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

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COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — The Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs was created to tell the story of this area’s importance to the many westward trails of the 1800s. The center is displaying some history of its own in celebration of 20 years of providing insight into early American travel. Now through next spring, visitors will be able to read the center’s history in a large collection of scrap books containing preserved newspaper articles and other written accounts, photographs of special events and people, and other mementos. Included in the collection is a proclamation by then-Gov. Chet Culver that proclaimed the center in Council Bluffs as the capital of Iowa for a day. People can write favorite memories of the center on nearby cards.

The center was formed through a partnership of government entities and the private sector, according to Teressa Sward, museum technician. “They were looking to place an interpretive center to tell the history of the pioneers who went west from here,” Sward told The Daily Nonpareil . The chosen site, which had long been Missouri River bottom land, was ideal because the numerous westward trails obviously had to cross the river, sometimes taking apart covered wagons so that the pieces can be placed on log ferries and reassembling them again on the other side, according to Sward. The center officially opened on Oct. 4, 1997, and over the years tens of thousands of people have toured the center to learn more about the Lewis and Clark, Oregon, California and Mormon trails. “We were a major jumping off point for the trails,” Sward said.

On average, between 50,000 and 60,000 visitors tour the museum annually, Sward said. During the Lewis and Clark Trail bicentennial, about 80,000 walked through the doors, she added. Many have come from far-away places as India, Pakistan, Norway, Vietnam, Sudan, Argentina and Greenland, Sward said. The center is situated on 423 acres with acres and acres of tall native prairie grasses, as well as a pond behind the center and a bicycle-walking trail through river bottom woodlands.

Besides its historical displays, the center hosts many family-friendly educational and social events. There are also musical jams on Thursdays and Saturdays. What’s more, it’s all free, Sward said.

The 2017 “Teacher of the Year” in Iowa says veteran teachers serving as “instructional coaches” are helping keep rookie teachers from leaving the profession. “Mentor leaders are providing support and encouragement to our new teachers in those critical first years. These leaders are crucial in helping us retain quality teachers in classroom.”

That’s Norwalk fifth-grade teacher Shelly Vroegh. As Iowa’s 2017 “Teacher of the Year” Vroegh received a stipend so she could temporarily leave her job and visit schools around the state. Vroegh has been teaching for two decades and she touts the NEW state program providing bonuses to about nine-thousand Iowa teachers serving as “instructional coaches” in their local school. “Teacher leadership compensation has been the best initiative our state has provided teachers during the course of my teaching career and we need to encourage and motivate teachers to take on leadership opportunities within their schools.” she says. “We need to continue to work collaboratively to use data as the driving force for our decisions as well as reflect on our current practices in order to improve and grow as educators.”

In June, 85 percent of Iowa school administrators said the program had helped retain teachers and attract new ones to their districts. Keeping teachers in the profession is crucial, as there’s a national teaching shortage and fewer college students are choosing to become teachers.

(Radio Iowa)

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa plans to demolish part of a building erected in 1899. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that a portion of Seashore Hall will come down in early to mid-December. It’s been the home of the Psychological and Brain Sciences Department and was the site of the University Hospital from 1899 until 1929. It’s making way for a $33.5 million building that’s expected to open in 2020. The demolition at the Iowa City campus is expected to take about five weeks.

Authorities in Missouri Valley have confirmed two people died during a fire there Thanksgiving morning. According to a report in the Missouri Valley Times-News, the bodies of two people were removed Thursday afternoon from the scene of a fire in downtown Missouri Valley that destroyed a computer and electronics business.

In a press conference held at the scene on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 23, Missouri Valley Police Chief Ed Murray confirmed social media posts about the deaths, but could not release additional information, other than to say the bodies were burned beyond recognition and were transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office, in Ankeny to confirm identities.

The bodies were found at around 7:45-a.m., Thursday, after the flames were extinguished. Earlier in the day during the fire, CTI Electronics business owner Tracy Scott expressed concern for his overnight security man, Chad Stevens, who was unaccounted for at that time. Friends of Stevens on the scene said that calls to his cell phone were getting a message that the number being called was not accepting messages at the time. Other reports seemed to confirm the 42-year old Stevens was one of the victims.

The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CST

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Northwest Iowa authorities say they arrested a Colorado man with 77 pounds (35 kilograms) of marijuana in his vehicle. Court records say Darrel Wait, of Thornton, Colorado, is charged with two counts of possession of a controlled drug and with other crimes. His attorney didn’t immediately return a call Thursday from The Associated Press.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A city official says Mason City’s fire chief has quit his post. Interim City Administrator Kevin Jacobson confirmed Wednesday that Chief Al Dyer Jr.’s resignation letter had been submitted to the city. Jacobson and Mayor Eric Bookmeyer declined to say why Dyer had stepped down. Dyer had been put on administrative leave Nov. 2 for reasons that have not been disclosed either. He’s declined to comment.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa man has pleaded guilty to illegally manufacturing anabolic steroids. Prosecutors say 23-year-old James Nhan, of Orange City, entered the plea Monday in U.S. District Court in Sioux City. Experts say anabolic steroids are considered controlled substances that are related to testosterone and promote the growth of skeletal muscle and the development of male sexual characteristics. Nhan’s sentencing date has not yet been set.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa judge has awarded a default judgment to parents and former students who sued a southeast Iowa boarding school, alleging that it used isolation boxes and allowed sexual harassment and abuse. Lee County documents say the owner of Midwest Academy, Ben Trane, and the other entities never responded to the lawsuit filed against them in March 2016. The judge granted the complainants’ judgment motion last week.

