Gospel Fest Saturday

BOONE, Iowa---The annual Herman Park Gospel Fest will be held Saturday at the Herman Park Pavilion in Boone. A dozen gospel acts from Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska are slated to perform Saturday afternoon and evening. There's no charge to attend. Free will offerings are accepted. The number of acts and fans continues to grow for this event.

RAGBRAI Mural Donations

BOONE, Iowa---Megan Yoder and Jon Hodges plan to paint a mural on the south wall of the building at 807 Story Street is making some pretty good progress. The two started out looking for supplies, equipment, paint and volunteers to help with the effort. Dan Niday, owner of Boone Hardware has been working with the group and told KWBG on the Morning Show Thursday that the cost of all the paint is now covered. He says there will still be a need for supplies and volunteers.

Troops Looking Forward To Homecoming

BOONE, Iowa---Chief Warrant Officer Robert Flynn and Sgt. 1st Class Reagan Metcalf say they are looking forward to wrapping up their tour in Afghanistan. Flynn and Metcalf interviewed with KWBG News Thursday. The interview is available on kwbg.com, use the Audio Tab and select Special Podcasts. Flynn and Metcalf are each on their 4th deployment. Both are members of the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, based in Boone.

Hospital Board Will Consider IT Purchase

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital Board of Trustees has been consider several different matters in making a decision about digit record keeping. The wait is apparently close to over. The Board will consider a staff recommendation during their Thursday meeting that will involve the purchase of the Meditech system. Digital record keeping is being mandated by the federal government, which also makes reimbursement available. However, hospitals will need to cover the cost until they are reimbursed. The Trustees meet Thursday evening at the Boone County Hospital.

RAGBRAI Reception Gains Some Volunteers

BOONE, Iowa---The 2011 Boone RAGBRAI Committees gathered for a public reception at the City View Reception Room at the Gigglin Goat Tuesday and had a chance to let the public learn more about the late July visit to Boone. Committees gave presentations and also signed up volunteers. Vicki Greco heads the Housing Committee and says there's still a need for more Host Families. She says information on hosting and volunteering was included in the recent Boone Utility Bill. More information is available here.

Salvage Yards Receive Approval

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors did grant approval to several salvage yards in Boone County during a Wednesday meeting. In the last several years, the County has been particularly concerned about the salvage yards and making sure they are in compliance with their operations. Five operators gained approval this week, all with one-year renewals. A couple of recently completed a probationers were discussed, but staff recommendations were to accept the improved operations and grant the permits. Over the years, the County has had to close down a number of illegal salvage yards after receiving complaints.

Superviosrs Look For Potential Appointees

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors is asking for interested county residents to consider serving on various boards and commissions. The effort to recruit interested residents will not only give the Board a pool of qualified and interested individuals, but will also help them meet state law requiring gender balance. To help, a list of vacancies and the necessary forms for consideration are all be made available on the county website.

Common Thread Consortium

MADRID, Iowa---The Madrid City Council will consider participation in the Common Thread Consortium, an effort to have several communities with like interests working together to promote themselves. The Ogden City Council took action earlier this month to share in the Consortium. Perry is the largest city involved and together the group is using the expertise of Iowa State University in developing a logo to identify the group and it's participants.

Council to Finalize Insurance Change

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council is slated to take action, finalizing the change in health insurance carriers for city personnel. Two weeks ago, the Council accepted a recommendation from staff to switch to UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company and their Iowa Public Employers Pool. Action to approve the final documentation on the change over will be considered Monday evening.

Railroad Museum Ground Breaking

BOONE, Iowa---Several people turned out for the formal ground breaking ceremony for the James H. Andrew Railroad Museum and History Center Friday morning. Fenner Stevenson, General Manager for the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad was delighted with the turnout and says he's looking forward to helping bring the project to a reality. A 9,000 square foot addition will join the current railroad museum and depot and will feature a theatre and library, plus the collection of James H. Andrew. Andrew from Jefferson says he's excited to keep his collection together and available for the public. The Boone City Council will consider the project site plan when they meet Monday.

House Fire

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Fire Fighters teamed up with Ogden Fire Fighters to battle a house fire at 1504 Marshall Street in Boone Thursday afternoon. County records indicate the home is owned by Laura McGlynn. Officials say no one was home at the time of the fire. A neighbor called in the the report and was able to save pets. The fire reportedly originated in or near a bedroom then spread out the window into the attic. The bedroom was gutted and there was extensive smoke and water damage through out the home. The cause remains under investigation. Fire fighters were assisted by Boone County Search and Rescue and Boone County Ambulance.

Salvation Army Leadership Change

BOONE, Iowa---The Salvation Army of Boone has announced a change of leadership. Envoys Tim and Peggy North are being transferred to Fremont, Nebraska. The Norths will be replaced in Boone by Lieutenant William and Captain Robin Rutledge. The change in leadership is scheduled for Wednesday, June 29th.

Communications Upgrade

BOONE, Iowa---The federal mandate is changing communication systems across the country and the change will affect Boone County. Local emergency responders have a committee meeting to work through the issues surrounding a change to Narrow Band Communications. Rick Lampe has been handling the County Communication Center and told the Supervisors this week that a money may need to be borrowed to cover the cost of the change. Nothing has been finalized, but decisions need to be made soon. The change over is required by the end of 2012.

Mural Effort Underway

BOONE, Iowa---An effort is underway to paint a mural on the wall of 807 Story Street in downtown Boone, before RAGBRAI on July 26th. Megan Yoder and Jon Hodges have started the effort and are seeking support and donations, lots of donations. The vacant wall was left after the demolition of fire damaged buildings last year. Quite a bit of work remains to preserve the wall which has seen some deterioration. Donations may be monetary or through supplies, painting items like scaffolding and ladders and volunteers. More information can be found here.

