A landmark in Stanton that has stood the test of time for about 100 years, is coming down later this year. The Omaha World-Herald reports a tower fashioned to look like a Swedish coffee pot will be removed by a crane and placed on the grounds of the nearby Swedish Heritage and Cultural Center. The water tower is being removed because repairs would be too costly.

Instead, it will be refurbished and put on display at the cultural center. It will sit on the south side of the Cultural Center, about a half-block from the childhood home of Victoria Christine, an actress and Stanton native who appeared on American televisions as “Mrs. Olson” in Folgers Coffee commercials, teaching newlyweds how to brew a good cup of coffee. It is not known when the coffee pot will be fully restored.

The City of Stanton will pay $30,000 to remove the coffee pot, move it, and dismantling the legs that hold it about 125 feet above the ground. The Stanton Historical Society, which operates the center, will need to raise $73,000 to repaint and refurbish the coffee pot, which was built to function as a water tower, while also serving as  a tribute to the city’s Swedish heritage and a nod to Virginia Christine.

w/ Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Over 200 delegates of the Democratic Party from 16 counties will meet this Saturday (April 26th) at the Kirn Middle School in Council Bluffs, for the Third Congressional District Convention. Cass County Democrat Party Chair Sherry Toelle says the convention consists of delegates from sixteen county conventions, meeting to help create the State Democratic Platform, send delegates on to the State Convention, and select candidates for the State Central Committee.

Cass County residents who were elected as delegates at the Cass County Democratic Convention in March include Sherry Toelle and Dale Whittaker, both of Atlantic, and Karen Thomsen of Cumberland. Alternates are Armando Rosales, Rusia Salapa, and Helen Stillian, all from Atlantic.

The delegates from the convention will meet with those of the other Iowa districts in June in Des Moines to set up the leadership of the party and hammer out a final platform to inform the public where the Iowa Democratic Party stands on issues. Toelle says Democrats consider this to be an important middle step in setting out the direction of the party and the leadership going into the 2014 campaigns.

The keynote speaker will be Staci Appel, the Third District Democratic Candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives. Many other candidates are expected to appear and to speak about the issues that confront Iowa and the nation.

Police in Red Oak say a 52-year old woman was arrested Tuesday afternoon, on drug charges. Michelle Renee Solt, of Red Oak, was taken into custody just before 3-p.m. in the 1200 block of Broadway. She was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance/marijuana, Possession of a Controlled Substance/methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Medication, Driving While Suspended, failure to give notice of an address change, and failure to display a registration plate.

Solt’s bond was set at $1,000.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday for a new back-country trail system for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders at the Whiterock Conservancy near Coon Rapids. Conrad Kramer, the conservancy’s executive director, says construction of the new trail system should take much of the summer and into the fall, following a five-year effort to raise four-point-eight million dollars. Kramer says, “We’ve got five miles of really nice trail here and about nine miles of old farm lanes and basically what we’re doing is trading in our nine miles of old farm lanes for 35 miles of new trail.”

The five-thousand acre non-profit land trust is Iowa’s fourth largest park. Kramer says he couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Earth Day than starting construction for a trail system that will allow many more Iowans to experience the beautiful natural landscape the conservancy was created to protect. “We believe it’ll be the best destination trail system in the state,” Kramer says, “and also the best destination mountain bike trail within 400 miles.” When complete, the 40-mile trail system will give visitors the opportunity to experience being surrounded by nature.

Winding through seven square miles of the Whiterock Conservancy, visitors will see oak savanna and prairie restoration areas, forests, ponds, stunning vistas, pastures and sustainably-farmed land in the Middle Raccoon River Valley. “We will have 16 miles of single track specifically designed for mountain bikers,” Kramer says. “We will also have six miles of single track specifically designed for equestrians to enjoy, and then we’ll have 12 miles which we’re calling our main track, a double track. Everyone can use it, mountain bikers, horseback riders and pedestrians.”

Low-powered “Gator” vehicles will be available to rent for anyone with mobility issues, senior citizens and families with young children, who would still like to see the sights. The groundbreaking was followed by the planting of at least 100 trees at the Bur Oak Visitor Center.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Firefighters from Wiota, Atlantic, Cumberland and Anita have been called to a grass fire that got out of control. The blaze was reported at around 7:11-p.m. in the vicinity of 670th and Lansing Road, or about 3-miles south/southwest of Wiota. Some structures were said to be nearby the location of the fire. No other details are currently available.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — The interim police chief in Council Bluffs has been given a unique opportunity to formally welcome his son as an officer. Capt. Ray Mabbitt swore in his son, Christopher Mabbitt, on Monday as the newest member of the Council Bluffs Police Department. The elder Mabbitt, who took the interim role in March, called the situation one of his most memorable on the job.

Christopher Mabbitt is a third-generation officer, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He is a former corrections officer for the Pottawattamie County Jail. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil reports a 14-week stint at the state police academy is up next for the younger Mabbitt, followed by 17 weeks of on-the-job training.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture will award $6 million to 10 universities to finance the study of what climate change means to agriculture and strategies for helping farmers and ranchers deal with weather changes. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the grants Tuesday during a conference about climate change held at Drake University in Des Moines.

Vilsack told the audience the grants would lead to information and developments that would be essential to farmers. The grants were made through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The grants will go to the University of Colorado, Cornell University, Florida International University, Iowa State University, Michigan State University, the University of Minnesota, Montana State University, Oklahoma State University, Pennsylvania State University and West Virginia University.