COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Several organizations have collaborated in replacing a handful of outdoor informational panels that detail a journey of Mormons in the mid-1800s across Iowa to settle in Utah. The Daily Nonpareil reports that the panels were installed by organizers at several eastern Iowa sites in 1996 during the 150th anniversary of the trek.

Bob Schulze with the Pottawattamie County Mormon Trails Association says the signs appeared worn due to age and weather. He and others, including representatives from the Pottawattamie County Conservation and the National Park Service, recently worked together to replace most of them with new ones.

Schulze says an Iowa Living Roadway Trust grant helped establish the native prairie that surrounds the panels. Organizers worked to make the area resemble what settlers encountered on their travels.

State and local officials are holding a news conference this morning (Monday) near Manson at the first turkey farm to get back into operation after the bird flu outbreak. A little more than one-point-one million turkeys were destroyed in Iowa after the outbreak. There has been a lot speculation about the impact of the bird flu on the availability of turkeys this Thanksgiving. Gretta Irwin with the Iowa Turkey Federation says she doesn’t expect any impact.

“Here in Iowa, all the turkeys we raise are further processed — meaning they go into deli meats for Subway or Jimmy Johns or into the deli cases at our grocery stores. So, these birds never would have gone into producing Thanksgiving birds anyway,” Irwin explains. So, I do not anticipate that there will be a shortage of turkeys.” Irwin says producers outside Iowa are working to get birds ready for the holiday.

“Turkeys for Thanksgiving are being raised right now, so they would not be impacted by the High Place A-I virus,” Irwin says. There will be no bird displays at the Iowa State Fair when it opens later this week. Irwin says the Turkey Federation doesn’t plan any special displays. “We are not doing anything specifically related to high path avian influenza, but we sure encourage people to stop by our turkey stand west of the Bill Riley stage and enjoy some wonderful Iowa turkey in supporting our turkey industry and our turkey farmers who have really had a tough year this year,” Irwin says. The state has some 130 turkey farms and 35 were infected with the avian flu.

(Radio Iowa)

Atlantic, Massena, Clarinda and Creston are among 25 communities from across Iowa to be awarded “Branching Out” grants for tree planting this fall. The grants from Alliant Energy amount to $132,000 altogether, and is in collaboration with Trees Forever. The funds will allow for the purchase of trees and their planting by volunteers. Experts from Trees Forever make sure the projects improve energy efficiency, as well as teach volunteers to plant and care for trees correctly.

Atlantic received a $2,800 grant to plant trees near the Atlantic Nursing and Rehab Center. Massena received $1,000 for planting on donated, vacated land from the City of Massena. Clarinda will use its $4,600 in funds to plant trees along a new trail in the main city park, and Creston received $10,000 for planting of trees on the campus of Southwestern Community College, Highlakes Gun Club, Graceland Cemetery, a walking and biking trail, and Crowmell City Park.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer reports two, recent arrests. Last Thursday, 16-year old Dakota Rain Toepfer, of Audubon, was arrested for Domestic Assault Causing Injury and Domestic Assault With Intent to Inflict Serious Injury. Toepfer was transferred to the Juvenile Detention Center.

And on Aug. 1st, 30-year old Benjamin Daniel Jobe, of Audubon, was arrested for Driving While Revoked, Failure to File SR-22 and No Interlock Ignition Device. Jobe was being held in the Audubon County Jail awaiting to appear before a magistrate.

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

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Creston Police are investigating two incidents of vandalism and one incident of fraud. Officials say an Ellston resident reported fraudulent charges were made on his bank account between Aug. 6th and 7th, for nine purchases made online. The loss was estimated at $1,300.

On Sunday, Midwest Property Services in Creston reported that an abandoned property at 508 N. Elm Street, owned by the company, was vandalized at an unknown date and time. A door had been kicked-in and a window broken. The damage was estimated at $100. And, a Creston Police Officer noticed a Pepsi machine outside the Fareway Store in Creston, had been vandalized, Sunday. The inside of the machine was exposed. It’s not clear when the incident occurred. Damage was estimated at $200.

Police in Creston report three arrests took place over the weekend. Early Saturday morning, 19-year old Audreyanna Marks, and 28-year old Adam Drake, both of Creston, were arrested on simple misdemeanor charges of Trespassing. Both were being held in the Union County Jail on $300 bond.

On Sunday, Creston Police arrested 34-year old Bobbie Flynn, of Creston, on charges of Operating a vehicle without the owners’ consent, and Theft in the 3rd degree. She was being held in the Union County Jail on $2,000 bond.

The 7:05-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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Police in Red Oak report three recent arrests. Authorities say 22-year old Jordan Michelle Brown, of Red Oak, was arrested Sunday night on a charge of OWI drugged/1st offense. Brown was apprehended following a traffic stop at the intersection of N. 8th and E. Nuckols Streets.  A passenger in the vehicle, 31-year old Marcus John Josephson, of Red Oak, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana. Brown and Josephson were brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond, each. The Red Oak Police Department’s K9 unit assisted in making the arrests.

Sunday afternoon, 32-year old Bryan David Sapp, Jr., of Red Oak, was arrested in the 500 block of E. Maple Street, on a valid Montgomery County warrant for three felony counts of Forgery. While he was being arrested, Sapp, Jr. was allegedly found to be in possession of Meth and a marijuana pipe. He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, and of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was being held on those charges as well as the warrant, on bond amounting to $5,000.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Law enforcement officers from eastern Iowa gathered over the weekend to mourn the loss of a Black Hawk County sheriff’s deputy who was killed in an off-duty traffic crash. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 34-year-old Timothy Lee Petersen was laid to rest Saturday at Memorial Park Cemetery in Waterloo.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A slew of issue-advocacy groups are taking a page from White House hopefuls, flooding airwaves and knocking on doors to try to educate voters ahead of the state’s first-in the-nation 2016 presidential caucus. Groups are running ad campaigns or grassroots efforts are raising issues like early childhood education, campaign finance reform, environmental policy and the national debt.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Democratic Party’s annual dinner celebration is getting a new name. The party’s State Central Committee voted Saturday in favor of a resolution to change the name of the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, which was named for Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. Both presidents were slave owners, and Jackson is known for the forced removal of Cherokee Indians from their land.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Police say dozens of cats were taken from a Cedar Rapids mobile home, forcing a local animal shelter to shut down so its staff could care for all of them. KWWL-TV in Waterloo reports that in addition to closing its doors, the shelter had to summon all of it staff and some volunteers to tend to the animals.