Officials with Harlan Municipal Utilities report progress continues in efforts to change the City’s regular streetlights to LED-style lights. HMU says crews in the electrical department are working to retrofit legacy high pressure sodium streetlights to LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting. Approximately one-third of 192 streetlights have been converted. LED’s are known for their low power consumption and longer life expectancy than regular, flourescent lights.

The remainder of the lights are expected to be changed by July 1st, 2014. The estimated cost for equipment during the 2013-2014 fiscal year is $83,500. Once the install work is complete, the LED lights will save the utility company $82,000 per year in energy costs.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

A bridge in Shelby County will see improvements made starting in the next few days. In a Supervisors meeting this (Tuesday) morning, Shelby County Engineer Dan Ahart appeared before the board to discuss soil borings on the Douglas bridge, or as he called it the “Hollywood bridge,” located in section 33 1400th Street in Douglas Township. Ahart explained the bridge south of Kirkman on the Nishnabotna River will be closed during the day to drill holes for the soil borings beginning this week.

Certified Testing out of Sioux City is the contractor for the work. Ahart says the process is a simple procedure. As he said there will be four borings conducted, one at each abutment and two on the bridge where the new piers will be. Closure signs will be up near the bridge and the crews will drop them in-place during the evening.

The Supervisors approved the work which will cost $5,800. The money will come out of the farm to market funding. Following the motion and approval, Ahart said the same bridge will go out for bids in late fall or early winter of 2014 and construction would start in 2015.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Board of Supervisors in Adair County will meet Wednesday in their Board Room at the Courthouse in Greenfield, beginning at 9-a.m. On the agenda, are updates on the Manure Management Plan (MMP) and reports from the County Auditor and Engineer.

In her report, Auditor Mindy Schaefer will discuss computer server bids, the credit card policy, and an abatement of taxes Resolution. And, County Engineer Nick Kauffman will discuss a 6-month step increase, the annual DOT report, as well as the materials bid for the W-21 Jefferson Bridge project.

The Board will also hear from Home Care representative Stephanie Claussen, with regard to an Emergency Preparedness Grant contract.

The Griswold Community School District’s Board of Education elected new officers during their meeting Monday evening. Superintendent Dana Kunze says Doug Lembke was elected President, while Scott Peterson was named Vice President. The newly re-elected board then went to work on the issues before them on their agenda. Kunze said that included moving ahead with the boiler replacement project at the Middle School/High School Building.

He says the next step is to have the design phase handled for the installation of a hot water boiler instead of the current, steam boiler. The same system will also help to control cooling during the summer, because of reheating valves that bring air up to temperature before it enters classroom and other spaces.

Kunze said the Board tabled action on the locker room and restroom remodeling projects until there are more solid numbers on how much the boiler system will cost. And, the board decided to hold-off on having structural spraying conducted on the track, but four-foot high galvanized fencing will be installed around the track.

The Board also approved a lease agreement with Massena Telephone for the construction of a cell phone tower on school grounds, but were unable to make a decision on snow removal bids because of a lack of interested bidders. He joked that if the Board doesn’t get any bids soon, they’ll need everyone to bring a scoop shovel with them to school.

In other business, the Griswold School Board received an update on the A-Y-P, or Annual Yearly Progress report, from Counselor Nancy Potter. She indicated the District’s ACT scores had trended upward over the last 5-years, and they’ve been some of the highest scores the district has had. He says that means the district is headed in the right direction when it comes to education.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The owner of the Argosy riverboat casino in Sioux City has asked a state judge to stop construction on a Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in downtown Sioux City. The Sioux City Journal reports that attorneys for Argosy parent Penn National Gaming Co. filed the motion in Polk County District Court on Monday. Penn is seeking to stop the construction until its lawsuit against the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission over the commission’s selection process for the new casino is resolved.

Work began in July on the $128.5 million Hard Rock casino. Last month, state regulators denied the Argosy’s request to renew its state gambling license. But the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission did not set a closing date for the floating casino.

The Iowa State Patrol has released the names of the victims involved in a fatal crash Monday morning in Harrison County. Officials say the driver of a 2000 GMC Sonoma pickup, 18-year old Salvador Valdovinos, of South Sioux City, NE, and a passenger in a 2012 Kenworth semi, 59-year old William Griffin, of Pine Bluff, AR, died at the scene of the crash near Mondamin. The driver of the semi, 58-year old Rebecca Griffin, also of Pine Bluff, was injured and transported by helicopter to Creighton Hospital, in Omaha.

Authorities say the pickup was traveling south on Interstate 29 at around 6:50-a.m., when it went out of control and crossed the median before striking the northbound semi, which was carrying dynamite. Officials say there was no danger of the dynamite exploding.

No injuries were reported following a single-vehicle accident Sunday, in Lenox. According to Police, Frank Valenzuela was backing up his car, a 2005 Ford, which was parked in his back yard.

Lenox P-D photo

The vehicles’ accelerator stuck, causing the car to speed through his back yard, across a ditch and East Van Buren Street, before it came to rest against a John Deere corn head parked at Barker Implement. Damage to the car was estimated at $2500.00. Damage to the combine head was unknown. No citations were issued

w/ Ric Hanson

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PERRY, Iowa (AP) – The historic Hotel Pattee in Perry that abruptly closed earlier this summer now has a new owner.  Des Moines television station KCCI reports that Jay and Denise Hartz, of St. Louis, have bought the building and plan to reopen it by the end of October.  The couple plan to first clean the 40-room boutique hotel and make some repairs.

Mayor Jay Pattee says the development is “a huge deal for Perry.”  Jay Hartz said several Perry residents invested a total of $500,000 to reopen the hotel.  The hotel underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation in the 1990s, but closed in 2006 after losing money. A new owner re-opened it in 2008.

Its previous owner, Leisure Hotels, said it was forced to close the hotel in August because of financial difficulties.