Gasoline prices have taken another big leap in Iowa, rising a dime a gallon in the past week and 50 cents a gallon in the past month. Pam Moen, at Triple-A, says a jump in crude oil prices and production problems are largely to blame. Moen says, “We have a number of refineries, 10 or 12 of them across the country, that are having production outages and are tightening supplies and helping to drive prices up.” Pump prices are unlikely to head back down any time soon, she says, with many refineries getting ready to start producing summer-blends of fuels.

“Typically, during that process, our supplies are tighter than they would be otherwise and that tends to put upward pressure on prices,” Moen says. The statewide average for a gallon of gas is three-58. That’s up ten-cents a gallon in the past week and it’s up 50-cents a gallon in the past month. Iowa’s current average gas price is three-cents below the national average.

(Radio Iowa)

A Massena man’s plans for an indoor shooting range along with a gun sales and service shop near Massena, have cleared another hurdle. The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday) approved the first of two readings of an amended County Zoning Ordinance that would allow such a business to exist anywhere in the County. Prior to the Supervisor’s unanimous vote to approve the amendment, Zoning Administrator Rich Hansen updated the Board on the matter during a public hearing. Hansen says Kevin McCunn, of Massena, approached the County Planning and Zoning Commission about plans to open an indoor shooting range and gun sales/repair business.

The Zoning Board held a hearing on Jan. 24^th during which McCunn explained the EPA has guidelines concerning the levels of lead in the building, and OSHA guidelines pertaining to safety. The Commission therefore believed no additional guidelines were needed to establish that type of facility. McCunn says the range would feature six indoor shooting alleys with mechanical target setting and retrieval.

The next step was to determine whether the business should fall under the classification of Business or Light Industrial District. They came to the conclusion it should be included in a business district. Also, under Business, the Commission determined the indoor shooting facility could be included under a section entitled “Recreational/Amusement activities,” such as bowling alleys, miniature golf courses, driving range, skating rinks and dance halls. He says the gun sales and repair part of the business would be included under a separate section of the amended ordinance.

The change means business owners can locate a separate open shooting range and/or a gun sales and repair shop in a rural area of the County as long as the land is zoned Business or Light Industrial. Hansen says business uses can be included in Light Industrial Districts. Prior to the Board’s vote, they heard comments from the public, all of whom were in favor of the amendment and indoor shooting range. Among those who spoke was Cass County Veteran’s Affairs Director Mitch Holmes, and Atlantic City Councilman Steve Livengood, both of whom said gun enthusiasts in the area really have no where close to practice shooting. They said the closing last year of an outdoor shooting area north of Griswold known as “Iranistan,” leaves no place for public shooting, other than in Omaha or Des Moines.

The next public hearing and vote on the amended ordinance takes place during the Supervisor’s meeting on Feb. 20^th

Officials with ISU Extension in Shelby County report registrations are currently being accepted for the Shelby County Leadership 2013 program, which is designed to maximize the strengths and skills of current and future community leaders. The program entails two partial-day sessions that focus on topics such as understanding ourselves and others, dealing with conflict, understanding change, and leading effective meetings.

The sessions will be presented on two Wednesdays in March – March 13 and March 20 — from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The location for the first session is at the C.G. Therkildsen Activity Center, Harlan and the second class will be held at Iowa Western’s Harlan Center. A mid-day meal will be served for each session.

The program is being sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach – Shelby County and SCOPE (Shelby Co. Opportunity, Promotion and Enterprise committee). As the result of a local grant, the registration fee for Shelby County Leadership 2013 will be only $50 per person if registered by March 1; or $75 if registered after March 1.  The registration fee will be refunded to participants who complete both sessions of the program in their entirety.

Training sessions will be taught by ISU Extension and Outreach community and economic development program specialists. Newly-elected and appointed officials are encouraged to register for the program, as well as long-time leaders interested in polishing their skills, and individuals interested in getting more involved in their community.

Registration forms may be picked up and returned to the Shelby County Extension and Outreach office, the Shelby County DevelopSource office or from planning committee members.  For more information about the program, contact Jane Nolan Goeken, Community Development Specialist, ISU Extension and Outreach at 712/240-2504 (or, jngoeken@iastate.edu)

w/ Ric Hanson

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The City of Atlantic’s Parks and Recreation Department’s Board of Directors, Tuesday, approved the contract and plans for a Parks and Rec Office and Maintenance Building. The plans were drawn-up by Snyder and Associates Engineers. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring said the Building Committee scaled-down the plans from an earlier concept due to costs and other factors. He said the decision was made to change the strategy on how the building would be bid out, which essentially amounts to what Herring calls “A shell,” with basic areas inside, along with alternate options. From there, a cost assessment will be made.

