All across Iowa today, residents young and old are being urged to grab their sneakers, lace them up and get moving toward a healthier and longer life. This is National Walking Day, and Kassi Wessing, communications director for the American Heart Association in Iowa, said making a habit of walking on a regular basis can help relieve depression, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and prevent stroke and heart disease.

“The weather is turning nicer,” she said. “Spring is coming, and it’s kind of time for everybody to come out of hibernation and get those walks in, get those steps in.” While many people will be stepping out on their own or with family members or community groups, Wessing said a growing number of Iowa employers are realizing the importance of healthy workers.

“A healthy employee is a happy and more productive employee,” she said. “They have more motivation, more energy. So we work with a lot of our local companies to host events at their sites to get their employees out walking and moving and do companywide initiatives.”

Wessing said the American Heart Association recommends walking for a half hour a day, five days a week to get in the recommended 150 minutes of weekly physical activity. More information is online at heart.org.

A public hearing will be held at 8:45-a.m. on April 8th in Atlantic, on a request from the Cass County Public Safety Communications Commission, to institute proceedings to secure an essential county purpose loan for purchase of equipment for the communications center at 705 Poplar. The loan would amount to $324,000. The hearing will take place as part of the Cass County Board of Supervisors regular meeting. The date of the hearing was set during the Supervisors’ Board meeting Tuesday morning, in Atlantic.

In other business, the Supervisors, Tuesday, agreed to accept a quote of $41,683 from Access Systems, for replacement of the courthouse telephone system. The County will pay $3,000 per year for annual phone system support.

During their meeting next Wednesday, the Cass County Supervisors will act on a Resolution approving the Comm. Center Equipment loan, and, on a request from Nishna Valley Trails for $50,000 from the county local option sales tax fund, to help fund the Troublesome Creek Connector Trail project.

Authorities in Creston report the arrest Tuesday afternoon of 50-year old Jon. J. Perry. The Creston man was arrested for OWI/1st Offense and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs. He was later released from the Union County Jail on $1,000 bond.

And The Book Store at 210 N. Maple Street in Creston reported to police on Tuesday, that sometime between 12-a.m and 11:30-p.m. Sunday, someone took an old Fareway shopping cart from an upstairs hallway in the store. The cart was valued at $100.