DR. OZ COLUMN
OVERTIME LOSS
Does smartphone technology make you sharper or dumb you down? Where does 70 percent of salt in a North American diet come from? Find out in Dr. Oz’s column on page 6A. >>
The West Central Valley Wildcats topped the Creston boys soccer team in a penalty kick shootout Thursday that was played in ‘nasty’ conditions. More on page 7A.
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FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015
Afton splash pad construction underway By IAN RICHARDSON CNA staff reporter
irichardson@crestonnews.com
AFTON — The splash pad has arrived. Well, almost. It may not look like it yet, but within a few weeks, the cleared patch of ground next to a pile of upturned dirt on the southeast corner of the Afton square will be transformed into a colorful, fountain-filled play area. Construction on the splash pad began earlier this week, bringing the project, which has been in the works for three years, one step closer to completion. Toni Landers, Afton city clerk, said she expects it to be complete by the end of the month. “I don’t think it’s a real long process,” Landers she said. A splash pad is a concrete area with built-in fountains that spray jets of water. Unlike a pool, it does not require a lifeguard. After the City of Afton hired Outdoor Recreation Products of Nebraska as the project’s contractor in October, cold weather pushed construction back from its projected start date in November to this spring. The splash pad must be operational by Memorial Day, or the contractor will face fines. Landers first pitched the idea to Afton City Council in 2012. “We got a flyer at city hall, and so we just presented the option to the city council to see if it was an interest,” Landers said. City council approved the project in April 2012, with the hope of providing another draw for families in
CNA photo by IAN RICHARDSON
Surrounded by orange barrier fencing, a worker from Dostals Construction, a company hired by Outdoor Recreation Products as a sub-contractor for the project, installs one of the base pieces of the splash pad Wednesday.
Contributed photo
This is a virtual image of the Afton splash pad design from 2013. Since then, plans have changed to include a “Tot-Twister” fountain in place of the small red bug fountain, pictured middle right.
the park downtown. “We knew we couldn’t afford a swimming pool,” said Mary Hill, city council member and editor of the Afton Star Enterprise, adding that the maintenance and staffing would have cost too much. “This is something that we can just have in the park.” Since the project’s approval, the city has chipped away at the splash pad’s cost of $125,863, which has risen
and fallen as modifications have been made to the project. Afton has received $45,000 in various grants, most notably a $25,000 grant from the Dekko Foundation. The city contributed an additional $35,000 in local option sales tax money, as well as held fundraisers to sponsor the program. Fundraisers included two Fall Festivals in October of
2013 and 2014 and the Mz. Gorgeous competition in March of 2014, in which 13 men dressed as women for a beauty pageant event and calendar photoshoot. Individual and company donations have also added nearly $25,000. Landers said the project is still about $8,500 short. She said the city will be covering the cost with local option sales tax money, but still hopes to raise more funds.
Library board selects architect for expansion Gibson Memorial Library Board voted unanimously Monday evening to contract with FEH Associates of Des Moines for the redesign, renovation and expansion of the current library building in Creston. FEH was chosen from three architectural firms interviewed for the expansion project. The other two were Invision Architecture and OPN Architects of Des Moines. Criteria for selection included knowledge of emerging library trends, experience with the renovation of aging buildings, creativity in meeting space requirements, understanding of small community relations Please see ARCHITECT, Page 2A
Tornado touches down in eastern Iowa DES MOINES (AP) — Severe weather making its way across eastern Iowa produced at least one tornado Thursday. The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado was located around 5:25 p.m. Thursday in rural Donahue, which is about 15 miles north of Davenport. Meteorologist John Haase said there were no reports of structural damage. He says the tornado caused some blown-over semitrucks and uprooted or damaged trees. Hail as large as ping pong balls was predicted in the area. The Weather Service said it received multiple reports of tornadoes later Thursday evening in Scott and Clinton counties. There were no injuries reported. Damage included downed trees and power lines and an overturned semi-trailer. Meteorologist Rich Kinney said storm survey crews will be in the area this morning.
Iowa to see another rebound year for pheasants CNA photo by IAN RICHARDSON
Career and Technical Education Day: Central Decatur freshmen Nick Bishop, left, and Cody Richardson, right, cut a piece of lumber for the “Small House Project” competition during today’s Career and Technical Education Day at Southwestern Community College. Competitors were given blueprints and instructed to build a house as close to the design as possible, with the winning team receiving a trophy to take back to its school. Each year, Career and Technical Education Day welcomes students from surrounding schools to explore SWCC’s career-related programs. More than 400 students were on campus today.
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BENTON COUNTY (AP) — The number of pheasants in Iowa is expected to rebound in 2015 after the hunting harvest fell to 150,000 statewide in 2013. KCRG-TV reports that a survey of hunters by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources shows there are increased numbers of the bird as it enters the nest-
ing season this spring. The population fell in the early 2000s during a period of winters with heavy snowfall and very wet springs. According to DNR wildlife biologist Tim Thompson, there are early signs that more birds survived this winter, and that a rise in pheasant numbers should follow the in-
crease seen in 2014. “Each year we can have good nesting, that population base is going to get higher and higher. Hopefully, we’ll get back to where we were in 2005,” Thompson said. A rise in numbers would have an economic impact on the state. Please see PHEASANTS, Page 2A