Herring says they have a certain amount of dollars to work with. The total estimated project cost is $311,000, but Herring said the Building Committee hopes to find a way to cut $80,000 from that price tag, by having a skeletal electrical system in the shop area, insulation modifications, plumbing and heating changes, through the use of temporary light fixtures, and gravel in the driveway. Engineering costs have also been reduced due to the changes in the latest design. Herring says he hopes to have the project let for bids soon around March 6^th, bid openings on March 27^th, and awarding of the project at the City Council’s meeting on April 3^rd.

In other business, the Atlantic Parks and Rec Board approved the 2013 Master Plan for the Schildberg Recreation Area. The 2003 plan, which was never actually formalized or presented to the Parks and Rec Board or the City Council for approval, was created by an Ad Hoc group. Herring said the City Council wanted the Parks and Rec Board and Schildberg Recreation Committee to work together and come up with a final plan the Council could also approve.

Some of the changes to the 2003 plan include the addition of future trails, including the addition of a connector to the T-Bone trail, a fishing pier that is handicapped accessible, a proposed dog park, R-V campground and parking area, and more.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Glenwood Community School District’s Board of Education has terminated the contract of Glenwood High School Principal Kerry Newman. The unanimous decision came during a two-hour closed session, Tuesday. According to the Daily NonPareil, Newman had been on paid administrative leave since Jan. 18th. No official reason for the action was given,but during Tuesday’s meeting, the board listed five reasons to terminate Newman’s employment with the district: an inappropriate relationship with a district employee, unprofessional conduct, poor judgement, inappropriate use or misuse of district resources and being a poor and ineffective role model. Newman has five days to request a hearing contesting the termination. Assistant principal Rick Nickerson has taken over in the interim.

Newman denied all the allegations, and she told the newspaper that she would fight to keep her job. Newman, an Omaha native, was a finalist for the School Administrators of Iowa 2012 Secondary Principal of the Year award. She took over as principal in 2003.

Firefighters from across the state traveled to Des Moines Tuesday, to pickup hundreds of free smoke alarms. State Fire Marshal Ray Reynolds purchased the alarms with money from a $245,000 federal grant and a $50,000 grant from State Farm Insurance.

Firefighters and other dignitaries receive and look-over the new fire detectors in Des Moines, Tues. (Radio Iowa photo)

Reynolds has a goal to install smoke alarms in every Iowa home with children. “We’re well on our way to doing that,” Reynolds said. “We have 36,000 smoke alarms installed to date in this two year old project and our goal is to have 50,000 smoke alarms installed by the end of the year.” The grants will eventually cover the cost of roughly 11,600 smoke alarms in 2013. And there’s plenty of demand for those alarms.

“There were 5,000 structure fires in Iowa last year and of those, one in five homes did not have working smoke alarms,” Reynolds said. Firefighters from 18 Iowa cities picked up a total of 3,000 smoke alarms today (Tuesday) as part of Reynolds’ project. Among the firefighters who came to pick up alarms, were those from Denison, Carroll, Breda and Harlan.

Denison Fire Chief Cory Snowgren says the new detectors will help continue his department’s efforts to keep citizens of the community safe. He says they’ve installed over 4,000 detectors in the community, but because there are still some requests to fill, they were happy to pickup more in Des Moines, on Tuesday. The Denison Fire Department received 200 new detectors.

Snowgren says they won’t have any problem finding homes to place them in. He says they have a list of families waiting to receive the potentially life-savings alarms. The Chief says in 2012, Denison had the distinction of having the first two lives saved in the State by fire alarms. The alarm awoke a family at 2-a.m. after a 3-prong device plugged into a space heater started on fire.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Police in Council Bluffs say a Shelby County man faces three counts of Attempted Murder following an investigation into a shooting this (Tuesday) morning, in Council Bluffs.

30-year old Ronald Lee Farr, Jr.

Bluffs Police Sgt. Chad Meyers says 30-year old Ronald Lee Farr, Junior, was arrested on the attempted murder charges. He is also facing two-counts of Willful Injury causing Serious Injury and one-count of going armed with intent. Farr was arrested without incident at a residence in Harlan.

Authorities say Farr shot 22-year old Heather Wilson and her 19-month old son Tyson Underwood, both of Council Bluffs, outside of an apartment complex at 1544 McPherson Avenue, at around 5:40-a.m., Tuesday. The incident happened at Wilson was putting one of her children in a vehicle. Wilson was found on the ground suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Her son was hit in the arm by one of the bullets. Both are expected to make a full recovery. The other child was not hurt. A third child was still inside the apartment at the time of the incident.