(Harlan, Iowa) – The Shelby County Board of Supervisors met in a regular weekly session on Tuesday, April 18, 2023. According to the meeting minutes provided by Auditor Mark Maxwell, the Board heard from Supervisor Bryce Schaben, who noted the Nishna Bend boat ramp is getting closer to completion. Assistant Shelby County Engineer Chris Fredericksen presented a utilities permit application from Nishna Valley REC, for the Board to consider. A motion to approve was passed unanimously. Fredericksen mentioned also, the recent rain has given the road blading operations better outcomes.

The Board then held a public hearing on the proposed FY 2024 Shelby County Budget. There were no spoken or written comments. The Board closed the hearing and acted to Adopt the Budget as presented, along with the Shelby County Compensation Board recommendations. They also acted to pass a resolution setting May 16, 2023 at 9-a.m., as the date and time for a public hearing on a Budget Amendment for Public Safety and Legal Services, amounting to $843,838.

In other business, the Shelby County Board of Supervisors passed two resolutions that established a180-day moratorium, effective immediately, on commercial Wind and Solar Energy construction permits, so that the Board will have more time to gather information and coordinate with multiple agencies for the purpose of reviewing, updating or creating ordinances, policies and procedures relative to commercial wind and solar energy systems. The moratorium prohibits the siting, construction, and operation of commercial wind and solar energy systems, until such time as the Board is able to draft and adopting an ordinance regulating those commercial energy systems.

(Radio Iowa) – Two of the three Iowa Utilities Board members who’ll decide whether three proposed carbon pipelines get state construction permits will be new to the job. Last week, Governor Kim Reynolds announced she was appointing Erik Helland, a former Republican member of the Iowa House, take over as Iowa Utilities Board chairman in May. Current board chairwoman Geri Huser’s term on the board extended until 2027, but a spokesman for the governor says Huser is stepping down at the end of the month. Governor Reynolds is appointing Sarah Martz to fill that slot. Martz is currently the director of engineering for utilities on Iowa State University’s campus. She previously worked for Alliant Energy.

Both new members of the Iowa Utilities Board must be confirmed for by the Iowa Senate. Republicans hold 34 seats in the senate, the number of votes necessary to win confirmation.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors held a short meeting this (Wednesday) morning, in Greenfield. During their session, they heard from Adair County Conservation Director Dominic Johnson, who said the various park restrooms and shower building are now open, and utilities for the campgrounds are now ready to go for the summer and recreation season.

He said a new shower house for the Mormon Trail Campground, is set tentatively to be delivered the week of May 15th.

He mentioned also the floating ramp docks are in, but the docks at the Mormon Trail Campground are yet to be put in-place, because the lake is so low. Johnson reminded the Board and public of some upcoming outdoor activities….

He said two more information kiosks (similar to those at Lake Orient) were made and will be installed in the next month or so, on south and north ends of the Mormon Trail Campground. Their new skid-loader and cutter is making quick work of trees and brush along the trails.

And, Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman presented for the Board Chair to sign, a Resolution for a County Wide Pavement Marking Project, which he says was estimated to cost $76,000. The low bid, from Vogel Traffic Services out of Orange City, was $41,846.61. The Board approved the contract as presented. Kauffman said also, Gus Construction plans to begin a box culvert project at North 25 Grand River, on or about May 1st.

A-M. Cohron has moved out of the #32 Washington Bridge project, after having done much of the work necessary. They will be back July first to finish-out the project. Murphy Construction will take at least a couple of more weeks to work before they are ready for a deck pouring project on the North 5 Richland Bridge, and Govig out of Red Oak is working on the #33 Orient Bridge. They are tearing out the old abutments and shaping the rip-rap. He said they’ll probably be ready to drive the bridge pilings-in next week.

A map of the construction are is shown here (From Adair County Engineer’s Office and Secondary Roads Facebook page):

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A collision between an SUV and a pickup Tuesday afternoon in Red Oak, resulted in injuries to three juveniles from Red Oak. All three were in the SUV. One of them, a nine-year-old male, was seriously hurt and flown by Air Evac helicopter to the UNMC in Omaha. The other two, a 12-year-old male and a 9-year-old female,  suffered suspected minor injuries.

Authorities say Red Oak Fire and Rescue and Red Oak Police were dispatched to the accident scene at the intersection of N. 2nd and East Valley Streets, at around 4:40-p.m. Upon investigation, it was determined a 1996 Chevy pickup driven by 38-year-old Michael Squires, of Red Oak, was traveling south on N. 2nd, when the vehicle broadsided a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander SUV, driven by Melissa Vanscyoc, of Red Oak, as she was traveling east on Valley Street.

Squires was cited for Failure to Yield, and Failure to show proof of insurance. Both vehicles were totaled, which damages amounting to $19,000.

(Creston, Iowa) – Police in Creston report the arrest at around Noon, Tuesday, of a Creston man. 44-year-old James Alan Ford was arrested at his residence. He was charged with Failure to Appear on Sex Offender Registration Violation 1st Offense – two counts. Ford was taken to Union County Jail. He was seen by Magistrate and released on Own Recognizance.