Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

Snyder & Associates Engineer Dave Sturm reports that beginning the week of April 23rd, construction will begin on 22nd Street in Atlantic, west of Chestnut Street, and on Cedar, Hickory, Locust and Laurel Streets, between 8th Street and 7th Street. The contractor intends to close the roads to thru traffic on Monday, April 23rd, 2012.

The existing roadway surfacing will be removed, so access will be limited to local residents only on 22nd Street. Cedar, Hickory, Locust and Laurel Streets will be closed entirely.

Brett Irlmeier, Chair of the Audubon County Community Foundaton announced this week five non-profit groups or organizations in the County have been awarded grants totaling $95,900.  The largest grant amount of $48,000 went to the Audubon Recreation Foundation, for a building project. The grant will help to cover the costs of architectural designs, site preparation, and the beginning building stages.

The Audubon Stage Committee received a $28,720 grant, for the renovation of the Community Stage to fit a 1900’s theme. In addition, The Audubon County Agricultural Society received an $8,000 grant for renovation of the Agri Hall…The Audubon County Conservation Club received a $9,080 grant to provide a welll for public restrooms and a kitchen at the ACCC facility….and, the Exira Chamber of Commerce received $2,100 for improvements to the City Park.

All of those organizations had submitted applications to the Audubon County Community Foundation prior to the February 1st deadline, and met the criteria as Audubon County non-profit agencies or organizations, with charitable missions in one or more areas.

Atlantic Parks and Recreation Director Roger Herring has made available to the media mileage maps for the walking/biking trails at the Schildberg Recreation Area.  At a recent park board meeting the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, in addition to KJAN and other local media, expressed an interest in putting the charts on their websites, for viewing by the public. 

Herring says he hopes to have a park and rec link off of the city’s website in the near future but that feature is currently not  available. He says the walking trails are getting used frequently, but questions remained as to how far the trails were. 

Click on the images below to view the charts.

Herring says they will also have some signage at the entrances to the trails that will have the mileage charts on them, but there is currently no funding available for those signs.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says no injuries were reported following two separate accidents Tuesday afternoon. At around 12:20-p.m., a car driven by 56-year old Pauline Garves-Thompson, of Essex, was headed westbound on 150^th Street about one-quarter of a mile west of D Avenue, when two deer ran onto the roadway. Garves-Thompson swerved to avoid hitting the animals, and in the process lost control of her car. The vehicle entered the north ditch and hit a tree located along a creek. Damage to the 1994 Cadillac was estimated at $4,500. No citations were issued. 

The second accident happened just before 5-p.m. on H Avenue, just north of 170^th Street. Officials say a dump truck and trailer owned by Southwest Iowa Rock and Sand, and driven by 51-year old Lance Most, of Red Oak, was traveling south on H Avenue and slowing to dump a load of gravel onto the roadway, when the trailer was rear-ended by an SUV. 

The driver of the 2005 Chevy Blazer, 34-year old Laura Thornberg, of Essex,  told authorities dust produced by the truck impaired her ability to see the trailer. Her SUV sustained $7,000 damage, and was considered a total loss. The truck/trailer sustained $1,000 damage. No citations were issued.

Cass County Attorney Dan Feistner and County Engineer Charles Marker reported to the Board of Supervisors during their meeting Wednesday morning in Atlantic, that Mid-American Energy has agreed to reimburse the County for damage caused to rural roads by trucks hauling wind turbine components. Marker says the County had been working to recoup losses for work on repairing the roads for several months. He said the company is willing to reimburse the County $253, 467, provided the County sign a release of liability.

The Supervisors approved Board Chair Duane McFadden signing the release for return to Mid-American. Once the energy company receives the document, they will transmit immediate payment to the Counties’ account. Marker says the company always intended to pay, but their legal division wanted the proper paperwork filed.

The damaged roads are located in the southeast part of the County near Massena, in what’s known as the “Rolling Hills Wind Energy Project.” Marker says he will need to amend his budget once the payment is received, to show additional revenue in the current budget year.

PRIMGHAR, Iowa (AP) – The death of a 14-year-old northwest Iowa student has prompted discussion by relatives, school officials and others about the bullying that is being blamed for his suicide. The family of Kenneth Weishuhn, of Primgahr, says he was harassed at school after he told people that he was gay. His mother, Jeannie Chambers, told the Sioux City Journal that he asked her not to talk to administrators.  Administrators and Chambers say they didn’t know about the barrage of hate that had been directed at Kenneth, who killed himself on Sunday.

There were threatening cellphone calls and voicemails and messages posted online. His 16-year-old sister, Kayla Weishuhn, says one student called her brother and left him death threats, saying that he didn’t deserve to live.

Avoca City Manager Clint Fichter has announced his intentions to run for the Republican Party’s nomination in the June 5^th Primary, for Iowa House District 22. District 22 includes most of rural Pottawattamie County and a part of Council Bluffs. Local supporters will be hosting a Neola Area Kick-Off Event at Sweet Gatherings in Neola (111 4^th Street) on Thursday, April 19^th from 5-7 pm.   

Fichter says as State Representative, he will “Be a voice for our individual liberty, fiscal conservatism, local control, commonsense regulatory reform, maintaining necessary infrastructure, and a world-class education system from Pre-K to college.” 

Fichter has been City Manager of Avoca since 2007. He earned his Masters degree in Public Administration at Iowa State University and studied law at Creighton University Law School.  Fichter also serves on the Executive Boards of both the Iowa League of Cities and the Southwest Iowa Planning Council. 

Fichter and his wife, Monica, live with their children in Avoca.

The Harlan City Council Tuesday evening held a public hearing on the issuance of General Obligation Bonds. Hearing no comments from the public, the Council acted on approving a resolution which instituted the proceedings necessary to take additional action for the issuance bonds, not to exceed $2.5 million. A second resolution was also approved, pertaining to the direct advertisement for sale of $2.455 million in G-O Bonds, and approval of electronic bidding procedures. 

In other business, the Harlan City Council passed a resolution approving a contract and bond with Story Construction Company, of Ames for the Rotating Biological Contactor Disk Replacement as it pertains to the wastewater treatment plant. 

And, a resolution was approved to which would allow the Harlan Police Department back into the Social Security system. Back in the 1980’s, the Harlan Police Department was removed from receiving social security because they were put on IPERS. City Administrator Terry Cox told the board he had several meetings with officials at IPERS and they have indicated there is a remote chance the Social Security Administration may allow the Harlan Police Department officers to opt back into the social security system by a referendum process.

The resolution was approved but Cox said there is no a guarantee the department will receive Social Security but gets the ball rolling. The State must approved the resolution as well.

(Courtesy Joel McCall/KNOD)

w/ Ric Hanson

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