LE MARS, Iowa (AP) – Crews have moved a historic log cabin in Le Mars, saving the structure from a planned demolition. The Le Mars Daily Sentinel reports workers moved the cabin Friday from the Plymouth County Fairgrounds to the Plymouth County Historical Museum. It took less than two hours to move the cabin, which is at least 115 years old, about 12 blocks.

The cabin was built in Sioux City for a judge’s servants. It was given to a Girl Scout camp and moved in 1923, then moved to another Girl Scout camp in Plymouth County in 1982. It was moved to the fairgrounds in 2004. The fair board decided to demolish the cabin but agreed to give it to a newly created group that raised the $9,600 cost to move the structure.

The Creston Police Department reports two recent arrests, two incidents of theft and one incident of vandalism. On Sunday, 37-year old Norman Dallas Olson, of Creston, was arrested at his home on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 3rd Degree. And, last Friday, 32-year old Erin Marie Wallace, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, on a Union County warrant charging her with Probation Violation. Bonds for Olson and Wallace were set at $2,000 each.

This past Saturday, a resident of South Division Street, in Creston, reported someone slashed all four tires on her vehicle parked outside her home. The incident took place sometime between 5:30-a.m. and 12:30-p.m., Saturday. The loss was estimated at $230.

Last Thursday, a resident on Manor Drive in Creston reported some stole his cell phone while he was at the McKinley Park – Skate Park. The gold-colored Iphone 5S was taken sometime between 9-and 9:40-p.m.. It was valued at $550.

And, on June 2nd, a resident living on S. Poplar Street, in Creston, reported a tattoo kit was taken from her home sometime between 1-pm June 1st and 11-a.m. June 2nd. The kit was valued at $200.

Summer arrives in about two weeks and the new season brings with it busier schedules for many Iowans. The Des Moines-based LifeServe Blood Center is seeing its blood supply fall as people’s free time is taken up with vacations and warm weather activities. Claire DeRoin, LifeServe’s community relations director, says the lower supply doesn’t mean less blood is needed. “Ninety percent of the population will need blood at some time in their lifetime,” DeRoin says. “You never know when it could be you or a family member or a neighbor.”

She says the center is hoping to keep a full supply of blood on hand during the critical summer months. Each donation of blood has the potential to help multiple people, be they accident victims or someone undergoing surgery. DeRoin says, “One donation of blood, which is one pint, can go on to help save the lives of three hospital patients in need.” She encourages anyone who’s eligible to visit the website, set up an appointment and make a donation.

“Donors have to be at least 16 years old and weigh 120 pounds and be in general good health,” DeRoin says. “You can’t come in with a cold or anything like that because safety is the #1 priority for you and the blood supply.” The two blood types that are in highest demand now are A-B negative and O-negative. LifeServe supplies blood to nearly 100 hospitals in Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa – As the state continues to grow older, an increasing number of Iowans are realizing there’s much more life to live after navigating adulthood and the traditional career path. More than 15 percent of Iowa’s population is already age 65 or older, and within the next decade it’s predicted to be more than 20 percent.

Mark Chapman, a senior adviser with AARP, says there has been a steady shift in thinking on the later years, as more older people are determined to seek out meaningful life changes. “A lot of people are looking at just not, ‘Will my finances last?’ or ‘Can I be healthy enough?’ but they want to know ‘What am I going to do? What am I going to be?’ “And it’s driven by a desire to be purposeful in this new life phase.”

Chapman says since this is really uncharted territory, AARP has created a program called Life Reimagined to help people navigate this new view on retirement. Chapman says Life Reimagined offers live workshops as well as tools online that people can access to figure out the question of what’s next, and then how to achieve those goals.
“So Life Reimagined is a personal guidance system that helps people navigate these transitions and pursue possibilities using principles that have been developed by experts in the field,” he explains.

Chapman and Life Reimagined will be in Iowa next week with workshops set for June 17 in Cedar Rapids and June 18 in Des Moines.  More details on those events can be found at lifereimagined.org.

(Iowa News Service)