COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Council Bluffs officials took a step toward improving the city’s levee system by hiring an engineering firm to oversee the effort. The Daily Nonpareil reports the City Council on Monday night approved the hiring of JEO Consulting Group, of Lincoln, Neb., to oversee improvements. City Engineer Matt Cox estimates it will cost $50 million to make improvements to Council Bluff’s river and creek levees needed to abide by federal standards.

If Council Bluffs doesn’t make improvements, Cox says the Federal Emergency Management Agency could take action indicating the city’s west end is prone to flooding. That would lead to higher flood insurance rates for property owners. The city could pay the $50 million over a period of years, with the money coming from various sources.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers are attempting to change the state’s law dealing with drunken drivers. The Senate voted 28-20 Tuesday to approve a measure that would change current law, particularly dealing with devices that require drivers to show they haven’t had alcohol before their vehicle ignition will unlock.

Under the bill, offenders could begin driving more quickly than under current law if they install an ignition lock device. Sen. Chris Brase, a Democrat from Muscatine, says the legislation is meant to create incentives to help offenders get back on the right track.

But Senate Minority Leader Bill Dix, of Shell Rock, says in a statement that he’s concerned offenders would be too easily let back on the road. The bill now goes to the House.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lawmakers in the Iowa Senate want to crack down on texting while driving, but some legislators worry the bill doesn’t do enough to address the larger issue of distracted driving. The measure was strongly challenged during debate Tuesday, but it easily cleared the Senate in a 41-7 vote. It now goes to the House.

Texting while driving is now prohibited, but it is only enforced if a driver is pulled over for a different violation. Under the bill, officers could pull drivers over specifically for this offense.

Sen. Brad Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, says Iowans should use “common sense” when driving. But Democratic Sen. Tod Bowman, who sponsored the bill, says sometimes common sense isn’t enough, and further restrictions are crucial for safety on Iowa roads.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman reports Gronewold, Bell, Kyhnn & Co. P.C. CPAs have released an audit report on Cass County. The reports shows the County had local tax revenue of $24.5-million for the year ending June 30th, 2013, which included just over $1.04-million in tax credits from the state. The County forwarded more than $17.6-million of the local tax revenue to the townships, school districts, cities and other taxing bodies in the County.

The County retained slightly more than $6.89-million of the local tax revenue to finance County operations, which is a 0.2 (Two-tenths) percent decrease from the prior year. Other revenues included $4.87-million from the state, including indirect federal funding of $1.48-million, charges for service of $366,761, and just under $150,000 for the use of money and property.

Expenditures for County operations totaled $11.94-million, a 16.9 percent decrease from the prior year. Expenses included $4.2-million for roads and transportation, $1.15-million for mental health, nearly $2.06-million for public safety and legal services, $362,366 for capital projects, and $1.17-million for administrative services.

A copy of the audit report is available for review in the office of the Auditor of State and the Cass County Auditor’s office.

GRANGE TOWNSHIP, Iowa (AP) – The state auditor has found more than $60,000 in improper or unsupported payments in the tiny western Iowa community of Grange Township in Harrison County, and a report links the former clerk to mismanaged money.  Auditor Mary Mosiman’s report released Tuesday details improper payments to Peggy Powell, the township’s clerk from 2006 through the end of 2013. She resigned in November.

The report shows more than $35,000 in ATM withdrawals and fees, some of which came from casino ATMs. Such transactions were not necessary for a township that only pays for fire protection costs by check. There was also more than $13,000 of payments issued to Powell and her husband. In her resignation letter, she says that she hopes to repay what she owes.

DELOIT, Iowa (AP) – Authorities are investigating the discovery of two bodies found in a burning building in the small western Iowa city of Deloit.  The Sioux City Journal reports firefighters found the bodies Monday. Officials say the bodies have been taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny to identify them. Police weren’t releasing details about the incident.

The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and State Fire Marshal’s Office were assisting in the case.  Deloit is about 60 miles southeast of Sioux City.

An informational meeting is being held this (Tuesday) evening in Council Bluffs, about the next steps in a massive 480-million dollar construction project in southwest Iowa. Troy German, an engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation, says the next phase in rebuilding the Council Bluffs interchange at Interstate 29 and Highways 92 and 275 will be getting underway in about two months. “The majority of the traffic impacted is going to be the Highway 92-275 section,” German says. “We’ll be going down to one lane in each direction across the interstate.”

The construction should be starting in late May and German says by June 1st, traffic will be down to one lane on the highways. “Part of that we need to raise the interchange up, that’s a part of the rail relocation,” German says. “We’re putting all of the railroads into a single corridor so that will open up the rest of the project to be constructed.”

Given the scale of the project and the many thousands of cars passing through that area daily, German says great care has been taken to plan the best ways to proceed.  “We’ve done about $120-million worth of work and now in the next three years, we’ll see about that much annually,” he says. “The project as a whole is pretty massive so we’ll be taking it in pieces.”

The informational meeting will be underway from 4 to 7 P-M at the Lied Multipurpose Complex at the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs.

(Radio Iowa)