(Radio Iowa) — A study finds Iowa’s kids are becoming just as sedentary and chunky as their parents. The report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation finds almost 30-percent of Iowa children between the ages of 10 and 17 are overweight or obese. It follows a recent report that found 32-percent of Iowa adults in that category. Foundation program officer Jasmine Hall-Ratliff says we continue preach about the virtues of diet and exercise. “But in a lot of neighborhoods and communities, that’s difficult to do because there aren’t grocery stores available or the schools don’t have good policies for physical activity while kids are in school,” Hall-Ratliff says, “or workplaces have not implemented policies and practices that encourage their employees to be physically active during the work day.”

The report also found almost 15-percent of young Iowa children, between the ages of two and four years, were overweight or obese. Iowa simply isn’t doing all it can, according to the report, to promote a healthy lifestyle in schools — or pre-schools. “There are policy recommendations that early childcare centers have a definition for good, vigorous physical activities for their young kids, 30 to 60 minutes a day being really active, running around, jumping around, that sort of thing,” Hall-Ratliff says, “but Iowa does not have that kind of policy in place.”

There’s no “silver bullet” solution to bringing the obesity numbers down, she says, and that’s unfortunate. Parents are a tremendous influence on their children in many ways, so given the number of obese Iowa adults, she says it’s little surprise so many children are shaping up the same way. “It’s what’s being served and sold in schools, what kind of physical activity policies are in place in schools,” Hall-Ratliff says. “It’s also the practice of eating healthfully and being physically active and there have often been recommendations that parents and kids be active together, walk outside together, so that the parents can model healthy behavior.”

The obesity report for young children ranks Iowa 21st in the nation, a slight drop, while the rankings for middle and high schoolers place Iowa 30th, a slight rise. As for adults, Iowa ranks as the 13th most obese state, a rate that’s holding steady. See the full report at: http://www.healthyamericans.org/

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Northwest Iowa authorities say they arrested a Colorado man with 77 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle. Court records say 34-year-old Darrel Wait, of Thornton, Colorado, is charged with two counts of possession of a controlled drug and with other crimes.

Authorities say a Woodbury County sheriff’s deputy made a traffic stop on Wait’s vehicle Sunday. A police drug dog taken to the scene alerted officers to the likelihood that drugs were in the vehicle. Police say a subsequent search uncovered the pot.

(Updated) — A woman from Pottawattamie County was struck and killed during an SUV versus pedestrian accident Thursday morning, in Shelby County. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office identified the victim as 50-year old Patsy Ann Maria Nuzum, of Avoca. The Iowa State Patrol reports Nuzum was struck by a 2005 Chevy Trail Blazer, as she was walking south in the northbound lane of Highway 59, about one-quarter of a mile north of 700th Street. The accident happened at around 5:52-a.m., as the SUV, driven by 20-year old Kourtnie Birgenheier, of Harlan, was passing a pickup truck pulling a trailer, as both vehicles were traveling south on Highway 59. Nuzum came to rest in the east ditch after she was struck. She died at the scene.

The accident remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol, who were assisted by Deputies with the Shelby County Sheriff’ Office, Harlan Police and Harlan Fire Department.

Turkeys aren’t the only birds of interest this Thanksgiving. A farm in western Iowa may be the solution to a peacock problem in southern Florida. Miami area residents are frustrated by the wild birds making noise, leaving droppings, scratching cars and gobbling landscaping. Some resort to killing the birds and raiding nests to break eggs. Dennis Fett, who runs a peacock farm near Minden, says he’d gladly take any and all of the problem peacocks ruffling feathers in Florida.

“We’ve offered our services. If they will take them, then we’ll be off and running,” Fett says. “I will adopt all of the baby peachicks that they have and put them on our farm here. If there’s too many, then we’ll find places that will adopt them off our website, peafowl.com.” The adult peafowl can be adopted, too, and shipped anywhere in the U-S economically, he says. Much like roosters, the colorful peacocks often crow — loudly — at sunrise, which can rub some folks the wrong way.

“Sometimes people had peacocks in the early days and then with urban sprawl, it causes problems and they encroach on humans’ backyards,” Fett says. “They cause problems with their noise and their excrement and that sort of thing. For some reason, some people really hate them and some people really love them.” Peacocks can make excellent pets but Fett says they’re not for most city-dwellers.

“We always recommend against doing that if you don’t have a place like we do in the country or a place where the neighbors are not close,” Fett says. “Number one, the noise will be a problem. Number two, they wander and they like to eat things in your garden and that could be a problem if your neighbor has a prize tomato plant ready to be eaten.” The Fett farm is now home to about 85 mature peacocks but he had more than 200 a few years back, prior to a damaging tornado that cut through the region. He’d like to build his peafowl population back up with the Florida birds.

“Oh my gosh, we have room for many more,” Fett says. “We would take everything they have. If someone wants to endow the project, we would even build new special holding places for these birds until they’re adopted out.” Fett considers himself an expert on peafowl and he’s consulted on populations in New York, Hawaii and even at the late Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. He’s written books on peafowl, composed songs and videos about them, and runs the Peacock Information Center at www.peafowl.com.

(Radio Iowa, w/Thanks to Karla James in Omaha)