A southwest Iowa county’s moratorium on wind turbine project development will remain in place through at least the rest of the year. The county’s original moratorium was set to expire July 1st and the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors have unanimously approved a 180-day extension. Supervisor Mark Peterson of Stanton read the resolution aloud during Tuesday’s board meeting.

The moratorium does not apply to construction permits already filed with the county. Diane Jacobs, who lives near Villisca, urged the board to act to avoid the kind of turmoil about turbines she sees in neighboring counties.

The moratorium does not apply to wind turbine construction permits already filed with the county. A report issued earlier this year by a national group that promotes energy with lower greenhouse gas emissions found 16 Iowa counties have established regulations for where wind turbines may be built. Seven counties have ordinances that prohibit wind turbine development. Nine other counties have moratoriums that are temporary — like Montgomery County’s.

Atlantic, Iowa – Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA) and local governments in southwest Iowa are recognizing June as Ride Transit Month. June is National Ride Transit Month and a great time for southwest Iowa residents to take advantage of the benefits of public transit. June has been declared Ride Transit Month by mayors in the cities of Atlantic, Glenwood, Harlan, Missouri Valley, Red Oak, and Shenandoah. SWITA thanks these local governments for recognizing the important role transit plays in making our communities more connected and accessible to everyone. Whether you ride a bus, bike, or carpool, or you are headed to work, school, the grocery store, or anywhere in between, transit can get us there together.

Public transit allows individuals to remain independent, contributes to economic development, reduces traffic congestion, decreases emissions, and improves rural mobility. Over 480,000 rides were provided by Southwest Iowa Transit Agency during fiscal year 2022 and it is projected that rides for fiscal year 2023 will reach over 500,000 rides.

In honor of Ride Transit Month, all taxi fares in Atlantic, Glenwood, Harlan, Missouri Valley, Red Oak, and Shenandoah will be waived on June 21, 2023. Join SWITA in celebrating Ride Transit Month by trying out our taxi service free of charge that day.

Public transportation in the southwest Iowa region is provided by the collaborative efforts of the Iowa Department of Transportation and SWITA to provide resources to transport individuals every day where they need to go. To learn more about the services provided by SWITA, visit SWITA.com or call 712-243-2518 or 1-800-842-8065.

DES MOINES – Monday, Governor Reynolds and the Department of Management’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) announced a new broadband grant opportunity for internet service providers. $148,960,000 is available through Empower Rural Iowa Broadband Grant Program with funding from the Capital Projects Fund (CPF) administered by the US Department of Treasury. 

“Iowans deserve access to reliable, fast broadband,” said Governor Reynolds. “Reliable internet connections are needed to live, work, and raise a family. This investment in infrastructure gets us one step closer to providing easy internet access to all Iowans. ” 

This round of grant funds will be used to incentivize broadband infrastructure build out in the newly established Broadband Intervention Zones (BIZ). Through feedback from 55 public meetings in Iowa communities, 96 BIZ zones were created across the state. These are areas deemed to be in the most need for broadband infrastructure expansion.  

This will be the eighth Notice of Funds Available for the State of Iowa. Through seven previous grant opportunities, $352,850,022 in state and federal funding was awarded to bring broadband service to 109,126 homes, schools and businesses in Iowa. The total new broadband investment between public and private money is $791,203,995. 

For more information on the latest round of broadband grant funding head over to https://ocio.iowa.gov/broadband, or email ociogrants@iowa.gov. 

The Glenwood Police Department is searching for a juvenile following a foot pursuit on Tuesday. At approximately 8 minutes past midnight a Glenwood Police Officer stopped a vehicle at the intersection of 9th and Vine Streets in Glenwood for an equipment violation.

Two juveniles were in the vehicle and the driver gave the officer a false name and birthdate. The officer was unable to find driver’s license information for the driver and because of recent vandalism in the area requested and was granted a consent to search the vehicle. During the search a jar of marijuana was discovered. The two juveniles attempted to flee on foot and a pursuit ensued. During the pursuit an officer was assaulted by one of the juveniles and he was able to escape.

A perimeter was established and Glenwood PD was assisted by the Mills, Pottawattamie, and Fremont County Sheriff’s Offices. The juvenile remains at large at this time.