A new report finds the quality of roads, bridges and other infrastructure is deteriorating both in the state and nation, hindering opportunities to compete in the global economy. Greg DiLoreto, with the American Society of Civil Engineers, says it’s vital to ensure Iowa’s infrastructure will be improved and restored.

“Nine-point-two percent of your bridges are structurally deficient,” DiLoreto says. “That doesn’t mean they’re going to fall down, it just means they need more maintenance and more inspections. That compares with 9.1% of bridges structurally deficient nationwide, so, you’re right there on the nation’s average with respect to your bridges.”

To the state’s benefit, he says Iowa spent 633-million dollars on bridges in recent years, more by percentage than many other states. DiLoreto says reversing the trajectory after decades of underinvestment in infrastructure requires transformative action. “Your roads in Iowa, you have about 114,000 miles of roads with 18% in poor condition,” DiLoreto says. “That’s about the national average, which is 20%. The bad news is, your citizens are spending about $500 per motorist, per year, in costs from driving on those roads that need repair.”

Those costs to motorists cover a host of things like vehicle repairs, wasted gasoline and time spent in traffic. Iowa earned a C-minus on the Infrastructure Report Card, while the nation was given a D-plus, the same grade as on the last report card four years ago.

“We need to make a greater investment in our infrastructure and we need our elected officials to step up and do the things they need to do to put those investments to work and enact the legislation to make it happen,” Diloreto says. “We have to design facilities that are more resilient that will cost us less in the long run.”

Our infrastructure challenges are significant but solvable, he says, through strategic, sustained investment, bold leadership, comprehensive planning, and careful preparation for the needs of the future.

(Radio Iowa)

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office says an Atlantic man wanted on a warrant for two counts of Serious injury by vehicle, has turned himself-in. 20-year old Jacob Dale Johnson was taken into custody at around 11-a.m., Tuesday. The charges were the result of a Sept. 15th 2016 accident in Pott. County that resulted in critical injuries to Johnson and his passengers, Adam Bolton and Dacoda Schwarte, both of whom were 20 years old at the time, and from Atlantic.

Authorities had said he accident involving a 2004 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Johnson happened at around 12:20-a.m., Sept. 15th in the area of 510th Street and Sumac Road.  An investigation determined the pickup was traveling northbound on 510th Street when Johnson failed to negotiate the curve at Sumac Road.  The pickup traveled into the ditch and struck an embankment. Adam Bolton was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker said afterward, alcohol was believed to have been a factor in the crash

Two Oakland men were arrested Tuesday on active warrants.  18-year old Tristan Michael Herrera, and, 18-year old Shane Elam Rouse II were arrested on warrants for Theft in the 5th Degree.

And, a Council Bluffs woman was arrested Tuesday afternoon for Harassment by Communication. 18-year old Masson Hunter Anderson allegedly harassed a 16-year old female via social media. The postings were said to have “Threatened, intimidated and alarmed the victim.” Anderson and the 16-year old are both students at the Underwood High School. Authorities say Anderson was released at the scene and cited into court.

March is National Athletic Training Month, and Athletic Trainer Andrew Niemann will be presenting at the next session of Healthy U at noon on March 23rd, at the Cass County Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic.  Nieman who joined CCHS last fall, says “What we do as athletic trainers really extends beyond the sidelines.”  He’ll talk about the role of athletic trainers, both in sports and a clinic, as well as information on exercising and aging.

Healthy U is a free educational lunch series at Cass County Health System held monthly in CCMH Conference Room 2. The public is invited and welcome to attend, but reservations are required as lunch is provided for all attendees. Call 712-243-7479 to reserve your seat.

Andrew Niemann (Photo submitted)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors have set April 12^th as the date for an amendment to the current, Fiscal Year 2017 County Budget. County Auditor Dale Sunderman explained the amendment is necessary because of matters pertaining to the Elite Octane, LLC Ethanol plant.

The Board then heard from Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm, with regard to the Glacier Road Paving project for the ethanol plant. He said they plan to have the preliminary plans and specs to the County Engineer by this Friday, for County review. The next step is to begin work on Right-of-Way plats as needed, for acquisition of property for the roadway expansion, and they hope to have bid letting by the first part of May. He said a cost estimate should be available to the Board by their meeting next week. In other business, the Board approved the appointments of David Newman, of Griswold, as Noble Township Trustee to fill a vacancy term through 2018 due to a resignation, and James Hickman, of Atlantic, and Julie Goeser, of Harlan, to the Cass County Food Policy Council. Hickman will represent the County Ministerial Association, while Goeser is a Food Safety Specialist at Western Iowa Regional Inspections.

Also, Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon reported to the Board the City of Atlantic will be testing its Tornado sirens in preparation for the severe weather season. Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa is March 27th through the 31st. That includes the Statewide Tornado Drill March 29th, between 10-and 11-a.m.

The Iowa Senate had an emotional debate about abortion last (Tuesday) night. It ended when all 29 Republicans, two Democrats and the independent in the senate voted for a bill that would forbid most abortions after a pregnancy reaches its 20th week. There would be exemptions where the mother’s life is at risk. A woman could terminate a pregnancy between 20 and 24 weeks if the fetus has a fatal condition. More than 15 states have passed similar legislation, and a handful faced legal challenges.

