More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.9MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The first proclamation Kim Reynolds signed after becoming governor focused on Iowa Museum Week, which opens today (Monday). Institutions statewide are holding special events over the next seven days to showcase their many resources. Sean Ulmer, executive director of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, says Iowa’s second-largest city is holding Cedar Rapids Museum Week to celebrate.

Ulmer says, “We are partnering with the Iowa Masonic Library Museum, The History Center, the National Czech and Slovak Museum, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Brucemore — which is a historic property, the Grant Wood Studio, the African-American Museum of Iowa and the Veterans Memorial Building.”

Each facility in Cedar Rapids — and statewide — is featuring its own variety of special events and bonuses to boost admission. “Brucemore is offering buy-one-get-one admission on their tours, some people are suspending admission on certain days and certain nights,” Ulmer says. “They’re offering tours, there are trivia nights. The Iowa Masonic Library Museum has a new exhibition opening that celebrates the 300th anniversary of free masonry.”

Ulmer says this will be a fun-filled opportunity for family and friends to explore all the arts and cultural amenities the region has to offer. “We regularly receive visitors, especially in the summertime, from Des Moines, from Chicago, from Minneapolis, from St. Louis,” Ulmer says. “In the summertime, when the weather is pleasant, people do travel to see various cultural institutions and we are blessed to have so many in the state of Iowa.”

Statewide, there are some 400 museums, which include: arboretums, archives, art centers, art museums, aquariums, botanical gardens, children’s museums, cultural centers, ethnic museums, historic cemeteries, history museums, historic sites, historical societies, historic theaters, living history sites, military museums, nature centers, natural history museums, planetariums, presidential libraries, science centers, sports museums, university museums and zoos.

(Radio Iowa)

Officials with the Creston Police Department report three recent arrests. Sunday night, 32-year old Brandy Major, of Creston, was arrested for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. Major was being held in the Ringgold County Jail on a $300 bond. Also arrested Sunday night in Creston, was 39-year old Crystal Huddleson, of Kent. She was taken into custody on a Warren County warrant for Theft in the 2nd Degree. Huddleson was also being held in the Ringgold County Jail, where her bond was set at $5,000.

And, Saturday night, 31-year old Cortni White, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on charges of Theft in the 4th Degree and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. She was later released on a $1,000 bond.

Creston Police said also, a woman residing in the 200 block of S. Peterson Street reported Sunday afternoon, that sometime between Noon on Saturday and 4-p.m. Sunday, someone broke three windows at her home and attempted to force two other windows open. The damage was estimated at $350.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety reports just after midnight today (Monday, June 12th), Deputies with the Lee County (Iowa) Sheriff’s Office responded to the 2400 block of 270th Street in rural Montrose, for a call of a burglary in progress. The incident led to an officer-involved shooting during which an adult male subject sustained gunshot wounds. The unidentified man was receiving medical treatment for injuries sustained during the course of the incident.

The incident is currently under investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Lee County Attorney’s Office.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities are investigating what caused a fire at the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City. Authorities say firefighters were dispatched around 5:45 p.m. Sunday to the Bowen Science Building. It took them about 30 minutes to put out the blaze. No injuries have been reported.

A damage estimated isn’t yet available. The building opened in 1972. It houses a variety of department and teacher offices and classrooms.

The Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton School Board will meet this evening in the Conference Room at the Elk Horn Building. The session begins at 7-p.m.  On their agenda, is an update from KPE Architects on District Facilities, and discussion with regard to School Bus Repair/Planning.

Other discussion and possible action items include approval of: Prepayment of late June bills if received prior to July 1st; the second reading of Board Policies, series 710.4 and 906; approval of a Chrome Book order and the Elementary Handbook; Approval of a transfer of funds from the General Fund to Activity Fund, for Yearbook account if there is a negative balance at the end of June; discussion and action on revisions to numerous Board Policies; Realignment for the 2018-19 School Year, and approval of Personnel hires, transfers, resignations, etc.

Officials with the City of Clarinda declared a Boil Advisory for water, Sunday. The Advisory, which affects certain parts of the City, is in effect as a precautionary measure, until further notice, following a water main break early Sunday morning.

The advisory affects residents of Clarinda from 15th to 18th Streets, and from Washington to Vine Streets.  Crews sealed the break in the line Sunday afternoon, but a Boil Advisory remains in place until tests show there was no contamination of the water. Residents in the affected area should bring water to a rolling boil water for one minute before being consumed or used for teeth brushing. Bottled water is an option.

Further questions, contact the Clarinda City Hall at 712-542-2136.

NORTH ENGLISH, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have released the name of a man fatally shot by an officer in eastern Iowa’s Iowa County. The Iowa County Sheriff’s Office identified the man as 53-year-old Robin Blaylock, who lived in North English. An autopsy has been ordered.

The office had reported that its deputies and Williamsburg Police were called around 8:30 p.m. Saturday for a domestic disturbance involving a gun at a house in North English, which sits about 35 miles (56 kilometers) southwest of Iowa City.

The Sheriff’s Office said the confrontation culminated in an officer shooting a man, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Officials have not provided details about what led to the shooting. The officer’s name hasn’t been released.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has taken over the investigation.

The U.S. Census Bureau is making a list — and the head of the State Data Center is advising city and county officials in Iowa to help check it twice. State Data Center director Gary Krob says “The Census Bureau gives you a list of what they have for their Census addresses and then you can compare it to your list of addresses and submit any discrepancies.”

The 2020 census of the U.S. population will determine whether Iowa loses one of its four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. In addition, the census data determines how much states, cities and counties receive from a variety of federal program. Krob says sometime this summer cities and counties will be given a chance to sign up to review the addresses census-takers plan to check in 2020.

“That’s really very important for most cities and counties to participate in because it gives you a chance not only to add to the census list, but to see if there are any big holes that you want to make sure are covered,” Krob says.

The U.S. Postal Service periodically sends the U.S. Census Bureau the new addresses it has for mail delivery. Since the 2010 Census, there’s been significant growth in Iowa suburbs like Grimes and North Liberty. Smaller communities like Tiffin and Bondurant already have doubled in size. “There’s a chance the Census Bureau has it in their system, but there’s also a chance they may not,” Krob says. “This is your opportunity to double-check that.”

In 2018, the Census Bureau will do a “test run” to check the population in three U.S. cities — none of which are in Iowa. The next NATIONAL census will start on April 1st of 2020.

(Radio Iowa)