News - 1240 KBIZ

1240 KBIZ
News & Information

Local News | State News | National News | Global News

Local

American Gothic Center to Host Grant Wood Tour

Officials with the American Gothic Center in Eldon have announced they will host a one day trip via the Ottumwa Transit Authority to see Grant Wood Country. Stops will include a tour of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Grant Wood’s Studio at 5 Turner Alley, the Anamosa Grant Wood Gallery, Antioch Country School, Anamosa Riverside Cemetery, St. Joseph’s Church, Stone City Quarry, and supper at the General Store and Pub in Stone City.

The day long trip will be held Saturday April 24^th departing from the American Gothic House Center in Eldon at 9:00 a.m. and returning at 9:30 p.m. The cost is 45-dollars per person. For more information contact Jessica Strom by calling the center at 652-3352.

Governor Culver Requests a Delay in IPL Rate Increase

Iowa Governor Chet Culver has asked Interstate Power and Light to delay a planned electrical rate increase until its customers are allowed input at a public hearing. In his letter, Culver wrote that the sudden increase of rates had not been approved by the Iowa Utilities Board and the increase would create a ripple effect throughout local economies.

The proposed rate increase ranging from 12 to 18-percent would affect IPL customers in the Ottumwa area.

Culver says “the timing of the rate increase comes when many IPL’s customers are already struggling with budgetary decisions. This action impedes the ability of those customers to make rational longer term financial plans”.

Culver says “in the midst of these efforts, IPL’s customers have been notified of your company’s intent immediately to impose rate increases ranging from 12 to 18 percent without any prior opportunity for them to effectively to be heard on the matter”.

IHCC Announces Appointed of New Dean

Officials from Indian Hills Community College have announced Dr. Jill Budde will replace Ann Allison as Dean of the College’s Health Occupations Division.

Dr. Budde is currently Program Director for the College’s Physical Therapist Assistant and Therapeutic Massage programs. She came to Indian Hills in 2006 from Rice Lake, Wisconsin where she was employed as a physical therapist.

Dr. Budde says she is very excited about her new appointment which is effective June 1^st and the opportunity to serve the students and staff in the division. She says “the need for skilled health care workers continues and has been an Indian Hills tradition to provide our communities with highly knowledgeable and skilled professionals to fill those roles.

She says “we have a vast number of partnerships throughout our region and I look forward to being involved in those relationships.

The Indian Hills’ health occupations programs are housed in the Rural Health Education Center on the Ottumwa Campus.

IHCC to Offer Scholarships

Two years ago Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa received a Community Job Training Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. Due to that grant, IHCC has announced the college has 50 one year full tuition scholarships available to area students.

The scholships are for the 2010/2011 academic year and will be effective at the start of the fall term. Students who are interested in the areas of Electronics Engineering, Industrial Maintenance, Machine Technology, Robotics/Automation Technology and Welding are encouraged to apply for the scholarships. In addition to paying for full tution for one year, the scholarships will also cover books and course fees for a year.

IHCC was chosen to receive the grant because the Department of Labor projects that advanced manufacturing will continue to be an area of high growth and employment for our region.

The priority deadline for scholarship consideration is April 5th. Scholarships applications may be obtained from the financial aid section of the college website at www.indianhills.edu/finaide.

Iowa DNR Investigating Shooting Of Bald Eagle

Officials from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources are looking for the person or person responsible for the shooting of a balk eagle in Davis County.

Iowa DNR conservation officers say the eagle was shot from a gravel road while it was feeding on a deer that died during the winter months. The incident was reported to the DNR on March 10^th.

Officials say bald eagles are opportunistic feeder including scavenging on dead fish or animals. They say this activity could continue as more dead deer as revealed from the snow that has melted.

Anyone with information on the case is encouraged to contact State Conservation Officer Bob Stuchel at 641-777-2169, State Conservation Officer Matt Rush at 641-777-7805, or the Turn in Poachers hotline at 1-800-532-2020 or online at www.iowadnr.gov/tip. Callers can remain anonymous.

Up to one thousand dollars in reward money is being offered for the conviction of those involved.

Iowa Lottery to End Several Scratch Games

If you have purchased several Iowa Lottery scratch games that are winners and haven’t turned them in take note.

The Iowa Lottery is officially ending seven instant scratch games and three pull tab games and has established the deadline by which players must claim prizes in them.

The lottery has announced the end date for “Winner Wonderland”, Stocking Stuffer”, “Head or Tails”, “Double Wild 7’s”, “Aces & 8’s”, “Goin Green”, and “Reel In The Money”. Players have until the close of business on June 14 to claim prizes in these games.

The Lottery has also announced the end date for the following pull tab games: “Deal with It”, Change In Your Pocket” and “Amazing 8’s”. Players have until the close of business on April 21, 2011 to claim prizes in Deal with It and Change in Your Pocket”. The deadline for claiming prizes in Amazing 8’s is June 2, 2011.

