A northwest Iowa fire chief is advising people to keep their grills at least eight feet away from combustibles. Spencer Fire Chief Jon Conyn says solid surfaces like driveways and sidewalks are the best places to grill. “If you’re directly by your garage and then you have that kitchen door that opens and you have that gust of wind, where’s that smoke and possible grease or possible chance of a flame going to go?” he asks.

A city ordinance in Spencer forbids fires from being “ignited or maintained” when the wind speed is greater than 20 miles an hour. Conyn says with the right precautions, outdoor grilling is a good time for fellowship with friends and family. “But let’s do it wisely and safely,” Conyn says. “You know, watch the alcohol consumption when dealing with, working around flames. Keep little children far away from any kind of barbecue.”

The City of Spencer has an ordinance which restricts the SIZE of recreational fires, including fires used to cook food. The fire “shall be no larger than three feet in diameter and two feet in height.” According to the National Fire Protection association, about nine-THOUSAND fires are sparked by grills each year.

(Radio Iowa)

A rural telephone cooperative in western Iowa will begin work soon on upgrades to its broadband capabilities. The Coon Valley Cooperative Telephone Association in the Guthrie County town of Menlo recently landed a six-point-five million-dollar loan for the project from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Association general manager Jim Nelson says access to high-speed internet is increasingly important for the cooperative’s 700 members.

“A lot of our customers anymore, they also work from home, and they need that band width to operate,” Nelson said. The USDA financing will help the Coon Valley Cooperative Telephone Association to lay more than 200 miles of fiber lines. “The way we’re providing services today, the old copper lines, is not adequate, and we’re just looking at all new fiber optic to every customer we have,” Nelson said.

Construction on the fiber-optic network is slated to begin in August or September with completion in early 2019.

(Radio Iowa/Thanks to Rob Dillard, Iowa Public Radio)

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — One person was killed and two others were injured in a single-vehicle rollover crash in northern Iowa. The Winneshiek County sheriff’s office says 25-year-old Justin Vincek died at the scene of the crash around 4:20 p.m. Sunday on a county road.

Authorities say 24-year-old Casey Buxengard was driving a sports utility vehicle east at a high rate of speed when he lost control and entered the north ditch. The vehicle rolled several times across a field, coming to rest on its side. Buxengard and Vincek were ejected.

Another passenger, 26-year-old Lindsey Buxengard, was able to crawl out of the SUV after the crash. Lindsey and Casey Buxengard were taken to a hospital. All of the victims were from Spring Grove, Minnesota.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man lost his hand in a fireworks mishap in northwestern Iowa. The Sioux City Journal reports that Sioux City fire officials responded to the incident around 8 p.m. Monday on the city’s north side.

Assistant Fire Chief Dan Cougill says the man had been shooting off fireworks. The man was taken to a local hospital.

On Saturday, a four-week-old baby and her mother in eastern Iowa suffered burns and serious injuries when fireworks exploded on them during an illegal show. The property owner in Swisher was cited for failure to have a firework permit, in violation of a Johnson County ordinance.

Iowa recently lifted a decades-long ban on fireworks sales.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports a man wanted on a burglary charges was arrested last Friday in Greenfield. 33-year old Ryan Lee Woosley, of Osceola, was arrested on the warrant stemming from the April 2015 theft of a nearly new 2015 Polaris Ranger UTV from a residence in the 3200 block of 310th Street, in Adair County. The machine, valued at $12,745, was later recovered May 4th, 2015, in a garage located in the 2700 block of 300th Street, in Adair County.

An investigation led authorities to suspect Woosley, who lived at a residence in the 2900 block of 300th Street, in Adair County. Woosley later admitted to having stolen the UTV, which he intended to sell. In Feb. 2015, he also allegedly stole a 2006 Suzuki ATV from a barn in the 2800 block of 300th Street in Adair County. The machine was recovered on June 2nd, 2015. Another ATV, a Kawasaki Prairie 360, was stolen from a machine shed in rural Adair County in Feb., 2015. Both ATVs were sold to Woosley’s brother or brothers, and recovered without incident. The brothers were not charged in connection with the thefts.

Woosley was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $15,000 cash only bond.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater, today (Tuesday), reports two arrests took place last week. 27-year old Kenny Joe Cunningham, of Creston, was arrested at around 4:35-p.m. June 29th, for Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Driving Under Suspension. His arrest followed a traffic stop in Greenfield, after the man allegedly ran a stop sign and failed to yield the right of way.

As Deputy James Paup was speaking with Cunningham, he noticed a syringe in the center console of the vehicle. He asked the man if he had diabetes, to which he replied he had “Type B” diabetes. Knowing there is no “Type B” form of diabetes, the Deputy asked Cunningham when he last used meth, to which he answered 3-to 4- days ago. He also asked about “track” marks on Cunningham’s arms. Cunningham then fessed-up that he did not have diabetes, and that he shoots meth with a syringe. He also admitted to possessing a scale used to measure illegal substances. The scale had a white residue which field tested positive for meth.

In addition to being arrested on the drug and driving under suspension charges, Cunningham was given a written warning for Failure to Stop and Yield the right of way. He was later released from the Adair County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond or surety.

Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department report the Council Bluffs Police and Fire Departments along with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office will be offering the public a Fireworks Amnesty program this Saturday, July 8th.

The program is designed to provide the public with a safe alternative for the disposal of unused fireworks following the Holiday weekend. The drop off location is no longer at the Family Dollar/Auto Zone parking lot. The new drop off site is in the parking lot of Pottawattamie County Sherriff’s Office at 1400 Big Lake Road.

Fireworks can be dropped off Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

The Atlantic City Council will meet 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, at City Hall. During their regular session, the Council will consider an exception to the ordinance banning chickens inside the City Limits. Atlantic resident Paul Fischer had contended at a meeting last month, that he was given verbal permission to keep his three chickens and coop last year, by City Administrator John Lund.

During a meeting with the Community Protection Committee June 14th, City Administrator Lund acknowledged that over the past six-years or so, less than a handful of individuals were told they could keep chickens on their property as pets, as long as they were not for commercial use. The Committee agreed that the City was at fault for providing incorrect information, and that Fischer should at least be given consideration for an exception. Fischer has submitted a letter of support from his neighbors, who have no problem with the chickens. Lund will recommend to the Council that they grant Fischer permission to keep his birds.

In other business, the Council will act on appointing Gene Fischer and Greg Williams to the Library Board, and awarding an electrical upgrade project for City offices, to Brown Electric for $72,975. Funds to pay for the project will come from a bond that was approved in the Spring of 2015, originally designed for the design and engineering costs of a City Hall elevator. Because a referendum for $990,000 failed to pass that would have allowed additional renovations at City Hall, the bond funds can only be used for certain aspects, one of which is an electrical upgrade.

The Atlantic City Council will also act on an order entering into an agreement with SWIPCO for their SWITA Bus Service for FY 2018 (the fee for which is $8,000), a Resolution authorizing and approving a CAT grant amounting to $175,000 for improvements at the Schildberg Rec Area. The resolution is needed before the City proceeds with the improvements.

Another resolution to be considered by the Council, Wednesday, is with regard to Public Access to Official City Records. City Administrator John Lund says the problem is with online companies or out-of-state real estate businesses who produce online forms and are very demanding of the City to provide at no cost, the labor to research information that ultimately ends up being paid for by City taxpayers. Iowa Code, he says allows cities to establish their own policies a fee structures to govern requests for public records.

And, the Council is expected to recognize during their meeting, Atlantic Police Sgt. Dustin Pieken, on his 10-year work anniversary. Pieken was promoted from Officer to Sergeant late last year.