Another major economic development announcement from Google is expected this (Friday) afternoon, the second one in Iowa this week. The internet search engine giant is powered by eight data centers, including one in Council Bluffs. Google’s already invested 600-million dollars in that facility and the new announcement is expected to be detailing an expansion of the center in southwest Iowa.

Earlier this week, Google announced it will pump 75-million dollars into a wind farm in central Iowa near the town of Rippey. Given its acres of computer servers, the company uses a significant amount of power, so officials want to invest in renewable forms of energy that cause less pollution.

Today’s announcement is expected at 3:30 PM.

(Radio Iowa)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad says Iowa will continue to work on a state-based health insurance exchange to comply with the federal health care law, but he’s leaving open the possibility that the state may default to a federal program.  The Republican governor sent a letter Friday to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius saying the state doesn’t have the information needed to decide.

The federal government had set a Friday deadline for states to declare whether they will build their own marketplaces where consumers and small businesses can shop for health insurance. The deadline has since moved to Dec. 14th.

Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht says the governor wants to avoid a federally run exchange, but unanswered questions about the cost of a state exchange may leave him no choice.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking business participants for the annual Recipe Walk, to be held on Sunday, Dec. 9th from 1 to 4 p.m. Local businesses can sign up from now until Dec. 5th by calling (712) 243-3017 or e-mailing chamber@atlanticiowa.com.

The annual holiday event attracts groups of fun-seekers into businesses to browse and sample. Recipe walkers will start at the Rock Island Depot for a list of participating businesses and addresses. Businesses are to offer a free sample with the recipe for shoppers to recreate at home.  Party recipes are encouraged!

Last year’s Recipe Walk was chocolate-themed, but 2012 is open season for all favorite holiday recipes. Businesses can tie their sample in with a sale or promotion or just sit back and enjoy the company. One hundred complimentary recipe cards will be printed by the Chamber of Commerce for businesses if the recipe is submitted by Nov. 30th.

Authorities in Mills County say three people have been arrested on unrelated charges. On Thursday, 31-year old Joseph David Eckley, of Silver City, was arrested at around 2-a.m., on a charge of OWI/1st Offense. His bond was set at $1,000. And, 43-year old Thomas Paul Tupper, of Glenwood, was arrested at around 11-a.m., for allegedly violating a No Contact order, and for Contempt of Court. His bond was set at $600.

Wednesday morning, Edward Lloyd Sharp II, of Mason City, was arrested at the Cerro Gordo County Jail for Failure to Appear on a Contempt of Court/Child Support charge. He was being held in the Jail on $1,000 bond.

The Iowa DNR says the city of Creston discovered untreated wastewater bypassing from its northeast lift station to a dry run that leads to the Middle Platte River. Today’s incident was discovered around at 6:30 a.m.  The bypass has since stopped. Officials say the amount of untreated wastewater released is estimated at 1,500 gallons. No impact to aquatic life was observed at the time of discovery.

The city will collect samples both upstream and downstream and place lime on the soil. People should avoid the area for 48 hours.

The city will notify the DNR if adverse impacts are observed.

No injuries were reported following an accident Thursday afternoon at 6th and Birch Streets, in Atlantic. The Police Department says Nicole Ross, of Atlantic, was cited for Failure to Yield upon entering a through highway, after the vehicle she was driving collided with one driven by Paul Huddleson, of Atlantic.

Officials say Huddleson was traveling west on 6th Street at around 12:35-p.m., as Ross was traveling south on Birch. After stopping, Ross proceeded into the intersection, without having yielded to the Huddleson vehicle. Damage from the accident amounted to $5,500.

Two Atlantic residents were arrested Thursday. The Atlantic Police Department reports 26-year old Justin Knutsen was arrested for Disorderly Conduct. Knutsen was booked into the Cass County Jail. And, 16-year old Corey Sunderman, of Atlantic, was arrested on Theft of a Motor vehicle and Theft in the 5th Degree, charges. Sunderman was also cited for Operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. Sunderman was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Council Bluffs.

Sunderman was one of four teens who went missing on October 13th.  Sunderman and 13-year-old Austin Boggs, of Atlantic, and 15-year old’s Skie Floyd and Jazlyn Visek of from Shellsburg, were located a few days later in Eureka, IL., where they were taken into custody. The teens had taken a Jeep Cherokee from Atlantic, when they took off on their adventure. All four teens faced trespassing and criminal damage to property charges in Illinois.

The Atlantic Police Department reports two people were arrested today (Friday). 28-year old Ty Jordan, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Simple Assault. And, 50-year old Jon Misner, of Atlantic, was arrested on a felony warrant out of Nebraska, for Violation of his Child Support Order. Both men were booked into the Cass County Jail.

w/ Ric Hanson

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BOUTON, Iowa (AP) – The financially troubled Xenia Rural Water District is resisting takeover efforts by the firm that insures the district’s bonds.  The Des Moines Register reports  that Assured Guaranty has gone to court, seeking to fire the district’s directors and to install new management.
The district has debts of about $135 million. It owes about $2.5 million to Assured Guaranty, which made bond payments after the district defaulted.

Xenia board Chairman Dan Lovett says the district is doing everything it can to avert a takeover.  Plans to pay off the debt include a rate increase that the board will consider on Nov. 29th. Xenia’s financial troubles were mostly caused by expansion plans that never materialized. Xenia serves about 9,400 customers in parts of 12 counties north and west of Des Moines.