An official with the Iowa Department of Transportation’s (DOT’s) District 4 Office in Atlantic says a public open house meeting will be held by the Iowa DOT on Thursday, March 24th, to discuss the 2016 summer construction on Interstates 29 and 80, and U.S. Highway 275.  Troy Jerman, Iowa DOT District 4 engineer says “The public information meeting will inform you about what to expect during the upcoming construction season. The Iowa DOT anticipates that ongoing work will impact people traveling on the interstate and businesses at interchanges that are under construction. The public information meeting will tell you what you can expect in 2016.”

All interested persons are invited to attend the meeting anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. at the Council Bluffs Interstate System Improvement Program’s office located at the Mall of the Bluffs, 1751 Madison Ave., Suite 750, in Council Bluffs. Two short presentations are planned for 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; the public is invited to attend either presentation. Iowa DOT staff will be present to informally discuss future projects and the project schedule.

2016 construction projects that will be discussed include:

• I-29 and U.S. 275/Iowa 92 interchange
• East system interchange of I-29/I-80
• West system interchange of I-29/I-80
• Consolidating railroad operations west of Mosquito Creek under I-29 and Iowa 92

Staff will provide an update on the ongoing environmental study and discuss the preliminary design alternatives for the I-29/I-480/West Broadway project.

The meeting space is accessible for persons with disabilities. However, if you require special accommodations at the meeting, please notify the Iowa DOT contact listed below by March 17th. For those who cannot attend the open house, a virtual, online meeting will be available beginning March 24th, and can be accessed by visiting the project website, www.CouncilBluffsInterstate.IowaDOT.gov, and clicking on the online meeting link on the home page.

For general information regarding the proposed improvements or public meeting, call Scott Suhr, district transportation planner, Iowa DOT District 4 Office in Atlantic, at 712-243-3355 or 800-289-4368.

The Iowa DOT is in the process of reconstructing I-80, I-29 and I-480 in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. The comprehensive interstate redesign will modernize the highway system and improve mobility and safety of approximately 18 miles of interstate. Motorists are encouraged to allow for extra travel time while this interstate improvement takes effect. If you would like more information about detours and traffic impacts visit the program website, www.councilbluffsinterstate.iowadot.gov/.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says kayakers and canoeists are being warned to avoid a popular stretch of the Des Moines River in Boone County, following the partial collapse of an historic bridge Thursday afternoon. The west side of the Wagon Wheel Bridge collapsed into the water Thursday afternoon.

The bridge is located southwest of Boone and just north of the Kate Shelley High Bridge on the Des Moines River and was damaged from flowing ice. Because the fallen bridge is creating a hazard, canoeists and kayakers are being urged to avoid the area until it can be cleaned up.

Police in Council Bluffs Thursday, said they had located one driver and vehicle possibly involved in connection with Wednesday morning’s hit and run death of 29-year old Brett Randall Jensen, of Council Bluffs on the I-480 bridge. The investigation has led the police to believe that more than one vehicle was involved in the incident. Police say they are still looking for a second vehicle and driver.

Cameras show the possible second vehicle at the intersection of 35th St. and Broadway minutes before Jensen was struck on the interstate at around 2:18-a.m., Wednesday. His body was found in the far left lane of westbound traffic. The second suspect vehicle is a light colored SUV.

Authorities say the public has been instrumental in providing information and helping to provide closure for Mr. Jensen and his family. Anyone with any information regarding this incident, especially the second vehicle or driver, is asked to contact the Council Bluffs Police Department’s Traffic Investigations Unit at (712) 328-4948 or Crime Stoppers at (712) 328-STOP.

2nd suspect vehicle in fatal hit and run.

Two brothers from Illinois were arrested Thursday afternoon on a trio of charges associated with threats allegedly made between students at Iowa Western Community College, in Council Bluffs. Council Bluffs Police say 19-year old Eric, and 18-year old Edrick Maymon, both from Markham, IL., face charges that include Carrying Weapons on School Grounds (a Class-D felony), Harassment 1st Degree (an Aggravated Misdemeanor), and Criminal Trespass (a Simple Misdemeanor).

Edrick Maymon

Eric Maymon

The brothers, both of whom are students at Iowa Western, were arrested following an investigation into an incident that was reported to have occurred just before 2-p.m., Thursday. Bluffs were dispatched to the campus with regard to threats allegedly being made between students. Official say a small group of students had notified college staff that a gray Ford Escape, with Illinois plates, had just driven past them, as they were walking on campus, and the occupants of the Escape made threatening comments and gestures.

Arriving officers located the gray Escape parked, unoccupied, near the rear of one of the dormitory buildings on campus. All of the exterior doors on the building were monitored by Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Iowa State Patrol troopers, who arrived to assist, while CBPD officers searched several rooms inside for the occupants of the vehicle. College officials placed the on-campus daycare building on “lockout” status. The nearby College View Elementary School was notified and did the same as a precautionary measure.

At 3-p.m., officers located the Maymon brothers inside another student’s room in the building. Eric Maymon was identified as the owner of the Ford Escape. Both Maymons had been previously notified by campus staff that they were banned from being inside this particular building, due to a past incident. A further investigation led to a 12 gauge shotgun being recovered inside the Ford Escape. No one was injured during the incident, which was contained to the one dormitory building and the adjacent parking lot.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa utilities regulators have approved a permit for 346 miles of crude oil pipeline to be built under Iowa farmland. Over the objection of thousands of Iowa residents, the Iowa Utilities Board voted unanimously Thursday to let Texas-based company Dakota Access begin the so-called Bakken pipeline project. The board also will allow Dakota Access the ability to force hundreds of unwilling landowners into easements using eminent domain laws. That is expected to bring lawsuits.

The $3.78 billion pipeline will carry about a half-million barrels of oil per day from North Dakota to Illinois. Iowa was the only state that had not yet approved a permit for the project, which will stretch across 18 Iowa counties and 1,300 parcels of land. The project drew 3,700 letters of protest.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers announced today (Thursday), that the Clarinda Police Department has officially switched to an auto-attendant telephone system. The change went into effect at 1-p.m. (Thursday). Brother says it was necessitated by the City of Clarinda’s 911 Dispatch Center closure and all operations being turned over to Page County.

Brothers says “We appreciate your cooperation as we switch to this new system. It is very user friendly and state of the art. If you have any questions or concerns about the system, feel free to contact [him].”