The Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) reports a free screening of the movie “Dirt!” will be held in May, in Corning. The movie, which was inspired by William Bryant Logan’s acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, “Dirt!,” The Movie, takes a humorous and substantial look into the history and current state of the living organic matter that we come from and will later return to. It takes place at 7:30-p.m. May 3rd, in the Corning Opera House (800 Davis Ave, Corning, IA).

According to SWCD Technician Blake Anderson, the movie will be held in celebration of Soil & Water Conservation Week, and is hosted by the Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District along with the Adams County Rural Development Committee, Conservation Districts of Iowa, and the Southern Iowa Forage and Livestock Committee.

Concessions will be available.  If you need accommodation, please contact Blake Anderson, by calling 641-322-3116.

The Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston Construction Office report bridge construction work on eastbound Interstate 80 over Indian Creek, between Pottawattamie County Road M-47 (exit 46) and Cass County Road M-56 (exit 51), 2 miles east of Walnut, will begin Monday, April 8th, weather permitting.

During the project traffic will be operating in a two-lane, two-way traffic pattern in the westbound lanes of I-80 in order to get over the bridge. The open lanes will have a 16-foot width lane restriction in place. The project is expected to be completed by late July.

The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles and wear seat belts.

Police in Atlantic report a Walnut man was arrested on a theft charge, Tuesday. 39-year old Donald Hanna was charged with 4th degree Theft (shoplifting). Hanna was brought to the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.

Nearly three dozen children are abused every day in Iowa and the month of April is set aside to raise awareness about the problem. Sara Welch, spokesperson for Prevent Child Abuse Iowa, says many communities will be taking part in activities to highlight what residents can do to support prevention efforts. “Throughout the state you’ll see people planting pinwheel gardens, you’ll see family resource fairs, and you’ll see people just trying to engage the community in this effort,” Welch said.

The month of April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. According to the most recent data available, just over 11,700 kids were abused in Iowa in 2011. That was down slightly from 2010. The organization Prevent Child Abuse Iowa has been in existence since 1975. “We are currently in 95 counties throughout Iowa providing services such as crisis care nursery and parent support groups,” Welch said. “We’re doing parent development — where an educator is going into the home and actually working with the family and helping them connect with resources and monitor their child’s development.”

Some of the organization’s special events planned this month include a “family night” at the Science Center of Iowa in Des Moines on April 12 and $5 tickets to an Iowa Cubs game on April 29.  “For all those events, we’re going to be handing out pinwheels – which, for us, is a symbol of the happy childhood that every child deserves. We’re going to have parenting information, community resources, and we’ll just providing a lot of fun activities for families and getting the community out to show their support,” Welch said.

Here in Cass County, as we mentioned in a report last month, the Cass County Child Abuse Prevention Council will hold community “Lunch and Learn” sessions from Noon until 1-p.m., on April 11^th and 25^th, at the Atlantic Public Library. The April 11^th program will be presented by Sarah Herzberg, with Southwest Iowa Mental Health. It’s entitled “Raising children in a violent world,” and includes a free reading program, for children ages three and older. The April 25^th program “Children learn what they live,” will be presented by Billie Jo Clausen, from the Green Hills Area Education Agency.

More information about Prevent Child Abuse Iowa is available at www.pcaiowa.org or by calling 1-800-CHILDREN.

(Radio Iowa/KJAN News)

The Iowa DNR says the annual “Prairie Chicken Festival” will be held at Grand River Grasslands Bird Conservation Area, two miles west and one mile south of Kellerton, in Ringgold County, on April 6th. Viewing will begin before dawn and last until the birds diminish their courtship dancing and booming, around 9:30 a.m.

Prairie Chickens have been reintroduced to the area and each spring their courtship dances occur where their booming calls resonate across southern Iowa hills and valleys. The site provides a wildlife viewing platform, and spotting scopes and binoculars will be available.

“It is really quite a show and something that was lost to the Iowa landscape during the 1950s,” said Pat Schlarbaum, with the DNR’s Wildlife Diversity Program. Coffee and light breakfast foods will be available.

For more information, contact Ringgold County Conservation Board Director Kate Zimmerman at 641-464-2787.

