AMES, Iowa – Sept. 9, 2011 – The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) is stepping up security measures to prevent persons from entering flood-damaged roadways in western Iowa. Locked gates and other barrier devices are being installed at strategic highway locations to secure areas unsafe for motor vehicle or pedestrian travel.

Individuals have been disregarding traditional road closure devices, such as barricades and fence, by driving over and around them, or removing them. These actions place persons at significant risk due to damage to the roadways and bridges, unexpected pavement failures and heavy equipment at work.

In addition, ignoring road closure devices prolongs the recovery effort by disrupting the work of contractors.

Residents of Percival seeking access to their community for cleanup and rebuilding, should contact the Fremont County Emergency Coordinator who will coordinate access to and from the town using Interstate 29. Access will be provided through the gate located on Iowa 2, east of I-29.

The Iowa DOT reminds all persons to never enter a roadway blocked by barricades; not only is it illegal, but your safety is a risk.

Officials with the Cass County Engineer’s office in Atlantic, say Iowa Interstate Railroad will be upgrading the railroad crossing on Olive Street approximately 1½ miles north of the Atlantic City Limits by the ADM Elevator (formerly known as Farm Service Coop).  Olive Street will be closed to thru traffic for approximately five (5) working days starting Monday, September 12^th at 9:00 A.M.  People wanting to go to the interstate should use Hwy 71 until Olive Street is open.

The Democrats in Iowa’s congressional delegation say they’re ready to get to work on the jobs package President Obama outlined last night, while Republicans like Chuck Grassley and Steve King raise doubts about the president’s approach.

 Republican Congressman Steve King of Kiron said the “best thing (Obama) could have done would be call for a balanced budget amendment” rather than introduce new spending ideas. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said Obama’s proposal was just “more of the same” and it was “time for something new” like an effort to reduce government regulations. Republican Congressman Tom Latham of Ames didn’t criticize Obama’s plan at all in his statement after the speech, however. Latham said the “simple truth is that we must do better as a Congress and as a government to work together to find real solutions” to the nation’s economic ills.

Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat, praised Obama’s plan as going “to the heart” of the problem by focusing on job creation. Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, said he hopes the president’s speech “refocuses the debate” in Washington. Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, said he hopes congress starts the “real work” that’s necessary to find “commonsense solutions.” Congressman Leonard Boswell, a Democrat from Des Moines, suggested Obama had said what most American’s believe, “that Warren Buffett and Bill Gates can afford to pay the same percentage of payroll taxes that their own secretaries pay.”

(O. Kay Henderson/Radio Iowa)

One person has been questioned, but no arrests have been made in connection to investigation into an alleged sexual assault in Taylor County. Sheriff’s officials say their on-going investigation into an alleged sexual assault in the vicinity of Nitro’s Bar in Gravity, resulted in the execution of a search warrant at 1257 Highland Avenue, in rural Taylor County.

During the investigation, 33-year-old Tommy Spears, a resident of the home, was detained for questioning, and arrested on a separate charge of Harassment of a Public Official, for giving a false name and date of birth when law enforcement attempted to identify him.

Spears posted bond on the charges and has been released from custody. Further charges are pending as a result of evidence found during execution of the search warrant.

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa transportation officials say barriers that protected Interstate 29 near Blencoe from flooding along the Missouri River will be coming down. Officials say a contractor will begin removing them on Monday because the river continues to fall and they’re no longer needed. The barriers, called TrapBags, are filled with rock. The Iowa Department of Transportation says the work involves cutting open the bags to release the rock, and then loading and hauling the rock and bags away.

The project, which will cost over $160,000, is expected to last until Sept. 30. Northbound traffic will be rerouted for about 10 miles from the Blencoe interchange to a Monona County highway to Iowa Highway 175 and then back to I-29 at Onawa.