City to maintain Bos Landen 
Bos Landen Golf Course will be maintained to a certain degree while the search continues for a buyer. Pella Mayor Darrell Dobernecker says the city council has directed the parks department to do some mowing, fertilizing and weed control at the golf course, which is city-owned property. He says they don’t want the course condition to deteriorate. It remains to be seen when the facility could reopen. 

Tassel Ridge wins award 
Tassel Ridge Winery recently captured another award. The local winery has announced that their 2007 Steuben won gold in the Best-of-Appellation evaluation last month. Thirty-nine wines from 16 different wineries were evaluated in the competition. The semi-sweet wine features grapes grown entirely at their vineyards in Mahaska County.

Robinson Street project to resume April 20 
Work on the Robinson Street Reconstruction Project in Knoxville is set to resume April 20th, after the projects contractor and the city reached an agreement. That’s according to Knoxville Public Works Director Jeff May. He tells KNIA/KRLS News that the contractor has 30 working days to complete the work, including all sidewalks, lighting and final grading. In related news, May says that Phase II of the South Fifth Street Construction project is set to start April 15. 

MidAmerican Energy to use flyover county to examine transmission lines 
MidAmerican Energy will have a helicopter inspecting transmission lines next week. Using a helicopter is part of routine maintenance, and the helicopter fly-zone could include Marion County. That’s according to Marion County Emergency Management Coordinator Jeff Anderson. The helicopter that will be used is a brown and white Bell Jet Ranger. 

DNR unveils new birding trail 
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has unveiled a new birding trail for Central Iowa. According to the DNR, Lake Red Rock is one of the anchor sites for the Makoke Trail, which includes 22 sites selected for their birdlife. There are close to 400 such trails in the United States and Iowa DNR Wildlife Diversity Program Coordinator Doug Harr says this helps people find some of the best birding areas. 

Home Energy Assistance program application deadline extended 
The deadline has been extended for residents to fill out Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program applications from April 15th to May 29th. The Red Rock Area Community Action Program says the program helps qualifying low-income Iowa homeowners and renters pay for a portion of their primary heating costs during the winter. For more information, call the Red Rock Area Community Action Program at 842-6571. 

Firefighters respond to grassfire 
Firefighters responded to a grassfire Friday afternoon south of Pella. Firefighters were able to quickly get the blaze at 1277 245th Place under control. No buildings were damaged and no one was injured, according to Chad Klein with the Pella Fire Department. Klein estimates that crews were at the scene for about a half-hour. 

Weekend of Wheels set for later this month 
Knoxville is revving up for the Weekend of Wheels being held April 25th and 26th at the Marion County Fairgrounds. That’s according to event coordinator Bob Colbert and volunteer Craig Kelley. They say the event starts Saturday at 10 a.m. with a car show on the fairgrounds. Sunday features a celebrity auto cross, with cars traversing a miniature road course. Registration fees for those wanting to participate in both the car show and celebrity cross are $20. 

Volunteers sought at Lake Red Rock 
Volunteers are still needed for the camping season at Lake Red Rock. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a free full-service campsite will be provided to volunteers in the following positions: Whitebreast Beach Volunteer and Wallashuck Custodial volunteer. Officials say volunteers are needed from late-April through mid-September. For more information, contact the Lake Red Rock Office at 628-8690 or 641-828-7522.

Wolf Center display comes to Knoxville Library 
An interactive display on the North American Gray Wolf will be at the Knoxville Public Library today for special displays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. That’s according to Ron DeArmond, founder and CEO from the Pella Wildlife Company. He says the company has an agreement with the International Wolf Center in Minnesota for the display.