Fun Days

OGDEN, Iowa---Ogden Fun Days will kick off Friday and signals a return of the community celebration to mid-June. It also signals a return of a carnival, the Bill Riley Talent Show and a downtown car show. Meanwhile, in the Ogden City Park, the Senior Food Stand, a mainstay of the celebration, entertainment and bingo can all be found. Jan Jensen, Fun Days Co-Chair, says a big change Saturday will be moving the parade to 5:00 PM. Sunday will include a High School Jazz Band Performance, in the park at 1:00 PM.

Supervisors Approve Notice of Intent

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors have approved a Notice of Intent to be submitted to state and federal officials indicating an interest in applying for a Hazardous Mitigation Grant. The Iowa 4-H Foundation sought out assistance from the Supervisors. The Supervisors would still have an option to withdraw from the project, at least until a grant is received. That's the big question. Grants will be issued on a first come, first served basis and just applying will not assure that one will be awarded to Boone County. The grant would fund the construction of a storm shelter at the 4-H Camp near Madrid.

School District Hires Staff

BOONE, Iowa---Staffing for the next school year is pretty well set for the Boone School District. Superintendent Brad Manard says the district was able to find some very good candidates to fill vacancies, including a new Director of Buildings and Grounds. Manard says Mark Ashby has accepted the position and will begin his duties the first of July. Ashby will replace Dean Berkland who is stepping down and will fill another position in the department.

High Trestle Trail Vandalism

BOONE, Iowa---Authorities are continuing their investigation into the theft of more than a dozen light fixtures from the High Trestle Trail Bridge near Madrid. The Boone County Conservation Board was updated this week by Director Andy Hockenson. Hockenson says the Boone County Sheriff's Department is handling the investigation and already has suspects. So far no charges have been filed. He explained that the fixtures cost over $400 each. Funds left over from the construction will cover the cost of replacing the fixtures and providing additional security.

Conservation Board Approves Trail Guidelines

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Conservation has formally adopted the trail rules and guidelines for the High Trestle Trail in Boone County. The rules are expected to be similar to other counties and also pretty similar to the City of Madrid. Conservation Director Andy Hockenson says the rules will be posted along the trail and are also available on line. The Conservation Board did include a portion about the responsibilities of parents and guardians and children on or adjacent to the High Trestle Trail Bridge.

Supervisors to Consider Foundation Agreement

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will consider approval of an agreement between Boone County and the Iowa 4-H Foundation that will help the foundation obtain a Hazardous Mitigation Grant for a storm shelter at the Iowa 4-H Camp near Madrid. The only cost to the county would be handling the paperwork as funds were transferred to the foundation from FEMA. The foundation was not eligible to receive the grant, but the County can and is able to transfer funds to the foundation.

Cemetery Decorations

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission has decided to have stricter enforcement of the guidelines that regulate decorations on graves at the Linwood Park Cemetery. City staff reported several incidents of violations and the Commission, after a review of the long time guidelines and policies decided strict enforcement will be needed to curb the problem. One of the issues was the placement of solar powered lights which was used as an example of a violation of the policy. A very short period of time will be allowed for family members to remove excessive decorations.

Site Plans Up for Review

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Planning and Zoning Commission reviews two site plans Monday. One for the Iowa Railroad Historical Society for a Museum Building to be built near the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad Depot. At the last City Council meeting, the Council voted to not to forgive the building permit fee of nearly $4,800. The project is estimated to cost some $850,000. The second site plan is for Cyclone Car Credit in the 300 block of Mamie Eisenhower Avenue.

Ogden Fun Days

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden Fun Days Committee has made some changes for the 2011 community celebration. One of the first changes, the event has returned to mid-June, taking place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Jan Jensen, Co-Chair says this year a carnival has been booked for the weekend. Other changes include moving the big parade to Saturday afternoon and the car show in downtown Ogden on Friday. Additional information for fans of Fun Days can be found here.

Storm Damage

BOONE, Iowa---A thunderstorm followed by a wind advisory affected Central Iowa late Monday morning and into the early afternoon. Emergency responders were spotting during a Thunderstorm Warning that affected southern Boone County and northern Dallas County. Some heavy rain fell, but no serious problems have been reported at this time. Following the thunderstorm, winds began to blow at 40-to-50 miles per hour. Authorities did report some damage, mostly tree branches from the strong gust winds. No injuries have been reported at this time.

Boone County Soldier Injured in Afghanistan

BOONE, Iowa---A Boone County soldier, serving with the Iowa National Guard was one of four injured this week in Afghanistan. Colonel Greg Hapgood, Public Affairs Officers with the Iowa National Guard reported Friday that 40-year old Staff Sgt. Daniel J. Wilczak of Luther was part of the group attacked with an Improvised Explosive Devise while conducting combat operations in Laghman Province. Also injured were 26-year old 1st Lt. Nicholas R. Morris of Columbia, S.C.; 25 year old Sgt. Martin C. Ennor of Cedar Rapids and 26-year old Pvt. 1st Class Tyler M. Sirovy of Deep River, Iowa. Pictures of the four are included.

City Wide Clean Up

BOONE, Iowa---The second week of the Boone City Wide Clean Up will be held next week. City officials once again, urge residents with items to be thrown away to place those on their parking Sunday or very early on Monday. Last week, residents north of Mamie Eisenhower set out items and they were picked up. Early reports from Public Works were pretty good for residents following the rules. City personnel pickup up items that can not normally be disposed of with regular garbage pickup. Residents south of Mamie Eisenhower will set out items for next week.

