An effort to replace one of the famous covered bridges in Madison County is gaining momentum. The Cedar Bridge near Winterset was destroyed by arson back in April. Brenda Hollingsworth, with the Madison County Historic Preservation Association, says the fundraising goal for replacing the bridge is $550,000. “We are at $246,000 and we have made an application for A Great Places grant that would pay for the remainder of that,” Hollingsworth says.

The group should learn by December 15 if they’ll be getting the grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. “With this particular grant, we’d have a two year window to finish the project, so we wouldn’t have to complete the bridge until 2019 – which is a reasonable time frame to do that,” Hollingsworth says.

Cedar Bridge credit Sarah Boden IPR

If they don’t get the grant, Hollingsworth says they plan to stay on their proposed timeline of beginning construction in late 2018. The Cedar Bridge was featured on the cover of the best-selling novel “The Bridges of Madison County,” which was adapted into the 1995 movie starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. The bridge has been destroyed by fire twice.

It burned in 2002, when insurance helped fund a replacement. Premium rates increased and the insurance was dropped. Hollingsworth says that will never happen again and all six covered bridges in Madison County are now insured. Three people, between the ages of 17 and 19, were arrested and charged with setting the April 15 fire at the Cedar Bridge.

(Radio Iowa with Thanks to Michael Leland, Iowa Public Radio)

(CORALVILLE) Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections say s staff member was assaulted by a patient at the Iowa Medical Classification Center in Coralville, at approximately 10:00 a.m. Friday.

The staff member, a nurse, was working at her computer terminal when the patient entered the office and began hitting her multiple times with a closed fist. Correctional officers and other staff in the area responded and took control of the patient once they heard noises coming from the office.

The staff member was sent by ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic in Iowa City. They were released from the hospital to the care of family later the same day. The incident remains under investigation and no further information is available at this time.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A quirk in the mail delivery system is forcing some residents of rural northern Missouri to have Iowa mailing addresses, causing problems when they vote, pay taxes and even when they die.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill calls it “one of the dumbest things” she’s seen and has sent a letter to Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan, asking that issue be resolved. The agency says it’s working with the Missouri Democratic senator on the issue.

Local officials have been asking for help for years. In Missouri’s Clark County, residents launched a petition drive this summer to get address changed because a new 911 system will need accurate addresses.

The Iowa addresses aren’t recognized in Missouri’s voting system. And some affected residents have been asked to file taxes in the wrong state.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Senate Republicans have released findings from an internal investigation into alleged workplace misconduct that says state senators have made “sexually suggestive comments” or discussed “sexual preferences” on the chamber floor.

The three-page internal review released Friday spans a period between the end of 2012 and half of 2017. It doesn’t break down how many senators took part in such activity or when. Several Senate GOP staff members also indicated they fear retaliation in reporting workplace misbehavior.

Senate Republican leaders released the findings amid pressure from within the party, including from GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds, to disclose more information about the in-house investigation. Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix says he didn’t provide more information earlier, because he wanted to protect employee confidentiality.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s former worker’s compensation commissioner who alleges he was pressured by former Gov. Terry Branstad to resign because he’s gay plans to take his discrimination case to trial next year.

Chris Godfrey is seeking money damages in one of the first cases trying to hold the state financially liable for actions of officials that infringed on the rights of an individual. The case is being closely watched by state agencies across Iowa.

Godfrey’s attorney says a similar federal lawsuit was dismissed after an Iowa Supreme Court ruling in June provided a path for him to seek increased financial damages in state court. The lawsuit alleges discrimination, retaliation and extortion.

Branstad has denied the allegations and says Godfrey mismanaged the office. Branstad is now the U.S. ambassador of China.

Council Bluffs Police say a Pottawattamie County man was arrested at around 12:40-p.m. Friday, following an investigation into a reported robbery at the Buckey’s Convenience Store at 3501 W. Broadway.

J.L. Wright

Responding officers witnessed a suspect matching the physical description running in the 3400 block of Avenue A. The suspect, 28-year old Jerome L. Wright, of Council Bluffs, was detained at that location. Officers responding to the business determined that an employee of Bucky’s, a 44-year-old Council Bluffs woman was removing cash from the gas pumps when Wright approached her from behind and is alleged to have physically removed the bank bag containing the cash from her person. Wright then allegedly fled the area Eastbound.

Following the preliminary investigation Jerome Wright was arrested for Theft 1st Degree and is currently in police custody. No weapons were involved in the theft and no injuries occurred.

Four people were transported to the hospital in Hamburg following an accident early this (Friday) morning southwest of Hamburg. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports they received word of the crash at around 4:13-a.m.  It occurred in the 3100 block of 240th Avenue. The vehicle was driven by 21-year old Robert Bruce, of Hamburg.

Authorities say the vehicle was northbound on 240th Avenue, when it went out of control and entered the east ditch, before striking a drainage tube. The vehicle was declared a total loss. Bruce and two other passengers were transported to Grape Community Hospital in Hamburg for treatment of minor injuries. The fourth passenger 21-year old Samantha Johnson, of Farragut, was flown to UNMC with undetermined injuries.

Robert Bruce was arrested for OWI 1st Offense and was released after posting the one thousand dollar bond. The accident is still under investigation and further charges could be possible. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Hamburg Fire and Rescue, Riverton Fire and Rescue and Sidney Fire and Rescue.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested an Iowa State football player accused of vandalism at a skate park in Ames. Cornerback Brian Peavy has been charged with criminal mischief and interference. Online court records don’t list the name of an attorney who could comment for him. Athletics department spokesman Mike Green said Friday that Peavy remains in “good standing with the team.” Green also said he expects Peavy will play Saturday when the Cyclones take on Kansas State in Manhattan.

Ames police Lt. Heath Ropp said officers who responded Thursday evening to a call about vandalism at Tsushima skate park found Peavy and another male spray-painting underneath a bridge near the park. The other man escaped. Peavy, a redshirt junior from Houston, is listed as a starter.

Iowa has at least 75 beer brewers statewide and many of them will have representatives at the upcoming convention being planned for Omaha-Council Bluffs. The Hop Growers and Brewers Conference and Trade Show is scheduled for January. Katie Kreuser, the hop program coordinator for the University of Nebraska Extension, says it’s an ideal place for growers and brewers to get together and network.

Kreuser says, “With this increasing growth with the craft beer industry, comes this interest in growing hops and with our conducive environment, it just makes for a perfect mix.”

The conference will offer workshops and speakers providing important information for producers who are interested in growing hops to support the expanding number of breweries. “The agronomics of growing hops, pest and diseases, nutritional management, trellis design and installation, harvest timing, crop and brewery insurance,” Kreuser says.

There will be discussions about organic hop production in addition to displays of the latest in brewery equipment. The trade show covers everything growers and brewers need to launch operations, in addition to helping home or micro-brew owners. “This is geared towards any vendors that have products or information that’s going to help this audience,” she says. “This is anything from chemical companies to brewing equipment to actual plant sourcing.”

The conference will be held at the Embassy Suites in downtown Omaha on January 18th and 19th. Early bird registration ends December 1st. Learn more at growbrewnebraska.com. The craft beer industry in Iowa supports more than 15-hundred jobs and has an economic impact exceeding 100-million dollars. Iowa’s beer production is expected to top 146-thousand barrels by 2019, that’s triple the rate from 2014.

(Radio Iowa)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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