CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The Cedar Rapids City Council has agreed to buy most of Cedar Lake as part of a massive redevelopment project. The price from owner Alliant Energy? Just $1, which the council voted Monday to pay. The city has been leasing the lake since 1982. It sits in the middle of Cedar Rapids, just east of the Cedar River.

Mike McGrath is board president of ConnectCR, which has been raising money for the revitalization of Cedar Lake and the creation of a pedestrian/trail bridge south of downtown. He says city ownership of the lake qualifies his organization to apply for grants to help with funding. The improvements include kayak launches, fishing jetties and platforms.

Station KCRG reports that city officials say plans are to complete the project within five years after all $20 million is raised.

(Radio Iowa) — The weather forecast for the coming days in Iowa is calling for both the temperature and the humidity levels to go higher, and health officials caution people to be prepared for the heat. Floyd Valley Healthcare Emergency Room Manager, Mary Jo Clark, says people may be more susceptible to heat exhaustion and heat stroke since our bodies have not yet adjusted to the combination of hot temperatures and high humidity levels. She says there are several signs that a person is suffering heat stroke. “They start to get kind of confused, their speech may be a little slurred.Their skin is no longer sweating, it is now dry because the body said ‘nope we are going to stop trying to sweat and keep the moisture inside.’ They’ll get nauseated and they’ll start to vomit,” Clark says.

Clark says in order to beat the heat, and avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke, you will need to consume a lot of fluids.  “The recommendation really is water,” Clark says.”And the sports drinks are very good because they do replace your electrolytes. The problem is that some of them are very high in sugar content — which then makes you more thirsty and it makes you drink.” There are two beverages to avoid. “Definitely avoid caffeine and alcohol. Those are what we call diuretics. Those are going to pull the fluids out of your body,” according to Clark.

The nursing supervisor in Le Mars says to take frequent breaks and to try to stay out of the direct sunlight during the peak afternoon hours. She says the type of clothing you wear can also help prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke. She says a nice wide-brimmed hat that will block the sun is recommended along with long sleeves with lightweight material in light colors.

The forecast is calling for temperatures to reach the 90’s, and heat index to be in the triple-digits by the weekend.

The Creston Police Department reports two arrests took place, Tuesday. 34-year old Tashina Martwick, of Redding, was arrested in Creston on a Union County warrant for Failure to Appear on Child Support matters. Martwick was later released on a $250 bond. And, 54-year old Craig Hauser, of Creston, was arrested Tuesday for Public Intoxication/3rd or subsequent offense. His bond was set at $2,000.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating the death of a man whose body was found inside a Cedar Rapids home. Station KCRG reports that police first thought the man had killed himself, but officers no longer think that’s what happened and have launched what they call a “death investigation.” The man’s been identified as 44-year-old Randy Campbell. His body was found Friday night.

No arrests have been reported. What caused his death and other details haven’t been released.

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — An Iowa airplane maintenance company is planning to open a facility in Salina, bringing 50 new jobs this year and up to 450 employees within three years. Officials with 1 Vision Aviation, a Sioux City, Iowa-based company, said the company does maintenance and repairs on commercial, corporate, private planes and performs other general aviation maintenance work.

The Salina Journal reports the Salina Airport Authority board on June 20 approved financing for $2.6 million in repairs and improvements to an airport hangar to house 1 Vision Aviation.
Another company, LifeSave Transport of Wichita, has rented a hangar at the airport to provide emergency medical transportation services to Salina and north-central Kansas. LifeSave will base 16 pilots, paramedics and flight nurses in Salina, and operations may begin as early as July 15.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) — A state audit says a Henry County employee who faked having an intern collected nearly $219,000 in improper payments. The Des Moines Register reports that the audit report says 43-year-old Jodi Sutter was fired in February 2018 as Henry County’s environmental specialist after she was unable to produce documentation for expenses and admitted lying about having an intern for whom she sought reimbursements. Sutter has sued the county for wrongful termination and unpaid wages.

Sutter said Tuesday in a statement released by her attorney that she’d “discovered substantial gaps in the (audit) report, which call into question its findings.” The audit report says the county’s board of health didn’t review Sutter’s claims for reimbursement and wages, erroneously believing that county supervisors were handling the oversight.

A traffic stop late Tuesday night in Red Oak resulted in the arrest of the driver. At around 11:36-p.m., Red Oak Police arrested 33-year old Sara Sue Batten, of Red Oak, for Driving While Barred. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $2,000 bond.

A Shelby County man died in a crash Tuesday afternoon, east of Harlan. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reports 71-year old Dale Hemminger, of Harlan, died, after the 1994 International semi he was driving, left the road for reasons unknown and rolled into the south ditch, leaving him trapped in the vehicle. The accident happened on Nishna Avenue, at around 4-p.m.

Hemminger was extricated from the vehicle by mechanical means. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office was assisted on scene by the Harlan Police Department, Harlan Fire Department, Medivac Ambulance, Kirkman Fire Department, Westphalia Fire Department, Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Motor Vehicle Enforcement, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, who responded to a possible agricultural-related chemical spill from the truck.

For the second time in about two-months, voters in the Riverside School District failed, Tuesday, to pass a 10-year Physical Plant and Equipment Levy and a PPEL surtax. According to unofficial results from the Pottawattamie County Auditor’s Office, the measure, which required a 50 plus 1 simple majority to pass, received 438 NO votes and 405 Yes votes, or 52% to 48%. 843 of the 2,783 registered voters cast their ballots, for a voter turnout of 30%. The majority of the No votes came from Oakland, where 229 voters said they were opposed to the measure, and 216 said yes. (See the breakdown below)

The Public Measure had essentially asked if the District would be permitted to impose the levy for 10-years, at a tax rate not to exceed $1.34 per $1,000 taxable valuation, beginning with the levy of property taxes for collection in the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2021, and a not to exceed 2% income surtax effective December 31st, 2020. The first proposal presented to District patrons was defeated April 2nd , with 56.4% opposed and 43.6% in favor.

School officials say if it had been approved, the PPEL would generate an estimated $3.7 million over the 10-year period for capital improvement projects, such as the aging HVAC system at the Elementary and Intermediate schools. Revenue raised from the surtax would have been used to pay down the property tax levy to an estimated $1.29 per $1,000 of valuation.

Unofficial results:

Absentee: Yes 95, No 51

Carson: Yes 103, No 80

Macedonia: 42 Yes, 78 No

Oakland: 216 Yes, 229 No.