Polk City Man Arrested on High Trestle Trail

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says a deputy joined a Boone County Conservation Officer in arresting a 32-year old Polk City man for operating a golf cart on the High Trestle Trail. Fehr says initially the man fled from the Conservation Officer and went into Woodward. Once the deputy arrived, Troy A. Clarkson was taken into custody. Fehr says the charges include operating while intoxicated a second offense, eluding, driving while suspended, no registration and having a prohibited vehicle on a designated bike trail. The incident occurred about 9:00 Thursday evening.

School District Patrons to Begin Organizing

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board would like to move ahead with a proposal to add on the the current high school, demolition a portion of the structure and remodel some of the current space. The Board's proposal has been presented a number of times since earlier this year and now, supporters of the project want to organize and formally call for a bond referendum and campaign for the project. By law, the district can only present the information. The actual vote will need to be sought by petition. A meeting for supporters will be held Monday at 7:00 PM at the Boone County Historical Center. Superintendent Brad Manard has been asked to provide and overview of the plan.

Ogden Council Considers Quietzone Report

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden City Council has received it's anticipated Quietzone Report. City Administrator Donovan Olson reviewed the report during Tuesday's Council meeting. Some of the aspects of the report include medians at crossings and other crossing refinements, estimated to cost more than $140,000. The Council discussed the report, but did not make any final decisions. Plans call for setting a public meeting to gather comments and present information on the possible project. That meeting has not been scheduled yet.

Council Denies Waiver on Building Permit Fee

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council was asked to consider waiving the permit fee for the planned construction of a new Railroad Museum at the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. The estimated fee is just under $4,700 for a proposed $850,000 project. Boone Mayor John Slight said this week he supported the Council's 5 to nothing decision to keep the fee in place. Council members expressed concern about setting a precedent. Council members Fenner Stevenson and Gary Nystrom abstained from the vote because of a conflict of interest.

Foundation Seeks County Help

BOONE, Iowa---One of the highlights of the recently adopted Multi-Jurisdictional Hazardous Mitigation Plan is the fact that there are few storm shelters available at Boone County campgrounds. This week the Iowa 4-H Foundation asked the Boone County Supervisors for assistance in pursuing a grant to build a storm shelter at the 4-H Camp near Madrid. The Foundation would be responsible for the project, but the County would be the go between with FEMA. The Supervisors are expected to consider action on the request next week.

Construction Detour

BOONE, Iowa---Work is beginning on one of the last segments of the Boone sanitary sewer rehabilitation program. It's only about a block in length, but it's on Linn Street at the underpass. City officials say the underpass will remain open but traffic will be detoured in the immediate area. Work on the project is expected to take several weeks, even with good weather conditions. Last month, City Administrator Luke Nelson said the focus for dealing with the sewer back ups is changing from putting in bigger pipe to stopping to cause of additional storm water getting into the sanitary sewer.

Ogden Project Could be Expanded

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden City Council gave approval to a proposal that would move extra funds allocated for a mandated storm sewer project to do some additional work on the city's sanitary sewer rehabilitation project. The $1.2 million dollar storm sewer project actually funds left over. Work on the sanitary sewer rehabilitation project is nearing completion and also has a few dollars left over. Scott Renault of Fox Engineering told the council this week that several more blocks of sanitary sewer line could be rehabbed by redirecting the funds. Final approval must come from block grant officials with the state.

City Council Selects New Health Insurance

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has selected a new health insurance provider for Boone City employees. Monday the Council selected the Iowa Public Employers Pool, which is United Health Care River Valley. Boone Mayor John Slight says the employee committee working on the benefit and the consultants, Group Benefits Limited, recommended the change and the Council accepted that recommendation. Savings are expected to be about $250,000 per year. Slight says the health insurance benefit offered to employees is still one of the city's biggest expenses.

Computer Problem at Clinic

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Family Medicine Clinics had a problem Monday with their computer, which scrambled all the appointments that had been made during the day. A spokesperson says the computer issues were resolved, but now, those that made appointments for the Boone County Family Medicine Clinics in Boone, Madrid or Ogden are being asked to once again call and verify their appointment date and time.

Council Committee Considers Policy

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council's Utility Committee will be reviewing and considering confirmation of a policy dealing with delinquent water and sewer bills and the matter of re-instating service. Earlier discussions for about the matter led the Committee to develop a policy for the situation. The amount of delinquencies has been increasing and receiving payment and restoring service has sometimes become an issue. The Utility Committee meets at the City Hall on Wednesday at 4:00 PM.

Council Asked to Waive Building Fee

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council is being asked to waive the building fee for the planned railroad museum for the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. Eric Hammer for R.H. Grabau Construction has submitted the request, noting the addition to the Boone and Scenic Valley will continue bring in additional tourists to the community and the Boone and Scenic Valley. The actual permit fee is almost $4,700. The City has traditionally waived fees for other taxing entities such as the school district, the hospital and the county. Permit fees for other entities are addressed individually by the Council.

Four Hospitalized Following Accident

BOONE, Iowa---Four people were hospitalized following a two-vehicle accident between Boone and Ogden Saturday afternoon. Sheriff Ron Fehr says a Deputy investigated the accident that occurred about 1:15 PM. 33-year old Jennifer A. Marshall of Boone was crossing US Highway 30 and collided with a vehicle operated 56-year old Nancy J. Halterman of Dana. Halterman and three passengers, 10-year old Gretta Halterman, 9-year old Olivia Halterman and 12-year old Yasmeen Huss were all transported by ambulance to Boone County Hospital where they were treated for their injuries. Marshall was cited with failing to yield upon entering a through highway.

