(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is introducing a bill today (Tuesday) which he says will help rural Iowa communities — as well as isolated towns across the U-S — get high-speed internet connections. The measure is called the Assisting Broadband Connectivity Act and it’s being co-sponsored in the Senate by Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar.

Grassley says, “This bipartisan bill will make changes to the rural broadband program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture so that areas aren’t automatically ineligible for federal funding because a project previously received state funding.” The update will help rural Iowa to move forward, Grassley says, by providing more coordination and funding for broadband projects. He says the bill should help to remove barriers to broadband expansion and streamline the process for hard-to-serve rural areas.

“States will be able to use federal funds such as COVID aid for broadband,” he says, “fulfilling their requirement in most applications to match federal dollars.” Grassley, a Republican, says the legislation promises to help small communities connect all the pieces from state and federal levels to get the expensive, urgent projects completed. Grassley says he’s held town halls in 85 of Iowa’s 99 counties so far this year, and at practically every meeting, broadband is brought up.

“Some places you go in rural Iowa are mostly connected with the work of small telephone companies,” Grassley says, “and some of them have outstanding service and then other areas you go and they have no service or they’re underserved.” He says boosting broadband will spark economic development and create jobs in rural America.

(Radio Iowa) – Visitors to a popular tourist destination in Omaha-Council Bluffs may have been exposed to a dangerous disease, and it’s not COVID-19. The Henry Doorly Zoo held an event over the 4th of July weekend where guests stayed overnight in the aquarium complex. One woman reportedly awoke to find a wild, brown bat near her head. She wasn’t injured but a total of seven wild bats were later caught in the building and one tested positive for rabies.

The zoo is recommending all 186 people who attended camping events that weekend and the last weekend in June seek treatment for exposure to rabies — at the zoo’s expense.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports five arrests. At around 3:15-a.m. Monday, four people: 39-year-old Pi La; 36-year-old Has Ger Htoo; 24-year-old Ler Lar Shee, and 35-year-old Kta Dee, all of Omaha, were arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Their bonds were set at $1,300, each.

And, last Friday night, 21-year-old Monta Arnell Johnson, Jr., of Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault, and Child Endangerment. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. The Sheriff’s Office reports also, two people suffered minor injuries during a collision at around 11-a.m. Friday at the I-29/Bunge Ave ramp. Authorities say a 2021 side-dump dirt hauler driven by 33-year-old Arthur Saucier, of Bellevue, NE, was traveling west on Bunge Avenue. A 2019 Subaru driven by 59-year-old Timothy Charon, of Emerson, was traveling behind the dirt hauler when it slowed to turn left (South) onto an un-named dirt road (used for construction purposes).

Saucier advised authorities when he slowed, activated his turn signal, and was in the process of initiating the turn, the Subaru began to pass him. The front of the Subaru collided with the side/front of the dirt hauler, and entered the south ditch before continuing west and hitting a construction fence. The dirt hauler entered the south ditch and continued south. Charon told authorities the turn signal of the dirt hauler was activated AFTER he began the process of overtaking the truck.

(Radio Iowa) – A man who got federal pandemic relief through banks in Iowa and Minnesota for a non-existent business has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison. Fifty-seven-year-old Donald Franklin Trosin of Armstrong, Iowa, used to live in Champlin, Minnesota. He submitted more than 20 applications for Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans for a business he claimed had 120 employees and a five MILLION dollar payroll — but Trosin didn’t operate a business.

He pleaded guilty this spring to major fraud and money laundering. Prosecutors say he tried to transfer the pandemic relief he got to people in other states and countries, including China. He’s been ordered to pay one-point-three million dollars in restitution.

(Radio Iowa) – A northwest Iowa man wanted for what witnesses described as a hit-and-run has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly driving over someone in Rock Valley early Sunday morning. Police say their investigation revealed the driver of the vehicle and the pedestrian had gotten into an argument. Police allege the argument continued into the street when the pedestrian confronted the driver on the side of the road. The driver backed his vehicle away from the pedestrian and then allegedly drove towards the pedestrian, striking and dragging them under the car until they were run over by the rear wheels.

The driver’s been identified as 39-year-old Jaime Martinez Montiel. He was found inside a closet at an apartment in Rock Valley. He was arrested and charged with attempted murder and serious injury by vehicle. He is being held on a $50,000 bond in the Sioux County Jail. The investigation is ongoing and police are expecting more charges to be filed. The condition of the victim is unknown.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors met Tuesday morning in a regularly scheduled session. During their meeting, County Veteran’s Affairs Director Mitch Holmes presented his three-part report. The fourth quarter report he said, is mandated by State Code.

In the same report, Holmes noted the Cass County Veteran’s Affairs (CCVA) office assisted 121 Veterans, conducted 96 Office and 4 home visits, made 184 phone contacts, answered 167 various pieces of correspondence (Mail, e-mail & faxes), and they assisted five Veterans with their Driver’s Licenses. Then came the Annual Report for FY2020-21.

The CCVA assisted 47 Veterans process and receive their Federal VA Compensation Benefits, and other benefits, such as Nursing Home and Health Care, Death/Burial Benefits, and other matters. They also assisted a total of 341 Veterans, had 407 Office visits and 40 home visits. CCVA made 988 phone contacts, handled 1,288 pieces of correspondence, and assisted with 20 driver’s licenses.

The third and final report Holmes presented to the Board was the FY Geographic Distribution of VA Expenditures. The report shows the County has a Veteran population of 1,258. Total Federal dollars coming into Cass County specifically for Veterans, amounted to more than $8.9-million, including $4.1-million in Veterans Compensation and Pension.

In other businesses, Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken presented his regular report on Secondary Roads Department matters. He mentioned they placed project pipe along Troublesome Creek Road the last week or so, which allowed to be re-opened. He says they’ll continue to work with project pipes as they are delivered to the County. And, work on the Boston Road and Olive Street Bridge projects continues.

He said also, work will begin soon on a Indian Creek Road box culvert project, north of Highway 6.