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ONAWA, Iowa (AP) – A 25-year-old western Iowa woman has been charged with murdering her 15-month-old son by drowning him. Police say Ashley Cameron, of Onawa, was arrested Wednesday afternoon. Officers had been sent to an Onawa home on Feb. 11 because of a report that a toddler wasn’t breathing.  He later was identified as Markis Dahms, Cameron’s infant son.  An autopsy by the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s office determined that the boy had been drowned by someone.  Cameron remains in Monona County Jail, pending $1 million bail. It’s unclear whether she has a lawyer.  Police haven’t released other details about the case.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $2 million contract for levee repair work along the Missouri River in southwest Iowa and northwest Missouri.  The project includes placing large boulders, known as rip rap, on the river side of new setback levees built near Hamburg, Iowa, and Watson, Mo., following last summer’s historic flooding. The contract also includes installing a filter fabric to help reduce the potential of erosion.  The work should be done by the end of July.  The contract was awarded to Western Contacting Corp. in Sioux City.

The City of Atlantic isn’t quite ready to make the switch from the old wastewater treatment plant to its new, $14-million dollar facility, as it was announced two weeks ago. On April 4th, City Administrator Doug Harris told the City Council the new facility would come on-line for testing last Sunday (April 15th), and a switchover to the new plant would be made soon thereafter, once any problems were worked out.  Harris said Mother nature played a role in delaying Sunday’s expected testing process, but a couple of the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant employees were up to the task of making sure additional problems weren’t created.

He says the employees worked diligently when lightening strikes took out some of the controls, on top of having heavy rain which produced a storm surge in the system. In the past, such as surge would have resulted in the facility bypassing the runoff into the East Nishnabotna River, without having been treated first. The employees prevented that from occurring.

Harris said there are some issues with the planned switchover to the new plant, but that “They’re all being handled expeditiously and professionally.” He says the start-up is not expected to occur next Tuesday, April 24th. After it that, it will take at least 10-days altogether before a complete switchover from the old-to-the-new plant is made on May 7th or 8th.

Plans to replace the old wastewater treatment plant began in 2006, after it was determined the current, nearly 70-year old facility could not handle a significant storm water run-off, and, because the D-N-R had required the city to build a million-gallon retention basin, or lagoon. The City opted instead, to build a new, more modern plant.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

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.