Demolition of District Buildings Underway

BOONE, Iowa---Contractors began of process of demolishing two vacant elementary buildings last week. Boone School Superintendent Brad Manard says he expects the work will go quickly. Environmental contractors are handling the asbestos abatement. Two contracts were were approved, Lindstrom Environmental from Plymouth, Minnesota is working at the Lowell building and R-E-W Services is handling the Bryant building. Actually demolition will be handled by Anderson Excavating of Omaha. Anderson Excavating handled the demolition of the fire damaged buildings in downtown Boone in 2010.

Baltimore Explains Budget Proposal

BOONE, Iowa---State Representative Chip Baltimore says Republicans in the State House have compromised with themselves to put together an omnibus two-year budget and a package for property tax reform. He says actual debate in the House will be next week, but he expects both to pass. Baltimore says the Governor was kept up to date on the work because some of the compromises differed from his proposals, like a 40% reduction in commercial property taxes and maintaining the structure of the preschool program. Democrats have continued to press for additional spending in the next fiscal year, especially in education.

City Wide Clean Up

BOONE, Iowa---The first part of the Boone City Wide Clean Up begins this weekend as residents north of Mamie Eisenhower need to set items they want the City's Public Works Department to pick up beginning Monday. Boone Mayor John Slight says they will only pick up permitted items in the next week. Residents south of Mamie Eisenhower can set items out on Sunday, June 12th. For those that have appliances and tires, special arrangements need to be made. Information on the details of the City Wide Clean Up are available here.

Celebrate the Lake

PILOT MOUND, Iowa---Several different agencies have banded together to create the first time "Celebrate the Lake" at the Don Williams Recreation Area in Boone County. Those agencies put together the plan to attract people to the Don Williams Lake and Park in an effort to educate the public about it's impact on the quality of life for Boone County residents. Educational participation events have been planned for late morning for the whole family. There's no cost to participate. Activities begin at 9:00 AM.

Airport Commission Opts for 2nd Lowest Bid

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Municipal Airport Commission has selected the second lowest bid for the second phase of resurfacing the Airport Parking Apron project. The Commission received 5 bids with the lowest two only some $1,400 apart. Because federal grant dollars are being used and require contractors to have a certain amount of Disadvantaged Business Enterprises or minority businesses. The low bidder, CTI Construction from Urbandale had no minority businesses while the next lowest bidder, Absolute Concrete of Slater had 4.6 % minority work, the goal of the Iowa DOT. Absolute was selected for the project with approval by the FAA.

Relay for Life Forecast Looking Warm

BOONE, Iowa---The 2011 Boone County Relay for Life will be held Friday evening at Goeppinger Field in Boone. Right now, it looks like it's going to be a warm evening, breezy and a slight chance of precipitation. Even with the forecast, organizers are still looking forward to getting all the Survivors on the track to kick off the event at 6:00. For those wishing to walk, remember, the big change this year is that walkers will only be walking at the track until midnight. A luminary vigil will be maintained at HyVee in Boone until the closing ceremonies at 7:00 Saturday morning.

Time To Get Water Wells Tested

BOONE, Iowa---Mike Salati, Boone County Sanitarian says now is a good time to get wells tested. Salati says there are a number of water wells still in use in Boone County and it's a good idea to get that well tested on an annual basis. Salati says he has assistance available through an Iowa DNR Grant Program. He says the program covers the cost of testing the well. Additional assistance may be available for repairs or closure, if a property owners wish to pursue those options. Information is available on the Boone County website.

Neighbors Protest

BOONE, Iowa---It was about 4 years ago, residents of rural Boone County, northeast of Boone protested the location of a hog confinment operation. The families were back at the Boone County Courthouse to gain Supervisors support in oppostion to another proposed hog confinment to be located near 160th and U Avenue, northeast of Boone. More than 80 residences are located in the area. The owner of Capstone Finishers is Dr. William Whitley from Alabama. Because of the size, the county has no say in the location, everything is handled by the Iowa DNR.

Pawlenty Campaigns in Boone

BOONE, Iowa---Republican Presidential hopeful, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty did make a campaign stop in Boone on Memorial Day. Pawlenty did meet with a packed room of interested citizens, talking about the federal deficit, jobs and more. Pawlenty said he looks forward to continue bringing his message to Iowas and doing well in the Republican Straw Poll that will be held in August.

Memorial Day Service Draws Big Crowd

BOONE, Iowa---The annual Boone Memorial Day Ceremony was greeted by warm, windy weather Monday, but did draw a pretty good sized crowd. The event featured Richard Jordan, Boone attorney and World War Two veteran. Boone Boy Scouts provided a reading of General Logan's Orders and wreaths were presented by the American Legion Auxiliary, the VFW Auxiliary and the Daughters of the American Revolution and a new group of young people, the Children of the American Revolution.

Residents Meet With Supervisors

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County residents from Jackson Township are set to present concerns about a possible confined animal feeding operation planned that area. Residents are expected to present their concerns during Wednesday's regular meeting with the Supervisors. In addition, the Board will receive a proposed resolution addressing those concerns. The matter is included as an agenda item for the Supervisors and will require their consideration.

Airport Commission to Award Contract

BOONE, Iowa---With luck, the Boone Municipal Airport Commission is expected to award a contract for the next phase of a substantial rehabilitation of the parking apron at the airport. The work is part of the Commission's overall improvement plan which has drawn interest from pilots that would like to house aircraft at the airport. A recent addition involved the construction new hangars which were funded through an IJobs program and private investment from pilots. Recently, the Commission met with the City Council's Economic Development Committee to discuss possible assistance to relocate an aviation business to the airport.

