tentatively been set to meeting on January 24th, a meeting set a year ago for budget preparation.  However, Assessor D. Kevin Burggraaf has resigned and the office is currently under scrutiny by the Iowa Department of Revenue.  Duffy has said the meeting will include selecting a panel to review potential candidates to replace Burggraaf.

Historical Center to Unveil New Kate Shelley Exhibit

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Historical Society will host an opening of a new, professionally designed and updated exhibit called "Kate Shelley:  Boone County's Railroad Heroine".  Charles Irwin, says the new exhibit will feature a series of panels with text and photographs highlighting Kate Shelley's adventures the night of July 6th 1881.  But Irwin the exhibit will be expanded to include the flooding damage that occurred on Honey Creek through Boone that night.  The new exhibit will be unveiled Saturday afternoon, January 21st from 1:00 until 4:00.  The 21st also marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Kate Shelley.

Council Meetings

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will have a couple of busy days this week.  The Council will hold a regular meeting Monday evening and will also hold a budget work session on Tuesday evening at the Boone City Hall.  The regular Council Meeting will include public hearings on the annexation of portions of the industrial park east of Boone.  The budget work session will have the department heads making budget presentations for the next fiscal year.  The regular Monday meeting is at 7:00 PM.  The budget work session begins at 6:00 PM.

School Concept Drawings

BOONE, Iowa---Boone School Superintendent Brad Manard says work is well underway on the concept drawings for the Boone High School renovation and remodeling project.  Manard says architects for the DLR Group and quite a bit of work has been done on preparation of the general concept.  He says the design includes several ideas that  have been well received at other schools, including at Huxley, Ankeny and Southeast Polk.  Manard says over the next couple of weeks, extensive staff input will be sought.  The timeline calls for bids to be received by late spring.

Pufferbilly Logo and Theme

BOONE, Iowa---The Pufferbilly Days Steering Committee has announced the winners of the 2012 logo and theme contest.  The theme is "Riding the Rails Along Scenic Trails" with a logo featuring a train that spells our Pufferbilly Days through the center.  The winning theme was submitted by Betty Wilhelm and the winning logo was designed by Susannah Cunningham, both from Boone.  The theme and logo will be officially unveiled later this spring.  Pufferbilly Days will be held September 6th through September 9th.

House Fire

LOGANSPORT, Iowa---The Boone and Ogden Fire Departments along with additional emergency responders were at the scene of a house fire north of Boone Thursday afternoon.  The early report had flames beginning to come through the roof of the home as fire fighters got to the scene.  There were no immediate reports of injuries.  The cause was not available.  Additional information from authorities was not available at this time.

Process Begins to Replace Assessor

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors began taking steps Wednesday to fill the position of Boone County Assessor.  D. Kevin Burggraaf resigned Monday.  Supervisor Steve Duffy is Chairman of the Board and also serves as Chairman of the Assessor's Conference Board and says he is required to notify the Iowa Department of Revenue of the vacancy.  Duffy will also be able to request a list of candidates to consider for the position.  As Chair of the Conference Board, Duffy is expected to call a meeting of the Conference Board to choose an Exam Committee to lead the search for a new assessor.

Board Chooses 2012-13 School Calendar

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School calendar doesn't include a spring break this year, but it will return next year, if the Board completes action on a planned early start during their next regular meeting.  The calendar being promoted by the Board, on a 3-1 vote, would include spring break and would start in mid-August.  The calendar is comparable to the Ames School calendar.  The School Board will conduct a required public hearing in February for the change in the early start for the next school year.

Assessor Resigns

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Assessor D. Kevin Burggraaf has resigned as the Boone County Assessor.  Chairman of the Boone County Supervisors, Steve Duffy, announced the receipt of the letter Monday afternoon.  Duffy serves as Chair of the Assessor's Conference Board and said he expects to call a special meeting to accept the resignation and decide how to proceed to fill the vacancy.  The Conference is slated to meet on January 24th to consider the Assessors budget for the fiscal year.  There is also the matter of bid to complete the Department of Revenue mandated revaluation of commercial and industrial property in Boone County.

Another Council Budget Worksession

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will hold their second in a series of budget work session on Tuesday evening at the Boone City Hall.  Monday night, the Council considered requests for Hotel Motel Tax dollars.  The Tuesday meeting will focus on the Capital Improvement Projects for the city.  Administrator Luke Nelson says general CIP are projects that cost over $12,000.  The Council will also review departmental requests for the use of the Local Option Sales Tax.  75% of the tax can be used for Capital Projects and Capital Purchases.  20% goes to property tax relief and the remaining 5% is directed to Human Service programs.

High Trestle Trail Maintenance Fund

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Conservation Commission is supportive of a proposed 28-E Agreement which would have partners on the High Trestle Trail contribute toward a fund that would be used for trail maintenance and repairs in the future.  The agreement would call on Boone County to pay $5,000 annually to build the fund.  Other members would contribute varying amounts.  Commission members felt the agreement would be beneficial for Boone County, because a large portion of the trail and the bridge itself are located in Boone County.  The High Trestle Trail Steering Committee will consider action on the agreement later this week.  The agreement would also go to the Boone County Supervisors for their approval.

