We’re beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel with regard to the Highway 6/7th Street reconstruction project, here in Atlantic. Scott Suhr, Iowa Department of Transportation District 4 Coordinator, in Atlantic, says plans are to open Plum Street into Orschelen’s on Sept. 8th, and then close the east end of the project for removals. Weather permitting, the project should be finished by the end of this month.

During the construction process, four-way stop lights are flashing at the intersection of 7th and Hospital Drive, near the Hy-Vee Shopping Plaza, and three way lights are flashing at 7th and Olive Streets. City leaders remind motorists that you must stop at the lights and remember the right-of-way rules. Mayor Dave Jones and other City Council officials say it seems a number of motorists are making rolling stops or not stopping at all when they coming to the intersections, which has the potential of creating a serious accident.

Jones said the police department is stepping-up an increase in the number of tickets being written for red light violations, and motorists need to slow down, and be more observant.

An incident in the 1000 block of E. Coolbaugh Street in Red Oak, Wednesday, resulted in the arrest of a teenager on an Intimidation with a dangerous weapon, charge. Red Oak Police say 16-year old Michael Wade Hamilton, of Red Oak, was arrested just before 11-p.m. Wednesday, after allegedly threatening to use a knife on a family member. The teen was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs.

A traffic stop late Wednesday night in Shelby County lead to a high-speed pursuit of a motorcyclist, who eventually got away. According to scanner traffic, the pursuit began at around 9-p.m. on southbound Highway 173 and made its way onto Interstate 80 westbound, then into Walnut and onto Highway 6 west. Speeds at times were reported to have been in excess of 120 miles per hour.

Authorities from several departments tried to converge on the motorcycle, which eventually disappeared from their view. No other information is currently available.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say five people have been taken to the hospital in critical condition after being exposed to carbon monoxide at a Sioux City extended-stay motel. The Sioux City Journal reports a 30-year-old woman, her two children and her parents were transported to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning Wednesday.

According to Sioux City Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Dan Cougill, someone reported around 8 p.m. that five people occupying a unit at the Corey Motel were vomiting and experiencing headaches. First responders found them and said they showed signs of carbon monoxide exposure. Cougill said all five, whose identities have not been released, are expected to make full recoveries.

Officials say the motel’s units are separate and other units were not affected. The source of the carbon monoxide is under investigation.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A super PAC backing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s run for the Republican presidential nomination has announced a $9.25 million ad buy for three early voting states, expanding on a $7 million television ad campaign starting in Iowa next week. The ad buy was announced Wednesday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says he wants an update on the investigation into a 2014 drowning of a handcuffed Iowa man who fell from a patrol boat in the Lake of the Ozarks. The Iowa senator says in a letter Wednesday to a special prosecutor in Missouri that he wants the current status of the investigation into Brandon Ellingson’s May 2014 death.

HULL, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an 88-year-old resident has died after a pickup crashed through a wall into a nursing home in northwest Iowa. The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office says Anna Dykstra was pronounced dead Monday afternoon at Pleasant Acres Care Center in Hull. The pickup driver, 77-year-old Lawrence Sohl, was taken to a Sioux Center hospital for treatment. No other injuries have been reported.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A pesky insect that slowly kills ash trees has been found in Dubuque and is expected to spread quickly through the city’s extensive ash tree population. The Telegraph Herald reports the emerald ash borer is a small, metallic-green beetle. Its larvae chew into the layer of wood under the bark, cutting off the flow of water and nutrients to an ash tree.

At least four law officers have been killed nationwide in the past nine days and a longtime lawman in southwest Iowa says he’s seeing a shift in public sentiment about people who wear badges. Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker says the law enforcement career is already dangerous, but all of the anti-police protests and violence against officers is changing the way they do business.

“It appears to be,” Sheriff Danker says. “I’ve been in law enforcement for almost 38 years and it’s definitely changed, the perception and what people are saying, the inflammatory things that are said about law enforcement. It definitely has changed.” Danker says he and his deputies have not experienced a lot of law enforcement hatred like what is being seen elsewhere around the country.

Pott. Co. Sheriff Jeff Danker

“For the most part, we don’t,” Danker says, “but depending on the call that you go to, the individuals you deal with, whether they’re on some type of drugs or alcohol, possibly some mental health issues, and some people just don’t like law enforcement.” In general, Danker says people in Iowa respect law officers.

“I believe the majority of people support law enforcement,” Danker says. “They appreciate the fact that we’re out there doing the job that we do and putting our lives on the line every day. No matter where you are, rural, urban, anything can happen. Randomly, people saying things to us? No, not really.” Protesters with the “Black Lives Matter” group took to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds last weekend, chanting, “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon,” as they marched. The protest came one day after a deputy sheriff in Texas was shot several times in the back.

(Radio Iowa)

Members of the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, voted to approve a Resolution placing on the Nov. 3rd General Election ballot, a bond measure asking citizens to approve paying for the restoration of the historic ballroom/theater and the creation of a multi-purpose facility on the second and third floors of the City Hall building. The cost of the bond would not exceed $875,000, and would be paid for through Local Option Sales Tax (or, “LOST”) funds.

