(Radio Iowa) – A big celebration is planned for a central Iowa state park that is turning 100. Pete Hildreth of the Iowa D-N-R says things get underway today (Thursday). “Iowa D-N-R staff and members of the Friends of the Ledges will host a 100th anniversary kickoff event at the Boone City Hall Auditorium,” he says.  The park is near Madrid and has four miles of trails that include sandstone ledges that are 100 feet above the Des Moines River. That kickoff begins at 6 p-m.

“That event will be highlighted by a program on how Ledges became one of Iowa’s first state parks, as well as information and displays on events projects and changes coming to Ledges in 2024,” Hildreth says. He says everyone is encouraged to take part in the celebration. )”The Friends of the Ledges members will present details on how to get involved in the year-long celebration, as well as the creation of an endowment fund to help preserve the resources of the park in the next century,” he says.

The park also features several structures built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Red Oak Police have arrested a man wanted on an active Red Oak P-D warrant for a Controlled Substance Violation and Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp. 53-year-old Joshua Norman Fuller was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon, and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $30,000 cash-only bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Today (Thursday) marks the arrival of winter, and soon enough, we’ll be dealing with big piles of snow. Aaron Steil, a consumer horticulture specialist at the Iowa State University Extension, says the drought has been tough on our landscaping this year, and some recent plantings, trees and shrubs may already be stressing as the colder weather settles in. Steil says it’s normal for some shrubs to turn brown or orange at this time of the year.

“Eastern red cedar, for example, tends to get kind of a brownish color in the winter, but it’s more dark green during the summer,” Steil says. “It’s been a pretty stressful growing season. Most of the state has been on the dry side this year and the last couple of years, and so it’s starting to build up, especially on younger or less established plants in our landscape.” Homeowners may be concerned about their trees and other plants being damaged by a heavy, wet snow, especially if their limbs are sagging.

“Most of the time, plants do a pretty good job of shedding that snow off all on their own,” Steil says, “but if you do have a younger plant, or an evergreen that seems to be very weighed down by snow, you can go out and brush it off using your hand or a broom.” If you want to clear that snow off yourself, he says there is a right way — and a wrong way — to go about the process.

“Just make sure you do it in an upward motion instead of a downward one,” he says, “so that you don’t stress branches that are bending down even more.” Steil says ice can do infinitely more damage to young plants than snow, however, he says you need to resist the urge to try to remove ice from their frozen boughs and limbs.

“You’re likely to do more damage than good. If you try to go out and remove ice from shrubs and trees in your landscape, you can go out and maybe prop something up with a board, if you’re really worried about it,” Steil says. “Otherwise, trying to break it off or throwing hot water on it to try to melt it off, all of those always do more damage than help.”

The best thing you can do for an ice-coated tree, he says, is to leave it alone and let the sun warm it up.

ATLANTIC, IA (December 20, 2023) – Produce in the Park’s Christmas Market 2023 is this Saturday, December 23, from 12 PM – 3 PM at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA. Local favorite food truck Pim’s Thai will be on site, and the YMCA will set up free bounce houses for the kids.

Vendors at this year’s Christmas Market will include food vendors offering a variety of local foods–from fresh produce and meat, to fresh breads and desserts–as well as craft vendors selling wood products, decorations such as handmade gnomes, crocheted items, jewelry, candles, and more.

Christmas Market Vendor list as of December 20
Noble Provisions
Bridgewater Farm
Brun Ko Farm
The Kringle Man
Sharon Johnson
JD Crafters
Sugar Mama Cookie Co.
Frosting Inc.
Imagine Garden Gift
Creekside Crystal and Crafts
Crawleys Christ-Centered Creations
Solis Wolf Woodworking
Gnome-atic Fanatics
Neighborhood Bakehouse
Dragonfly Creations
Corn 4 a Cause
Biederman’s Best Honey
Chelle’s KrAFty Corner
Rising Traditions
Ray’s Custom Woodwork
Shelbi Crochets

Christmas Market 2023 is sponsored by Cass Health, Gregg Young of Atlantic, First Whitney Bank & Trust, Meyer & Gross Real Estate, Nishna Valley Family YMCA, Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Atlantic.

For the latest information on Christmas Market and all Produce in the Park markets, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/).

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett recognized two City Council members who are stepping down at the end of the month. Second Ward Councilman Lee Sisco and Third Ward Councilman Pat McCurdy, as well as Fourth Ward Councilwoman Linda Hartkopf were mentioned as being valuable members of the Council.

She said “It’s hard to find good people to serve, and I can say that we have been blessed with some good folks to serve alongside. And, I have had a very supportive Council since I took my role as Mayor, and I want you Lee (Sisco) how much I appreciate your expertise, how much you’ve brought to the table.” (Click on the images below to enlarge. Ric Hanson/photos)

Mayor Garrett & Councilman Sisco

Mayor Garrett & Councilperson Hartkopf.

