w/ Ric Hanson

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The Iowa Master Gardener program is once again offering a series of summer webinars free to all local residents with an interest in gardening. The 2012 series is titled “Garden Goodness” and will be hosted by Iowa State University Extension county offices on the fourth Tuesday of each month, May through August. The Cass County Extension Office is a local host site.

Each session will provide information about vegetable gardening, from a variety of perspectives. The second presentation in the series is scheduled for Tuesday, June 26th. From 6:30-7:30 p.m. Angie Tagtow, environmental nutrition consultant,will discuss Food Gardening and Health. From 7:30-8:30 p.m. Denise Fikes, Mills County Extension horticulture assistant, will talk about Glenwood’s Giving Garden. Participants will watch the presentation live from campus, projected onto a large screen, and have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss the topic with the presenter. There is no charge to attend the classes, and no requirements to attend the entire series. Local gardeners are encouraged to attend any session that catches their interest.

Upcoming dates, presenters and topics for the 2012 series are:

On July 24, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Linda Naeve will talk on the Peoples Garden Project and Working with Youth; from 7:30-8:30 p.m. Cindy Haynes will discuss Edible Ornamentals. Naeve is an ISU Extension value added agriculture specialist; Haynes is an associate professor in the Department of Horticulture and an ISU Extension consumer/urban horticulture specialist. The final session on August 28, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. will feature Angela Tedesco presenting the Top Ten Sustainable Gardening Tips from Turtle Farm. Tedesco is owner of Turtle Farm, an organic vegetable, fruit and herb CSA near Granger, Iowa.

The series, in its third year, is offered by Iowa Master Gardener program in response to requests for more Iowa gardening educational opportunities. The sessions are open to all interested gardeners; participants are not required to have completed Master Gardener training to attend, however the session will fulfill Master Gardener continuing education requirements.

Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required, to allow local staff to plan for appropriate accommodations. For more information, or to register, call the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132, email keolson@iastate.edu, or stop by the Extension Office at 805 W. 10^th St in Atlantic.

The sheriff in northwest Iowa’s Ida County is asking for the public’s help in providing information, with regard to a fatal crash that occurred Monday afternoon on U.S. Highway 20, about two-miles east of Holstein.  Two people died in the fiery crash.  Authorities say the two people were in a car that had stopped about 1:25 p.m. Monday at a construction site on U.S. Highway 20 to wait for a pilot vehicle. The car was hit from behind by a semitrailer and pushed into the back of semitrailer that had stopped in front of the car. The crash victims were trapped inside as the car burst into flames. Their names have not been released. The Iowa State Patrol says the crash is being investigated. Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or the events leading up to it, should call the Ida County Sheriff’s Office at 712-364-3146.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The Griswold Community School District’s Board of Education will hold a public hearing Tuesday evening, to award contracts for the parking lot reconstruction project. The hearing begins at 5:30 in the Central Office Board Room, and will include the reading of a letter of recommendation from Estes Construction, followed by public input. After the hearing is closed, a special session will convene, during which the board will discuss and act on personnel matters, along with the awarding of a contract or contracts for the parking lot project.

Plans to reconstruct the tennis courts at Sunnyside Park in Atlantic continue to move forward, thanks to approval from the United States Tennis Association (USTA). Atlantic Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring said at Monday evening’s meeting of the Parks & Rec Board, that the USTA approved the plans last week. He says because the plans have been approved, the USTA will send the City an application for funding. Once that’s complete, Herring says he hopes to announce the letting of bids for the project within the next month. Herring said also, the City has “A shot at having some new courts, or at least starting on them, by this Fall.”

The tennis courts at Sunnyside Park are in poor condition, and need to be resurfaced, especially before district tennis action can be held. During their meeting on April 10th, the Atlantic Board of Education agreed to split the cost of resurfacing the tennis courts with the City, which in return will help with the future costs of refurbishing the Washington tennis courts. The USTA application should help the City to obtain a grant to pay for the Sunnyside court improvements, thereby reducing the costs.