Design Alliance has placed the cost of work for the project at around $933, 000. The Council approved $100,000 during the last bond issuance, for the installation of an elevator that makes the second floor accessible. About $10,000 of those funds have been reserved to compensate Design Alliance for their services to the City. City officials say the remaining $90,000 can be credited to the project, bringing the needed funds to around $841,097.

City Administrator John Lund says he requested the bond on the ballot measure be increased to $875,000, to cover any contingencies or unanticipated costs associated with work on the project, because contractors have warned him the building’s age may be concealing major problems that won’t be known until after work begins.

Special fixtures for the auditorium, such as a stage curtain, lighting and audio-visual equipment, and any unforeseen circumstances, could be paid for through an extra bond next year, but Mayor Dave Jones said the City needs to stick within its budget. More than a few people, he said, have been interested in offering additional financial support, should it become necessary.

Prior to a vote on approving the Resolution, Design Alliance Architect firm representative Jerry Purdy and his colleague Kristofer Orth made a presentation on the proposed project, which a Taskforce has been reviewing issues pertaining to, for the past six-months. Purdy said the task force and others made it clear, they don’t want any changes in the structure to detract from its historic appearance. Among the top priorities of the Task Force was an elevator to make the second and third floors ADA compliant, along with rest rooms, and possibly a kitchen.

Among the proposed changes to the building is an elevator that would come from the basement, where a machine room would also be located. On the ground level floor above that, a portion of the Mayor’s office and the Police lobby would be used to make room for the elevator. On the second floor, the ballroom space would be renovated and restored for performances. That includes renovating the stage and dressing rooms. A conference room, space for storage of tables and chairs and a serving kitchen for banquet purposes would also be made available. A new restroom has also been designed for the second floor. The floor and facilities would be designed to accommodate up to 300 people. A secondary means of egress would also be necessary to evacuate persons from the building, if necessary.

On the third floor, there would be storage for entertainment props, balcony seating would be restored, and a space on the northeast side could be used for a coffee shop or museum/gallery for local artists, and a restroom.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council held the first readings of Ordinances amending the City’s Code of Ordinances, with regard to “Fiscal Management and Accountability,” and “Provisions pertaining to Mayor and Council Compensation.” Both ordinances requires two more readings before they are passed. John Lund says the last time the Council’s compensation was considered was in 1994, with the Mayor’s salary having been adjusted 18-years ago.

At least two people suffered minor injuries during a three-vehicle collision Wednesday evening, east of Atlantic. According to dispatch reports, the accident happened near where the old State Patrol Headquarters was located (the site of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), just west of the intersection of Highway 6 and 650th Street (Highway 71). The crash happened at around 5:44-p.m. and involved a Mustang, an SUV and one other vehicle.

Additional details are currently not available.  A second, unrelated accident happened at 6:33-p.m. just east of 8th and Plum Streets, near the entrance to the Mid-Town apartments.

(Council Bluffs) The Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 4 Transportation Office in Atlantic reports reconstruction work in the Council Bluffs area, requires shifting west- and eastbound traffic to the newly completed westbound lanes from the eastbound lanes near the Interstate 29/U.S. 275/Iowa 92 interchange.

The following traffic impacts will occur Wednesday, Sept. 8, and Thursday, Sept. 9.

Interstate 29

6 p.m. Wednesday until 5:30 a.m. Thursday: Southbound on- and off-ramps to Interstate 29 at the I-29/U.S. 275/Iowa 92 will be closed, weather permitting.
From approximately 9 p.m. Wednesday until 5:30 Thursday: Motorists wishing to access I-29 will need to utilize the South Expressway (exit 3) detour.

U.S. 275/Iowa 92

6 p.m. Wednesday and later that evening: Westbound traffic on eastbound U.S. 275/Iowa 92 will be shifted to the newly-finished westbound lanes at 6 p.m. Eastbound traffic will be shifted later in the evening.
Between 6 and 9 p.m. Wednesday: Motorists on westbound U.S. 275/Iowa 92 wanting access to I-29 should use an alternate route.

Denmark Drive

At 6 p.m. Wednesday: Denmark Drive into Metro Crossing will be reopened to traffic.
Traffic has been reduced to one lane in each direction on U.S. 275/Iowa 92 since June 2014 to allow for reconstruction of the westbound bridges and adjoining pavement.

The next phase of construction project includes rebuilding the eastbound bridges and adjoining pavement.

Iowa DOT is in the process of reconstructing I-80, I-29, and I-480 in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. This comprehensive interstate redesign will modernize the highway system and improve mobility and safety of approximately 18 miles of interstate. Motorists are encouraged to allow for extra travel time while this interstate improvement takes effect. If you would like more information about detours and traffic impacts visit the program website, www.CouncilBluffsInterstate.IowaDOT.gov.