River Rescue

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Sheriff Ron Fehr says an unidentified number of people were rescued off the Des Moines River Monday afternoon, after becoming stranded south of US Highway 30. Fehr reported that deputies and Boone County Search and Rescue and the Madrid Fire Department were able to communicate with the group by cell phone. They were taken off the river. No injuries were reported.

Two Doctors Hired

BOONE, Iowa---As expected, the Boone County Hospital Board of Trustees approved two contracts Thursday, hiring two practitioners for Boone County Family Medicine. Dr. Wahid Riad from Waterloo is expected to begin in August and Dr. Jason Sheffler, currently in Minnesota, is expected to begin January 2012. The need to recruit additional doctors is continuing. Dr. Jerald Phipps recently went on an extended leave and Dr. Richard Vermillion of Ogden was injured in a bicycling accident. No set date for Vermillion's return has been announced.

Memorial Day Service

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Veterans Council has put together the annual Memorial Day Ceremony for Boone area residents. The Boone Ceremony will be held at the G.A.R. Plot at the Linwood Park Cemetery Monday at 10:30 AM. Boone Attorney Richard T. Jordan will deliver the address. Other participants will be the American Legion Auxiliary, VFW Auxiliary, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Boy Scouts of Boone.

Household Hazardous Waste

BOONE, Iowa---The Clean up Crew will be in Boone Saturday morning for the annual Household Hazardous Waste Clean-up event. Volunteers will join the Clean up Crew at the northeast parking lot on the DMACC Boone Campus. Residents may drop off acceptable materials between 9:oo AM and 11:00 AM. There's no charge to bring items to the drop off location. According to Landfill Administrator Scott Smith, anyone that misses the event can call the landfill at 433-0591 to schedule an appointment to bring household hazardous materials to the landfill. Information about what will be accepted during the event can by found here.

Hospital Board Considers Doctor Hires

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital Board of Trustees will be considering approval of a couple of contracts for doctors that become part of Boone County Family Medicine. A search had been underway for a doctor to replace Dr. James Hardinger who passed away unexpectedly two years ago. This month, Dr. Jerald Phipps went on an extended leave and is not expected to return. Two candidates have tentatively agreed to contracts which could gain approval during the Thursday board meeting.

Central Iowa Expo Reps Update Supervisors

BOONE, Iowa---Continued concerns by Boone County Supervisors about the financial viability of the Central Iowa Expo remain. Julie Weeks with Ames CVB and Kurt Phillips with the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce told the Supervisors this week that current operations will be handled by a committee of themselves and Bob Fisher with Boone's Future. Weeks told the Supervisors a more detailed operating plan to cover the next 18 months is being prepared. A separate committee will be organized to focus on the problem of long term debt for the site that serves as the Iowa home to the Farm Progress Show.

Motorcycle Accident Information Released

BOONE, Iowa---The Iowa State Patrol has released information about a motorcycle accident Monday near Luther. The operator was identified as 60 year old Gerald Gene Simpson of Fort Dodge. Troopers report that Simpson was traveling south on Highway 17, in a construction zone north of Luther when he braked and wrecked his motorcycle. Simpson sustained a serious head injury and was flown from the scene to Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. There has been no update on his condition.

Transmission Line Proposed in Boone County

BOONE, Iowa---The Iowa Utilities Board staff was on hand in Boone to conduct a required informational meeting about a proposed electric transmission line. A large crowd of residents and property owners that had been notified showed up at the Gigglin' Goat, many to protest the project. The Cyclone Wind Project would be built east of Stratford in southern Hamilton County, but the proposed transmission line would run along "Q" Avenue in Boone County to the Boone Junction Substation northeast of Boone. The developer of the project is enXco.

Drainage District Bid Accepted

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone and Webster County Supervisors met over the phone Wednesday as a Joint Drainage District Board. They accepted a bid from Reutzel Excavating for $45,305 for work in the drainage district which is the Don Williams Watershed. The bid was about 10% over the engineers estimate, but was still $4,300 less then the next lowest bid. Work is not expected to begin until this fall after crops are out and conditions are dry.

Historical Presentation

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Historical Society monthly Heritage Program will have a tie to the Memorial Day Holiday. The Society's Executive Director Charles Irwin says the presentation will focus on military and fraternal symbolism in Boone cemeteries. Irwin says Suzanne Caswell developed the program several years ago, but it's been updated to include burials from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The free program begins at 7:00 Thursday at the Boone County Historical Center.

Legislative Week Uneventful

BOONE, Iowa---State Representative Chip Baltimore said Friday he doesn't expect the State of Iowa to shut down due to a lack of an agreement on the budget. Baltimore says he won't be surprised if talks go well into June, but he feels a compromise will be worked out. The first term Republican from Boone says talks have continued among the leadership and he feels progress is being made, but more work remains.

Relay for Life Approaching

BOONE, Iowa---The 2011 Boone County Relay for Life is two weeks away. Organizers are still encouraging team participation, something that has waned a bit in recent years. Those wishing to support the Relay can always participate in some of the other opportunities, like purchasing a luminary for that night. There is still time for Survivors to get signed up and to participate as well. The Boone County Relay for Life will be held Friday, June 3rd from 6:00 PM until 12:00 AM at Goeppinger Field in Boone. The Luminary vigil will overnight at the Boone HyVee.

