Officials with the Union County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday (today), a Creston man reported Wednesday evening, that sometime within the last month, his Taurus .357 Magnum revolver was stolen from his vehicle. The gun was valued at $375.

The East Pottawattamie County Extension and Outreach and 4-H program offered “Cooking with Kids” after school program on Wednesday’s in April at the Carson Fire Station for all 4th grade youth.  Youth spent the afternoon learning about basics and safety of cooking and baking, measuring, reading a recipe, using kitchen utensils and appliances, washing dishes, setting a table, manners and working together.  Throughout the 4 sessions, youth learned to crack eggs, cook meat to the safe internal temperature, dice up meat and fruit, use the stove top, oven, blender, griddle, make French toast, mini chicken pot pies, fruit smoothies, peanut butter cookies, homemade pizza, toss salad, and fruit salad all while getting to taste test and learn how to perfect their recipes.  Youth also created a cookbook with a collection of all of their recipes along the way.

Pictured is: Laney Rice, Oliva Lund, AJ Kremkoski, Danika Feigenbutz, Ana Wilson & Sam Bernard eating the full meal they prepared of homemade pizza, toss salad, fruit salad, & peanut butter cookies at the table they practiced setting.

FAIRBANK, Iowa (AP) — Northeast Iowa residents have won a fight to remove three large wind energy turbines as the Iowa Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from a wind energy company. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Tuesday’s decision leaves in place an order that Mason Wind and Optimum Renewables must take down the 445-foot turbines built in 2016 for an estimated $11 million.
Fayette County zoning officials said the towers near Fairbank were “electric and gas transmission and regulating facilities” that didn’t need special permitting.

Neighboring property owners and the city sued the company and the county alleging the interpretation was incorrect. They say the turbines violate county zoning laws. A district court judge ruled in 2016 that the turbines are electrical generating devices that require board of adjustment approval. Mason attorneys declined to comment.

Police in Glenwood, Tuesday, arrested 24-year old Christopher Toler. The Glenwood man was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Bond was set at $1,000.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — A trial has been delayed again for a northwest Iowa man accused of fatally stabbing his sister. Trial had been set to begin May 15 for Thomas Bibler. He’s pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other counts in the June 11, 2016, death of 27-year-old Shannon Bogh, of Le Mars. He was arrested that day after a short standoff at his Le Mars apartment.

On Wednesday a judge granted the defense request, which said in its motion that reports from recent mental health evaluations of Bibler had not yet arrived. Judge Jeffrey Neary said he’ll set a new trial starting date after the opposing attorneys consult with witnesses about availability.

Previous starting dates for Bibler were Jan. 30, Dec. 19, May 16, Feb. 14 and Dec. 13, 2016.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced ten urban conservation water quality demonstration projects have been selected to receive $789,100 in funding.  In addition to the state funds, the 10 projects will provide over $3.2 million in matching funds and additional in-kind contributions to support water quality improvement efforts. Participating communities include: Algona, Ames, Atlantic, Cherokee, Clive, Coralville, Garnavillo, Grimes, Muscatine, North Liberty and Sioux City.

Locally, the Atlantic Urban Conservation and Education Project was awarded a grant of $41,000 toward the $82,000 project cost, of installing bioretention cells, rain gardens, native landscaping and a bioswale within a community park, and at the high school. In addition to the water quality improvements, the Atlantic High School will also integrate educational curriculum on the water quality benefits of these practices.

Projects will focus on conservation measures that capture and allow stormwater to be absorbed into the ground and reduce the impact on water quality, stream flows and flooding. The projects also include strong partnerships and education components to promote increased awareness and adoption of practices and tools to reduce nutrient loads delivered to surface waters. Practices to be installed as part of these projects include bioretention cells, bioswales, native plantings, permeable pavement, rain gardens, soil quality restoration, wetlands and others. More information about these and other urban water quality practices can be found at https://www.cleanwateriowa.org/urban/

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones, Wednesday, issued a reminder to local candidates about campaign signs, and residents about the placement of garage sale and other signs. Political signs must not be placed in the right-of-way between the sidewalk and street. Other signs, including garage sale, etc., are not allowed on posts that support municipal utility services, street signs, road and/or stop signs. The State Of Iowa says also, Political signs may not: Be on any property without the permission of the property owner or lessee; Be on property owned by the state or the governing body of a county, city, or other political subdivision of the state including all property considered the public right-of-way unless the property is made open and available to any individual or group from the public to lawfully place any type of sign; and, they are not allowed on property owned, leased, or occupied by a corporation, financial institution, or insurance company except when leased as campaign headquarters or a campaign office and the placement of the sign is limited to the space that is actually leased.

In other business, Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees said, in light of recent issues with the City’s Yard Waste site burning and recent dry, windy conditions, the Council should consider – for safety reasons – what the future of that site should be, whether that be closing it to leaves and grass only and no trees, or moving it. The fire last week was started accidentally. This past weekend, people starting putting materials on the piles of smoldering yard waste, creating more problems, especially with the winds whipping up to 45-mph. That resulted in the site being closed through mid-day, Tuesday.

He said the proximity of a corn field, the ethanol plant railroad cars and the plant itself, make for a dangerous situation, should embers and flaming debris be blown in that direction.” McNees asked the Council to think about changing what goes on at the Yard Waste site. Ideally he said, it either needs to moved, put it in a hole, eliminate the long-burning trees, or something else.

The Council took the issue under advisement.

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A father and two sons have been convicted of selling cocaine in the Waterloo area. Court records say 64-year-old Alston Campbell Sr., 34-year-old Alston Campbell Jr. and 43-year-old William Campbell were found guilty last week in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine. All three live in Waterloo.

Their sentencing hearings have not yet been scheduled.