(Radio Iowa) – The former Superintendent of the Sioux City Wastewater Treatment Plant will spend three months in prison for cheating on environmental testing at the plant. Sixty-three-year-old Jay Earnest Niday of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa pleaded guilty in October to one count of conspiracy and one count of knowingly rendering inaccurate a monitoring device required by the Clean Water Act.

The court information shows Niday and others knew that the wastewater treatment plant could not consistently disinfect the millions of gallons of wastewater that the plant was sending into the Missouri River each day from 2011 until June of 2015. They used higher levels of chlorine in the water to hide the issue.

Niday was also fined six-thousand dollars — and ordered to repay 25-hundred dollars in court-appointed attorney fees.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that gets rid of the requirement that Iowans get state permits to purchase and carry pistols and revolvers. The state permits for buying and carrying a concealed handgun will be voluntary. However Iowans who wish to carry a handgun in other states that require and recognize Iowa permits may continue to get one. Critics say the bill creates a loophole on private gun sales, since the state permit process for buying handguns that is now optional requires a background check.

Supporters of the law say it gets rid of the state permission slip for a constitutional right under the 2nd amendment.  Governor Reynolds issued a written statement Friday afternoon, emphasizing a section of the law that makes it a felony to knowingly sell a handgun to someone who cannot legally own a gun. Reynolds says state officials will never be able to outlaw or prevent every single bad actor from getting a gun, but this new law ensures law-abiding citizens have full access to their constitutional rights while keeping Iowans safe.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — April 2, 2021 – Council Bluffs residents and interstate travelers will soon notice construction activities beginning near the Interstate 29/I-480/West Broadway System Interchange. There will be planned, temporary, overnight and long-term closures occurring throughout next week. Closures will be occurring on the interstate and local roadways. Detours will be provided. All dates and events may change due to weather and field conditions.

Long-Term Closures Through Late 2021

• On Monday, April 5, 37th Street, between 2nd and 9th avenues will be closing at 6 a.m. Nearby residents and local traffic should plan ahead and utilize an alternate route. Access will be maintained at Dodge Riverside Drive and 2nd Avenue. Access will re-open later this year once the new frontage road system has been constructed.
• On Wednesday, April 7, the contractor anticipates closing Service Road B, between 9th and 2nd avenues at 6 a.m. Nearby residents and local traffic should plan ahead and utilize an alternate route. Access will be maintained at 35th Street. Access will re-open later this year once the new frontage road system has been constructed.

Temporary, Overnight Closures

• Beginning Sunday night, April 4, I-29 southbound will be closed between 16th St. and 25th St. from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

On Monday evening, April 5, there will be temporary closures at the I-29 southbound ramps onto 9th Avenue and Nebraska Avenue between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

On Tuesday, April 6, and Wednesday, April 7, Nebraska Avenue will be closed between the interstate ramps from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.

DES MOINES – On Friday (today), Gov. Reynolds signed a new Public Health Disaster proclamation that extends critical regulatory relief for an additional 30 days to those on the frontlines of COVID19 recovery.  The proclamation continues to strongly encourage Iowans, businesses, and organizations to take reasonable public health measures consistent with guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health.

The proclamation also continues to extend the waiver on transportation restrictions for overweight loads.

The proclamation can found online here.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-N-R plans to test dozens of sites across the state for substances known as “forever chemicals,” which have been linked to an increased risk of cancer and fertility issues. The class of harmful compounds known as PFAS has been widely use in consumer goods for many years. D-N-R environmental specialist Matt Graesch says they’ll start testing the water at 53 sites in July.

“Can we come up with a relatively simple way of figuring out which wells we need to sample first to collect enough data to guide future efforts rather than blanket sampling every well,” Graesch says. “We weren’t sure what we were going to find.” The department has identified more than 100 wells in the state that are near facilities where PFAS is known or thought to be used.

“I drew a half a mile buffer around each of the PFAS locations and ran a query to figure out which of the active, highly susceptible public water supply wells were within a half a mile.” The chemicals have been used in industrial settings for decades, and in consumer goods from cookware to clothing to carpet. Officials are increasingly detecting contamination in soil and water across the country, raising concerns about long-term exposure.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – April 2, 2021 – A pavement resurfacing project on Iowa 39 from U.S. 59 to Avenue C in Denison will require closing the roadway to traffic beginning Friday, April 9, until Monday, April 26, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s District 3 Office.

During this project, motorists will be detoured around the work zone by using U.S. 59, Arrowhead Road, and Avenue C. The Iowa 39 detour will start on Friday, April 9, to complete milling work. The detour will then be removed for the weekend and then put back in place on Monday, April 12 so crews can complete the widening part of the project. Once this is completed, the detour will be removed once again.

On Monday, April 26, a detour will be back in place so crews can complete the work between U.S. 59 and C Avenue.