A Shelby County resident is being showcased in a new exhibit at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum. Dan Bieker of Harlan was selected to be General Grenville Dodge in a new exhibit inside the museum. The Union Pacific Railroad Museum was constructing the exhibit to educate visitors on how the railroad was built west of Iowa. Bieker says the museum struggled to find an actor to play General Dodge so his family reached out to him. He says his sister-in-law and his photographer brother asked him to play the role after they were unsuccessful in finding an actor. They said Bieker had the right stature, facial features and age to try the role. He says it was fun, and an experience he never thought he would have. 

Theatrical makeup was applied to him and the camera crew added more silver to his hair to make him look like General Dodge. Once Bieker was ready to go, he was placed in front of the camera. He says after his audition, officials decided to make his character a part of the museum. Bieker is featured several times throughout the museum on a video screen. He introduces himself as “General Grenville Dodge, Union Pacific’s Chief Engineer,” at the start of construction of the U-P Railroad. He’s on three different screens throughout the museum. The other screens talk about how Dodge met President Abraham Lincoln, and how the railroad was built west of Omaha without any locally available materials – they had to be shipped-in, by steamboat. 

The museum officials told Bieker the display will be around for the next 20 to 30 years. The Union Pacific Railroad Museum is located at 200 Pearl Street in Council Bluffs and is open from 10am to 4pm Tuesdays through Saturday. Admission is free. Bieker says it was an honor and a privilege to be chosen to play the role of General Dodge.

The Iowa Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and Illinois Department of Transportation, is about to wrap up the second public input portion of the Chicago to Omaha Regional Passenger Rail System Planning Study. Log on at www.iowadot.gov/chicagotoomaha/ to find out more from the online, self-directed open house meeting, which is active through Monday, May 21st, 2012. 

The open house is intended to illustrate various route alternatives, explain the process used to evaluate the route alternatives, discuss results of the alternatives analysis, and gain public input. One of the possible routes in the study would utilize the Iowa Interstate Railroad which passes through Iowa City, Des Moines and Atlantic.

All comments received during the public comment period will be reviewed and considered during development of the draft Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement. which will be compiled and released to the public for additional input later this fall.

Authorities in Montgomery County say one-person was arrested late Wednesday on a couple of charges, following an incident in Grant. 34-year old Jeremiah John Wieseler, of Grant, was taken into custody at around just before midnight, on charges of Child Endangerment and Serious Assault, following the incident in the 400 block of Jefferson Avenue. Wieseler was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond. Sheriff’s deputies were assisted by the Montgomery County K-9 Unit, deputies with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office and Red Oak Police, in handling the incident.