Bluff Creek Triathlon

PILOT MOUND, Iowa---Mother nature may be the biggest challenge during this weekends annual Bluff Creek Triathlon. The early season event continues to draw participants. The Bluff Creek Triathlon uses the Don Williams Recreation Area and offers both Olympic and Sprint divisions. With any luck, contestants won't be battling thunderstorms, but rain into the weekend should have an impact on the swimming portion. The water temperature at Don Williams was 57 degrees.

Drug Arrests

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Sheriff's Department, Story County Sheriff's Department and the Central Iowa Drug Task Force executed a search warrant late Thursday morning at 6100 West Lincolnway, Lot #3, Ames. Sheriff Ron Fehr says the address is located in Boone County. He says an active meth lab was discovered inside a trailer home. Charged with Conspiracy to Manufacture Meth were 44-year old Romy Lynn Petra, 46-year old Rodney S. Taylor, 27-year old Nicole M. Yunglas, 33-year old Brian L. Robertson and 19-year old Katelyn S. Winkler all of Ames. A vehicle leaving the scene was also stopped and the driver, 30-year old Justin J. Schrader of Ames was wanted on a Boone County Warrant and was also charged with driving under suspension. Fehr says the Kelly and Ames Fire Departments assisted and the investigation is continuing.

County Appeals Board Receives Extension

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County has received a maximum extension to complete the property tax assessment appeal process. The announcement this week by the Iowa Department of Revenue will now allow the local Appeals Board time to complete the task of dealing with more than 800 appeals. By law, the Board receives appeals by May 5th and needs to complete the process by May 31st. The maximum extension allows the process to continue until July 15th, and that's what was approved. A number of Boone County residents filed appeals following the reassessment of residential properties last year.

City Board to Meet Saturday.

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council Economic Development Committee and the Boone Airport Commission will hold a joint meeting Saturday morning at the Boone Municipal Airport. There are no action items on the agenda, but the two groups will be discussing options and alternatives to assist with locating an interest flight service at the airport. The Airport Commission has been active in trying to lure pilots and airport related businesses to the airport and is currently in the process of planning improvements on the taxiway. Two new hangars were recently completed and Commission members say they do have a waiting list of potential investors in future hangar construction.

Ogden Storm Sewer Nears Completion

OGDEN, Iowa---Ogden residents will begin seeing finishing work on their $1.2 million storm sewer project that is expected to divert storm water away from the city's sanitary sewer system. The project like many across the state, mandated by the Iowa DNR to keep overflow volumes from reaching the Ogden treatment plant. City Administrator Donovan Olson says the work is substantially complete, meaning the pipe is in the ground. over the next couple of weeks, finishing work and seeding will be done.

Council Accepts Bid

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council has accepted the apparent low bid from Keller Excavating of Boone for the next phase of the sanitary sewer rehab project. The area for the work is on Linn Street from the Industrial Park Road through the intersection with 11th Street. Boone Mayor John Slight says the work will address a bottle neck in the sanitary sewer system. Slight says bid from Keller was just over $693,000. The only thing remaining are the necessary permits from the Iowa DNR. Work is scheduled to begin June 1 and end on or about August 24th. The project was estimated to cost about $850,000.

Lottery Chief in Boone

BOONE, Iowa---Terry Rich, President and CEO of the Iowa Lottery paid a visit to Boone Tuesday, in an effort to encourage a recent $1 million Power Ball winner to come forward. Rich says a visit was made to the north side Casey's where the winning ticket was sold. He says people have reported a number of rumors but no winner has been confirmed. Rich told KWBG listeners that the winner needs to sign the ticket first and foremost, then put it away in a secure location. After that, visit with an attorney or financial advisor. He also says the Lottery can provide assistance to the winner, confidentially. Rich says the identity of the winner will be released when the ticket has been confirmed.

Economic Development at Airport

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council's Economic Development Committee received an update on potential growth at the Boone Municipal Airport Monday. The discussion has been about offering possible incentives to help with the relocation of an aviation business. The Airport Commission has been committed to making improvements at the airport, and has recently begun a campaign to expand hangar space. It's possible members of the Airport Commission and the Council's Economic Development Committee will meet at the airport to discuss opportunities.

The Diabetic Chef Comes to Boone

BOONE, Iowa---Chris Smith, known by many as The Diabetic Chef will participate in a Boone County Hospital Foundation "Educating and Empowering U" program on diabetes Thursday. Sara Behn, Foundation Executive Director has said they were very excited to get Smith to come to Boone and were even more excited to build an afternoon and evening program for the public. Food and several vendors are also taking part in the Thursday program, which will be held on the Boone Campus of Des Moines Area Community College. Tickets are $10.00. Registration and additional information is available here.

Sanitary Sewer Rehab Continues

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will consider bids for the next phase of the on going sanitary sewer rehabilitation project in Boone. City Engineer Wayne Schwartz had said the next are will be north of the underpass on Linn Street. The work will only involve fixing a bottle neck in the system on Linn Street north of the underpass. Engineers estimated the project to cost nearly $850,000. The apparent low bid is just under $700,000, but the contractor does not have the necessary permits from the DNR. Schwartz will ask the Council for approval pend receipt of the necessary waste water construction permits.

Stamp Out Hunger

BOONE, Iowa---Postal carriers at the Boone Post Office felt pretty good about their "Help Stamp Out Hunger" food drive for the local food pantries last Saturday. Debbi Wirtz told KWBG that 4,439 lbs of nonperishable food items were collected during the event, with both Red Rock Community Action and the Salvation Army benefiting from the drive. Wirtz says a big "Thanks" goes out to family members that joined letter carriers with the effort Saturday. The benefit of the "Help Stamp Out Hunger" campaign is filling food bank shelves as schools let out and children no longer have access to school lunches.

