Developers says more than five-thousand Iowans are using the “Iowa by Trail” application that contains information on 18-hundred miles of trails in the state. The app has details on the location, distance, and type of trails, as well as points of interest close by. Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation spokeswoman, Kerri Sorrell, says as far as she knows Iowa is the first state to have an all-inclusive trail application like this.  “We hear it all the time that people want to get outdoors and discover the natural resources and areas that Iowa has to offer, they just don’t know how to do it or how to get there,” Sorrell says.

She believes it’s has a lot to do with the people in the state. ” I think it says a lot about Iowa’s connection with the land and with its natural surroundings.” The app became available for iPhone users this summer, and Sorrell, says the organization is working to bring the app to android devices.  “We think it’s a really great tool for people who are either experienced with trails or have never been on a trail before to get out and discover new things about their community, find places that they may have never traveled to before,” Sorrell says.

The I-N-H-F was awarded a grant of 40-thousand dollars by the Wellmark Foundation toward the android phone effort. The money must be matched by mid-December. If all goes as planned, Iowa by Trail should be available for all users early next year. Developers says the app has been used 56-thousand times by iPhone owners alone since May.

(Radio Iowa)

Most Iowans heat their homes with natural gas and they’re facing a good news-bad news situation as the colder months approach. A report from the American Gas Association predicts there will be a relatively “normal” winter ahead, but it also notes natural gas prices are creeping up. Chris McGill is a policy analyst for the association. “It doesn’t appear, according to the National Weather Service, that we’re going to have a repeat of the ‘polar vortex’, so a more moderate, more normal winter this year,” McGill says. “However, the price of natural gas, the unit cost of natural gas for consumers, has been going up over the last couple of years.”

That will likely translate to Iowans facing more expensive utility bills in the coming months. McGill says, “With the increase in costs along with a perhaps-normal winter, we actually see the possibility of bills being about 7% higher this year, compared to last year.” Demand for natural gas remains very high but he says there should -not- be any shortages.

“Supplies are very strong,” McGill says. “We’ve been putting record volumes of natural gas back into storage, planning for the coming winter heating season. Natural gas supplies in North America in general are very strong.” A report from the U.S. Census Bureau estimates 67-percent of Iowans use natural gas to heat their homes, 15-percent use electricity, 14-percent use propane, and the rest use wood or fuel oil.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Mitt Romney is visiting Iowa for U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst. The 2012 Republican presidential nominee planned to headline a campaign event Sunday evening in West Des Moines and a stop in Cedar Rapids on Monday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State Fair officials are defending the timing of the annual event against critics who say it may be time to set an earlier fair schedule to avoid conflicting with increasing numbers of school districts moving up the start of their academic year. The Des Moines Register reports the 2015 fair is set for August 13th through 23rd.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A video recording of an Ankeny police officer who tried to get a man to consent to a search of his car after pulling him over for not having headlights on has attracted more than 100,000 views on YouTube. KCCI-TV reports the video of officer Aaron King noticing the driver had disc golf equipment in his car and commenting that all disc golf players smoke marijuana prompted an apology from the police department.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A Davenport cemetery has been listed on a national U.S. National Park Service registry of sites connected with the Underground Railroad, an anti-slavery network that had helped many escape to freedom. The Quad-City Times reports a high school social studies class from Arlington Senior High School in eastern Nebraska discovered the graves of 11 former slaves at Oakdale Memorial Gardens in Davenport.

The Atlantic Community School District’s Board of Education will meet Monday evening in the Media Center at the High School. Kicking-off the 7:30-p.m. session, is a presentation from IASB Financial Services Planning Director Gary Sinclair, who will speak with regard to the budget.

Items on the Board’s Consent Agenda include approval of: Open enrollment requests; Contracts for General and Special Education instructors, along with other contracts and/or Letters of Assignment; Volunteer coaching positions and any resignations.

Other, action items, include approval of: a request for Modified Allowable Growth and Supplemental Aid for a Special Ed deficit; Financial Planning Program Assumptions for budgeting purposes, and, approval of the 2013-14 District Annual Report.

Prior to adjourning for the evening, Schuler Elementary School Principal James Northwick with bring up for discussion, the topic of “District Branding.”

