GLENWOOD, Iowa (AP) – The state Department of Human Services says a resident of the Glenwood Resource Center swallowed three batteries and had to be treated at a hospital. The agency on Thursday says it agreed to pay a $2,000 state fine because of the incident, which happened June 2 at the facility for people with intellectual disabilities. The resident was treated at a hospital before being released a few days later.

After the incident, the center notified the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals about the matter and submitted a self-correction plan. The agency on Thursday cited Glenwood for failing to provide required supervision as specified in the resident’s individual service plan.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Organizers of the annual Iowa by the Sea Picnic in California say they have stepped up their organizing efforts and expect a bigger crowd this year. The picnic began in 1900 in Pasadena and at one time drew more than 100,000 transplanted Iowans and their families. From the 1940s through the 1960s, Iowa governors and celebrities with Iowa roots often attended.

The Sioux City Journal reports attendance dwindled over time, and last year only about 70 people gathered. Retired Navy and Cedar Rapids native Cmdr. Don Swenson is working to change that. He helped create a picnic website and encouraged university alumni groups to send information to graduates living in California.

Swenson estimates 200 people will attend the picnic Saturday near the battleship USS Iowa in San Pedro.

MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (AP) – A western Iowa state park has reopened after three years of work to repair and improve the park after devastating flooding in 2011. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports the Wilson Island State Recreation Area near Missouri Valley will reopen Monday morning.

The state spent about $3 million to clean up and rebuild the park, which was damaged during months of flooding by the Missouri River.  The work included eliminating many flood-prone sites, changing the “first-to-flood” sites to nonelectric, and bringing electricity to other sites. The park also has a new shower house, two new dump stations, two new picnic shelters and a new park office.

The reopening was delayed by a June 3 storm that slammed the park with 4 inches of rain, high winds and baseball-sized hail.

Visitors to Cold Springs State Park near Lewis will find it a little easier to get around these days. In his quarterly update, Cass County Conservation Director Micah Lee reported to the Board of Supervisors during their meeting this (Thursday) morning, that the south driveway was graded and graveled this past Spring, and the road re-opened. He says the park has been getting a lot of use. New signs indicating a one-way direction of travel were installed. Other signs have been ordered that will be placed along the highway, informing people the south access road is available. When they arrive, Cass County Secondary Road Department crews will install them.

Lee says they’ve already received several compliments on the new road. He said the plan for this fiscal year is to continue to upgrade the camping site electrical outlets to 50-amps, which should help to draw more visitors. He said the current outlets aren’t capable of handling the needs of camper air conditioning units. That caused the breaker switches to pop on the older, voltage boxes.

Micah said also badgers have been creating problems on the sub-surface along T-Bone Trail, but the Conservation Department is battling the feisty little critters.  He said badgers chase the ground squirrels and cause damage to the trail bed trying to get to them. The department has been working at filling-in cave-in’s on the trail bed with concrete, but they might have to find another way of attacking the problem in the future.

In other business, the Supervisors approved the purchase from the Schneider Corporation, of “Ripple,” a tool that allows the Assessor and GIS office to cross-check public records systems, thereby improving the accuracy of the data in each system, and it’s hoped, better manage property information. The program costs $6,000 ($4,500 for the program, plus $1,500 for a set-up fee), and $1,125 every year thereafter for maintenance and updates.

The Atlantic City Council August 6th, will consider and possibly act on a recommendation by the City’s Personnel and Finance Committee, with regard to a loan agreement with a local investor who looks to build a new apartment building near the Cass County Memorial Hospital. The Committee, comprised of Council Persons Kathy Somers, Chris Jimerson, Dana Halder, Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones and John Lund, Assistant to City Administrator Doug Harris, met Wednesday evening with Pat McCurdy, of McCurdy Investments.

Pat McCurdy (Center), Kathy Somers (on his left), Dana Halder (far right); John Lund (left front). Ric Hanson/photo.

During the meeting at City Hall, McCurdy said he was seeking a $300,000 loan from the city as a means of “Gap financing,” to secure a bigger, federal loan package for a $2.1-million dollar project featuring a 24-unit, three-level apartment building just north of the current Walnut Hill Terrace Apartments, at 1300 E. 10th Street.

The Federal Government provides a majority of the loan on “Very favorable terms,” according to McCurdy. The funds are administered by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and locally, through the Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO). McCurdy said unlike other local developers, he’s not coming to the City asking for all kinds of incentives. He says he doesn’t want a TIF – Tax Increment Financing. He requested a $300,000 loan for two-years that he would pay, with a reasonable interest rate.

He said “In the end, it should be revenue-neutral for the City.” McCurdy said a similarly funded project worked well in Woodbine, and therefore concluded it would work in Atlantic. The structure would be ADA – Americans With Disabilities Act – compatible. The apartments will feature energy efficient appliances and be constructed with energy efficiency in mind.

The plan calls for 12 two-bedroom and 12 one-bedroom apartments, 14 of which would be reserved for low-to-moderate income persons, the rest of which would rent for “market rate,” which McCurdy says would be $600 on the 925-square foot two-bedroom apartments, and $550 on the 735-square foot one-bedroom apartments. There would be a laundry room on each floor, with the lower floor accessible for persons with handicaps. It’s hoped the new apartment complex will lure young professionals and others to Atlantic, some of whom commute a couple of hours to work in Atlantic.

While McCurdy had asked for a $300,000 loan at 4.2% interest, the Committee thought he would score better on his application to the government and get the project approved, by recommending the full City Council approve a $400,000 loan at 4-percent interest. If the application is approved, construction could begin next Spring.