DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has upheld the right of cities to use automated cameras to catch speeding motorists. A Sioux Center attorney challenged Sioux City’s 2011 ordinance establishing the use of cameras to catch speeders. Michael Jacobsma’s car was caught on camera going 67 miles an hour on Interstate 29 where the speed limit is 55.

He launched three constitutional challenges to the ordinance. He claims the ordinance is an unreasonable exercise of police power, violates due process rights of car owners and violates a limited home rule provision that says city ordinances cannot conflict with state laws. The court rejected all three arguments Friday and upheld Jacobsma’s fine.

Officials with the City of Atlantic say a sewer leak that occurred Tuesday has been completely repaired and the DNR notified of the repairs. City Administrator John Lund said today (Friday), the lift station has also been reactivated. The leak repair was completed Thursday afternoon.

Lund said “Our Wastewater Superintendent, Tim Snyder, Tim Teig of Snyder & Associates and Crain Construction worked together to get the situation resolved as soon as possible,” and he thanked all parties involved for their rapid response.

Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural resources had reported Tuesday evening that an air release valve on a forced wastewater main caused approximately 100 gallons per day of wastewater to flow into the East Nishnabotna River from under the bridge at West 6th Street, west of Atlantic. The leak bypassed wastewater only when the lift station pumps were operating for about one hour per day.

The DNR had said due to the river flow, the amount of wastewater that reached the river was diluted enough so that it did not affect the environment.

Legislators are growing frustrated as they seek answers to the “colossal” problems that have delayed the opening of the new state prison in Fort Madison. The facility was to open nearly a year ago, but problems with its ventilation systems are still being fixed. Department of Administrative Services director Janet Phipps Burkhead testified before the House Oversight Committee Thursday, but similar responses to a variety questions about the project.  “I just honestly don’t know that,” Phipps Burkhead often said.

Representative Vicki Lensing, a Democrat from Iowa City, says she was “disappointed” and hopes the director isn’t “stonewalling” legislators.  “Someone was calling the shots, so tell us who. And changes were made. Tell us who,” Lensing says. “Who authorized that?” Lensing and other legislators say they are “growing frustrated as they try to “connect the dots” and figure out what happened to the Fort Madison facility.

For the past 10 months Phipps Burkhead, who is an attorney, had led the state agency that is the project manager for the prison. She did confirm she’s working with lawyers in the attorney general’s office who are plotting a lawsuit against companies involved in the prison project to try to recoup some of the extra costs.

In 2008, the estimated cost of a new, maximum-security prison in Fort Madison was 132-million dollars. Officials now say the actual cost will likely be about 54 million more than that. The 800-bed prison is going to sit empty for several more months as companies are just now submitting bids to install a new smoke ventilation system and get it installed.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic Police Dept. reports two men were arrested Thursday, on drug charges. 20-year old Austin Eblen, of Atlantic, and 21-year old Andrew Laughlin, of Neola, face charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Gathering where Marijuana is Used. Both men were booked into the Cass County Jail.