Officials with the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Council Bluffs construction office say lane restrictions will be in place on westbound Interstate 80 over the South Expressway in Council Bluffs, to allow crews to remove and replace the back wall on the South Expressway bridge. Work on the project will begin 7-p.m. Friday, Oct. 5th, and continue until 8- a.m. Monday, Oct. 8th, weather permitting. Work is being scheduled for the weekend to minimize traffic delays on I-80.

Motorists may want to select the South Omaha Bridge Road (U.S. 275) or I-680 to I-29 east of the metro area as alternate routes. Construction work will continue on the weekends for up to four weeks until the project has been completed. The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey posted speed limits and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles and wear seat belts.

Officials with the Rural Iowans for Obama campaign have announced a rural roundtable will be held in Clarinda, Friday. The event is being held to talk about issues facing rural communities, and will be hosted by Jennifer Herrington, member of the Rural Iowans for Obama Steering Committee and the Page County Democratic Chair.

Participants at the meeting will discuss the need for Congress to pass a farm bill, and matters pertaining to wind energy. The meeting takes place at Down Right Delicious in Clarinda (120 S. 15th St.), beginning at 8:30-a.m., Friday, Oct. 5th.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A former minister convicted of three sexual assault charges in Council Bluffs will be resentenced on one of them, now that the Iowa Appeals Court has lowered the severity of one of his crimes. 57-year-old Efrain Umana had been convicted in January 2011 of second-degree sexual abuse, third-degree sexual abuse and assault with intent to commit sexual abuse. Umana, who had led churches in Iowa and Nebraska, was given 35 years in prison. Umana had appealed the convictions, and in its ruling issued Wednesday, the Appeals Court said prosecutors didn’t present enough evidence of specific intent to commit sexual abuse. The court returned the case to district court for resentencing on a reduced assault charge.

The DNR reports public meetings will be held across the state to gather input on proposed water quality standards designated use changes for a fourth batch of select rivers and streams. Officials say the changes help protect aquatic life and recreational uses.

For a list of stream designations being revised in the water quality standards, please refer to the list posted at: www.iowadnr.gov/InsideDNR/RegulatoryWater/WaterQualityStandards/DesignatedUses/UseAssessments.aspx

Locally, a meeting will be held in Atlantic, on Nov. 13th, from 3 to 6 p.m., at the Atlantic Rock Island Depot, 102 Chestnut St.

Those not able to attend the meetings may submit written comments or questions through Dec. 10th, to: Rochelle Cardinale, DNR, 502 East Ninth St., Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034; by fax to 515-281-8895; or by email to rochelle.cardinale@dnr.iowa.gov.

Anytime you buy something online and don’t pay an Iowa sales tax, you’re breaking the law. The Iowa Department of Revenue is launching an educational campaign to get Iowans to start paying “use taxes.” Revenue spokeswoman Victoria Daniels says it’s not fair if main street business collect sales taxes while Amazon and other big online retailers don’t. Daniels says, “So, when you make a purchase on the internet and the sales tax isn’t collected, in effect, you’re putting those small businesses at a disadvantage.”

As part of the campaign, Iowa taxpayers will be urged to go to the Department of Revenue website, then to popular links, then to the consumer use tax page to report your purchases. The application will compute what is owed and accept payment. Daniels says all state employees, especially those at the Department of Revenue, will be expected to pay up. Daniels says, “Mind you, I plan to go through my credit card receipts and look at it and say, ‘Huh, this is a business that is not in Iowa. I owe tax on this.'”

There are two new methods for paying the tax online at the Iowa Department of Revenue website. Daniels says, “Look under the heading ‘Popular Links’ you’ll see ‘New Options to Pay Consumer Use Tax.'” Last year, conscientious Iowa shoppers voluntarily submitted only about 21-thousand dollars for the tax. Millions of dollars in state taxes that are required by law are going uncollected. Besides internet purchases, the rules also apply to catalog sales. Congress may act soon to require all online retailers to collect state sales taxes.

(Radio Iowa)

ST. LOUIS (AP) – A weekly drought report shows that conditions have worsened in some key Midwest farming states where the corn harvest is more than halfway completed. The U.S. Drought Monitor map released Thursday shows that 75 percent of Iowa, the nation’s biggest corn producer, is enduring extreme or exceptional drought, which are the two worst classifications. That’s up roughly 10 percentage points from the previous week.

The worse conditions won’t make much difference to Iowa’s already withered corn crop but it could affect crops such as winter wheat. Nearly 98 percent of neighboring Nebraska still falls into the two most severe drought categories.  Overall drought conditions in the lower 48 states remained relatively unchanged.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say the man who owns the reeking Sioux City home where dozens of cats were removed faces 14 counts of animal neglect.  The man was identified as 56-year-old Mark Lanning, of Sioux City.  More than four dozen cats were removed from the home on Monday, and officials found several cat carcasses as well. Cindy Rarrat, of Sioux City Animal Adoption & Rescue Center, says conditions inside the house were unbearable.  The hungry, thirsty cats were taken to the rescue center.  Neighbors say no one has lived in the home for a couple of months.

w/ Ric Hanson

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Authorities in Red Oak say a Red Oak man was arrested on a Criminal Mischief charge, following an alleged attempted residential break-in Wednesday afternoon. 47-year old Brian Keefe Ogletree was arrested for 4th degree criminal mischief and interference with official acts, in connection with an incident in the 700 block of East Coolbaugh Street.

Red Oak Police say officers arriving at the scene shortly before 5:30-p.m. found Ogletree with his hand through a broken window in the door. The man allegedly tried resist arrest, when officers confronted him.

Olgetree was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

Cass County resident and cancer survivor Deanna Spry is on a mission to raise awareness about the importance of having regular mammograms.

Cancer survivor Deana Spry raises money for cancer research. (Photo Courtesy CCMH)

Between managing the Casey’s store in Anita, spending time with her family, and going antiquing with the busy 49-year  almost missed getting a mammogram last December, but a couple of visits to the Cass County Memorial Hospital resulted in a diagnosis of breast cancer, and the decision to have a bilateral mastectomy.

Spry is organizing a special event scheduled to take place at Lake Anita on Saturday, Oct. 13, beginning at 1 p.m. She calls it “Trailing for TaTas,” and she’s urging people to come and walk the three miles of trails along the lake and take part in a wide variety of fun activities including hayrack rides and entertainment. (For more information or to sign up, visit http://tinyurl.com/8hvzt4q)

Spry says she wants to “Make it a fun get together to create an awareness about breast cancer and provide an opportunity to share stories and support others who have been touched by this disease.” Every dollar raised through Trailing for TaTas will be donated to the American Cancer Society, the nationwide voluntary health organization that, among other things, helps provide funding for research and mammograms.

Spry says she tells every woman she sees, to get a mammogram, because “It’s a simple thing. It’s only once a year and it only takes a half-hour.” Spry says she thinks “Everybody’s life is worth that much.”