The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Thursday) received bids for the reconstruction of the lower floor of a building at 707 Poplar Street, but did not approve the recommended bid. The Board instead took the matter under advisement, while the Omaha architectural firm of Carlson, West and Povandra, gathers specific information on a line-item of the costs the low bidder submitted.

Architect Matt Krause

CWP Architect Matt Krause told the Supervisors there were five bids submitted and reviewed last Thursday (May 22nd), for the renovation of the Cambridge Building destined for use as a new, Cass County Communications Center. Krause said the recommended a bid by TBB&M, LLC, out of Greenfield, with their lump sum bid of $356,000. He said the bids came in higher than the engineer’s estimate due to the later addition of a fully redundant HVAC system, generator and a gaseous fire suppression system.

The bids ranged from $356,000 to as much as $422,000, but were tightly grouped together for the most part, and generally under $400-thousand. TBB&M’s low bid was still about $100,000 more than the engineer’s estimate, but again Krause said that was because of the late additions to the bid spec sheet. The same company handled renovation of the Atlantic City Hall. The estimated completion date for the project is no later than December 15th. The bulk of the time delay is with regard to the ordering and installation of a 125-watt backup power generator, which is 75-watts less then the generator that backs-up the courthouse.

Cass County 9-1-1 Director Rob Koppert said he has no problem with TBB&M’s maximum completion date for the project, but it’s important that it not be any later, due to the requirements of a grant. He said it has to be operational by June 30th, 2015, because the County is applying for and in competition with, other counties, for a 100-thousand dollar grant to help pay for the Next Generation 9-1-1 system and servers. Other factors that figure into the deadline he says, are out of his control, such as change orders for the phone system, etc.

The Cass County 9-1-1 Advisory Council will be submitting its grant application by the end of June, with the hope the equipment can be ordered by July 1st. Ideally, Koppert says he’d like for the new Comm Center to be operational by end of November, 2015, but the Federal mandate is Dec., 2015. Koppert pointed out that the nearly $45,000 cost of the redundant air conditioning/HVAC system and generator will be paid for out of the County’s 9-1-1 Surcharge dollars, not from property tax dollars. He said they would have to amend the 9-1-1 Service Board’s budget, because they don’t have the money right now, but would be able to take a slightly bigger loan out they can be easily paid-off with fees received from the Wireless Surcharge.

(Updated 1:37-p.m. w/comments from Koppert)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A Sioux City firefighter is recovering after being overcome by heat and dehydration while fighting a house fire. The Sioux City Journal reports that the firefighter was sent to Mercy Medical Center on Wednesday night. He and other firefighters were battling a house fire in a single-story home reported around 8:30 p.m. The fire was extinguished with half-an-hour.

Assistant Fire Chief Robert Wilson says he is unsure how many people were inside the house when the fire broke out, but said no other injuries were reported. Wilson says the house was heavily damaged by fire and smoke. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Officials with the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino being built in downtown Sioux City say the casino will open for business this summer. The Sioux City Journal reports casino general manager Todd Moyer said on Wednesday that the casino will welcome its first guests on Aug. 1st. Moyer estimates that work on the $128.5 million downtown project, which began eight months ago, is about 80 percent finished.

The casino and hotel will employ about 500 people. With fewer than three dozen positions filled so far, the majority of hiring will occur over the next two months. About 130 candidates for table game jobs are being trained at a Hard Rock-sponsored dealer school that began Tuesday.

A job fair for the casino is scheduled June 4th and 5th.

Iowa residents may fish without a license on June 6, 7 and 8 as part of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources free fishing weekend. Free fishing weekend allows Iowans an opportunity to try fishing without purchasing a license. All other regulations remain in place.

“We are experiencing some excellent fishing across the state right now at Green Valley Lake, Little River Lake, Hawthorne Lake and our trout streams and our fisheries at Rice Lake, Silver Lake and Lake Miami are being improved to provide better fishing in the future,” said Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa DNR’s Fisheries Bureau. We hope that someone who gives fishing a try during free fishing weekend will enjoy the experience and want to go fishing more often and become a license holder,” Larscheid said.

Free fishing weekend is scheduled during what is traditionally the time when bluegills are close to shore and aggressive. “This is a great time to take kids fishing because the chance for success is pretty good,” he said. The best way to catch bluegills, according to Larscheid, is to use small tackle – little hooks, a bobber no larger than a quarter, 4-pound test line and small bait.

Anyone catching their first fish is encouraged to take a photo of it and send it in to receive the DNR’s first fish award. The DNR will commemorate the event with a certificate suitable for framing and the submitted photo.

Information on the first fish program is available in the Iowa Fishing Regulations and online at http://www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/MasterAnglerFirstFish.aspx

Qualifying fish caught during free fishing weekend are also eligible for master angler recognition. For bluegills, the minimum length for master angler award is 10 inches.

Authorities in Audubon report two people were taken into custody, one of them after a brief pursuit, Wednesday. According to the Audubon Police Department, the arrests were the result of a joint investigation involving the Audubon Police Department and the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office. Both agencies had been looking for 29 year old Elyaxel Vasquez of Fort Dodge, with regard to felony warrants and a parole violation.

When authorities observed Vasquez inside a local business in Audubon, he fled on foot. After a short foot chase, Vasquez was apprehended and taken into custody on the warrants. Also arrested in connection with the incident, was 29 year old Brittany Marie Vasquez, of Audubon. She was charged with Interference With Official Acts. Brittany was subsequently released on her own recognizance.

Elyaxel Vasquez, who was wanted on Webster County warrants for Theft in the 2nd and 3rd degree as well as for violating his parole,  was being held in the Audubon County Jail awaiting extradition.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says no serious injuries were reported following an accident Wednesday evening a couple of miles southwest of Stanton. Authorities say a 1998 Pontiac Sunbird driven by 22-year old Ashely Dumler, of rural Stanton, was traveling north on Q Avenue, a county gravel road, when the left front tire of the car blew out.

The vehicle went out of control and entered the east ditch, where it continued until hitting a fence owned by Kit Johnson, of rural Stanton. The accident happened at around 4:45-p.m. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $1,500. The fence sustained $500 damage.

Deputies were assisted at the scene by personnel with the Stanton and Red Oak Fire and Rescue Departments.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest of two individuals Wednesday evening. Just before 9-p.m., 39-year old Dale Joseph Langenfeld, Jr., of Red Oak, was arrested on a charge of Driving While Revoked. His bond was set at $1,000. And, at around 8:10-p.m., 26-year old Skyler Lee Baker was arrested on an active Montgomery County warrant for a Probation Violation. Baker was being held in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center on $5,000 bond.

The murder trial of a Council Bluffs man has been moved to late June. The Daily NonPareil report 36-year old James Cain Harris faces first-degree murder charges stemming from the 2003 stabbing of Nelson Alvarez-Hernandez. The Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office told the paper Harris’ jury trial is set to begin on June 24th.The trial was originally slated to begin Wednesday morning.

CARROLL, Iowa (AP) — Officials in western Iowa are investigating the theft of hundreds of metal flagpoles used for the Memorial Day holiday. The American Legion in Carroll says it reported the theft of a trailer from its property Monday morning. The trailer had about 300 flagpoles that were supposed to be placed with American flags to line the roads of the city cemetery. The Legion says a second trailer with a few hundred more flagpoles was stolen Monday night.

The Carroll Daily Times Herald reports the trailers and flagpoles were later recovered, though no arrests have been made in the case. Legion officials believe the thief or thieves were trying to sell the flagpoles for scrap metal. A least two Carroll area salvage yards refused to buy the roughly 550 flagpoles.