More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The area’s top news at 7:07-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce invites you to experience the magic of Christmas at Santa’s Cabin one last time this Saturday, December 19th from1:30–to 3:30-pm in the Atlantic City Park.

Share your holiday wishes with Santa before he makes the trip back to the North Pole. Enjoy a stroll down Chestnut Street by horse drawn carriage from 1:30-to 3:30-pm, as well.

Free hot cocoa and popcorn will also be available.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources say Iowa State Parks will sponsor free, guided hikes in 17 state parks on New Year’s Day as part of America’s State Parks First Day Hikes initiative in all 50 states. America’s State Parks First Day Hikes offer individuals and families an opportunity to begin the New Year rejuvenating and connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike on January 1st at a state park close to home. First Day Hikes offer a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family.

Todd Coffelt, chief of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources State Parks Bureau, said “We are excited to host First Day Hikes as part of this national effort to get people outdoors and into our parks. First Day Hikes are a great way to cure cabin fever and burn off those extra holiday calories by starting off the New Year with an invigorating walk or hike in one of our beautiful state parks.”

Iowa’s state parks boast a variety of beautiful settings for year-round outdoor recreation, and each First Day Hike will offer an opportunity to explore the unique natural and cultural treasures close to home. Staff and volunteers will lead First Day Hikes in Iowa’s 17 participating state parks. Hikes will average one to two miles or longer depending on the location. Details about the hikes can be found at www.iowadnr.gov/firstdayhikes and to see a comprehensive map of First Day Hikes across the country, visit www.naspd.org

Iowa First Day Hikes will take place at the following state parks in the KJAN listening area:

• Springbrook State Park
• Wilson Island State Recreation Area
• Green Valley State Park
• Waubonsie State Park

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a Villisca man was arrested Monday night on charges of Burglary in the 3rd Degree, and Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree. 25-year old Gabriel Frances Romero was taken into custody at around 9:20-p.m. in the 500 block of E. 3rd Street in Villisca, and brought to the Montgomery County Jail where he was being held on full bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The value of average Iowa farmland is now estimated to be $7,633 per acre after having dropped in value for the second consecutive year. That’s according to the 2015 Iowa Land Value Survey conducted by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

According to the survey, Per acre value declined $310, or 3.9 percent, since last
year’s survey. Farmland values have now fallen almost 13 percent from the historically high 2013 values. Results from the survey are similar to results by the US Department of Agriculture, the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, and the Realtors Land Institute.

The $7,633 per acre, and 3.9 percent drop in value, represents the state as a whole, although values are also determined by crop reporting districts (district hereafter) and each of Iowa’s 99 counties individually according to low-, medium-, and high-quality farmland ratings. Farmland values hit a historic peak of $8,716 per acre in 2013, but declined 8.9 percent to $7,943 the following year. The drop in value this year is smaller than that of last year, but now marks the third time values have fallen since 2009.

The 3.9 percent decline may seem less than what many people speculated, but according to Dr. Wendong Zhang, Assistant Professor of Economics at Iowa State
University who led the survey this year, this is not out of line due to a mix of factors, including a lot of cash in hand for many farmers, market expectation of this decline early on, robust livestock returns, and strong recreational demand.

In southwest Iowa, the lowest declines in land value were noted in Adams, Mills, Montgomery, Fremont, Page and Taylor Counties, where the decrease ranged from 1.26 to 1.51-percent. For Pottawattamie, Cass, Adair and Audubon Counties, land decreased in value anywhere from 2.12- to 2.65-percent. Harrison and Shelby Counties came in with a decrease of just over three-percent, while Guthrie County had the largest decrease in area land value, at 4.18-percent, followed by Dallas County, with 5.36-percent.

Despite decreasing again, farmland values are still more than twice the reported values from 10 years ago, and almost 14 percent higher than 2011 values. For the third year in a row, Scott and Decatur counties reported the highest and lowest farmland values, respectively. Decatur County reported a value per acre of $3,514, a drop of $73, or about 2 percent, from last year’s report. Scott County reported the highest value at $10,918 per acre, however, values there declined about $700 per acre, higher than this year’s statewide average, and just over 6 percent from last year.

The value of all qualities of farmland fell across the state, with high-quality farmland losing 5 percent ($490 per acre) of its value, medium-quality land falling 3.2 percent ($232 per acre), and low quality farmland falling 0.9 percent ($44 per acre). Statewide averages for high-, medium-, and low quality farmland are now $9,364, $7,127, and $4,834 per acre, respectively.

(Read more at http://www.card.iastate.edu/land-value/2015/ )

Officials with the EPA Region 7 headquartered in Lenexa, KS, said Monday the IKM-Manning Community School and Sioux City (Iowa) Community School Districts have been awarded a total of $60,000 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to replace or retrofit three older diesel school buses. IKM-Manning CSD will receive $40,000 for two buses and Sioux City CSD will receive $20,000 for one bus.

The Iowa awards are part of more than $7 million in rebates to replace or retrofit 400 older diesel school buses. The rebates are going to 85 school bus fleets in 35 states, each of which will receive rebates through EPA’s Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funding.

The new and retrofitted buses will reduce pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter that are linked to numerous health problems, including asthma and lung damage.This was EPA’s third round of the rebate program aimed at replacing older diesel school buses. Applicants replacing buses with engine model years of 2006 and older will receive rebates between $15,000 and $25,000, depending on the size of the bus.

This year, applicants also had the option of retrofitting school buses with engine model years 1994 to 2006 with a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst plus Closed Crankcase Ventilation system (DOC plus CCV) to reduce toxic emissions. EPA will fully fund the cost of these devices up to $3,000.

EPA has implemented standards to make newer diesel engines more than 90 percent cleaner, but many older diesel school buses remain in operation and pre-date these standards. Older diesel engines emit large amounts of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are linked to instances of aggravated asthma, lung damage, and other serious health problems.

Since 2008, the DERA program has funded more than 650 clean diesel projects across the country, reducing emissions in more than 60,000 engines.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Ames police are investigating the death of an Iowa State University student as a possible hit-and-run. The Des Moines Register reports an Iowa State police officer found 18-year-old Emmalee J. Jacobs, of Urbana, Iowa, about 7 a.m. Monday on a street bordering the campus. The officer started cardiopulmonary resuscitation until medics arrived. She later died at an Ames hospital.

Ames police Commander Jason Tuttle says the nature of her injuries indicated she was hit by a vehicle that left the scene. Tuttle says no one apparently saw what happened and there are no suspects. Officials are checking nearby security cameras to see if they recorded anything helpful.

Sunnyside Park here in Atlantic was supposed to have closed for the season at 4-p.m. Monday, but the with temperatures forecast to be in the 40’s to near 50 begining later this weekend, Parks and Rec Director Roger Herring and Assistant Director Seth Staashelm made the decision to keep the park open, and the Parks and Rec Board Monday evening, agreed.

Atlantic Parks & Rec Asst. Dir. Seth Staashelm (Left) & Director Roger Herring (right), at the Parks & Rec Board mtg. 12/14/15

Herring said Sunnyside Park will remain open until further notice, but that “Once we close it, it’s gonna stay closed (for the season), but I want it to be cold.” Meaning the weather would have to be less conducive to outdoor activities than it is now, despite the short term cold wave we’re currently experiencing.