Winter is getting closer as the month of October winds down and a spokesman for the Iowa Utilities Board says low-income Iowans want to be sure they are signed up for heating assistance programs. Board spokesman, Rob Hillesland says the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program can provide some help. “It’s also known as LIHEAP, and they also have an associated weatherization assistance program, which can help people weatherize their homes — for basically winter — but also for year-round and help them to be more energy efficient,” HIllesland says.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program and you can qualify based on your income. “It’s not intended to pay for all of their winter heating costs, but it will provide them some assistance,” Hillesland explains. “And then related to that, between November 1st through April 1st, Iowa has a winter disconnection moratorium.” You must be qualified for LIHEAP to be covered under the disconnection moratorium.

“Qualified customers cannot be disconnected for nonpayment of their bills,” Hillesland says. “Of course, we still encourage people to pay what they can throughout the winter, otherwise they are going to be stuck with a large bill in the spring, and that can easily result in disconnection at that time.”

You can sign up for LIHEAP through you local Community Action Agency or on-line at www.dcaa.iowa.gov. Hillesland says the weatherization program is a way to ensure you are getting the most out of the money you are spending on heating and cooling. “They can actually go in through the weatherization program, and if they find that a furnace is in really bad shape, they can actually replace that. And they can help with various other things like better insulating the home,” Hillesland says.

You can also find information on the LIHEAP and weatherization programs on the Iowa Utilities Board website (at http://www.state.ia.us/iub/).

(Radio Iowa)

APottawattamie County man was sentenced Tuesday to more than five-years in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. 35-year old Craig Duane Ellis, of Council Bluffs will also be required to serve two-years of supervised release following his 70-month sentence handed-down by United States District Court Chief Judge James E. Gritzner. On July 18th, Ellis pled guilty to the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He  was pulled over for a traffic stop on February 14, 2014, in Fremont County, and two 12-gauge shotguns were found in the vehicle. Ellis was prohibited from possessing a firearm after he pled guilty in 2001 to third degree kidnapping.
The investigation was conducted by the Fremont County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) – A 54-year-old northwest Iowa man has been accused of sexually abusing his wife and of forcing her to take pills that resulted in the termination of two pregnancies. Records say the Storm Lake man is charged with two counts of sexual abuse; five counts of termination of pregnancy – consent by force or intimidation; and one count of domestic abuse assault. The Associated Press is not naming the man, in order to protect the woman’s privacy.

The woman told police that between October 2012 and April 2014, her husband forced her to take pills on five occasions, resulting in the loss of two fetuses. She also says he threatened her with a machete during sexual assaults.

An Atlantic man was arrested Tuesday on a warrant for Aggravated Assault. The Police Department reports 30-year old Ty Jordan was taken into custody on the warrant issued out of Shelby County, and later transferred to Shelby County for disposition.

The A-PD reports also, a woman from Adair received a warning following a minor accident Tuesday afternoon near the intersection of Highway 6 and the Wal-Mart entrance. Roberta Caltrider received a warning from police for Failure to Maintain Control, after she failed to stop at the red light, and hit a vehicle driven by Donna Andersen, of Atlantic.

Both drivers complained of neck pain.  Caltrider also had a laceration to her right forearm. Both women refused transport to the hospital. Damage from the crash amounted to $18,000.

The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday, announced additional charges have been filed in connection with last week’s arrest of an Earling woman on drug charges. 27-year old Nicole McClure was being held in the Shelby County Jail on an original Possession of Methamphetamine charge, following the execution of a search warrant Oct. 15th at a residence in Earling.

A joint, ongoing investigation by the Crawford and Shelby County Sheriff’s Offices has resulted in additional felony charges against McClure, including two Counts of Burglary, Theft in the Second Degree Class D Felony and On Going Criminal Conduct. Her bond was set at $100,000. Once her case is concluded in Shelby County, McClure will be transported to Crawford County to face charges there.

Also arrested in the case, was 46-year old Daniel Welsh, of Denison. He faces three felony counts of Burglary in the 3rd degree in Crawford County. 

Authorities in Shenandoah arrested a Taylor County man late Tuesday night. 36-year old Jeremy Harris, of Lenox, was arrested at a residence in Essex. Harris was wanted on a warrant for failure to appear on an original charge of theft filed by the Lenox Police Department. He was transported to the Taylor County Jail where he was being held without bond until his initial appearance.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Woodbury County’s attorney says it’s a conflict of interest for the county to give public money to an agency headed by the county board chairman. In a legal opinion released on Tuesday, county attorney P.J. Jennings said no more payments should be made to the Sanford Community Center. However, county finance director Dennis Butler says money paid over previous years need not be paid back to the county.

Sanford operates after-school and summer programs for at-risk youth and coordinates numerous outreach efforts. It is headed by Woodbury County Board Chairman George Boykin. Boykin says he will seek regulatory changes so the center can still receive money for its gang prevention program. He says that without the county’s funding, he’ll have to cut as many as five positions.

A new bridge is opening today (Wednesday) connecting southwest Iowa and southeast Nebraska. Officials say completion of the project not only eases travel for motorists but will encourage economic development between the states for years to come. Scott Nixon, a construction engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation, says it’s been a lengthy, expensive venture.

“The total project with Nebraska costs and Iowa costs combined is about $115-million,” Nixon says. “The bridge itself was 61-million.” Construction began in January of 2012 so it’s been just two months shy of three years to complete. The new route includes about seven miles of newly-constructed four-lane divided highway extending west of the U-S Highway 34 interchange with Interstate 29 near Glenwood, Iowa, to U-S Highway 75 between Plattsmouth and Bellevue, Nebraska. The Nebraska Department of Roads completed the work on its side last year. The new bridge over the Missouri River includes a 500-foot steel section that spans the waterway.

“Nebraska is paying for a portion of the bridge and Iowa is paying for a portion,” Nixon says. “It’s not a 50-50 split because there’s more bridge on the Iowa side than the Nebraska side.” The bridge sits on 17 concrete and steel piers. “It was a challenge working in the river,” Nixon says. “The contractor started working on the river in early ’12 and they were still working in late 2013. It was over a year to get the river piers up.” Estimates show the bridge will initially carry two-thousand vehicles a day, ramping up to 11-thousand vehicles a day in the years to come.

The bridge is expected to open around 3 P-M.

(Radio Iowa)