Fire Department Holds Awards Banquet

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Fire Department hosted is first ever Awards Banquet on Sunday at the Boone City Hall.  Fire Chief Justin Adams says the intent is to turn it into an annual event to recognize the growing number of fire fighters and families that dedicated and committed to providing a safe environment to the community.  Fire Fighters selected Josh Lemon as the Rookie Fire Fighter of the Year.  Captain Chip Zehner as the Fire Fighter of the Year.  The Life Saver Award went to Fire Fighters Todd Kennedy and Clint McFarland when they responded to a call to R&W last year.  And the Fire Chief's Award went to Greg Eckstrom, part of the paid on call team of fire fighters.

Boone Police Breakup Underage Drinking Party

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Police Officers have charged a number of underage individuals with illegal possession of alcohol after breaking up a party in the 200 block of Ringgold about 1:00 Saturday morning.  Several young people were cited and released but a group aged 15, 16 and 17 were released to adults.  One 20-year old was charged with underage possession of alcohol.  Shane Michael Gibbs was also charged with Child Endangerment and was taken to the Boone County Jail.  A list of names from the incident on January 7th can be found here.

Friday Accident Update

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Police have released information on a car-pedestrian accident in downtown Boone Friday afternoon.  Authorities report that the accident occurred about 5:45 on Story Street near the intersection with 9th Street.  59-year old Jean Elsberry crossed the road and was struck by a south bound vehicle operated by 70-year old Luella Miller.  Elsberry was struck in the leg and was taken by ambulance to the Boone County Hospital.  Miller was not charged by the investigating officer.

Radon Program Planned

BOONE, Iowa---January is Radon Awareness Month and Mike Salati, Boone County Health and Sanitation, a part of Boone County Planning and Development will be hosting a series of seminars to inform the public about the dangers of radon.  Salati says he considers radon to be a serious public health issue, but one that can be dealt with by testing, taking steps to remedy the problem and in turn offering a health environment.  Salati has free seminars planned for Boone and Ogden.  Information on the first seminar is available here.

Pedestrian Struck Friday

BOONE, Iowa---Details have not been released, but a pedestrian was stuck by a car in downtown Boone late Friday afternoon.  The Boone County Communication Center reported that Boone Police received the call about a quarter to six, near 9th and Story Streets.  Emergency personnel did report one person being transported to the Boone County Hospital, but were not at liberty to release information on the identity or the condition of the patient.  Boone Police are conducting the investigation and were assisted by the Boone Fire Department, Fire and Rescue and the Boone County Ambulance.

DMACC Housing Expansion

BOONE, Iowa---Last month, DMACC Boone Campus Provost Tom Lee said plans were coming together to move ahead with another apartment building on the Boone Campus.  Originally, High Development had constructed the apartments for student housing.  A few years ago, Lee proposed taking over the complex and since then has seen an additional building constructed and a waiting list of students wanting to live in the apartments.  The Boone City Plan and Zoning Commission will meet Monday and will consider a site plan for the next apartment building.

Council Holds Special Meeting Monday

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will hold a special meeting Monday to give consideration to request for funding from the city's Hotel Motel Tax.  The deadline for various agencies to submit funding requests was Thursday afternoon.  14-requests will be considered for either full or partial funding by the Council.  Boone Mayor John Slight says the requests for funding will certainly exceed the amount the Council has available to allocate.  

Community Blood Drive Monday

BOONE, Iowa---January is National Blood Donor Month and LifeServe Blood Center will be holding a one-day community blood drive in Boone, Monday afternoon.  The drive is sponsored by the Boone County Hospital Auxiliary and will be held 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Boone Senior Citizens Center at 1112 Story Street.  Appointments are encouraged and can be made online at www.lifeservebloodcenter.org or by calling toll free 800-287-4903.

Theatre Auditions Monday and Tuesday

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Community Theatre is moving ahead with plans for their first production of 2012.  Mary Maybee and Scott Porter are Co-Directing "Steel Magnolias" and will hold auditions for a half dozen women's roles on Monday and Tuesday.  Maybee says a variety of parts are available for women in their late teens on up.  Porter says the plans are to push for a dinner theatre with four productions in late March.  Auditions will be held at the Boone Community Theatre and Play House at 106 S. Webster Street beginning at 7:00 each evening.

DCI Investigation Complete

BOONE, Iowa---The Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation into an allegation made against former Boone Police Officer Rodney Thompson has been completed and the investigative report has been forwarded to the Iowa Attorney General's Office for review and a charging decision.  The investigation was the result of an allegation made by a mother about what she felt were inappropriate text messages to her 15-year old daughter.  Thompson was place on administrative leave last August 15th and resigned on August 17th.

Chamber Focus Member Service

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kurt Phillips says the adage is true, a Chamber of Commerce is only as strong as it's members.  Phillips says in 2012, recruiting more members for the Chamber will be a priority, but maintaining and serving the current members is a must.  Phillips on KWBG Thursday said the Chamber Board of Directors will be instrumental in helping to obtain those goals this year.