Building Demolition

BOONE, Iowa---The demolition of two vacant elementary buildings in Boone will begin by the end of the month. Superintendent Brad Manard says the School Board accepted bids Tuesday. Bids totaled just under $507,000. Estimated from DLR, engineers for the work, were at more than $650,000. Manard says asbestos abatement will begin first and demolition will follow. Sites are expected to be leveled and seeded in August. After that, the School Board will begin the process of making the lots available for residential development.

Elementary Band Position Retained

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone School Board has accepted a personnel plan that creates a Dean of Students position at the Middle School and keeps the elementary band director position. Boone Superintendent Brad Manard says Dean of Students position was needed to deal with student discipline at the Middle School. He also said the Board did accept retaining the elementary band position, but the decision may need to be revisited next year, depending on legislative action. Manard says more than 30 applications have already been received.

Council To Receive RAGBRAI Update

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council expressed concerns about finances for this summers RAGBRAI overnight stay. City Administrator Luke Nelson said at the time that he wanted to get a feel for how much responsibility the City should assume if the planned activities end in the red. Nelson told the Council it had been a topic of discussion between the City and Chamber. A couple of Council members expressed concern about not being included in updates about the visit. Next Monday, a member of the RAGBRAI Executive Committee is expected to give the Council a report on the status of plans.

School Building Demolition

BOONE, Iowa---It's taken a little longer than expected, but the Boone School Board will approve bids for building demolition, asbestos control and soil testing Tuesday. The Board had hoped a useful purpose could be found for the vacated Lowell and Bryant Elementary buildings. Since the decision to vacate the buildings, the School Board has consistently said the buildings could be sold, but the buyer would need to demonstrate a beneficial use for the neighborhood and community. Since no one purchased the buildings, the Board opted for demolition because of the ongoing costs to maintain the structures.

Ketchum Joins Conservation Board

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Conservation Board welcomed it's newest member this week. Molly Ketchum was named to fill the vacancy created with the election of Steve Duffy to the Boone County Board of Supervisors. Duffy had been one of the longest serving County Conservation Board members in the state prior to his run for Supervisor. The Board is currently chaired by Becky Roorda and includes Neil Goeppinger, Al Treloar and Mark Trueblood.

Johnny Appleseed

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Johnny Appleseed Project will mark it's 28th year Saturday with the planting of nearly 200 trees. John Murphy is teaming up with Phil Brown for this year's campaign and says a number of volunteers are already lined up but more are welcome. Anyone wishing to participate should dress appropriately and bring along a shovel if possible. Volunteers will gather at the Herman Park Pavilion Saturday by 7:00 AM. Murphy says the work should be done before 10:00 AM. Murphy noted that volunteers have planted more than 9,000 trees as part of the Appleseed Project.

School Board Personnel Matters

BOONE, Iowa---Last month, the Boone School Board was asked to reconsider eliminating the elementary band position. Superintendent Brad Manard had said the position was not being filled following a retirement. An appeal was made by current and former staff to the Board that was short two members. The matter has been held until Tuesday's meeting and to make it possible for more people to attend, the start time has been changed to 5:00 PM. The Board will consider the matter, along with contracts and non-renewal notices.

BCH Seeks CMS Input

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital, like many critical access hospitals in the country are trying to determine their course of action to incorporate mandated digital records. Hospital Chief Executive Office Joe Smith says they have asked the Centers for Medicare Services for some idea about reimbursement for money that's spent to purchase and install a system. So far only a few questions have been answered. Smith noted that technical consultant estimated the hospital would need to spend $500,000 of it's own money. The hospitals auditing firm BKD has made an estimate of $1.5 million. A decision to move ahead is still expected in the next several weeks.

Park Commission Focuses on Projects

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone Park Commission is continuing to promote their "Support Boone City Parks" campaign which is directing contributions to the Boone Parks Foundation. Mike Swarts, Park Commission President says selling the decals for a minimum $5 donation has added quite a bit to the funds needed to make improvements to the McHose Park Shelter House. Swarts says the Commission moved ahead with the decal idea because there are not always enough General Fund dollars available at the city level to help with ongoing repairs.

Landfill Fees to Increase

BOONE, Iowa---Boone County Supervisors adopted the proposed Landfill Budget for the 2012 Fiscal Year during their meeting Wednesday. The fees will increase by a dollar per ton in the next fiscal year, a decision that was actually addressed a year ago. Landfill Administrator Scott Smith reported that the fee structure will need to be re-examined carefully in the future to make sure the cost of newly implemented landfill rules can be covered. Total revenue in the next fiscal year will exceed $2.1 million.

Quiet Zone

OGDEN, Iowa---The City of Ogden is getting closer to having a quiet zone. The City has been working with the Union Pacific Railroad to establish a quiet zone in the community. This week, Ogden City Administrator Donovan Olson told the Council that traffic counts are currently being taken and a draft study is expected to be available for review within the next week or so. Establishing a quiet zone requires making both vehicle and pedestrian more difficult to navigate. Olson says the idea is to keep costs as low as possible for the city.

Machine Shed Fire

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Firefighters spent several hours at the scene of a fire on the north side of the city Wednesday. The department responded to a structure fire shortly before 3:00 Wednesday afternoon and remained on the scene until nearly 7:00. Officials say the fire was well established upon their arrival and the dry conditions and strong winds continued to fan the blaze. The building and all it's contents, including tractors, skid loaders, a pontoon and other items were considered a complete loss. Officials say the building was owned by David and Vicki Coleman. There were no injuries and the cause is under investigation.

