The last County in southwest Iowa to rescind its ban on opening burning did so today (Wednesday). Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon told the Board of Supervisors and the media during the Board’s meeting Wednesday morning, that the Burn Ban would cease effective at Noon today. The ban has been in place for the past three-months. Kennon cautioned however, that if dry conditions return, the fire danger will return as well.

He says area Fire Chiefs are still concerned about unsupervised burns of large brush piles, which can smolder for days, left unattended.  Kennon says County residents still need to call their local fire chief if large outdoor burning is planned. He said you should also call the Cass County Communications Center at 243-2204 to report open burning plans before the fires are lit, so area departments aren’t sent out by calls to the Comm Center from concerned citizens and motorists who think a fire is wild or out of control.

Kennon says overall the Burn ban was successful, but there was some confusion about what was considered to be an “Open Burn,” versus outdoor recreational-type fire activities. He says those in a pit outside your home for barbeques and such, has always been allowed. He blames himself for the frustration and confusion among the public for not getting enough information out through the media, and making it clear what a “Burn Ban,” covers.

Even though the drought has dropped levels in Missouri River reservoirs drastically, last year’s flood damage is still being repaired at key points along the waterway. Just upriver, restoration is underway at Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota. Dave Becker, the dam’s operations manager, says bank restoration work is being done just downstream from the dam on the north shore. “We lost about 12 foot of river bed there so we lost the foundation for that riprap,” Becker says. “That riprap work is going on and that’ll probably be going on for three or four more months.”

The water releases last summer topped 160-thousand cubic feet per second and caused damage along and under the concrete slab just in front of the spillway gates. Becker says repairs are planned for that area, too. “We are going to have to do some work on the spillway slab,” Becker says. “They have to do more testing on that. It’ll need to wait until our spillway flows stop, about Thanksgiving or so.”

Becker says contractors will drill through the massive slab, working to fill some voids that developed in the gravel bed under the concrete as the floodwaters churned. “They are going to drill through the slab, try and fill the two largest voids and they’ll drill more test holes through the slab to check what the conditions are below,” he says.

Much of the work will extend into next spring.

(Radio Iowa)

w/ Ric Hanson

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Citing the need to explore expanding and rewriting a 2010 ordinance concerning dog permits in Atlantic, the City’s Community Protection Commission, Tuesday, tabled action on forwarding a recommendation pertaining to Vicious Dog permits, to the City Council. Police Chief Steve Green said there are only two reasons a person would need to have a Vicious Dog permit. That includes a dog who has bitten someone, but is still “worthy of redeeming,” but needs to be insured to protect against loss. The other reason is if a person owns a guard dog, which by nature, is trained to be vicious. The owner he says, should have to insure against that animal getting loose and biting someone.

Green has his own definition of what constitutes a “Vicious Dog.” It is one who jumps up and attacks the torso or face or a person. He says no amount of insurance will replace the face of a child who is attacked by such an animal. Green says there is no reason to issue a permit for that type of animal within the City limits. Green and City Administrator Doug Harris agreed, the current definition in the ordinance is wrong, and giving the City Administrator control over how those permits should be issued, not having even seen the animal, is wrong.

Green is in the process of rewriting the guidelines and definitions for the ordinance. In other business, the CPC tabled action on truck parking within the City limits, because arrangements are in the works to possibly relocate the current parking lots for semis and other similar, large vehicles that are not allowed to park on City Streets.

Sheriff’s Officials in Montgomery County report the arrest Tuesday night, of a Villisca man wanted on a warrant out of Adams County. 21-year old Jesse A. Luft was observed walking on 3rd Avenue at around 9:45-p.m., Tuesday.  A check of records indicated Luft was wanted on a warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. He was arrested without incident and transferred to authorities in Adams County.

The City of Atlantic’s Community Protection Commission Tuesday, voted to forward their recommendation to the City Council, that the speed limit on a portion of 22nd Street, from Chestnut to Palm, be reduced from 45- to 35-miles per hour. The recommendation followed a lengthy discussion and review of data from Police Chief Steve Green and engineers hired to track information about the average speed along that stretch of road.

The Commission had received a petition from at least 16 residents in the area, where new residential developments have sprung up over the past few years, asking the Council to review the situation, but providing no specifics on what the problem actually is. That caused a bit of consternation among the Commission, as to what needs to be fixed.

