Federal dollars for road work in Iowa and all other states will hit a dead end later this week without fast action in Congress. While the U-S House has approved a five-month extension of the current funding, the Senate is leaning toward a six-year plan for the transportation bill. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican, favors the long-term version and won’t try to predict what’s going to happen in either chamber.

“We don’t know what the House will do until we pass a bill,” Grassley says. “This is what we can pass now and we’d better take advantage of bipartisan cooperation that we can get in the Senate, which you seldom get.”

The Senate held a rare Sunday session to pass its version of the transportation bill, which included an amendment to revive the Export-Import Bank, an issue that’s drawing opposition in the House. The Ex-Im, as it’s called, is a little-known federal agency that helps foreign customers buy things from U-S businesses. Grassley hopes all sides will reach agreement on the transportation bill — and soon.

“The long-term bill is the best for the economy,” Grassley says. “It’s the best for highway construction, best for creating jobs, not only in construction but in the manufacture of this heavy equipment. People are more apt to buy it if they know there is a long-term commitment to funding the highway program.” The current transportation funding bill expires on Friday. The proposed six-year measure is worth 350-billion dollars.

(Radio Iowa)

STONINGTON, Conn. (AP) – Authorities say a man and his young son from Iowa have been killed in a tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 95 in Stonington, Connecticut.
Connecticut State Police say 31-year-old Sergio Amilear Castellon, of Council Bluffs, and his 7-year-old son, Sergio Giovanny Castellon, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash Monday night.

Police say the truck struck a guardrail and bridge abutment. The wreck scattered debris across the highway, and witnesses reported seeing smoke and hearing explosions.  The accident remains under investigation.

Iowa DOT District 4 Transportation Coordinator Scott Suhr, in Atlantic, reports weather continues to slow progress on US Hwy 6/7th Street, in Atlantic, but crews were able to pave up to Cherry Street, last week. Suhr says they continued to dry the grade from Cherry to Plum Streets last week, as well. This week, they plan on working on hand pours for driveways and intersections and sidewalks near Spruce, and Pine to Mulberry Streets.

Police in Council Bluffs say a Council Bluffs couple escaped injury during a home invasion early this (Tuesday) morning. Officers were called to 3545 9th Avenue at around 2:15-a.m. with regard to the incident. The victims, 53-year old Timothy Freeman and 50-year old Candy Freeman, reported that they were in their bedroom when they heard someone kick in their back door and start yelling their name.

Timothy Freeman walked down the hallway and saw three suspects standing in his kitchen. One of the suspects pointed a black semi-auto handgun at him. Freeman said when the suspects saw him, they ran out of the house and eastbound down the alley.

The incident remains under investigation by the Council Bluffs Police Criminal Investigations Division. Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 712-328-STOP (7867)