Iowa’s seen a lot of unseasonably cold weather and freezes in the past week, so green thumbers who are itching to get into their gardens will have to wait a bit longer. Before digging up the dirt this spring to prepare for planting, gardening expert John Fesh says to do some homework first. He suggests making sure the soil is suitable for what you intend to plant.

“Carrots and beets and horseradish, those types of plants really depend on root expansion to be successful,” Fesh says. “Plants like potatoes, you’re not going to be very happy with the results if you have a real rock-hard-type of soil. You’re just not going to get any tuber development.” Especially in Iowa, where the weather can make drastic changes quickly, Fesh says it’s important to check the forecast before doing any planting. Otherwise, you may have to do some replanting later. Now may be a good time to test the soil to see if it’s suitable for what you want to plant. He says “trench” planting may be a good option in some areas.

“You can make a deep furrow or even use a long gutter you had once used for your house,” Fesh says. “You can fill that with a loose, easy, mellow soil with a mixture of compost and sand so that the roots can get out and develop.” Fesh, an extension educator, says that won’t work for every crop but it gives you an idea on how the root system needs room to spread out. Ideally, he says we need to see soil temperatures in the mid-50s before digging up the garden to start the process, and that likely won’t come until mid-May.

(Radio Iowa)

A Union County man wanted on an Iowa Dept. of Corrections warrant for Parole Violation, was arrested Friday afternoon, in Creston. 51-year old Timothy Charles Fechter, of Creston, was taken into custody at the Union County Law Enforcement Center and held without a bond being set.

The 7:06-a.m. report from News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Audubon City Council will hold a special meeting this evening to appoint a member of the community to fill the seat of Councilman Thomas Nielsen, whose resignation was submitted and accepted during the Council’s regular meeting on April 13th. The person appointed would fill the seat until a Special Election is held. The Council has the option of holding the Special Election on August 4th, or, they could wait until the General Election on November 3rd, which would save costs.

Students at Iowa State University were alerted to a reported bomb threat on campus early this morning. KCCI reports an alert went out around 12:50 a.m. with regard to a bomb threat at the Durham Center on campus. The Durham Center is a computer facility for students and faculty.

At 1:10 a.m., Iowa State posted that the Durham Center was closed and the building secure. Students reported on Twitter that the nearby Parks Library was also evacuated. Iowa State University later posted another update on its website, that the search of the building is complete and nothing suspicious was found.

The Durham Center will reopen at 6:30 a.m.

The future of same-sex marriage was a focus for most of the speakers and the audience gathered in a central Iowa church this weekend. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments tomorrow (Tuesday) in a case that could make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. Texas Senator Ted Cruz was the next-to-last speaker at Saturday’s gathering of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition. Cruz told the crowd Christians are “called to stand and fight” on this issue.

2008 Iowa Caucus winner Mike Huckabee, a former Baptist minister, said Christians who believe in traditional marriage are under attack. Florida Senator Marco Rubio, the program’s first speaker, said “thousands of years of human history” prove the family is the “most basic cell of society.”

An A-B-C/Washington Post poll conducted nationally in mid-April found 61 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage and some in the G-O-P have said they hope the party’s presidential nominating contest would focus on other issues. In 2009, Iowa became the third state in the country where same-sex marriages were legal and, over the past six years, the issue has dimmed for many. However, it remains a key rallying point for Christian conservatives in the G-O-P and they are an important voting block in the Iowa Caucuses.

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

Authorities in Montgomery County arrested a man Sunday evening, following a domestic dispute. 44-year old William E. Barr, of Villisca, was arrested at around 6:20-p.m. on a charge of Public Intoxication, near the intersection of E. 5th Street and N. 7th Avenue, in Villisca.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential hopefuls have emphasized their opposition to gay marriage and abortion before a crowd of Christian conservatives who hold significant sway in Iowa’s leadoff presidential caucuses. Nine declared and prospective 2016 candidates appeared at a weekend forum sponsored by the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and attended by more than 1,000 people in suburban Des Moines.

MARION, Iowa (AP) — Police arrested the 32-year-old man suspected of killing a woman in a grocery store parking lot in eastern Iowa. Marion Police said Sunday that Nicholas Luerkens of Cedar Rapids was arrested on a warrant for first-degree murder after he was released from the hospital. Luerkens was treated for self-inflicted stab wounds after Tuesday’s stabbing death of 29-year-old Lynnsey Donald of Marion.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — With farmers markets set to begin in dozens of cities across Iowa, vendors and market managers alike are pulling out all the stops to keep consumers coming back for more. National data suggest the tremendous growth in farmers markets has begun to ebb, with a slight decline in sales adjusted for inflation. But officials say customer and vendor retention efforts in Iowa have helped the state’s markets.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The future of the Des Moines agency that handles civil rights issues is unclear after losing two of its three employees. The Register reports city officials are considering closing the office and asking other departments or a state agency to handle the concerns.

A traffic stop late Saturday night resulted in the arrest of a Red Oak woman. Red Oak Police say a car driven by 31-year old Nina Marie Foster, of Red Oak, was stopped at around 11:45-p.m. at the intersection of North 2nd and East Corning Streets. During an investigation, officers determined Foster was Driving while Suspended. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.