Iowa’s state parks are hosting “Camping Kickoff” events today (Saturday) to celebrate the unofficial opening of this year’s camping season. Todd Coffelt, chief of state parks for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says all of the state park campgrounds will host special programs. “The topics will vary from that individual (park) you’re staying in, the fish habitat our folks work on, or maybe some program related to hiking, birding, or kayaking,” Coffelt said. The full schedule of programs is posted on the Iowa DNR’s website ( www.iowadnr.gov/campingkickoff ).

“You can see the list of programs and where they’re going to be offered,” Coffelt said. “I think we have a program at almost every campground in the state parks system, so that’s 55 different programs people can pick from.” Campers who are staying in an Iowa state park today (Saturday) will also receive a free (May/June) issue of Iowa Outdoors magazine.

Iowa’s state parks hosted more than 15 million visitors last year, according to the DNR, and that included more 900,000 overnight stays. Iowa has more than 4,700 state park campsites and more than half of them can be reserved in advance
( www.iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com ).

(Radio Iowa)

What some have said was a “suspected drug house,” in Bridgewater, was destroyed by fire late Friday night, the cause of which is under investigation. A dispatcher at the Adair County Sheriff’s Office told KJAN News the fire in the 300 block of N. Main Street was reported right around 10-p.m.

Sources say the home was vacant and slated for demolition. Photos posted on the “Take Back Bridgewater” social media page, show the house fully engulfed in flames more than an hour later.

No injuries were reported. No other details are currently available.

The house on fire (Photo’s from the Take Back Bridgewater Facebook page used with permission

The structure before the fire

A traffic stop Friday evening in Fremont County resulted in the arrest of a Nebraska man. Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports at around 7:10-p.m., deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office stopped a 1998 Ford F150 for speeding in the 2400 Block of Highways 59, east of Riverton.

The driver, 19-year old Logan Last, of Shubert Nebraska, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd Offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a handgun by a felon.

Last was being held at the Fremont County jail on $5000 bond.

Logan Last

The Red Oak Police Department reports three separate arrests Friday evening and early Saturday morning.

At 5:35pm on Friday evening Officers arrested 18-year-old Jonathan Brice Ernst of Red Oak for Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. Ernst was arrested in the 900 block of E Reed Street and taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $1,000 cash bond.

At 2:35am Saturday Officers arrested 24-year-old Steven Austin Ripley of Red Oak for Public Intoxication and Simple Assault. Ripley was arrested in the 300 block of East Reed Street and taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $300 cash bond.

Also at 2:41am Saturday Officers arrested 38-year-old Terry Linn Smith Jr. of Red Oak in the 300 block of East Reed Street for Public Intoxication. He was taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $300 cash bond.

Police in Shenandoah report 70-year old Gerald Lynn Harrelson, of Shenandoah, was arrested Friday evening in connection with an ongoing investigation. Harrelson was taken into custody at around 7:30-p.m. on two counts of Assault With Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse – an aggravated misdemeanor and Harassment 3rd Degree/2nd offense – a simple misdemeanor. He was transported to Page County Jail and held without bond pending an initial court appearance.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman from Pottawattamie County was arrested Friday morning following a traffic stop for speeding. The driver of the vehicle, 30-year old Johnnie H. Krueger, of Council Bluffs, was cited for speeding and Driving While License Revoked. A passenger in his vehicle, 30-year old Heather Leann Lentz, of Council Bluffs, was arrested for felony Possession of Methamphetamine with intent to deliver 5 grams or more, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor. She is currently being held in the Page County Jail on $100,000.00 bond awaiting an appearance in front of a magistrate.

During the traffic stop on Highway 2 near M Avenue at around 11:25-a.m. Friday, A Page County Deputy and K-9 “Lucas” arrived.  K-9 Lucas was deployed alerted to the presence of a controlled substance in the vehicle.

Heather LeAnn Lentz

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports a Prescott man was arrested on Friday for trespassing on railroad property. At 11:09am Deputies arrested 38-year-old Casey Dell Claiser of Precott after complaints were made by three passing trains about a man on the tracks.

Claiser was charged with Trespassing on Railroad Property and held on $300 bond.

