As Iowans prepare to decorate the graves of their loved ones this Memorial Day, some cities are struggling with cemeteries that are running out of space. Iowa State University’s Carlton Basmajian is one of the few planners who studies cemetery use. “One thing that we’ve noticed just as I’ve working on this stuff as researcher for several years — is that a lot of communities don’t talk about it,” Basmajian says. “So the problem in a lot of places is running out of space. I mean, not every place of course, but that’s kind of the typical problem.” He’s an associate professor of community and regional planning, and says city leaders are the only ones who avoid the subject.

Basmajian says the public doesn’t really bring the issue of cemetery space up, so it is less visible than you might expect. Basmajian says part of the issue is the general discomfort people sometimes have with talking about death. But he says the issue of creating more cemetery space goes deeper than that. “It’s also a tricky land-use issue because you are talking about creating the case of a cemetery at least — whether it be for a full body burial or for scattering cremains or whatever — you’re talking about creating a relatively permanent use in the community. And depending on the circumstances, that would be land that would otherwise be valuable for development,” according to Basmajian. For rapidly expanding areas, giving up prime development ground to expand a cemetery isn’t an easy sell.

“So it’s kind of a double edge, I think there’s the creepiness factor, but there’s also the issue of allocating land to something that’s not going to be especially profitable for a very long time,” Basmajian says. Many cities have found their cemeteries that used to be on the edge of town are now surrounded by development and there is no room for expansion. That’s a concern for keeping those operations running. “‘With cemeteries the major generator of revenue is the cost of selling land and burying people. And if you don’t have land to sell…if the burial plots are all full, then you’ve run into kind of a financial issue too,” according to Basmajian. “You have this big plot of land that’s got to be managed, it’s got all this infrastructure in it which is fragile out in the weather all the time. And you don’t really have an easy revenue source to keep it up.”

He says most communities haven’t built a cemetery since the 1950s, so there’s been more than half a century of no expansion and no planning. Basmajian says as the baby boomers grow older, this is going to be a major issue in the next 30 years.

(Radio Iowa)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (3.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

“To put a positive spin on it, we’re considering it “a blessing in disguise”. That’s how Danish Windmill Manager Lisa Steen Riggs described getting the news that there was significant wood rot in the sheer beams of the Mill’s cap frame.  Just ten days ago, the reconstruction phase of the Mill’s major restoration project began with historic millwright, Ben Hassett, returning to Elk Horn to install the new wind shaft and brake wheel on the 1848 Danish Windmill. Over the next several days, the turret and cap frame were to be re-roofed while Hassett returned to his Kentucky workshop to bring back the new 67’ long new sails for the Mill.

The horizontal beams are apart of the cap frame that supports the Cap. The black and white picture is of the cap frame from 40 years ago.

Unfortunately, during the roof replacement, once the sheathing and flashing was removed, significant deterioration was discovered in the principal structural members of the cap frame, known as sheers. The sheer beams run from the front of the Mill supporting the weather beam (which carries the weight of the sails and gearing), to the rear of the Mill where the sheers extend outside and support the wind shaft and drive train.

Because they carry the entirety of the weight of the sails, fantail and roof structure, the severity of the deterioration will involve the removal of the cap from the structure. “During the initial inspection, I thought that the areas could be epoxy consolidated and structural steel added to help reinforce the damaged areas,” said millwright Hassett. “Upon implementation of the repairs, it became obvious that the rot in the beams is significantly more extensive than initially thought. As the decayed sections were removed, more than 50% of the beams are missing at the critical load bearing areas. Unfortunately the intended repairs were not possible, as there was not enough area and section of beam left to reinforce and we’ll need to remove the cap from the structure.”

“Given the age and complexity of the Windmill, we anticipated there could be some unexpected complications such as this,” said Riggs. “It’s disappointing that the sails won’t be up for Tivoli Fest this weekend, but we are so fortunate that the structural damage was uncovered during the re-roofing before the new sails were installed.”  The old cap frame will be removed once replacement timbers have been located. After the structural integrity of the cap is restored, the new wings will be installed. The Mill is launching a financial appeal for this new phase of the restoration project and welcomes tax deductible donations of any amount. The Mill is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

(Press Release)

Creston Police say two men were arrested on warrants at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, Tuesday. 19-year old Jonathan Palmer, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County Warrant for Violation of Probation on the original charge of Burglary 3 – Motor Vehicle. Palmer was being held in the Union County Jail on a $4000 bond. And, 22-year old Jacey Glynn, of Lenox, was arrested on a Union County Warrant for Assault and Criminal Mischief 5th Degree. He was being held in the Union County Jail on a $600 bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.6MB)

Subscribe: RSS

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — Two of the three men accused of attacking two officers at the Des Moines County Jail have pleaded guilty. The two officers were attacked Dec. 10. One was treated and released on the same day. The other officer left a hospital two days later. Court records say 25-year-old Earl Booth-Harris and 27-year-old Bobby Morris entered the pleas Monday in Des Moines County District Court to charges of felony willful injury and misdemeanor assault on a correctional officer. Prosecutors dropped charges of attempted murder in exchange for the pleas. The two are scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday.

