The Harlan City Council, Tuesday, received an update on the Blue Zone initiative. During a regular board meeting, Margie Schenck, Chairperson for the Blue Zones Project, said the project is moving forward, as personal pledges are nearing the 820 minimum with 796 totals recorded as of the end of February.

The Blue Zone initiative was started two years ago when Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield started the process to select communities in Iowa as Blue Zones. The city of Harlan was chosen as a demonstration site on the second round of the selection process in October 2012. Schenck says several entities in the city are working towards becoming certified for Blue Zones.

“There are six different areas but each represent work in different areas. One is schools as both elementary schools are working towards certification. We have two groceries stores, Hy-Vee and Fareway working towards certification. We are working with three restaurants and hoping for a fourth. At the beginning of the process, they (Wellmark) identified twenty different worksites they thought would be a good match for certification for Blue Zones. We are actively working with twelve.”

She also mentioned Myrtue Medical Center in Harlan has been certified. Schenck said this project is something she believes will benefit the city of Harlan long term. “We want to look at our community five years from now, ten years from now. Even fifty years from now to see that the efforts we made now have allowed Harlan to become a community where people can thrive.”

The deadline for the city of Harlan to be certified as a whole is July 31st. If you would like more information on the Blue Zones initiative contact Margie Schenck at 712-755-3547 or log on to www.bluezones.com.

And, during his report to the Council, Harlan Mayor Gene Gettys noted the “Today in America” video has been finalized and a schedule will be released soon on when you can watch the 5 minute segment on national television.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

Officials with the Western Iowa Pioneer Cemetery Association appeared before the Shelby County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, to speak with regard to a pioneer cemetery. Chairman Ron Chamberlain spoke to the board as the association was looking for the supervisors to help gain entrance to the Doyle Cemetery located in Grove Township in Rural Shelby County. The Doyle Cemetery is a pioneer cemetery which falls under a different category.

“Pioneer Cemetery means a cemetery where there have been 12 or fewer burials in the last fifty years. Each county board of supervisors may adopt an ordinance assuming jurisdictions and control of pioneer cemeteries in the county. The board shall exercise the powers and duties to township trustees related to the maintenance and repair of the cemeteries in the county. Except the board shall not certify a tax levy but instead maintenance and repair of all cemeteries under the jurisdiction of the county including pioneer cemeteries shall be paid from the general fund. The maintenance and improvement program pioneer cemeteries may include restoration and management of native grasses and wild flowers.”

Currently the entrance to the Doyle Cemetery is only open between the months of September to April due to the ground around the cemetery is farmed by the landowner. The discussion focused around who was responsible for the maintenance and access to the Cemetery. The Supervisors agreed that the trustees of the townships are responsible for pioneer cemeteries and landowners would need to agree to allow access to develop a pathway to the cemeteries. Ron Chamberlain, Chairman of WIPCA said the trustees have not been doing their job.  “Because I would say in the last 100 years, 5 years the cemetery has been mowed by the trustees. They are not taking care of it.”

County Attorney Marcus Gross said it would be up to the trustees to report to the landowner about establishing a road.  “I think what would probably happen is the trustees would notify the surrounding landowner to cease and desist from farming it so that it could be re-established. That’s just off thought on that. I don’t think just by moving the fence it did not make it not a cemetery. I think it’s still a cemetery.”

Supervisor Steve Kenkel said he would like to see a sit down with all parties involved to get something resolved.  “I would like to see us get together with the trustees and I personally would help with that and see if we can get some kind of access. There is realistically only a couple of landlords that can probably or could give us access. I am not saying build a road. What I am talking about is putting a small strip of ground, seeded down, access off another road where you can get in there and don’t destroy it after a rain. It’s not perfectly what we want but it is somewhere in the middle. Is that a goal we can work on? WIPCA Members agreed.”

No timetable on when a joint meeting will occur was established and more information will come out at a later date.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

Police in Lenox report the arrest on Tuesday afternoon, of a local woman on an assault charge. Officers were called to the Casey’s General Store in Lenox at around 4:35-p.m., with regard to a disturbance.

Elizabeth Villanueva (Lenox P-D photo)

Following an investigation,  29-year old Elizabeth Villanueva, of Lenox, was located at her home and arrested on a charge of simple assault.  The woman was transported to the Taylor County Jail.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A friend says a prominent Des Moines developer found dead in Guthrie County days after leaving federal prison, had borrowed his car to check in with a parole officer and never returned. Neil Henderson of Waukee said Tuesday that his lifelong friend, Bob Knapp, stayed overnight at his house last week after being released from prison in Duluth, Minn.

Knapp was sentenced to 41 months behind bars after being convicted of violating the Clean Air Act for mishandling the disposal of asbestos from a landmark Des Moines building he renovated. Henderson says Knapp borrowed his Honda Accord to check in with his parole officer the next morning, and never returned.

A farmer found Knapp’s body in the backseat of the burned out vehicle in Guthrie County, on Sunday. Police are investigating the death.