A survey of small towns in Iowa finds some of the sense of community has slipped, while the local convenience store continues to be the most popular place to swap gossip. The survey began in 1994 and is repeated every decade to get a read on small towns in each of the state’s 99 counties. Terry Besser of Iowa State University led the 2014 survey and says they found a gradual erosion of what they call a sense of community among residents.

“Which is this notion that people in this town share common goals and they’ll put aside their differences in order to work together to solve problems,” Besser explains. She is a sociology professor, and says part of that loss of a sense of community is fewer people volunteering. “Across the last 20 years, a smaller percentage of people indicated they’re active, and a smaller percentage have participated in the last 12 months in a community improvement project. So, those are areas that towns need to focus on,” Besser says.

Besser says 10 years ago one of the biggest reasons cited by people for not being involved was not enough time. The top reason given in the latest survey was different. She says the top answers were “Nobody asked us to get involved or I don’t know how to get involved” were the top reasons. Besser says she doesn’t know how to take that because the person may’ve not been asked to get involved after turning down requests in the past. Less than 30 percent of residents rated jobs and shopping as good or very good, but that was up from 15 to 16 percent in the previous survey.

School and church activities had long been considered the center for small-town gatherings to share information, but in 2004 those who responded to the survey wrote in convenience store as the top place. Besser says they followed up on that in the latest survey. “The gas station convenience store sort of peaked our interest — so in 2014 we listed that as a choice — and the comes up as the number one place where people say they get together and socialize with other folks in town,” Besser says. She finds the convenience store response interesting and maybe worthy of more study.

“I think there’s a dissertation someplace waiting to be written about what role convenience stores are playing in helping to build or sustaining small-town communities,” Besser says. While they found erosion of the sense of community, Besser says not everything in the survey was negative. “One thing we were surprised at in 1994 were the strong ratings given to local government services — things like emergency response services, parks, police protection, fire protection,” according to Besser. “And that has continued, and if anything it had increased. So, people are evaluating those things very positively in small towns.”

Residents were less satisfied with non-governmental services, such as housing, child care and medical services. But people still like the way they are treated by others in small towns.”People are still describing their small towns as being places that they think are friendly, safe, well-kept, and that also, the change has been positive,” Besser says. Overall, Besser says small towns should be pleased by what was found in the survey.

“I want small towns –people who live in those small towns, people who care about those small towns — I want them to feel heartened by that. Because areas that I know some leaders focused on — like programs for youth, medical services — the ratings for those have increase across the board,” Besser says. “So, I think that’s very good news, and I don’t think small towns get good news often enough.”

The main reasons people live in a particular small town have not changed since researchers conducted the first survey in 1994. The top two reasons are family ties and they grew up in town. Proximity to work is also important. Besser says those strong family and social ties are a strength and a challenge for many small towns in Iowa.

The survey was funded by a grant from the U-S-D-A National Institute for Food and Agriculture. The full report of the survey findings is available at: www.soc.iastate.edu/rdi/99communitystudy. The link also includes individual reports for all 99 communities.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two more cases are bird flu have been found at Iowa turkey farms. The Iowa agriculture department announced Monday that the avian influenza had been confirmed at a farm in Hamilton County with 36,000 turkeys and that a preliminary test for the disease was positive at a Calhoun County farm with 21,000 birds.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a 6-year-old boy playing in a backyard has died after being hit by a pickup truck that went out of control after colliding with another vehicle. Police say the child died about 12:30 p.m. Monday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa City police say they charged a man with burglary after following a trail of junk food away from a convenience store. Officers responded to a burglary call Friday night at Creekside Market and followed a trail of snack food away from the store.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque church saw a large turnout for its Bless the Bikers ceremony in which a pastor prays for riders. Last year’s event drew around 30 motorcycle, bicycle and tricycle riders. This year, there were around 75 bikers, and the Rev. Tom Shinkle of the Grand View United Methodist Church prayed with each person.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Wet weather kept farmers out of fields last week, but most of the corn crop is planted and doing well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says cool and wet condition made for only 2.3 days suitable for fieldwork last week.

About 97 percent of the corn crop has been planted and 78 percent of soybeans have been planted. Both are slightly behind last year’s progress at this time. The USDA says 80 percent of the corn crop was rated good to excellent

(Update 8-p.m.: Suspect taken into custody apparently by a K9 unit just before 8-p.m. No other details available.)

Law enforcement officers with the Pottawattamie and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office,  Iowa State Patrol and elsewhere were converging on Walnut late Monday evening following a chase that began near Avoca with a traffic stop. The suspect, a white male wearing a tank top and driving a black 1996 Cadillac Deville took off and led a deputy on a chase along Highway 83 that terminated in Walnut at around 6:18-p.m, where the driver abandoned the car and took off on foot near the intersection with Atlantic Street.