Also Tuesday, the third man charged is expected to plead guilty to the same charges. Twenty-four-year-old Jorge Sanders-Galvez already has been sentenced to life in prison for killing a gender-fluid Burlington teenager, Kedarie Johnson.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Backers of a $117 million plan to bring recreation to downtown Des Moines say the rivers project would create a network of 80 water trails across central Iowa. Rick Tollakson is president and CEO of Hubbell Realty Co. and one of the project’s biggest supporters. He told The Des Moines Register that the project centerpiece would be a series of whitewater features that would replace three dangerous low-head dams along the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers.

He says the Des Moines business community is committed to underpin fundraising because recreational opportunities are the best way to attract and retain young workers. Project backers have discussed it with Iowa’s congressional members, hoping to secure a third of the cost through state and federal grants.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The president of the Planned Parenthood chapter for Iowa and Nebraska will step down as the organization prepares to join a larger chapter based in Minnesota. The Des Moines Register reports the agency announced Tuesday that Suzanna de Baca will step down effective Sept. 30. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland is joining Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota to form a new regional affiliate: Planned Parenthood North Central States.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker is signaling he won’t push for a measure similar to a new Iowa law that would ban most abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed legislation earlier this month that bans most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks of pregnancy.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The abrupt downfall of Iowa Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix soon became a cash windfall for the Republican Party of Iowa. The party accepted a $522,000 contribution from Dix’s campaign on March 26, two weeks after the Shell Rock farmer quit the Legislature. A party spokesman is defending the move, saying the cash “was raised to help elect and defend a Republican majority.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ campaign says it plans to return a $250 contribution from a former ally she fired over sexual harassment allegations. A campaign finance disclosure shows that then-Iowa Finance Authority Director Dave Jamison and his wife made the donation to Reynolds on March 1. Asked about the donation Tuesday, campaign spokesman Pat Garrett said, “we plan to return it.” Reynolds fired Jamison on March 24.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The president of the Planned Parenthood chapter for Iowa and Nebraska will step down as the organization prepares to join a larger chapter based in Minnesota. The Des Moines Register reports the agency announced Tuesday that Suzanna de Baca will step down effective Sept. 30 after leading Planned Parenthood of the Heartland since 2014.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland is joining Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Together they will form a new regional affiliate, called Planned Parenthood North Central States.

Sarah Stoesz, the longtime leader of the Minnesota-based chapter, will be the president of the new consolidated organization. De Baca plans to fill an unpaid seat on its board. De Baca says there are no plans to close any of the eight Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa or two in Nebraska.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa– A United States District Court in Pottawattamie County has sentenced a McClelland man to one-year plus one-day of imprisonment, for Tax Evasion. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports Judge Stephanie M. Rose, on May 11th, also ordered 49-year old Michael Collins to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) amounting to slightly more than $70,274, and pay to a fine of $34,770. Collins will serve a three year term of supervised release following his prison term.

Collins pleaded guilty to tax evasion on December 21, 2017. According to documents and information provided to the Court, Collins was part-owner of a real-estate development firm that earned significant income in 2006. As a result of his ownership in the company, Collins received approximately $289,000 in income that year, but did not report it on his individual income tax return. In 2008, the IRS contacted Collins regarding the unreported income and Collins filed an amended return reporting the income and reflecting a tax due of more than $100,000. However, Collins did not pay the tax liability.

From 2006 through the present, Collins also operated an excavating and trucking company that generated more than $5.5 million in gross receipts. To evade payment of his outstanding tax liability, Collins registered the business as well as its bank accounts in the name of nominees, used nominee entities to conceal over $5 million in gross receipts from the business, filed fraudulent corporate tax returns that listed nominees as the owners of the business and paid his personal expenses using the business’ unreported income. Collins also filed fraudulent documents with the IRS claiming to have no gross business receipts for the company and falsely told IRS employees that his only source of income was unemployment benefits.

He admitted to causing a tax loss of more than $250,000. The case was prosecuted by Department of Justice, Tax Division Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoffman and Lee Langston and was investigated by Special Agents of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.