Record High Temperatures

BOONE, Iowa---Record high temperatures were reported all through the upper Midwest Thursday.  For Boone, unofficially the mercury topped out at 62 degrees, surpassing a reading of 59 degrees set in 1956.  The unseasonably warm weather is a continuation of the last three weeks of December.  State Climatologist Harry Hillaker reported the average temperature was over 12 degrees warmer than normal.  A normal daytime high would be around 30 degrees and the overnight low would be about 10 degrees.

Home Destroyed by Fire

OGDEN, Iowa---Four fire departments, sheriff's deputies, Boone County Ambulance, Boone County Emergency Management and Boone County Search and Rescue spent several hours battling a house fire in rural Boone County Tuesday.  The initial call was received about a quarter after eleven and many responders were on the scene until mid afternoon.  The William and Susan Bogue home on 223rd Place was destroyed.  Boone Fire Chief Justin Adams said Boone Fire responded for mutual aid.  He says strong winds made fighting the fire very difficult.  A couple of fire fighters were checked at the scene for smoke and heat related issues.

Boone County Republicans Support Santorum

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Republicans turned out in force Tuesday's caucuses.  Those taking part in the presidential preference vote cast their ballot for Senator Rick Santorum followed by Congressman Ron Paul then Governor Mitt Romney.  At the Boone Caucus site at DMACC, a handful of people were not included in the process because they arrived after 7:00 PM.  Party officials have said registration was held from 5:30 to 7:00 and then the doors were closed to begin the caucus.  As it was, there was a very big turnout locally. Results can be found here.

Deadline Approaches For Grant Applications

BOONE, Iowa---Every year, the Boone City Council accepts applications for a portion of the city's Hotel Motel Tax and the deadline for the next fiscal year is rapidly approaching.  In fact the deadline is 5:00 PM on Thursday.  Boone City Administrator Luke Nelson says the Council will award funds to facilities and services in the areas of recreation, convention, culture, entertainment and economic development.  More information on the program is available on the city website www.boonegov.com.  No applications are accepted after the 5:00 PM deadline.

County Board To Hear Budget Requests

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will continue the process of collecting budget requests for a number of departments and agencies.  A few requests for the 2013 Fiscal Year have already trickled in, and over the next couple of weeks, many others will be received.  Wednesday, the Boone County Fair Board will be submitting their budget request.  Charles Irwin will appear on behalf of the Boone County Historical Society and Michele Hull will submit a proposal for the RSVP program.  The Board always cautions that submitting a request doesn't mean funds will be available to fill the request.

Supervisors Select Duffy as Chair

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Supervisors officially made Steve Duffy, the Chairman for the next year. The selection is part of the organizational meeting held Tuesday.  Some of the routine business is to make appointments to Boards and Commissions.  There are still a few appointments to make and recommendations on those appointments are pending.  The Board has campaigned to have people interested in being a part of the  governmental process to let them know so they can build a list of candidates for boards and commissions.  

House Fire

OGDEN, Iowa---Numerous agencies responded to a house fire on 223rd Place in Boone County Tuesday.  Not a lot of details have been released at this time.  The home, owned by William and Susan Bogue, was reported on fire late Tuesday morning.  The Ogden Fire Department, Boone Fire Department, Ogden First Responders, Boone County Ambulance, the Boone County Sheriff's Department, Boone County Emergency Management and Boone County Search and Rescue.  The cause of the fire hasn't been determined at this time. There were no immediate reports of any injuries.

Sheriff Announces Retirement Plans

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says he will retire after this year, completing six-terms as Sheriff of Boone County.  Fehr began with the Sheriff's Department as a Deputy in 1982.  He will have been in law enforcement 33-years when he retires the end of this year.  His formal announcement has opened the door for others to announce plans to seek the office.  Already, Chief Deputy Gregg Elsberry has indicated plans to seek the Democratic nomination and the Boone County E911 Coordinator and former Iowa State Highway Patrolman Rick Lampe has announced that he will seek the Republican nomination for Sheriff.  

Supervisors Organizational Meeting Tuesday

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will conduct their annual organizational meeting, Tuesday in the board room at the Boone County Courthouse.  The meeting will determine the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Board.  Meeting dates will be set, depositories and so on.  There are usually a number of additional, routine business matters that are addressed.  The regular, weekly meeting for the Supervisors is still expected to be held on Wednesday.

Boone County Caucuses

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County voters will have a few locations for Tuesday's first in the nation presidential caucuses.  Republicans will be meeting at the DMACC Boone Campus Gym, at the Madrid Junior-Senior High School and at the Ogden Middle School.  For Democrats, caucus goers will be gathering at the Boone High School Library, the Leonard Good Library in Ogden and also at the Madrid Public Library.  Each party has different precincts meeting at designated locations.  Many will begin by signing in, starting as early as 5:30 with the caucuses beginning at 7:00 PM.