Senator Ken Rozenboom is a Republican from Oskaloosa. “Senators as we cast this important vote…it’s my hope and it’s my prayer that some day down the road, maybe 20 years from now, maybe a young girl will come up to you and say: ‘Thanks for my life,'” Rozenboom said.

Senator Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull, says “dialogue” around the abortion issue has always “perplexed” him. Feenstra was among 16 Republicans senators who publicly indicated they wanted to go farther and pass legislation that would essentially ban all abortions in Iowa and, perhaps, set up a legal challenge of the 1972 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion. Senator Rick Bertrand, a Republican from Sioux City, expressed frustration. “It’s the goal of sending it back to where this horrific practice began, which was the Supreme Court. We could have put that on a path tonight, but we didn’t,” Bertrand said. “We’ll do it next time.”

Republican Senator Jack Chapman of Adel unsuccessfully tried to force an up-or-down senate vote that would have given legal protection to a human egg at the moment of conception. Senator Janet Petersen, a Democrat from Des Moines who voted against the bill, delivered a stillborn baby more than a decade ago after a knot formed in the umbilical cord. “This is probably one of the most mean-spirited bills I’ve seen yet this year and we’ve seen a lot of mean-spirited bills,” Petersen said. “I get the calls from women who get the devastating blow that their baby is not going to make it.”

Petersen and other critics of the bill say fewer than one percent of abortions are performed after the 20th week of a pregnancy because the baby would not survive outside the womb or because the mother’s health is threatened. Senator Joe Bolkcom, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the bill will “hinder medical care.”

Current Iowa law bans abortions after 27 weeks. This stricter ban would have to clear the Iowa House before it reaches the governor’s desk. Governor Branstad has expressed support for new abortion restrictions.

(Radio Iowa)

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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One dozen of the 57 Republicans in the Iowa House have signed onto a bill that would incrementally raise the state sales tax by fractions, to raise money for water quality initiatives. Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Republican from Wilton, is the proposal’s lead sponsor.

The bill would raise the sales tax by one-eighth of a percent in each of the next three years. By that third year, it would raise 180-million dollars annually. Kaufmann says that 180 million could REPLACE other state tax money being spent on water quality projects — and he’s suggesting INCOME taxes for low-income Iowans could be reduced as a result.

Representative Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Cedar Rapids, says voters told her last year water quality is a quality of life issue. Representative Andy McKean, a Republican from Anamosa who is another co-sponsor of the bill, says it’s crafted in the tradition of former Republican President Teddy Roosevelt who founded the National Park system. “I think it’s high time that Republicans start taking the lead on some of these environmental and conservation issues,” McKean says.

There’s another water quality improvement package already moving through the legislature. Governor Branstad has expressed support for its contents — and Branstad has said he’s not interested in raising the sales tax to expand the state’s water quality efforts.

(Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Senate has passed a bill supporters hope will reduce what they consider “nuisance” lawsuits about the location of livestock operations. Senator Dan Zumbach, a Republican from Ryan, says the bill establishes new legal protections for livestock producers who are “prudent” and “reasonable.”

“It only is going to protect good actors,” Zumbach says. “It’s going to do nothing for bad actors and you can still sue. You can still file for damages. It just creates equitable damages.” The bill, for example, would put new limits on the damages a court could order for health care costs connected to living near a confinement. Senator Bill Dotzler, a Democrat from Waterloo, says some big livestock operations “don’t give a hoot about their neighbor.”

“I support agriculture in this state,” Dotzler says. “It’s a good thing for us, but you’ve also got to respect other people’s properties.” Senate Democratic Leader Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids, says the bill is “fundamentally unfair.”

“This is about people’s dreams and their lives,” Hogg says. “And what they don’t want is to have somebody come in unfettered and have a nuisance put in next to them and be told when they try to do something about it: ‘You know what? Your rights don’t matter. The fact that you were there first doesn’t matter.'” Senator David Johnson of Ocheyedan, an independent, says things have changed, for the worse, in many rural areas. “We’ve got to get rid of this notion that you can just put a confinement anywhere, at any time,” Johnson said.

Zumbach says the bill is necessary because banks are reluctant to loan money to livestock producers because of the threat of “nuisance” lawsuits. “This bill’s about a young gentleman or lady coming out of Iowa State University educated well, ready to go into the livestock industry,” Zumbach says, “and having the ability to go to a bank that will loan that person money and feel comfortable with that loan to start them in the livestock industry.”

And Zumbach says the bill’s designed to protect smaller producers who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. He accused critics of the legislation of trying to “slaughter” the state’s livestock industry.The bill passed with the support of 31 of the 50 state senators. It must clear the House Ag Committee by March 30th or it will no longer be eligible for consideration by lawmakers this year.

(Radio Iowa)

Two people have been arrested on separate warrants for Violation of Probation. The Creston Police Department reports 30-year old Shaune William Tindle, and 40-year old Teresa Joan Earley, both of Creston, were arrested Tuesday on the Union County warrants. Tindle was later released on $1,000 bond, while Earley was released on a $300 bond.

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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