The Danish Immigrant Museum has announced its selection of a general contractor in its curatorial center project and intends to celebrate the milestone and groundbreaking on Monday, August 26 at 2:30 p.m. with a shovel ceremony and coffee and kringle reception for the public.

Last week, museum board members voted to proceed with the project and selected general contractor Meco-Henne Contracting out of Omaha, NE. Excavation work will begin as soon as possible, with the ultimate goal of the structure’s completion by the Danish Villages’ Tivoli Fest next Memorial Day weekend.

Support for the $3 million project ($2 million for the construction and $1 million for endowment investment) is coming from museum members and donors, two Omaha foundations including the Peter Kiewit Foundation, the State Historical Society of Iowa, and four major bequest gifts. The most significant bequest gift is from the estate of Richard Hellman, Atlantic native and son of Danish immigrants Peter and Karen Hellman.

Planning for the curatorial center was initiated in 2011 through a Conservation Assessment Program grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services and a gift from Bill and Berniece Grewcock of Omaha. The museum currently rents four off-site storage facilities to house artifacts. The new center will allow for the consolidation of those facilities and provide the benefits of greater security, climate control, and proximity for the museum’s collection.

In addition to compact artifact storage, the facility will include areas for artifact cataloging, photography, exhibit creation, and staff and intern office space. The 8,000 sq. ft. expansion will be located below ground on the west side of the present building, accessible by staff through the lower level of the museum.

The museum’s Curator of Collections and Registrar Angela Stanford commented, “This curatorial center will allow us the space to house, care for, and work with our collection as it continues to grow. It will afford us greater flexibility in the types – and sizes – of artifacts we acquire. We are thrilled about this expansion!”

Museum staff and interns have boxed up fragile artifacts including porcelain and glass to protect those items from building vibrations caused by heavy equipment that could potentially damage them. The museum will remain open for the duration of the project.

The Danish Immigrant Museum was founded in 1983 as a national center for the Danish-American community and to preserve the history of Danish immigration to America. Reminiscent of rural Danish architecture, the museum building was completed in 1994 and houses a collection of around 40,000 artifacts important to the interpretation of the Danish immigration story.

The museum’s collection is diverse and wide-ranging. There are family heirlooms brought from Denmark, examples of needlework, tools of early immigrant tradesmen and memorabilia from Danish-American clubs and organizations. Many of the items have been passed down through the generations in Danish families. In recent years the museum has focused on a more contemporary collection with the accession of artifacts from the late 20th century.

The museum is open daily just west of Elk Horn. More information about the museum can be found on their website, www.danishmuseum.org or by calling (712) 764-7001.

On Tuesday, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of Samantha Jo Abraham of Red Oak on a valid Montgomery County Warrant for probation violation. During the arrest Abraham attempted to flee from the deputy on foot but was apprehended after a brief foot pursuit. Abraham was also charged with interference with official acts and is being held at the Montgomery County Jail on $7,500 bond.

After the arrest, Abraham was found to be in possession of a stolen bicycle from a previous incident investigated by the Red Oak Police Department. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Red Oak Police Department and took custody of the bicycle. The investigation is ongoing.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (AP) – A trooper has been convicted of speeding while transporting Governor Terry Branstad. Steven Lawrence opted not to challenge the $181.50 ticket in Hamilton County for driving 84 mph in a 65-mph zone on Highway 20 in April. The case had created controversy for Branstad.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The renovation of a downtown Des Moines building means about 100 low-income people will have to move and three businesses must relocate. The planned $16.5 million renovation of the Randolph Hotel promises to add new housing and business space in the city’s bustling Court Avenue district. But it also will create difficulty for the low-income people who live in the nine-story hotel built in 1911. Many rent by the week or the month. Developer Sherman Associates will present a relocation plan for residents.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Public Safety says an inmate at the Woodbury County Jail has died by strangulation. Thirty-two-year-old Thomas Huisman was found unresponsive in his cell this weekend and couldn’t be revived. The death was classified as a suicide.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Republican Party of Iowa has set Sept. 4 as the date to nominate a candidate to fill a vacant Iowa House seat. Iowa House District 33’s seat is vacant due to Representative Kevin McCarthy’s resignation. Democrats earlier said they also will nominate their candidate that day.