(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Transportation says they’re seeing an uptick in calls about the color of the streetlights on Interstate 380 in Cedar Rapids. The D-O-T says the lights are unintentionally purple — the result of the deterioration of the L-E-D lights. The Assistant Director for the DOT’s Maintenance Bureau, Mohamed Mohamed, , says the L-E-D lights initially are blue-ish purple in color before a paint gets put over them to give the white light look. He tells K-C-R-G T-V that in the five years since the lights have been installed, the paint has flaked away, causing the lights to shine purple.

“The biggest thing is some people had the misconception that you know the D-O-T is changing the light colors, and you know that we’re actually in a transition phase. We are not,” he says. “it’s actually a flaw. It’s not the way that it’s supposed to be.” Mohamed says the company that distributes the lights is replacing them under the warranty, so there is no cost for the replacement. Around half the 800 lights that turned purple have been replaced and they will continue to replace the lights as needed.

(Greenfied, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday (Today), met in a regular session. The Board approved a Courtyard Use Permit from the Greenfield Chamber for an Outdoor Farmer’s Market. The event will take place every Thursday from June through September. The event had previously been held in the City Park. In other business, the Adair County Supervisors approved rental of the 4-H Building for the fall Safety Meeting. And, they approved participation forms with regard to the nationwide Opiod Settlement with Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart.

County Auditor/Board Secretary Mandy Berg explains…

(The County’s share could be $166,000)

The Board approved renewal of the County’s various medical/dental/vision insurance plans. And, they authorized the Board Chair to sign-off on: The N-33 Orient Bridge Project, Airport Road Paving Project, East Iowa Street Paving Project Plans, and, the Right-Of-Way contracts for the N-72 Culvert Extension Project.

County Engineer Nick Kauffman provided the Board with his weekly report on Secondary Roads Department Maintenance and Activities.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports one arrest took place, Tuesday. 18-year-old Ella Jean Hoffman, of Creston, was arrested at around 6-p.m., for Possession of a Controlled Substance Marijuana/1st Offense. Hoffman was cited and released on a Promise to Appear.

(Radio Iowa) – Students from Northwestern College in Orange City are heading out this week for spring break — but their trips are working mission trips — not a chance to sit on a beach and soak up the sun. Northwestern director of admissions, Patrick Hummel says they 13 trips planned this year including four international trips Hummel says all the students volunteer for the trips and about 43 percent of graduates do a spring trip. He says students are working to help others and they benefit from being in places that are culturally different from their own and where they grew up.

He says students join teams and aren’t necessarily paired up with friends, so they get the added benefit of developing new friends on campus — and he says it connects them in new ways and in different ways.