Cass County Engineer Charles Marker says work on one bridge project in the northern part of the County is almost finished, while the bid letting for another project is slated to take place in December. Marker says work on a high overhead truss Bridge (#440) just west of the Buck Creek United Methodist Church, is almost finished.

Marker says emergency work on Bridge # 272, located about three-miles south of Wiota, was conducted, and the weight restriction set in-place earlier, has been removed. The bridge inspection crew had said the previously un-posted weight limit bridge needed to be reduced to an 8-ton limit, because a support pillar was rotted away at ground level. Marker says they utilized steel piling to replace the rotted 5-foot section, and they re-tensioned the I-beam overhead. The bridge is now open for the full legal load limit.

And, bid letting for Bridge #345 across the Nishnabotna River located near the old Research Farm southwest of Atlantic, is scheduled to take place on December 18^th. It will be up to the contractor to determine when they are to start on the project.  Marker says also, each instance of rain helps his Secondary Road crews make progress on eliminating some of the “wash board” conditions on County gravel roads, but because the roads dry out quickly, they are unable to work on section of the county until rain has fallen, and even then, only for a few days at a time, but they are making some progress.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Department reports an Arkansas man was arrested Tuesday afternoon on a warrant issued in connection with a bad check written to Audubon business in December, 2006. 53-year old Joseph Leo Collins, of Van Buren, AR, was charged with 5th degree theft. The sheriff’s department received assistance in conducting the arrest, from the Iowa State Patrol. Collins was held in the Audubon County Jail until appearing before the magistrate and pleading guilty to the crime. He was fined and later released.

The sheriff’s department said also, 52-year old Jeffrey Dennis Spencer, of Hamlin, was arrested Tuesday night at his residence, on an outstanding warrant charging Spencer with a Violation of his Probation. He was placed on probation in Oct. 2011, following a charge of 3rd offense Public Intoxication. Spencer has since allegedly violated the terms of his probation. He was being held in the Audubon County Jail on $3,000 bond.

This Saturday marks the first day of Fall, and Cass County General Relief Coordinator Teresa Kanning is warning persons who receive heating assistance (for electric, gas, propane or other heating sources), to make an effort to pay at least a portion of your bill from last year, or risk having your heat shut-off. Kanning says her office is starting to see clients come in with “Disconnect” notices, because they are behind on their utilities as they prepare to enter the LIHEAP, or Low Income Heat Assistance Program. She says the utilities are being adamant that clients be caught up in their bills before the October 1^st start of LIHEAP.

Several people she says, have told her they are 60 days behind on their heating bills. Before you can apply for LIHEAP,  Kanning says you need to have certain information available. LIHEAP starts taking applications on October 1^st at West Central Development. The program puts a moratorium on people have their utilities shut-off, from November 1^st through April 1^st, but if you didn’t make your payments last Winter, you’ll be shut-off.

She said they have some clients with bills from last Winter amounting to more than $1,000, but who haven’t made an effort to get caught up on those bills.  Kanning says she always tells her clients to make SOME payments all-year long, because LIHEAP doesn’t pay for the entire bill. It’s only an assistance program.

The Bureau of Energy Assistance administers the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The federally-funded block grant is designed to aid qualifying households in the payment of a portion of their residential heating costs for the winter heating season. The program’s energy crisis intervention components are designed to provide immediate response to alleviate potentially life-threatening situations, and the client education component of the program provides funds for activities that encourage regular utility payments, promote energy awareness and encourage reduction of energy use through energy efficiency, client education and weatherization. For more information about LIHEAP, contact West Central Development Corporation in Atlantic, at 712-243-5421. They are located at 304 Chestnut Street, and their office hours are Monday through Friday, from 9-am to 3-p.m. Other WCDC offices are located in Shenandoah, Council Bluffs, Sidney, Harlan, Red Oak, Logan, Malvern, Onawa and Denison. Or, go to this link to find the assistance office in your area: www.dcaa.iowa.gov/app_sites/liheap_map.html