Police in Red Oak arrested 67-year old Dennis Leroy Vanderhoof, of Red Oak, late Tuesday night. Vanderhoof was taken into custody at around 10:10-p.m. in the 200 block of N. 4th Street, for Breach of Peace. His bond was set at $300.

Homes are selling faster in Iowa than any point in the last three years. That’s according to a report released Tuesday by the Iowa Association of Realtors (IAR). I-A-R president Jon Yocum says the report, covering activity in the month of May, outlines several positive developments in the state’s housing market. “First off, our days on the market has dropped considerably from a year ago, so that means houses are hitting the market and moving much faster,” Yocum says. “Sales are up 7.3 percent over a year ago, so that means more homes are being sold.”

Home sold in Iowa last month, on average, were on the market for 75 days. That compares to 90 days one year ago. A total of 4,134 homes were sold in Iowa last month as compared to 3,853 homes that sold in May 2014. Yocum gives credit to low interest rates and programs offered in the state to help home buyers. “The Iowa Finance Authority has come out with a couple of new summer programs…with some more money to help buyers with down payment and closing costs, especially if you’re a first-time buyer,” Yocum says.

The report also shows the median sale price of homes sold in Iowa rose just over 4 percent. In May 2014, the median sale price was $137,500 while the median price last month was $142,450.

(Radio Iowa)

Local businesses or others interested in contracting or working with the government, from federal to local, and invited to attend a workshop and Q & A session on Government Contracting on Thursday, June 25th, from Noon to 1 PM, at the Cass County Extension Office. The workshop is offered at no cost to anyone pre-registered, and a light lunch will be provided to all attendees.

Topics covered include how to locate governments in your area and become registered with them, how to research and find government bid opportunities, how to respond to a government solicitation and develop a government proposal as well as more information about Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS) services available to your business.

The workshop will be led by Andy Alexander, Government Contracting Specialist with Iowa State University CIRAS. Andy has expertise in bid proposal preparation assistance, government contract counseling and post award assistance, and is a Certified Contracting Assistance Specialist (CCAS) and Certified VA CVE Verification Counselor.

More information on the program is available by calling or stopping into the Cass County Extension office, and can also be found on the Cass County Extension website at www.exension.iastate.edu/cass. Registrations are requested by Wednesday, June 24th at noon. To register, call the Cass County Extension office at 712-243-1132, or e-mail keolson@iastate.edu.