A public hearing will be held Wednesday morning in Atlantic, with regard to the proposed Fiscal Year 2015 County Budget. The hearing takes place at 8:45-a.m. during a regularly scheduled meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors. Following the hearing, the Board will review the County Compensation Board’s recommendations for elected officers’ salaries, and act on the recommendation.

Later on during the meeting, the Supervisors will act on adopting the FY 2015 Secondary Roads and Cass County Budgets. And, in other business, the Board will act on approving the plans for a Secondary Roads Dept. project that involves the replacement of a concrete box culvert northeast of Marne.

The meeting begins at 8:30-a.m.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Iowa Department of Transportation reports a public information meeting will be held Tuesday, March 11th, to discuss the reconstruction of the Interstate 29 and U.S. 275/Iowa 92 interchange in Council Bluffs, which is scheduled to begin June 2014. All interested persons are invited to attend the meeting anytime between 4- and 7-p.m., at the Iowa School for the Deaf’s Community Room, Lied Multipurpose Complex, 3501 Harry Langdon Blvd., in Council Bluffs.

A group question-and-answer session will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a three-minute limit per speaker. The meeting will be conducted utilizing an open forum format. Iowa DOT staff will be present to informally discuss the proposed improvements. No formal presentation will be made.

The project construction area begins on I-29 from 1.3 miles south of U.S. 275 to just north of the U.S. 275 ramps and U.S. 275/Iowa 92 from Metro Mall Drive east to Harry Langdon Boulevard, including the I-29 and U.S. 275/Iowa 92 interchange. Proposed construction consists of new roadway embankments, walking trails, bridge structures, and other features, including the removal and reconstruction of six bridges and removal of portions of the existing roadway embankments.

The reconstruction also involves raising the interstate and U.S. 275 to accommodate the new railroad corridor for the railroad relocation project, which will require ramp closures and two-way traffic, with one lane in each direction, on U.S. 275/Iowa 92 during construction. Travelers may experience traffic delays and detours, which could impact access to businesses, schools, or other properties.

This construction is part of the Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program, a streamlined approach to planned construction projects to I-80, I-29, and I-480 in the Council Bluffs/Omaha metropolitan area. The program is the single largest project in the Iowa DOT’s 2014-2018 Five-Year Transportation Improvement Program.

For those who cannot attend the open house, a virtual, online meeting will be available beginning March 11 and can be accessed by visiting the project website at www.CouncilBluffsInterstate.IowaDOT.gov and clicking the online meeting link on the home page.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Sheriff’s officials in Guthrie County report one person was arrested on drug and numerous other charges, last week, following the execution of a search warrant at a residence in Bagley. A home at 405 Main Street occupied by Dawn Marie Chinberg and 28-year old Dustin Tyler Woody, of Bagley, was searched at around 9:30-p.m. February 27th, during which methamphetamine, weapons and drug paraphernalia were seized.

Woody was arrested and charged with felony Possession with Intent to Deliver more than 5 grams of meth, Child Endangerment, Possession of drug paraphernalia and Interference with Official Acts. Woody appeared before the magistrate on Friday, and was ordered to pay a $100,000 cash or surety bond, prior to being released from the Guthrie County Jail.

A dispatcher for the Pottawattamie County Communications Center received an award Monday afternoon for helping to save the life of a man who had fallen, was unconscious and not breathing.

(from left to right) Council Bluffs Interim Fire Chief Larry Wohlers – Becky Francis – Sheriff Jeff Danker. (Pott. Co. S/O photo)

Operator Becky Francis, who joined the unit in 2009, was honored by the Sheriff’s Office and Council Bluffs Fire Department with a Life Saving Award.

Sheriff’s officials say just before 11-a.m. on June 1st, 2013, Francis answered a 911 call from the son of the unresponsive male. She assisted the son in giving CPR instructions to his father until rescue crews could arrive and assume additional life-saving measures.

The man survived and left the hospital a week later.

The City Council in Council Bluffs has received word a business that has been in the community for years, will be closing its doors in May, leaving about 250 people without jobs. The Omaha World-Herald says Griffin Pipe Products officials notified the Mayor and some members of the Council about the closing, on Monday. The notice, from U.S. Pipe Holdings of Hoover, AL., a subsidiary of U.S. Pipe and Foundry of Birmingham, AL., said Griffin Pipe will close its doors on or about May 3rd.

U.S. Pipe purchased Griffin Pipe early this year, and in mid-February approximately 60 employees at the Council Bluffs plant were let go. At the time of the layoffs, a letter allegedly sent to the affected employees said they could be rehired at a later date if the demand for the company’s ductile iron pipe increased.

PAPILLION, Neb. (AP) — A 54-year-old Gretna, NE., woman already serving time for tax evasion has pleaded guilty to stealing the $4.1 million on which she didn’t pay taxes. Caroline Richardson made her plea Monday in Douglas County, NE., District Court in Omaha. Her sentencing is scheduled for March 18th. She faces up to 10 more years in prison. She’s already serving a five-year term.

Prosecutors say Richardson stole from Omaha-based Colombo Candy and Tobacco in 2010 and 2011 while working as company controller. Prosecutors say she used the money to gamble at Ameristar Casino in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Colombo has sued Ameristar, saying the casino knew about Richardson’s job and her approximate salary and should have known Richardson was gambling with ill-gotten money.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The first jury trial stemming from a contentious statewide crackdown on election-related crimes is set to begin, and a former Iowa felon charged with illegally voting is expected to fight the charge today. Kelli Jo Griffin of Montrose is scheduled to stand trial for perjury in Lee County. Prosecutors say that she signed an affidavit falsely claiming that she was not an ineligible felon when she voted in the Nov. 5 municipal election. Griffin has pleaded not guilty.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A bill allowing online voter registration in Iowa has passed in the Senate and been sent to the House. The measure passed 48-0 yesterday with no debate. Under the bill voters must provide the same information required on other voter registration forms. They would use the Secretary of State’s website to electronically register. Concerns about how electronic signatures will be verified are to be worked out in the House.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Several Iowa counties have issues on ballots tomorrow. Des Moines voters will decide whether to approve an increase in the fee charged on their utility bills to repay $40 million the city borrowed to pay a court-ordered refund of previously over-collected franchise fees. Story County voters will decide whether to approve borrowing up to $19 million to pay the city of Ames’ share of a convention center development at Iowa State University. Bond issues also are on the ballot in Pottawattamie County.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa pharmacist has been acquitted of 15 counts of health care fraud after a jury rejected allegations that he fraudulently billed an insurance company for life-saving drugs sent to hemophilia patients. The federal jury returned the verdict yesterday after a weeklong trial in the case of Michael Stein. He’s the owner of Pharmacy Matters in Iowa City. It was a defeat for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Des Moines and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are looking for an inmate they say never returned to a work release facility in Sioux City. Fred Scaletta with the state Department of Corrections says in a news release Monday that 21-year-old Eddie Sandoval-Rouillard failed to return to the facility from an assigned program meeting. He was placed on escape status Sunday.

Eddie Sandoval-Rouillard

Sandoval-Rouillard was transferred to work release on Feb. 14. He’s been serving a 10-year sentence for willful injury causing serious injury. Authorities say Sandoval-Rouillard has tattoos on his right ankle and left hand.