COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Iowa Western Community College will offer lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students a new community housing option this fall. The Daily Nonpareil reports that the college has set aside a cluster of about 40 suite-style apartments to create an optional community-style living environment for LGBT students, with a focus on transgender and intersex individuals. According to Director of Student Life Liz Luiken, the school initially set aside 18 units for gender-inclusive housing in early April, but interest quickly grew the plans to two complete floors.

Luiken said about 40 students have already expressed an interest in the new Pride Q*mmunity cluster, with about 11 students already choosing the option on their housing applications. Other schools, such as the University of Nebraska at Omaha and University of Nebraska-Lincoln, are planning to offer similar gender-inclusive housing options in the fall.

MidAmerican Energy Company announced today (Friday), the company has filed plans with the Iowa Utilities Board for the development of up to 552 megawatts of new wind generation in Iowa. MidAmerican officials say the company is in the process of obtaining necessary permits and easements for the construction of wind farms at two new sites. Pending IUB approval, the company plans to begin construction in spring 2016, with completion scheduled for the end of 2016. Total cost of the project is approximately $900 million.

Bill Fehrman, president and CEO of MidAmerican Energy said,the company continues to focus on developing wind projects because wind generation offers many clear benefits for MidAmerican Energy customers. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad noted that MidAmerican Energy’s efforts have helped the state become a national leader in wind generation.

The energy company says increasing its investment in wind turbines gives them the ability to reduce its reliance on coal, which helps protect customers from rising costs associated with meeting stricter environmental standards.

Since 2004, MidAmerican Energy has invested approximately $5.8 billion building wind projects in Iowa, placing the company far ahead of all other rate-regulated utilities in the nation in terms of wind ownership. With the addition of the two projects announced today (Friday), MidAmerican Energy’s wind assets will include approximately 2,000 turbines, more than 4,000 megawatts of wind generation capacity and a total investment of approximately $6.7 billion.

A rally of vintage military vehicles will be in Atlantic on May 16th. Steve Livengood, organizer of the “Badda-badda-bing-bang Rally” (Pronounced bah-duh bah-duh Bing Bang), says military vehicles and enthusiasts from all over will be coming to town on Armed Forces Day. Livengood says – as of May 1st – he anticipates 28 vehicles will be parked in the Atlantic Armory parking lot, including half-tracks, 10-jeeps and a motorcycle, to name a few.

Steve Livengood (right) talks with KJAN’s Jim Field about the rally.

Livengood is one of 16 Steel Soldiers members in Iowa (www.steelsoldiers.com). He volunteered to host the event in Atlantic, since there aren’t any rallies planned in the state. He says military vehicle collectors and enthusiasts love to show off their possessions and view others’ collections. As proof, several are coming from Des Moines, at least one will make the trip from Illinois, and a group based in Nebraska is planning on coming.

The event runs from 10-a.m. until 4-p.m., on the 16th, with the vehicles arriving the day before in preparation for the rally, and gathering at the American Legion Building. Livengood says the public can come to view the collection from 11-am until 3-pm., because of the influx of vehicles that will be moving around in the downtown area.

Rally participants will cruise the town beginning at 3:30-p.m. May 16th, with cannons signaling the start of the 5.6-mile cruise. There’s also a meal planned for the participants, as well as a scavenger hunt. For more information, go to www.atlanticiowa.com.

The Atlantic Police Department reports an Atlantic woman was arrested Thursday, on drug charges. 20-year old Leslie Paulsen was taken into custody for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Paulsen was booked into the Cass County Jail.

The Iowa Gold Star Museum unveiled its new Vietnam War exhibit Thursday, on the 40th anniversary of the end of the U-S involvement in the war.

Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA)

Former Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell flew helicopters in Vietnam during the war and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. He talked about the feelings among soldiers as they watched the fall of Saigon and the war end.

“There was heavy thoughts and we found we were reflecting to start with on our comrades who had fallen in that conflict — that number was pretty large — and just wondered who makes the decisions about what was going on at times,” Boswell says. In remarks before the ribbon cutting for the exhibit, Boswell told the Vietnam veterans that they had never lost a battle, it was those back in Washington making the decisions who decided the fate of the U-S in the war. Boswell says the troops on the ground and in the air gave their best effort, but had to follow the orders from higher up.

“We’d be in a battle and we’d be getting the upper hand and we’d get called off because there was supposedly some border right below which we couldn’t see. It was frustrating,” according to Boswell. Boswell says the advent of television coverage of the war was part of the problem, as the commanding general in Vietnam, William Westmoreland, had a T-V camera over his shoulder all the time. He says he grew to understand some of those issue more after being elected to the U-S House and going to Washington, D-C.

“They could see what was going on every day. Now when the generals were conducting what was going on in World War Two and before that, and then in Korea, why it was the matter of waiting for a message to get back and forth,” Boswell says. “But every morning (during the Vietnam War) the White House, the Pentagon, they were getting briefed right then that day. I would guess there was a lot of Monday morning quarterbacking took place.” Boswell talked about what it was like to be involved in the war.

“There’s hours of boredom interrupted by moments of stark terror,” Boswell says. “There was always shooting going on, it was very intense. You were always relieved when that moment was over with.” M

The exhibit at the Gold Start Museum includes a helicopter like the one Boswell flew in Vietnam. It also has displays of weapons that Booker recognized as the ones he trained on and then used once he got to Vietnam. The Gold Star Museum at Camp Dodge near Johnston is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a-m until 4:30 p-m and Saturday from 10:00 a-m until 4 p-m. It is free to the public.

(Radio Iowa)

The 8-a.m. Newscast w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say flames from a northwest Iowa yard waste fire spread to a barn after the man tending the fire went inside for supper. Firefighters were sent to the Sergeant Bluff property a little before 7 p.m. Thursday. Crews from eight departments kept the blaze from igniting gasoline and other fuels inside the barn and spreading to a large propane tank nearby. Woodbury County Sheriff’s Sgt. David Benson says the firefighters’ teamwork also kept the blaze from reaching two nearby homes.

Boats, classic cars and tools inside the barn were damaged. No injuries have been reported. Benson says the man tending the fire didn’t need a permit to burn the yard waste and won’t be cited. But Benson says the man made a mistake by going inside to eat supper.

The 7:07-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Sweet Joy Shoppe in Atlantic recently hosted the Atlantic Area Ambassadors in welcoming Tara Brosam of Simply Skin to their location. Sweet Joy Shoppe has slowly expanded over the years, partnering with local talent.

Nestled away in the back of Sweet Joy Shoppe you will find Tara Brosam of Simply Skin, a licensed esthetician. Tara is available by appointment only and happy to work around the client’s schedule.

A grass and brush fire near Renner Drive in the Twin City area of the Bluffs was declared under control Thursday. However, the Omaha World-Herald says drifting smoke from the still smoldering blaze in the Veterans Memorial Bridge area left a burning odor over downtown Omaha early today (Friday).

Authorities said the fire began Wednesday in the West End between the levy and the Missouri River. The Council Bluffs Fire Department contained the fire Thursday and was allowing it to burn out.