Ankeny's Week in Review: School Board Mulls Over Hiring New Teachers, Valentine's Day Shopping Guide and More

1)

, the Ankeny City Council is mulling rate increases that could mean a spike in the utility bills of city residents.

At a planning session last week, the council was told it needs to raise the rates for both water and sanitary sewer services in order to keep up with demand and other obligations within the city’s .

2)

In this week's installment of Parents Talk, we ask parents about all the cute, wacky and funny things their kids say. There's still time to weigh in, so what are you waiting for?

3)

The Ankeny school board is being asked to consider hiring 24 additional teachers to staff its newest elementary school and help relieve overcrowding in others.

At the board’s regular meeting Monday night, members were told by Associate Superintendent Bruce Kimpston that hiring the additional teachers will help complete staffing at Prairie Trail Elementary School, scheduled to open in August 2012, as well as relieve some of the pressure on other classrooms that are at or nearing capacity.

4)

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, some local dining favorites are going up against one another this week in Ankeny Patch's first-ever "Restaurant Challenge."

With a little help from readers, we selected four, locally-owned restaurants that provide a perfect venue for you and your honey to enjoy a dinner for two.

for a glimpse at the restaurants vying for top honors.

5)

Check out these alternatives to a Green Valentine's Day from our Metro Waste Authority bloggers!

6)

Looking for a place to buy flowers for your valentine? There’s a store in Ankeny that’s had more than 40 years of practice making occasions just like this truly memorable.

, located at 516 S.W. Third St., has called Uptown Ankeny home since 1978. In addition to Valentine’s Day, owners Carmella Jones and Debbie Groff have plenty of experience putting the final floral touch on a special occasion.

7)

Check out this week's summary of incident reports with individual charges provided by the .

8)

Alright, procrastinators, the day is almost here. As much as you want to avoid it, we're not going to recommend it. Just ask any guy who's ever let this impending love-filled holiday slip his mind.

Many men are nodding in agreement right now. They've spent a Valentine's Day or two sleeping on the couch.

As comfy as your couch may be, we don't want you to end up there this V-Day. To keep you in your bed where you belong, we rustled up this brief guide to some local spots that can snag that perfect gift for your special someone.

9)

What better way to show the love this Valentine's Day than by extending it to those of the four-legged variety.

The Animal Rescue League of Iowa kicked off its Fall in Love 30-Hour Adopt-a-thon Thursday at its main facility, located at 5452 N.E. 22nd St. In order to encourage area residents to adopt a new cat or dog, the organization has significantly dropped adoption fees this weekend.

The event runs through 6 p.m. today.

10)

Each week Ankeny Patch posts a collection of links to some of the stories in the area you may have missed. Check out this week's roundup!