Work continues on the Highway 6/7th Street project and officials are working to make sure everyone stays safe as the school year begins. The school year gets officially underway on Monday, August 24th in the Atlantic School District and Iowa DOT Transportation Planner Scott Suhr says they have been communicating with the school to make sure students are safe in the construction area.

“We want to make sure that everyone is aware that there will be times where children will need to get to the school. From the North side of 7th Street to the South side of 7th Street. We are trying to make our contractors aware that during these hours you may see children, just to be on the look out and be alert. We are telling the parents and the children that are using those areas to cross over to get to school to make sure you look both ways and hopefully there is an adult or a crossing guard to help us get those kids across 7th street.  Even though the road is closed there still will be some construction traffic in the area.  We just want to make sure that everyone is aware of what is going on so that we can get kids to the school and to home safely.” said Suhr.

Suhr also said that everyone needs to be on the lookout because there will be increased motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic.  The DOT will continue to update the community on the progress of the project.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency is reminding motorists of a road closure now in place on Orange Road. Work is taking place to replace a culvert in the 600 block of Orange. This is in Shelby County between Fairview Township Section 1 and Monroe Township section 6.

The closure is currently in place and work is expected to last approximately 1 week.  Officials are stressing alternate route planning due to the number of Level B roads in the area.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports an arrest early this (Friday) morning in Villisca.  At approximately 4:09am Deputies arrested 24-year-old Jesse Allen Luft of Villisca in the 100 block of North 4th Avenue in Villisca.  Luft was charged with OWI 1st Offense and Driving While Suspended.  Luft was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 cash bond.  The Cass County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the arrest.