DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State transportation officials say Interstate 29 in western Iowa is in the path of the rising Missouri River, and parts could be closed within days.

The Department of Transportation on Tuesday released an initial assessment of the state and federal highways most at risk.

It includes I-29, U.S. 275 and Iowa 333 in Hamburg, where a massive sandbagging operation is under way to protect the town. Other parts of I-29 are on the list, including north of Council Bluffs, near Crescent and near Loveland. A section of Interstate 680 in Council Bluffs is also at risk.

Officials have also included Iowa Highway 2 in Fremont County and state Highway 127 near Mondamin (mahn-DAY’-min) in Harrison County.

The DOT says it will update the list as the river rises.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – June 7, 2011 – Nighttime construction work will cause lane closures on eastbound Interstate 80 between Madison Avenue (exit 5) and U.S. 6 (exit 8) near Council Bluffs from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Tuesday, June 7, until Saturday, June 11, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Council Bluffs construction office. 

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.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office has investigated two mobile home fires in parts of western Iowa this week. Each fire resulted in serious injury or death to its occupants and each home had no working smoke detectors.

On Saturday June 4, 2011 at 9:34 PM, firefighters responded to a fire at 227 12th St. in Fontanelle. Upon arrival, firefighters found the two occupants lying on the ground outside of the home. Each had sustained burn injuries. Both 63 year old Susan Davis and 60 year old Howard Burgher were transported to the Adair County Hospital before being transported via life flight to the University of Iowa Burn Unit.

Howard Burgher died at the Burn Unit on Sunday morning; an autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death. Susan Davis remains in critical condition at the U of I Burn Unit.

Local fire officials requested the Office of the State Fire Marshal investigate the cause of the Fontanelle fire. Investigating agents determined the fire was accidental and started by the careless discarding of smoking materials. Additionally, the pace of the fire was accelerated by the excessive storage of combustible materials. These storage items also restricted access to exits. There were no working smoke detectors in the home.

Today (Tuesday) at 2:15 AM, firefighters were called to 3510 North 9th St., Lot #213 in Carter Lake, on report of a fire. Upon arrival, Carter Lake Police entered the home and rescued the single occupant, 74 year old Donna Thomas.

Thomas was transported to Creighton Hospital in Omaha, before being transported via life flight to the St. Elizabeth Burn Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. The woman sustained life-threatening injuries.

Local fire officials requested the Office of the State Fire Marshal investigate the cause of the Carter Lake fire. Agents determined that the fire is accidental with the fire originating from an electrical short in the wiring of a small appliance near Thomas’ bed.

Additionally, the pace of the fire was accelerated by the excessive storage of combustible materials. These storage items also restricted access to exits. There were no working smoke detectors in the Thomas home.

Officials with Syngest, Incorporated, say the Honeywell Corporation has been selected to help the California-based company design a proposed first-of-its-kind processing facility in southwest Iowa, that will produce ammonia from biomass. The plant will process as much as 400 tons of biomass each day to produce nitrogen fertilizer, which helps reduce fossil fuel emissions and will be sold to U.S. agricultural companies and farms.

Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) has agreed to provide front-end engineering (FEED) support and a wide range of technology that will comprise the plant’s fully integrated control system, process simulators and field instrumentation. Additionally, the proposed facility will use a pressure swing adsorption technology developed by Honeywell UOP to purify hydrogen used in the plant’s processes.

SynGest CEO Jack Oswald says “Honeywell’s unparalleled skills in renewable fuels and bioproducts, and special expertise in automated process design and controls will add enormous value to SynGest’s commercial-scale projects once implemented.”

SynGest’s Menlo facility will be the first carbon-negative bio-product project of its kind in the world, and will reduce greenhouse-gas-emissions by 150%. The project will eventually create 360 skilled constructions jobs and 40 fulltime employees. Purchasing/ transportation of the biomass and sales of ammonia, and support services will add $10 million of new income to nearby communities.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, are scheduled to hold the first reading of an Ordinance pertaining to the Voter approved Local Option Sales and Service Tax (LOST). Action on the ordinance is set to take place at 9:30-a.m., and will be followed by consideration of the next reading, a resolution to approve the ordinance, and signing of the ordinance, number 26-A.

In other business, the Board will act on accepting the resignation of a Conservation Board member, and the signing of a 28-E agreement with Cass County, for the sharing of engineering services provided by Engineer Charles Marker.

They’ll also hear from Judge Gamble, with regard to a courthouse ceiling matter.

The meeting begins at 9-a.m.

Two Carter Lake Police officers rescued a seriously injured 74-year-old woman from a mobile home fire early this (Tuesday) morning. Carter Lake Police Chief Shawn Kannedy says when officers Ryan Gonsior and Ron Hansen arrived at the mobile home park on North Ninth Street at about 2:30-a.m., they heard a weak cry for help from a woman in one of the units.

As smoke poured out of the structure, the officers quickly forced their way inside, where they found the unidentified woman on the floor behind the door. Seeing only her arm, they grabbed the woman, and pulled her to safety.

Carter Lake Fire and Rescue transported her to Creighton University Medical Center. She was later taken to the St. Elizabeth Regional Burn Center in Lincoln, NE.

Carter Lake and Crescent fire departments extinguished the blaze, which caused substantial damage to the home, and some surrounding sheds.

Six employees at five separate businesses received criminal citations for selling alcohol to minors, last week. Officials with the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force (SWINE) report the citations were issued as part of an undercover operation conducted at a total of eight businesses in Council Bluffs, on Friday, June 3^rd.

Cited for selling alcohol to persons under the age of 21, was: Jenni Null, an employee of Sugars Lounge; Michaela Hotz, an employee of the German Beer Haus; Main Street Tavern employee Brenda Donaldson; Do Rock Inn employees Derek Rodwell and Shelly Biggs; and, J-&-B’s Lounge employee Matthew Way.

Those businesses which were in compliance, and whose employees refused the sale of alcohol to minors, were the Venue, Salty Dog Bar & Grill, and Goofy’s Corner, all in Council Bluffs.

The undercover operation was conducted with the assistance of both an 18-year old female and male. Officials say the compliance checks will continue on an unannounced basis in the near future.

w/ News Director Ric Hanson

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A public hearing will be held Wednesday morning in Atlantic, with regard to a proposed preliminary plat in the Walnut Grove Subdivision, Washington Township. The meeting will be held during the Cass County Board of Supervisor’s meeting, which starts at 9-a.m.

Also on the board’s agenda Wednesday, is action on expense appropriations for Fiscal Year 2012. That includes funding request appropriations. If there is no change from budgeted amounts, no additional action will be necessary.

Other business includes discussion and/or action on: a contract for legal services related to funding for the northwest Water-Sewer extension project; a contract for computer services, FY 2011-2012 (Licensed Code and System Hardware/Network/Software support); certification of county officers’ deputies’ base salaries; and, determining the compensation of “other employees” (other than those who are under a bargaining unit- or other employment- contracts.

The Board will also act on approving a 28-E agreement with Adair County, for service provided by Cass County Engineer Charles Marker.