On another note, Herring says improvements have been made to the tennis court restrooms. Instead of replacing the restrooms at a cost of about $200,000, Herring took some money from the Capital Improvements fund and the Sunnyside Park Improvement Fund, and “refurbished” the old restrooms. He says the toilets and sinks work fine, but the lighting was “absolutely horrendous.” Herring improved the lighting for as little as $60, by installing “vandal-proof” lights, which also increased the brightness. He says they also painted the restroom interior, which is something that had never been done. He said the concrete block “dungeon” look is gone, and it’s “100% better,” on the inside.” The restrooms will soon be open to the public.

The City of Atlantic’s Park and Rec Department Summer programs appear to be a big success. Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring said at Monday night’s Parks & Rec Board meeting, there are 25 kids involved in the Playground program, 130 signed-up for the tennis program, 60 in swimming, and 270 in Little League. He said all the kids are getting their lunch, the busing program is working well, and the playground crew had done a great job with keeping kids busy with various activities. The response he says from kids and their parents so far, has been very positive.

The Parks and Rec Board were so impressed with the way Herring has performed in his position since taking over last year, they voted unanimously to grant him a pay increase. Board Chair Stuart Dusenberry said he’s heard nothing but positive comments about Herring and his accomplishments.  Board member Jolene Smith says she thinks Herring “Does the work of 10 men,” and there’s things getting done “that have never gotten done before.”

Herring says despite hitting some potholes to progress along the way toward completion of various projects, such as dealing with the proposed Park Maintenance Building and the related hoops one must jump through to make that happen, he’s enjoyed the job immensely. Chris Jimerson, City Council representative on the Parks and Rec Board, says Herring’s “People Skills” are what sets him apart from some of the past persons who have held the position of Parks and Rec Director, especially when it comes to the City’s Little League Program, and dealing with those involved in helping to make it a success.

Authorities in Montgomery County are investigating the theft of fuel from a seed cart. Sheriff’s officials say sometime between 10- and 11:30-a.m., Monday, someone made a forced entry into a machine shed on property located about 5-miles southwest of Villisca, at 2603 Montgomery/Page Street. Once inside, a person or persons unknown siphoned fuel from a seed cart. The loss was estimated at about $210. Anyone with information about the break-in and theft is asked to call the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office at 712-623-5107, or Montgomery County Crime Stoppers, at 1-800-432-1001.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Saturday of 45-year old David Scott Elwood,  of Atlantic. Elwood was taken into custody on a Cass County Sheriff’s Office warrant for Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance (Hydrocodone). He was taken to the Cass County Jail and held on $50,000 bond. Also arrested Saturday, on a Felony charge of Eluding, was 36-year old Thomas Otto Williamson, of Griswold, Williamson also faces a Serious Misdemeanor charge of OWI 1^st Offense. He was brought to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance. 

Last Thursday afternoon, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a two-vehicle accident on Highway 71 at Highway 83. Officials say a 2004 Pontiac Sunfire driven by 17-year old Kelly Rae Pullen, of Coin, was traveling southbound on Highway 71 and had stopped at the stop sign at Highway 83. A 2001 Pontiac Grand Am owned and driven by Michael Updike came to a stop behind Pullen’s vehicle. Updike’s vehicle then rolled forward into the back of Pullen’s vehicle causing the bumpers to strike against one another. No citations were issued. Damage to Pullen’s vehicle is estimated at $1,500; no damage was reported to Updike’s vehicle.

The Lenox Police Department reports the arrest Friday night of 34-year old Daniel Rameriez-Camancho. Rameriez-Camancho, of Lenox, was pulled over at around 9:30-p.m. on south Brooks Street, for making improper lane change. Officers discovered during their investigation that the man had no Drivers license. He was also found to have allegedly obtained license plates by fraud from the state of Nebraska for his vehicle. 

Rameriez-Camancho was transported to the Taylor County Jail where he was charged with failure to have a Drivers license, improper lane change and fraudulent use of registration. His pickup was impounded.