Police Chief Steve Green said at Tuesday night’s meeting, that a recent check on traffic speeds along west 22^nd Street seemed to indicate there isn’t much of a problem He said out of 1,000 cars that traveled along the road, 101, or 10-percent, were traveling 10-miles per hour or more over the current, posted speed limit. Green says it could be looked at as an enforcement issue at this point in time. He said most of the time, the natural, hilly terrain and curves in the road tends to cause drivers to travel at or near the posted speed limit.

CPC Chair Steve Livengood said sending the recommendation to the full council would allow the process to begin for the public to have its say on whether there actually is a problem with speeding in the area, and how reducing the speed limit would affect those who travel through there, on a regular basis.  City Administrator Doug Harris agreed.

In June, the Atlantic City Council passed an amended ordinance pertaining to a reduction of the speed limit on East 22^nd Street from Highway 71 to Olive Street, from 45-to 35-miles per hour. The move followed discussions between the Community Protection Committee, Police Chief Steve Green, and residents in the area.  Earlier in the year, the Council voted down a proposal to reduce the speed limit on both the east and west section of 22nd Street, after receiving negative feedback from the public. Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones warned citizens in June, that speeding was still a problem on other portions of 22^nd Street,  and that the Police Department would be stepping-up patrols and issuing tickets for those who try to skirt the law.

357 AM CDT WED OCT 24 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS EXPANDED A DENSE FOG ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING, TO INCLUDE CASS, ADAIR, ADAMS AND TAYLOR COUNTIES. VISIBILITIES OF LESS THAN ONE QUARTER OF A MILE IS EXPECTED. IMPROVEMENT IS EXPECTED BY MID MORNING AS DAYTIME HEATING INCREASES. TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY. PERSONS WILL NEED TO EXERCISE CAUTION AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH THEIR MORNING DESTINATION SAFELY.

The two incumbent congressman who’re facing off in this year’s election had their fifth “debate” last night (Tuesday), and it was contentious. Republican Tom Latham of Clive is seeking a ninth term in congress. Democrat Leonard Boswell of Des Moines is running for an eighth term. One tense exchange started with Latham saying: “It was my bill, Congressman Boswell.” Boswell replied: “I know.” Latham then said to Boswell: “You voted for it, you said…” At this point Boswell interjected: “Oh, absolutely, absolutely, absolutely.” Latham asked: “Can I be allowed to answer the question, if I may?” Boswell replied: “Well, I don’t want to interrupt you,” to which Latham said: “Well, you have.”

The debate was broadcast live last night (Tuesday) on WHO Radio and the moderator began by asking the candidates if they regret the tone of the campaign. Latham answered first. “Congressman Boswell starting running immediately very, very negative, personal ads against me, so you have to respond,” Latham said. “What I regret is the fact that we can’t talk about issues, only about personal attacks and I don’t think that’s constructive.” Boswell said he had to fire after being attacked by outside groups that support Latham.

“Last Christmas over a million dollars was spent — negative — against me before I did anything,” Boswell said. “…Starting in March, before we ever got started, it was getting up to maybe $2 million and so I thought: ‘Well, I have no choice. I’m going to have to fight back.'” About halfway through the debate, the two quarreled about tax policy. Latham favors extending the tax cuts passed during George W. Bush’s presidency to all wage-earners. Boswell would vote to have Americans who earn 250-thousand dollars a year pay the higher tax rates of the 1990s when Bill Clinton was president.

(Radio Iowa)

COUNTIES IN IOWA: POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE  330 AM CDT WED OCT 24 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OMAHA/VALLEY HAS ISSUED A DENSE FOG ADVISORY, WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING. GENERALLY VISIBILITIES WILL RANGE FROM A QUARTER TO A HALF MILE, BUT AT TIMES COULD BE DOWN TO A FEW HUNDRED FEET.

THE FOG WILL MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE CAUTION AND USE LOWER SPEEDS. IN ADDITION THE FOG WILL MAKE PEDESTRIANS DIFFICULT TO SEE. IF DRIVING…SLOW DOWN… USE YOUR HEADLIGHTS…AND LEAVE PLENTY OF DISTANCE AHEAD OF YOU.

A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS ALSO IN EFFECT UNTIL 9-A.M. WED., FOR CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON AND GUTHRIE COUNTIES. 

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