Council Bluffs officials are unveiling plans for a two-week celebration this summer to debut the community’s newest attraction. Larry Foster, director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, says the massive River’s Edge Park will open on Memorial Day weekend to much fanfare — and all events are free. “We’re showing concerts and movies and soccer and sports activities and family things,” Foster says. “It’s a real facility actually for the entire Midwest.” The event is being called Loessfest, after the region’s rolling Loess Hills. The string of entertainment will kick off May 25th with a free concert by The Beach Boys. “We have a great product,” Foster says. “We have a great place. We have a great river. We have a great park. We’re going to have a great series of events to open it up.”

There will be several more concerts, sporting events and entertainment for the celebration, running from Memorial weekend through June 8th. A unique, interactive light display will debut on May 25th on the park’s five-acre Great Lawn. The permanent display, entitled Rays, is a half-million dollar installation, an eight-minute light show that repeats on the hour and half-hour. This is the first Loessfest, what’s planned to be an annual event.

(Radio Iowa)

w/ Ric Hanson

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Iowa Congressman Steve King has announced that he will be honoring Sioux City resident and Vietnam War Veteran Richard Plueger with medals he did not formally receive for his service. The ceremony will take place 4-p.m. Thursday, at Congressman King’s office  in Sioux City.

Plueger is set to receive: The National Defense Service Medal; Vietnam Service Medal with three Bronze Service stars; A Vietnam Campaign Medal with 1960 Device; Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry Cross with Palm and Frame), and a Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon.

Richard Plueger  joined the Navy in 1966, at the age of 17.  Seven months later he was enrolled in Engineman Class A school to learn his field which transitioned him to be stationed in Vietnam until October 1967. He spent most of his time in Dong Ha, Vietnam where he ran supplies on a four man craft called “Mike 8.” He was responsible for hauling ammo, tanks , M-tracks and jet fuel for the Air Force Base. During his time in Vietnam, Plueger survived many fire fights along the Cu Viet River, which was the dividing line between North and South Vietnam.

He was then transferred to the USS Shadwell in Norfolk, VA where he worked on two cruises that took him to Puerto Rico, Turkey, Spain, Italy and Greece. During one of the “night maneuvers” at sea, his ship was hit by another ship leaving them stranded for three days and then towed to Malta for three months of ship repairs. However, the ship was decommissioned in October 1969 and Plueger was released to inactive duty.

Officials with the Red Oak Police Department report a lengthy investigation which dates back to November 2012 and involved three law enforcement agencies, resulted in the arrest Tuesday night of a Clarinda woman. 30-year old Audrey Nicole Williams was taken into custody at around 9:05-p.m. in Clarinda, on numerous charges filed by Red Oak Police and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities say Williams was charged in Iowa with a total of 10-counts of felony forgery, and one felony count of ongoing criminal conduct. Additional charges are possible, pending completion of the investigation into the case. Officials in Nodaway County, Missouri say they too, are investigating an incident of forgery also involving Williams, that will likely result in additional charges against her in that state, as well.

Williams was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $30,000 cash bond. The investigation into her alleged actives was conducted through a joint investigation involving the Red Oak P-D, Montgomery County, Iowa, and Nodaway County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Offices.

The warmer weather of spring is finally here and gasoline prices in Iowa are starting to fall. Gail Weinholzer, spokeswoman with Triple-A Iowa, says pump prices are beginning to edge downward and they are already more than 20-cents below a year ago. She points to several factors. “We’re seeing increasing refinery production,” Weinholzer says. “We’ve got some lower (crude) oil prices, so that’s the good news. The bad news is due in part to a rather stagnant demand which is bad news because that tends to reflect the state of the economy.” Weinholzer is hopeful gas prices will continue to fall this spring but she offers a word of caution that prices may creep back up shortly.

“We may see a slight increase as we finish the transition from the winter to the summer grade fuels,” Weinholzer says. “We may see a slight increase if, during that time period any of the refineries choose to close for regularly-scheduled maintenance and repair kinds of activities.”

Iowa’s current average gas price is three-58 a gallon, a nickel below the national average. A year ago, Iowa’s average price was three-79 a gallon.

(Radio Iowa)