Planned Parenthood and ACLU of Iowa are applauding the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision to temporarily halt a 72-hour abortion waiting period soon after Gov. Terry Branstad enacted several restrictions.

The state will have an opportunity to respond to the temporary injunction on Monday. The court will then decide whether to extend the short-term injunction.

Planned Parenthood notes the court’s action Friday allowed 44 women with scheduled abortions to proceed with their appointments. Suzanna de Baca, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, says in a statement that the law had caused confusion for patients.

She says one woman had driven seven hours to her appointment Friday and then was told she couldn’t have the procedure that day. She says women were “angry and upset at the intrusion into their lives.”

Ben Hammes, a spokesman for Branstad, says the state believes the 72-hour wait period will ultimately be implemented.

He calls the court’s injunction “part of the process,” adding that the governor expects the stay will soon be lifted.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa will hire an outside firm to review its employment practices after a jury ruled that it discriminated and retaliated against a high-ranking gay female athletic administrator. President Bruce Harreld announced Friday the independent review would begin with the athletics department, which was the subject of Jane Meyer’s three-week trial.

Jurors awarded Meyer $1.43 million Thursday for lost wages and emotional distress, agreeing that she faced discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation. Jurors also found that she faced retaliation and that the university violated Iowa’s equal pay law.

The cost of the case is expected to grow. Meyer’s attorneys will be entitled to their fees, and are expected to ask a judge to triple her lost wages since the jury ruled the pay violation was “willful.”

Officials with Major League Eating (MLE) in New York, Friday, announced World champion Matt Stonie will compete with other top competitive eaters at the first-ever Annual Tivoli Fest World Æbleskiver (pronounced “Able-skeever“) Eating Championship sanctioned by MLE, on May 27 at 2-p.m., during Tivoli Fest, held in downtown Elk Horn, Iowa, known as the largest rural Danish Settlement in the United States.

Æbleskiver are a type of round pancake cooked in a special stove-top pan with half-spherical molds. The center is soft and fluffy and the crust is crisp and browned. Originating in the country of Denmark, they can be served with powdered sugar, topped or filled with jam or maple syrup or rolled in sugar. Competitive eaters will seek to set a new world record in the æbleskiver discipline.

MLE emcee Sam Barclay says “Everyone knows Tivoli Festival is the spiritual home of Danish culture and aebleskiver consumption in these United States. The world’s greatest eaters are headed to Elk Horn, IA, with one thing on their minds—to set the record at the world’s first sanctioned aebleskiver-eating Championship.”

Tivoli Committee Member Logan Veath said “It’s such an amazing event to have people from all over the country come to the rural Danish Capital of the United States.  We look forward to welcoming them to Iowa. We are very excited to watch world-class competitors eat our Danish Æbleskiver and find out who will be the World Champion.”

Other top eating talent will include the #6-ranked Gideon Oji, the #8-ranked Adrian Morgan, the #10-ranked Juan Rodriguez, the #12-ranked Yasir Salem, the #32-ranked Sophia DeVita and the #36-ranked Matthrew Raible.

ABOUT TIVOLI FEST!
Tivoli Fest is the annual Danish American festival in the Danish Village of Elk Horn, Iowa, the largest Danish rural settlement in the USA. It is a celebration of Danish American culture, traditions and foods. New this year is the 1st Annual Tivoli Fest World Æbleskiver Eating Championship. Tivoli Fest is a wonderful experience which includes a parade, folk dancing, live bands, 5k run,Vikings, exhibits, fireworks, beer garden, Scandinavian entertainment, and you can enjoy Danish food such as Æbleskiver, Smørrebrød, and Medisterpølse. Be sure to tour the only working Danish Windmill in the United States along with the Museum of Danish America. This unique celebration provides a variety of fun opportunities for the whole family. Join us Memorial Day Weekend, May 26th to 28th 2017.

About Major League Eating:

Major League Eating (MLE), the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 80 events annually, including the Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. The competitive eating community is made up of more than 8,000 veteran and rookie gurgitators who travel the nation in search of top titles and the glory that they provide. For more information, visit www.IFOCE.com, www.facebook.com/eatfast or twitter @eatingcontest.