Investigators say an explosion that destroyed a vacant house in Council Bluffs earlier this week, was caused by a ruptured propane line that let the gas leak into the basement. Tuesday afternoon’s explosion in a neighborhood just south of Interstate 80 blew the house 60-feet into the air and spread debris blocks away. No one was injured. Council Bluffs Fire Chief Alan Byers says the extent of the damage has made the investigation difficult. “Somehow, propane was leaked into the basement, filled the house and there was an ignition source. With the amount of damage and the way the debris was spread out, we’re probably never going to know exactly what happened,” Byers said. Although the house was vacant, there was still propane in a tank and electric service hooked up to the home.

Byers said the last known occupant vacated the home three weeks ago. “We don’t know if someone got in the house and was using it, was trying to steal something, broke the (propane) line…we’re just not going to know,” Byers said. “Again, we had debris 60 foot up in the trees and scattered out over an almost 2,000 foot diameter area, so it’s just going to be impossible to tell.” The house was in foreclosure and just passed a city inspection in recent weeks. Byers said neighbors were asked about activity at the home.

“We had reports of cars in the area the night before, but no license numbers or anything like that,” Byers said. “We’re probably never going to figure out what really happened.” The loud blast led to numerous 911 calls. Officials locked down the nearby Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln High School for about 20 minutes as a precaution because the source of the explosion was not immediately known.

(Radio Iowa)

The Atlantic City Council Wednesday evening, heard from one city resident who is not happy with the way people in his part of the community are being treated by road construction crews working in the area. Steve Green told the Council crews from Western Engineering working on resurfacing Redwood Drive, were very rude Tuesday evening as he and some of his neighbors were turning onto Redwood Drive after coming home from work. He says the workers were yelling at the motorists and making rude gestures. Green asked with 22^nd Street being torn up at the same time, how were the residents supposed to make their way home? He said one resident had to drive through a field off of Ash Street to get to their home because of the construction.

Green says he wanted the Council to know the workers were being rude, and don’t need to act that way, when the residents are little with very few options on how they can make it home and into work. Mayor Dave Jones asked if the residents had access via one lane of the street. Green said they do, but the road crews weren’t happy with them being there. He says they had no choice but to traverse the street.  City Administrator Doug Harris said a lot of people are frustrated with the pace of road construction and repairs, but progress is being made. Harris said he would follow-up on Green’s complaint and talk with Great Western Engineering officials.

In other business, the Council Wednesday tabled action on a Resolution to approve the method of disposition of certain City-owned property located northwest of the intersection of Olive and Commerce Streets, until the land is surveyed, fact-finding is complete, and the property lines clearly marked on City maps. The move was designed to eliminate confusion over who has the rights to lease and or buy the land, and an adjacent property owner’s concerns about the legal description of the land. 

The Council also adopted by a 5-to-1 vote, on the 2^nd reading, an Ordinance establishing a Minimum Maintenance Code, which requires residents to keep structures on their properties in reasonably good repair. Councilman Kern Miller was the lone nay vote, saying afterward, he questioned how the rule would be enforced. And, the Council unanimously passed a Resolution adopting a City records retention schedule, which will spell out how long certain documents should be kept.

Authorities in Montgomery County say a Villisca man was arrested Wednesday afternoon on sexual abuse charges. 21-year old Benjamin Wyatt Barnes faces three felony counts of Sexual Abuse in the 3rd degree. Barnes was being held in the Montgomery County Jail, on $10,000 bond.

The City Council in Walnut is set to meet Thursday evening. Among the matters on their agenda, is: discussion of the creation of a possible 3-way stop on Antique City Drive, in front of the Walnut Community School; the resignation of Zoning Administrator Jim Tooley; the possible acquisition of 308 Atlantic Street in Walnut; discussion with regard to solid waste disposal, and, garbage collection during the week of Thanksgiving.

The Walnut City Council meeting begins at 5-p.m., Thursday.