Memorial Day is one of two holidays which the Iowa Goldstar Museum is open. Museum director, Sherie Colbert, says they have special events planned that include a military style breakfast in the morning. Colbert says the military tribute band will be playing, the first one-thousand visitors will get free ice cream, there’s crafts for kids and the first 300 people will get a free petunia for the “Plant a Flower for a Veteran” program. The museum has been upgrading and adding new exhibits during the past several years. “The newest one is the Pacific Theater from World War Two… and we have our World War One exhibit, which is an awesome exhibit that’s up for national recognition,” according to Colbert. “And then we are in the process of working the European Theater.”

There are exhibits on the Vietnam and Korean wars. “We also have a temporary exhibit from the American Legion, which is honoring the G-I Bill and the significance of the G-I Bill and how it has really helped to build the middle class here in America,” Colbert says. She says the exhibits have a lot of equipment and other things of interest. Colbert says there is motion, lights, buttons to push as she says they are trying upgrade the exhibits while keeping them period specific. Colbert encourages you to come out and learn more about Iowa’s military heritage.

“It’s a great opportunity for people to look around and see what we have to offer, and hopefully will come back for a lot of things that will be offered at Camp Dodge over the summer,” Colbert says. She says they have things like the Adjutant General’s summer concerts that people can come out and enjoy. The Iowa Goldstar Museum is open from five a-m until 1 p-m today (Memorial Day). The museum admission is free year round.

(Radio Iowa)

A children’s garden at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women at Mitchellville is nearing completion thanks to the efforts of students from Iowa State University. Julie Stevens, an I-S-U professor of landscape architecture, says the garden is located just outside the prison’s visiting room. Stevens notes, young visitors sometimes spend all day at the prison after being in the car for hours. “This garden really gives children and other visitors an opportunity to be physically active, do different kinds of activities with their mom or aunt or grandmother, whoever they’re visiting,” Stevens says. “It’s also a distraction. We see it as a positive, natural distraction from the rest of the institution. We can’t forget that we’re working inside of a prison.”

While she initially thought prison management would be tough as nails, Stevens says it was refreshing to work on this garden project. “The Iowa Department of Corrections is incredibly progressive, they’re one of the most progressive correctional units in the country,” Stevens says. “They’re very much focused on treatment and helping these women, and the men in the men’s institutions, really better their lives and get back out into society more prepared to be a part of our communities.”  Stevens hopes there can be future collaborations between the design students from I-S-U and the women’s prison. “This is a huge population. There’s over 700 women in there. It’s a really large campus and there’s lots of needs for different types of outdoor spaces,” Stevens says. “We’ve built other therapeutic gardens. They’re very well used and received. Certainly, we’d like to see more trees, more recreation spaces.”

The goal is to have the garden completed within a few days. A dedication ceremony is slated for Friday, June 1st.

(Radio Iowa)

U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, has announced she will hold a town meeting in Taylor County, Wednesday, as part of her 99 county tour to hear from constituents in the area about the issues most important to them. The town meeting, which takes place 11:15-a.m. at the Lenox Community Center (210 E. Dallas St.), is open to the public.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will hold a Special Meeting 7:30-a.m. Tuesday, in the Schuler Elementary School Media Center. The Board will hold a Closed Session (per Iowa Code), to discuss a personnel matter, followed by action in an open session, on 2018-19 Coaches/Sponsors Continuing Contracts.

AUSTIN, Minn. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture is recalling more than 228,000 pounds of Spam and another product made by Minnesota-based Hormel after four consumers complained about metal objects in the food. The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service says the canned chicken and pork in question was produced in February at the company’s plant in Fremont, Nebraska. The agency says “minor oral injuries” have been reported. The recall covers 12-ounce metal cans containing “SPAM Classic” with a “Best By” date of February 2021 date. Those products were shipped throughout the U.S.

The production codes are F020881, F020882, F020883, F020884, F020885, F020886, F020887, F020888 and F020889.

The recall also includes 12-ounce metal cans of “Hormel Foods Black-Label Luncheon Loaf” with a “Best By” date of February 2021. Those products were shipped only to Guam, with production codes F02098 and F02108.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports three people were arrested Sunday, on separate charges. Just after 2-a.m., 40-year old David Benjamin Crowder, of Glenwood, was arrested for Public Intoxication, following an incident in the campground at Viking Lake State Park, east of Stanton. Crowder was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond. At around 9:37-p.m., following a traffic stop in Stanton, Montgomery County Deputies arrested 36-year old Robert Dean Surrell, of Corning, for Driving while license suspended. Surrell was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $566 bond.

And, at around 11:55-p.m. Sunday, 27-year old Chad William Perkins, of Villisca, was arrested following a traffic stop northeast of Villisca. Perkins was charged with Driving While License Suspended, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was also set at $566.