Police in Red Oak have filed additional charges against a man involved in a stand-off early Sunday morning. Officials say 35-year old Tyler Gregory Jennings, of Red Oak, now faces charges of Indecent Exposure and Assault with the Intent to Commit Sexual Assault.

The charges stem from an incident which happened late Saturday night. Jennings was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $5,000 cash bond for the most recent charges. He also faces a felony Burglary in the 1st degree charge, and an aggravated misdemeanor charge of Domestic Abuse causing injury.

The latter charges stem from an incident that began at around 2:47-a.m., Sunday, when officers with the Red Oak P-D were called to the 500 block of north 6th Street in Red Oak. Upon their arrival, officers learned Jennings had allegedly assaulted 28-year old Megan Ann Purcell, of Red Oak, and forced his way into her residence. Purcell was checked by Red Oak Fire and Rescue personnel and later examined at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Following their initial contact with Purcell,  officers tried to make contact with Jennings. When they located him at his home in the 600 block of east Reed Street, Jennings told officers he would not leave the house and would defend his property from any unlawful entry by law enforcement. He said also he would not comply with officers until they obtained a search warrant. In addition, he informed officers that he had been the victim of a burglary where two unidentified assailants forced their way into his home and assaulted him.

Officers obtained a warrant issued by a judicial magistrate and began a dialogue that included Jennings and one of his relatives. Jennings left his home and was taken into custody without incident, at around 4:30-a.m.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Mitt Romney is visiting Iowa for U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst as her battle with Democrat Bruce Braley enters its final three weeks. The 2012 Republican presidential nominee is to headline an event Sunday evening in West Des Moines with Ernst, a state senator running against the congressman for the seat held by retiring Democrat Tom Harkin.

A Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll published Saturday showed the race a dead heat, with Ernst holding a 48 to 47 percent lead over Braley, marking improvements by both candidates though more by Braley.

Romney’s visit, which also includes a stop in Cedar Rapids Monday, comes on the heels of Braley and Ernst’s second debate Saturday. Their final debate is set for Thursday in Sioux City.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State Fair officials are defending the timing of the annual event against critics who say it may be time to set an earlier fair schedule to avoid conflicting with increasing numbers of school districts moving up the start of their academic year.

The Des Moines Register reports school districts will begin making decisions this month about their 2015 calendars. Some educators say starting school earlier improves student performance. Several districts already start school during the fair.

The 2015 fair is set for Aug. 13-23. Fair CEO Gary Slater says an early August or July fair could conflict with county fairs. State fair officials say many exhibits like agricultural and horticultural crops, livestock, 4-H and FFA projects are simply not ready to be exhibited.

A domestic disturbance in Red Oak early this (Sunday) morning, lead to two-hour stand-off that ended peacefully, and the arrest of 32-year old Tyler Geoffrey Jennings, of Red Oak. Jennings was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail on charges that include felony Burglary in the 1st degree, and an aggravated misdemeanor charge of Domestic Abuse causing injury.

The incident began at around 2:47-a.m., when officers with the Red Oak P-D were called to the 500 block of north 6th Street in Red Oak. Upon their arrival, officers learned Jennings had allegedly assaulted 28-year old Megan Ann Purcell, of Red Oak, and forced his way into her residence. Purcell was checked by Red Oak Fire and Rescue personnel and later examined at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Following their initial contact with Purcell,  officers tried to make contact with Jennings. When they located him at his home in the 600 block of east Reed Street, Jennings told officers he would not leave the house and would defend his property from any unlawful entry by law enforcement. He said also he would not comply with officers until they obtained a search warrant. In addition, he informed officers that he had been the victim of a burglary where two unidentified assailants forced their way into his home and assaulted him.

Officers obtained a warrant issued by a judicial magistrate and began a dialogue that included Jennings and one of his relatives. Jennings left his home and was taken into custody without incident, at around 4:30-a.m. The allegedly burglary of the Jennings residence and assault of Jennings remains under investigation by the Red Oak P-D.

Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Red Oak Fire and Rescue.

A Red Oak man was arrested early this (Sunday) morning. Police say 29-year old David James Harman was taken into custody at around 1:20-a.m. in the 300 Block of east Reed Street, on a charge of Public Intoxication.

Harman was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 cash bond.