The Iowa Department of Transportation is requesting public input on the proposed bridge replacement on Iowa 92 over Little Silver Creek, three-tenths of a mile west of the west junction of Iowa 92 and Pottawattamie County Road L-55.

The proposed project provides for replacing the existing bridge with a pre-stressed, pre-tensioned concrete beam bridge that is 193 feet by 44 feet. New bridge approaches would be constructed, existing guardrail would be replaced, and the shoulders would be paved 20 feet beyond the end of the guardrail. The new bridge would be constructed using the accelerated bridge construction process that involves building the bridge components off-site. Using this process would require the roadway to be closed for 21 days to remove and replace the existing bridge.

Through traffic on Iowa 92 would be detoured during the bridge removal and replacement process using Pottawattamie County Road L-55, U.S. 6, interstates 80 and 29.

For general information or to make a comment regarding the proposed bridge replacement, contact Don Stevens, assistant district engineer, Iowa DOT District 4 Office in Atlantic,  at 712-243-3355 or 800-289-4368. Or, email donald.stevens@dot.iowa.gov. Comments must be received by Oct. 29, 2013, to be considered.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say at least two people have been shot and a man has barricaded himself inside a Council Bluffs home.  Pottawattamie County dispatcher Scott Vandervort  says a negotiator and a SWAT unit were sent to the house around 8:15 Tuesday morning.  Vandervort says the two people were taken to area hospitals. He says he doesn’t have any information on them other than they are not police officers.

He didn’t have more information about what is happening at the house, which sits on the west side of town. He says police representatives can’t respond to questions because they are busy at the scene.

A pre-trial conference for a former Harlan teacher accused of sexual exploitation that was supposed to have been held Monday (Oct. 14^th) in Shelby County District Court, will instead be held next Monday (Oct. 21^st). Judge James Richardson granted a continuance in the case of Lee Nelson, who was to have appeared in court on charges of Sexual Exploitation by a School Employee and Assault with Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse. The 72-year-old Nelson had earlier pled not guilty to the charges.  His trial is set to begin Oct. 29th.

A 17-year-old female claiming to be a victim and her parents contacted police on May 30, 2013, and reported that Nelson had allegedly been saying rude and inappropriate things to the female, as well as touching her inappropriately.

The incidents allegedly occurred at school, on band trips and at his residence.