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)

Key lawmakers from both political parties say when it comes to education reform, money matters rather than policy differences may be harder to bridge. Senator Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, says Democrats will argue the amount of state tax dollars and property taxes forwarded to school budgets should grow by four percent in each of the next two years.  “It’s unfortunate that the two issues got entwined, but they were,” Quirmbach says, “so that’s one thing we’ll have to resolve.” House Speaker Kraig Paulsen, a Republican from Hiawatha, says the plan from Senate Democrats is more than 100-million dollars above what the House G-O-P proposed in February.

“That’s a pretty big number for a state like Iowa,” Paulsen says. “We’ll have to figure that out.” The Senate Democrats’ plan would forward schools an extra four-hundred dollars per student to implement teacher improvement plans. The House Republicans’ plan calls for about 100-dollars less per student. Senator Quirmbach says this is not just about providing bonuses to teachers chosen to coach other teachers. “To the extent that teachers are taken out of the classroom to provide this mentorship kind of idea, you have to hire additional people to fill their places in the classroom,” Quirmbach says, “so it does get expensive.”

The Senate Education Committee spent two and a half minutes talking about education reform Tuesday afternoon, as lawmakers rush the bill through the legislative process and into a 10-member committee that will try to find a compromise. Senator Joni Ernst is a Republican from Red Oak.  “I still think we’re missing an opportunity with school choice and independent accredidation and so forth,” Ernst said, “but, again, I am glad that we are bringing up this bill and will head to conference committee.

On Monday, Governor Branstad said education reform was his number one priority for lawmakers. That’s a switch, as Branstad had been saying property tax reform was at the top priority for 2013.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday) released its report on recent arrests. Officials say 36-year old Aimee Jo Nicholson, of Des Moines, was arrested Saturday on a District Court warrant for allegedly violating the terms of her probation. And, 36-year old Bobby Juan Vasquez, of Council Bluffs, was arrested that same day, on a charge of OWI/1st Offense. Vasquez was later released on $1,000 bond, while Nicholson remains in the Cass County Jail, with her bond set at $10,000.

The Sheriff’s Office says 28-year old Frazer A-J Werts, of Atlantic, was arrested March 28th, on charges of OWI 2^nd Offense and Driving Under Suspension. Werts was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released later that day on his own recognizance. And, on March 27th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 29-year old Eric Clay Saul, of Council Bluffs, on a charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Saul was taken to the Cass County Jail where he pled guilty and was released the following day.