Ottumwa Business Owner Files Nomination Papers

A small business owner from Ottumwa Mark Chelgren has officially filed his nomination papers and statement of candidacy with the Iowa Secretary of

State to run for the Iowa Senate. Chelgren an independent minded Republican is running for Senate District 47 which includes the city of Ottumwa and all of Davis, Appanoose and Wayne Counties.

The owner of Frog Legs Inc. a manufacturing business in Ottumwa that produces wheelchair parts used around the world, Chelgren says his background as an entrepreneur and business leader provides him with the knowledge and experience necessary to help bring about job creation in Iowa. Chelgren says he will focus his campaign on creating and bringing back jobs to southern Iowa which has one of the highest levels of unemployment in the state.

He says “as an entrepreneur and creator of a manufacturing business, I have experience in business development, job creation and fiscal management”. He says “I am running because I want to create jobs and focus on finding new ways for entrepreneurs like me to create private sector jobs so we can grow our state again”.

Ottumwa City Council Approves Resolutions on Street Projects

The spring and summer of 2010 could be another busy year for street projects in Ottumwa. During Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council approved three resolutions pertaining to street improvement projects.

The council approved a resolution awarding a contract to Shipley Contracting for reconstruction of River Drive from Market Street to Green Street. Shipley Contracting was awarded the contract after submitting the best bid price of 127-thousand, 222-dollars. The engineer’s estimated price was 122-thousand, 714-dollars.

The Council approved a resolution awarding a contract to Norris Asphalt Paving of Ottumwa for the resurfacing of the Wapello Street Extension from Richmond Avenue to highway 34. Norris Asphalt submitted the best bid price of 516-thousand, 631-dollars. The original budgeted amount for the project was 440-thousand dollars.

Larry Seals Head of the Public Works Department says he would like to see this project begin early.

And the council approved a resolution awarding a contract to Christy Construction of Ottumwa for the full depth cement patching of East Highland Street from Elm Street to the end of Highland Street. Improving this street will assist in an alternate route for ambulance traffic to Ottumwa Regional Health Center during the construction work on Pennsylvania Avenue. Work on Pennsylvania Avenue will not begin until next year.

Christy Construction submitted the best bid price of 48-thousand, 570-dollars. The estimated price of the project was 86-thousand, 310-dollars.

Public Urged to Attend Casino Presentation in Des Moines next Week

developer will deliver their 45 minute presentation to the gaming

Representatives of the proposed Rippling Waters Casino will deliver their first formal presentation to the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission next Tuesday March 23^rd at Stoney creek Inn in Johnson and they’re encouraging a public display of support at the meeting.

River Hills River Boat Authority and Ingenus, the proposed casino’s commissioners at 1:00 p.m. on the 23^rd. It will be the third of four presentations the commissioners will hear that day.

Ken Mimmack CEO of Ingenus says “we are excited for the presentation to begin. We have a very compelling case for a casino in Wapello County and we’re anxious for the commissioners to hear it”. He says public support at the March 23^rd event is important. To make it easier for interested community members to attend Ingenus and the RHRA are coordinating some transportation and car pooling efforts. For more information contact Ingenus at 218-824-2298 or email info@ingenusmanagement.com.

Rippling Waters Casino will crate more than 360 jobs with benefits, new revenues for the state, Wapello County and the city of Ottumwa and roughly one million dollars per year that River Hills Riverboat Authority can distribute to non-profits and qualifying organizations throughout the area.

Southeast Iowa Man Shot During Meth Investigation

A Burlington man was shot by officers who were investigating a suspected methamphetamine operation in southeast Iowa Wednesday. Iowa Department of Public Safety spokesperson Jessica Lown says the incident occurred around 4:00 a.m. in a rural area of Lee County.

She says when officers got to the residence the suspect they were looking for approached them and sprayed anhydrous ammonia on several officers. The officers then defended themselves with their weapons. Lown says it is unclear how many times the suspect….51 year old Earl Freeman was shot.

Lown says Freeman was transported by ambulance to a hospital in Iowa City. His condition has not been released. The officers who were exposed to the anhydrous ammonia were treated and released from a hospital in West Burlington. Detectives with the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation are investigating the shooting. Their work was delayed Wednesday because of the meth lab.

Lown says “it takes a little bit longer when you have to be careful about volatile chemicals and making the scene safe for investigator.” She says she did not know how many officers fired their weapons.

Storm Spotter Training Being Offered in Ottumwa

The National Weather Service working with the Wapello County Emergency Management Agency will conduct a storm spotter training session on Tuesday April 13^th at 6:00 p.m. at Bridge View Center in Ottumwa. A meteorologist from the National weather Service will describe cloud and wind patterns associated with severe weather, how to interpret weather radar data and how to remain safe during severe weather.

Josh Stevens Wapello County Emergency Management Coordinator says “Iowa has a variety of weather hazards that can threaten our community”. He says “trained weather spotters are a vital link in our weather warning system. Anyone with an interest in weather or public safety is welcome to attend”.

The training session should take two hours to complete and is free if charge and open to the public. To register for the storm spotter training in Ottumwa contact Josh Stevens by calling 641-683-0050 extension 317 or email at wapellocountyema@pcsia.net.

1240 KBIZ News & Information