She said Sisco is “a retired State Trooper from California, and he brought a lot to the table and he served on our committees well.” Sisco said his experience on the Council “Has been kind of an education. I think if anybody’s in the community they really ought to think about it, because there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that I don’t think the community completely understands what it takes to get a simple crosswalk done. There’s a lot of cogs in the wheel that have to turn and turn properly and I think the more involvement we get from the community the better off we are.”

Councilperson Linda Hartkopf was recognized next. The Mayor said she “Has served our community well for several years (16 years altogether). She has truly given some years to serving her community, and she’s done it well.” In addition to being a Councilperson, Linda Hartkopf has served as Mayor Pro-Tem the past two-years. Hartkopf said she’s enjoyed very much serving the community and she “Didn’t know what she was in for when [she] was elected” when she won as a write-in candidate. She promised when she first ran for the Council that she would “Listen to the people who contacted me (constituents) about an issue, and vote the way they wanted [me] to.” She said she has tried to maintain true to her promise and vote the way the majority in her ward wanted her to.

Mayor Garrett congratulates Councilperson Elect Emily Kennedy.

Mayor Garrett congratulates Councilperson Elect Mike McDermott.

Mayor Garrett congratulates Councilperson Elect Shawn Sarsfield.

Mayor Garrett congratulates Councilperson Elaine Otte.

The Mayor presented Sisco and Hartkopf with some parting gifts before moving-on to the swearing-in of re-elected Councilman Jim Behrens, who, due to redistricting represents the 2nd Ward, and newly elected Councilpersons Emily Kennedy – 1st Ward; Mike McDermott – 3rd Ward, and Shawn Sarsfield – 4th Ward. Garrett also issued the Oath of Office to re-elected Councilwoman Elaine Otte.

Councilman Jim Behrens is sworn-in.

At the end of the meeting, Mayor Garrett reminded citizens that fireworks are permitted on New Years Eve from 6-p.m. Dec. 31st until 12:15-a.m., January 1st. She said use the opportunity to celebrate responsibly. She also wished the community a Merry Christmas from the home of she and her husband Bill. “We wish you well. We wish you safety and we wish you a wonderful and healthy 2024. We are very thankful for our hometown and we are very thankful to call Atlantic our home.”

(Glenwood, Iowa) – The Mills County Attorney’s Office reports a Glenwood dentist, 65-year-old Calvin Adolph Weber, was found guilty on December 15^th of Assault – Contact Insulting or Offensive. Weber appeared for a Non-Jury Trial and was found guilty of assaulting a female patient by stating she was “sexy,” and by unwanted physical contact.

He was sentenced to pay the maximum fine of $855 and a No Contact Order was issued.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Offcials with the Mills County Attorney’s Office report a man from Sidney, 34-year-old Joseph Steven Tyler Harris, was found guilty in October of Enticing a Minor under 16 for a Sexual Purpose, in Mills County.

Harris appeared at his sentencing in Mills County District Court on December 14th. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison.

Mills County Attorney, DeShawne L. Bird-Sell, said she would like to thank the Mills County Sheriff’s Office for their help and their dedication to the safety of the residents of Mills County.

(Guthrie Center, Iowa) – The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office today (Wednesday), released information about a single-vehicle accident that occurred Dec. 12th, at around 7:45-p.m. Authorities say a 2023 GMC Sierra pickup driven by 34-year-old Spencer Lee Irwin, of Guthrie Center, was traveling north on Maple Avenue. The vehicle went out of control while turning right onto 245th Street. The pickup entered the north ditch and rolled onto its passenger side.

Irwin suffered suspected/non-capacitating injuries, and was transported to the Guthrie County Hospital by a Guthrie County Sheriff’s Deputy. The pickup sustained $15,000 damage.

No citations were issued.

(Radio Iowa) – Winnebago Industries executives say high interest rates and weak demand are contributing to declining sales. Winnebago makes recreational vehicles at facilities in Forest City, Lake Mills, Charles City and Waverly. The company’s reporting revenue in the first quarter of its fiscal year was 763-million dollars –a decrease of almost 20 percent compared to the first quarter of last year. Winnebago C-E-O Michael Happe says his company knew when the fiscal year started in September that there were many obstacles ahead.

“Consumer confidence was unsteady given macroeconomic factors,” Happe said. “Affordability of the RV and boating lifestyle, while still competitive with other forms of leisure travel, had become difficult for potential new customers, and dealers were aggressively managing inventory by constraining inbound wholesale shipments.”

Happe says those challenges will continue into the company’s second quarter. “We believe continued strong wholesale constraints during a seasonally-lighter retail period of the year in December through February, and subsequent further reduced production by our businesses over the holidays will also have a similar impact on Q2 financial results as well,” Happe said.

Gross profit for Winnebago in its first quarter was down 28 percent when compared to the same quarter last year.