Structure Fire

BOONE, Iowa---Dry conditions caused a couple of fire problems for the Boone Fire Department Tuesday and things didn't get any better Wednesday. Multiple trucks and fire fighters were at the scene of a machine shed fire on the north side of Boone. Strong winds and dry conditions fanned the blaze and forced fire fighters to spend several hours on the scene. The cause of the fire was not available and there were no apparent injuries. Officials were unable to release any information on the contents of the machine shed.

DMACC Boone Campus Graduation

BOONE, Iowa---The 83rd Des Moines Area Community College's Boone Campus Commencement will be held Friday at 10:00 AM in the Boone Campus Gymnasium. The commencement address will be delivered by Shelly Schmit, Vice President of Organizational Development at North Iowa Area Community College. Schmit attended DMACC, earning here AA Degree in 1984. Schmit went on to earn her Bachelors and Master's Degrees from Iowa State University. She is currently a doctoral student at ISU. Boone Campus Provost Tom Lee will preside over the Commencement.

Project Beautify on Hold for 2011

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden City Council has put on hold the 2011 edition of Project Beautify. The decision doesn't mean something might not come up, but at the present time, Project Beautify will not take place. A suggestion was made to check on doing vouchers for residents that wanted to haul items to the Boone County Landfill, but that was not warmly received by the Landfill. One of the big issues has been volunteers to take part in the community clean up. Council members did discuss doing targeted clean up on a smaller basis, but no final decisions were made.

Supervisors to Move Ahead With Bond Sale

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Board of Supervisors will have to direct bond counsel to begin the process of selling bonds to cover costs associated with the Central Iowa Expo site. The Board has held off on the sale of bonds, awaiting financial reimbursement from Central Iowa Expo. The original plan called for the cost to be covered through fund raising and off season events at the Central Iowa Expo site. Over the past couple of months, the Supervisors have been working with the Central Iowa Expo Board to deal with financing issues.

Boone Sanitary Sewer Rehab Changes Focus

BOONE, Iowa---Wayne Schwartz, Boone City Engineer with Foth Engineering told the Boone City Council this week that the first phases of the sanitary sewer rehab work in Boone has focused on bigger pipe. He says the next phase will hopefully avoid digging up streets and installing bigger pipe. Schwartz says the new focus will be on dealing with the actual problem of storm water getting into the sanitary sewer system. Last month the Council added extra money to the Property Protection Program. Boone Mayor John Slight says work is going to continue. He says the Council wants the work to be more cost effective.

Ogden Council Discuss Project Beautify

OGDEN, Iowa---The Ogden City Council will discuss what can be done to continue Project Beautify. Ogden was one of the first in the area to designate and focus a city wide clean up effort. Over the years, Project Beautify has changed some what. The Council put together a program in 2010 that was slightly different than previous efforts. The Council will discuss what can be done to keep the effort alive in 2011.

Youth Theatre Program Planned for June

BOONE, Iowa---Boone Community Theatre will once again offer a youth theatre program in June. Mary Maybee says the some final decisions need to be made, but young people completing 5th, 6th and 7th grades are being invited to participate. A determination about including 8th graders is pending. Maybee says participants get an opportunity to learn all aspects of theatre from acting to set work. More information is expected to be sent home with students soon. The Youth Theatre Program begins June 6th.

Sanitary Sewer Rehab to Continue

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone City Council will take formal action to approve professional services for the next phase of the city's sanitary sewer rehabilitation work. Wayne Schwartz, with Foth Engineering has been serving as the City Engineer and has helped with the planning of the proposed CMOM program. CMOM deals with the capacity, management, operation and maintenance of the sewer systems.

Digital Record Time Frame

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Hospital Board of Trustees last week reviewed a time frame for moving ahead with mandated digital records. The Board expects work to begin on putting a system in place in early 2012 and completed by the end of 2013. The mandate requires that a system be operational for at least 90 days. Reimbursement opportunity will diminish in 2015. Hospital Chief Executive Officer Joe Smith has said the project could be about $5 million. Estimated expenses for the hospital range from $500,000 to $1.4 million.

RAGBRAI Housing

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone RAGBRAI Committee wants residents to know they have an opportunity to take part in the upcoming event by hosting RAGBRAI Riders. The Housing Committee is still looking for interested people to volunteer space. At the same time, several residents have indicated they intend to host riders they know, but Housing Committee Chair Vicki Greco says they should still let the Committee know for planning and liability purposes. Greco can be contacted by e-mail vicki.greco@dmymca.org.

Drug Drop Off

BOONE, Iowa---The Boone County Project SAFE, local law enforcement, the Boone County Supervisors, Boone County Landfill and others are supporting another "Drug Drop Off" event in Boone County on Saturday. The "Drug Drop Off" allows residents a chance to properly dispose of outdated, unused prescriptions, over the counter medications, vitamins, supplements and even pet medications. Kelly Wooden, Project SAFE Coordinator says the events in the past have been very successful. Residents just need to bring the old medications to their Police Department in Boone, Madrid or Ogden, Saturday between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM.

Xenia Audit Released

DES MOINES, Iowa---State Auditor David Vaudt has released an audit report for Xenia Rural Water District. The report shows the District had total revenues for the last year of just under $10.5 million. Expenses totaled more than $19.8 million. Over $6 million of the expenses were considered interest expense. Expenses were up over 54% from the previous year.

Hospital Finances Rebound in March

BOONE, Iowa---Hospital Chief Executive Officer Joe Smith noted a nice improvement in Hospital financials during March, due to a variety of reasons. Smith says admissions and patient days were up, but so were the expenses. He noted that net income was just under $100,000 compared to the budgeted amount of just under $91,000. Net income to date is over $477,000, ahead of last year, but some $325,000 behind budgeted amounts.