A group of Iowa veterans are preparing to fly to the nation’s capital Tuesday from central Iowa on an Honor Flight. The chairman of the Central and Western Iowa Honor Flight organization, Jeff Ballenger, says they will leave early. “Wheels up around 6:30 a-m. And we’ll be taking 395 World War Two and Korean veterans for an opportunity to see their memorial,” Ballenger says. The veterans were checking-in Monday in Des Moines, and then will board buses for a trip through Des Moines to Prairie Meadows in Altoona for a dinner.

“The pre-flight dinner will start at 6 p-m and will last about an hour-and-a-half. And we anticipate having around 950 people at the pre-flight dinner as the veterans are each able to bring somebody with them, and of course, we have our guardians who take care of the veterans,” Ballenger says. Many World War Two veterans have already taken an Honor Flight from the area, and Ballenger says this flight catches up on those who couldn’t make past flights.

“The folks who are going on this trip from World War Two, what they’re telling us is they were scheduled to go on an earlier flight and for health reasons just weren’t able to make that particular date,” Ballenger explains. “One interesting tidbit, we do have a World War Two veteran who is 101-years-old who is going on the flight with us.” Ballenger asks everyone to show their support for the veterans and to pray for a safe trip.

“These flights, while they are a lot of fun and there’s a great interest in them, they are not easy to do,” Ballenger says. “You’ve got men and women in their 80’s, some cases 90’s, and we just want to pray for their safety. We’ve got doctors on board, we’ve got E-M-Ts, and we’ve got firemen.” He says their goal for each flight is simple.

“We really want to make sure each flight gets out there and back as safely as possible. And that the veterans have an enjoyable day in D-C,” Ballenger says. He says with this flight they will have taken nearly three-thousand World War Two and Korean veterans to Washington, and raised just under three million dollars. Ballenger says the sponsorships of Hy-Vee, Caseys, Polk County, Knapp Properties and the Rassmussen group made this trip possible.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, will be hearing from a representative with the U-S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with regard to about a below ground contaminated site in Atlantic.  During their 5:30-p.m. meeting, the Council will hear from Susan Fisher, who also made a presentation to the Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) Board of Trustees  during their meeting on September 22nd.

AMU General Manager Steve Tjepkes says the EPA is conducting a Removal Assessment of a site in Atlantic contaminated with Tetrachloroethylene (PCE). PCE is a manufactured chemical typically used in dry cleaning solvents. The source of the contamination is believed to be the former Norge Dry Cleaners Facility near the area of 1205 E. 7th Street. Based on historical data, the building that housed the former dry cleaners was demolished sometime after 1982.

PCE was originally detected in 1980. EPA is currently reassessing the area to ensure that contamination levels at the site are protective of human health and the environment. Atlantic Municipal Utilities has operated and maintained an interceptor well since 1980 to keep the resulting underground plume migrating from the contamination site from impacting the municipal water supply well field.

Tjepkes says AMU continues to perform regular testing to monitor the public drinking water supply wells to ensure that drinking water does not become contaminated with PCE. He says also AMU is working closely with the EPA and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) as they continue their assessment, to encourage cleanup efforts for the site.

Sheriff’s officials in Union County say a Creston woman reported early Sunday morning that someone had damaged a garage door at her resident in the 1400 block of 170th Street. The damage was estimated at $2,500. There are no suspects at this time and an investigation into the incident continues.

ROCKWELL CITY, Iowa (AP) — Lab results show hundreds of capsules found at a northern Iowa prison tested negative for any controlled substances. The state Department of Public Safety made the announcement Monday about the 300 to 400 capsules found earlier this month at the North Central Correctional Facility in Rockwell City. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Criminalistics Laboratory completed an analysis of the capsules.

The pills contained an unknown substance, prompting a state drug investigation. Initial field testing indicated they contained cocaine and the pain killer Demerol, but later testing came back negative for controlled substances. State officials have not said how the capsules got inside the prison.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Environmental officials say a pipe company must pay $950,000 for air and water violations at its former Council Bluffs facility. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 7 says Griffin Pipe Products must pay the civil penalty after multiple violations.

The company is accused of illegally discharging untreated process wastewater to the city’s wastewater collection system between 2007 and 2008. It is also accused of violating its storm water permit in 2011. The EPA says the company also discharged zinc, lead, copper and other pollutants in violation of its permit levels.

Griffin Pipe Products has ceased production at the Council Bluff facility. It says it is now in compliance with the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.