RED OAK, Iowa (AP) — A fire in the southwest Iowa city of Red Oak has destroyed a 116-year-old building in the city’s downtown. The Omaha World-Herald reports the building previously housed a bar but wasn’t currently being used. The fire was reported at 12:25 a.m. Monday in the two-story building, and it took firefighters more than four hours to control the blaze.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. Montgomery County records show the building was constructed in 1897. The remainder of the building was demolished Monday because of fears its walls would collapse.

Firefighters from Atlantic were called to the scene of a structure fire at 304 W. 2nd Street, Tuesday. The call came in at around 7:07-pm. Mike Trotter told KJAN News he was biking by and saw the smoke before calling it in. Cass County 9-1-1 Director Rob Koppert said when he arrived, flames were shooting out the front of a window, toward the street.

304 W. 2nd St. fire (Ric Hanson photo)

Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees said fire crews saw the same thing when they arrived. The structure itself was not damaged, but the inside sustained severe smoke damage throughout, and significant fire damage toward the front.

The west half of the building was being rented by Dean Beech, who was using the structure for furniture refinishing. McNees said Beech had been working in the building on some furniture, and left at around 5-p.m to attend a meeting.

Photo from Atlantic Fire and Rescue’s Facebook page.

The Chief said they could see where the fire started, but were unable to determine how it began. Suspicions are centering around some rags which were soaked with linseed oil, with the cause possibly being spontaneous combustion. An electrical fire is not suspected.

McNees said while the inside was heavily damaged, it wouldn’t take much to rehab in in order for it to be used. Three vehicles were removed from an adjacent garage, including a custom pickup, a car and a motorcycle. No injuries were reported. Firefighters were on the scene for about 2-hours.

The state Transportation Commission moved up the start time for some construction projects at their meeting in Mason City today (Tuesday). D-O-T  planning and program director, Stuart Anderson, explained the projects involved to the commission.

Road improvement projects slated for 2014 and beyond.

They include six interstate construction projects, 16 non-interstate pavement projects, and five non-interstate bridge modernization projects that are being moved into this fiscal year. Anderson says several factors allowed them to move the projects up in the five-year plan.

Among the area projects slated to get underway in 2014, (and the total cost of each project): Highway 71 widening from U-S Highway 6 in Atlantic south to Highway 34, and a widening/pavement rehab project on 71 from 34 south to the Missouri State line ($4.13-million total); Widening and pavement rehab on US 34 from Highway 71 east to Creston ($8.2-million); Pavement rehab of Highway 92 from the Cass County line to east of Greenfield at Highway 25 ($6.5-million); and Highway 92 in Pottawattamie County, from Keg Creek east to the east City limits of Treynor, a $2.2-million dollar pavement rehab and widening project. (For additional information on those an other projects, go to http://www.iowadot.gov/program_management/interactivemap.html)

Anderson says the money is available for the projects due to favorable bid lettings that saw current projects that came in under budget, along with department budget savings, and more federal funding than expected. The interstate construction projects are in Decatur, Johnson, Linn, Polk, Poweshiek and Jasper counties. The bridge modernization projects are in Clay, Humboldt, Lucas and Woodbury Counties. The projects were chosen because they can be designed and ready for construction in 2014.

(Radio Iowa/Ric Hanson – KJAN)

Police in Harlan arrested one person last week following an altercation involving a knife. Authorities say officers were called to the 1000 block of Park Street on Oct. 3rd, and upon their arrival, found 44-year old Clinton Scheffler outside the house with minor injuries and 66-year old David Peters, of Harlan, inside the residence. Peters was arrested and transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with serious assault.  A complaint was also filed with the Shelby County Clerk of Court, charging Scheffler with serious assault.

That same day, Harlan resident David Meyers reported to police several tools had been taken from his garage at Westridge Acres lot #30. Also reported missing were several watermelons from his garden.  The incident case remains under investigation.

The Atlantic Police Department reports the arrest on Monday of 30-year old Bryan Kirby, of Atlantic. Kirby was taken into custody on a Cass County warrant charging him with Theft in the 5th Degree. The man was booked into the Cass County Jail and held, pending an appearance before the magistrate.