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

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Officials with Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Healthways, Inc., and Blue Zones, LLC, today (Monday) announced that the City of Harlan has been named a certified Blue Zones Community®. Certification recognizes the city’s transformation through successful implementation of the Blue Zones Project®, a first-of-its-kind population health program that brings the world’s best practices in food policy, built environment, purpose and social networking to participating cities.

Brought to Iowa through an innovative sponsorship by Wellmark in collaboration with Healthways and Blue Zones®, the Blue Zones Project initiative encourages all Iowa communities to optimize their surroundings to make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Community leaders, volunteers and organizations throughout Harlan have been working to achieve certification status since October 2012, when the community was named a Blue Zones Project demonstration site. As a result of its efforts, Harlan can celebrate:

· It’s $350,000 investment in expanding the Pioneer Park 1.2 mile walking trail to include 10-foot wide sidewalks. New lighting also enhances safety and encourages extended use at dawn and dusk.

· A school district that now offers biometric screening opportunities three times per year and a health risk assessment. More than 98 percent of participants have indicated they will continue to participate in the wellness program.

· Members of the Peterson Wellness Center and the Harlan Community School District, who completed more than 700 Blue Zones Personal Pledges during a friendly competition.

· Employees at Elm Crest Retirement Community, who logged 500 volunteer hours in 2014.

· A 5-percent increase in Hy-Vee produce sales each year over the past three years and shelf space for fresh-cut produce has tripled in size.

· The elementary school garden, which has grown fivefold in size during the past year, and the school district’s tobacco policy now prohibits all types of tobacco products.

· And the Sandwich Bowl restaurant, which now offers carrots or an apple as a side, resulting in the use of more than 12 pounds of baby carrots each week. About 15 percent of sandwiches are now ordered with either carrots or apples instead of the regular side of chips.

Harlan achieved Blue Zones Community status after reaching several key milestones, all of which are required improvement goals for Blue Zones Project demonstration communities to receive certification. The community is planning a celebration later this summer to recognize the efforts of the entire community in becoming a certified Blue Zones Community.

Fifteen Iowa communities are currently part of the Blue Zones Project. For more information, please visit www.bluezonesproject.com.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Several streets in Ankeny and other Polk County communities have been covered with runoff from heavy overnight rain. The National Weather Service says it’s received reports that up to 3 inches of rain has fallen since midnight in southeast Ankeny and that up to 8 inches of water is covering some intersections and streets. Flooded and blocked streets also have been reported in Altoona.

A flood warning has been issued for the Des Moines River, and the Raccoon River and North Raccoon River have already risen above flood stage.  The weather service says thunderstorms later Monday could bring 2 more inches of rain to the area.

24-hour rainfall in Atlantic thru 7-a.m. today was 2.92 inches.

A collision between an SUV and a car in Creston Friday afternoon resulted in one person being transported to the Greater Regional Medical Center. Creston Police say 42-year old James Pryor, and 18-year old Brandon Robertson, both of Creston, were traveling east on Highway 34 at around 2:20-p.m., when Pryor slowed to turn. Robertson told police he blacked out just before his Ford Escape hit the rear of Pryor’s Ford Taurus. Pryor said he could see Robertson’s vehicle quickly coming up on him, and knew he was about to be hit.

Robertson was taken to the hospital by his mother, while Pryor was apparently uninjured. Damage from the collision amounted to $2,200.

A driverless vehicle crashed into a Creston car wash Friday morning, before hitting a parked vehicle. Creston Police say 47-year old Paula Jackson, of Creston, was traveling south and going through a car wash at the BP Station located at 500 West Adams Street at around 7:30-a.m., Friday, when she exited her Jeep SUV because she had dropped money being put into the payment machine.

Jackson forgot to put her Grand Cherokee in park when she was leaning out of the vehicle. The SUV continued forward without the driver and hit the car wash, before hitting a parked 2001 Chevy pickup located in a parking space south of an alleyway.

Jackson complained of foot pain, but refused medical transport. Damage from the crash amounted to $7,500.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating the death of an infant. Authorities say officers and medics were called to 174 Crestmont Drive at around 8:15-a.m., Saturday, with regard to an unresponsive infant. The 5 week old child was treated by medics before being transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital, where the infant was pronounced dead. The name of the child was being withheld pending family notification. The incident remains under investigation.

Police in Creston say one person was arrested for Indecent Exposure, and another was arrested for assault, last Friday. 60-year old Richard Woodard, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Law Enforcement Center (LEC) at around 6:45-p.m., Friday, on a charge of Indecent Exposure. He was later released on $1,000 bond.

And, 38-year old Leanna Kristine Dunham, of Winterset, was arrested at 607 S. Maple Street in Creston at around 5-p.m., Friday. Dunham faces Assault with Injury, and Trespassing, charges. She was also later released on $1,000 bond.

The 7:05-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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LE MARS, Iowa (AP) – A boy has been rescued after injuring his leg while jumping off a trail bridge into water with friends in Le Mars. The Le Mars Daily Sentinel reports firefighters were called Sunday afternoon to an area behind the old Department of Transportation building. According to a Le Mars police officer, the victim had jumped into a shallow area of a river and his friends helped him out of the water, but couldn’t get him up the riverbank. Firefighters rescued the boy, and he was transported to a hospital for treatment.

Iowa Rivers Revival is collaborating with Golden Hills RC&D to host a series of meetings across Southwest Iowa that will provide an introduction to natural river restoration benefits and practices.

Nishnabotna River

Landowners, farmers, conservationists, educators, and the public are invited to the free informational meetings. The presentations will focus on the West Nishnabotna River, but will have relevant information for other streams in the region.  One of the presentations takes place today (Monday) in Atlantic, beginning at 2-pm. The event will be held at the Iowa Western Community College/Cass County Campus – 705 Walnut St.

John Thomas, Project Director of the Hungry Canyons Alliance, will lead the presentations.  The meetings and Q&A will last approximately one hour. Natural river restoration provides many benefits to landowners and surrounding community.  It:

* Offers affordable and sustainable options to reduce streambank erosion.
* Improves water quality by reducing sediment and nutrient loading into the stream.
* Reduces flooding and flood effects.
* Protects local infrastructure such as bridges and roads from erosion and flooding, and reduces taxpayer expense to repair, replace and maintain.
* Enhances aquatic and riparian wildlife habitat and ecosystem.
* Improves river recreation, fishing, and hunting – boosting local economies and providing public health and quality of life.

Iowa now lacks the resources and expertise to offer natural river restoration opportunities to landowners and communities across Iowa.  An Iowa River Restoration Program (comparable to the Iowa Lakes Restoration Program) would provide guidelines, criteria, funding, training, and expertise necessary to offer cost-share opportunities for protecting Iowa’s landscape, streambanks and riverways.

The Southwest Iowa meetings provide an opportunity to learn and discuss the benefits and techniques of natural river restoration.  More information about the meetings can be found at www.westnishwatertrail.weebly.com/river-restoration.