A search was being conducted of the area as of 6:30-p.m.

The Montgomery County Fair Queen, sponsored by the Montgomery County Fair Board, will be crowned on Tuesday, July 14th, at 7:30 pm at the Fairgrounds Auditorium. To qualify, contestants must be at least 16 years of age and not more than 21 years of age on August 13, 2015 (the first day of the State Fair), have not been married, be enrolled in school (or be a high school graduate), and be an active member of at least one worthwhile organization in her community.

If you are interested in running for this honor, stop by the Montgomery County
Extension and Outreach Office at 400 Bridge Street for the application form, or you
can also download the information at www.extension.iastate.edu/montgomery.

Please be sure to access all information if you do so online, including the
information letter, rules, and entry form. Applications are due at the Extension
and Outreach office by noon on Wednesday, July 1st.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Under a compromise budget deal in the Legislature, the state will spend about $7.3 billion for the coming fiscal year, with some additional dollars coming to schools.

Lawmakers announced the terms of the tentative agreement Monday. The budget includes $7.17 billion in ongoing spending, plus another $125 million in one-time expenses. As it is structured, the Republican-led House maintains a pledge to limit ongoing spending, while the Democratic-controlled Senate gets some more money for key priorities like education.

Republicans say the one-time expenses will come out of the surplus dollars remaining at the end of the current budget year.

The plan includes new funding for state universities that lawmakers said should ensure a tuition freeze. And K-12 education will get new dollars through a combination of ongoing and one-time funds.

The Montgomery County Extension Services says a ServSafe™ Certification Exam is being offered on June 23rd at their office in Red Oak. This option is for anyone needing to take the food safety certification exam at the end of their five year certification. No book and no class room instruction will be offered. The exam meets the Iowa Certified Food Safety Manager certification.

The cost is $60 per person to cover the exam cost. ISU Extension and Outreach, Montgomery County is located at 400 Bridge Street in Red Oak. Exam is at 1:00 pm. Photo ID is required. The next class in Montgomery County will be August 10th, and registration is open for that class. For information contact Barb Fuller at 641 202 1843 or Jodie Smith at 712 623-2592.

Cass County Attorney David Wiederstein reports an Underwood man plead guilty this (Monday) morning in Cass County District Court, to one count of Sexual Abuse Assault, 2nd Degree. The crime committed by 56-year old Roger Allen Ericksen is a Class B Felony, that carries a term a maximum term of up to 25 years imprisonment. Wiederstein says at a minimum, Ericksen will be incarcerated for 17 and a half years before being eligible for parole.

Roger Allen Ericksen (booking photo courtesy Cass Co. Sheriff’s Dept.)

He will also be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life under the sex offender registry rules. There is also pending parole violation arising from his conviction in Cass County to Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree, on December 4th, 2012.

In exchange for his plea of guilty to Count I, the remaining nine counts will be dismissed. Sentencing is set for June 22nd, at 9:00 a.m.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Omaha, Nebraska, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, are separated by the Missouri River, but officials say a recent food festival suggests that the water isn’t a barrier to collaboration between them for events. The Omaha World-Herald reports that the Council Bluffs parks director says the river “can pull us together.” The two cities are tied by a pedestrian bridge.

The Taste of Omaha this past weekend spilled over into Iowa for the first time, and an event organizer says attendance might have reached more than 125,000 during the three-day festival. The Loessfest last month in Council Bluffs had sponsorships from Omaha, enabling the festival to stage free concerts, movies and other entertainment.

A consulting team last year suggested cooperation on the riverfront could benefit both communities.

The Atlantic Police Department reports several arrests over the past week and a half. On May 23rd, 29-year old Jeremy Crecelius, of Atlantic, was arrested on two counts of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, and four counts of Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug. That same day, 55-year old Kurt Crecelius, of Atlantic, was arrested for Possession of Meth. Both men were booked into the Cass County Jail.

On May 31st, 45-year old Carl Kemp, of Atlantic, was arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order. That same day, 19-year old Tyler Osborn, and 18-year old Kayla Holste, both of Atlantic, were arrested for 5th degree Theft (Shoplifting). Osborn was booked into the Cass County Jail, while Holste was cited into court and released.

On May 22nd, 22-year old Naser Jamal, of Atlantic, was arrested for Theft in the 5th degree. He was booked into the Cass County Jail. On May 27th, 41-year old Williams Dunlap, of Stanton, was also arrested in Atlantic for 5th degree Theft. He was also booked into the jail.

(12:40-pm News)