The City of Harlan’s Streets and Alleys Committee held a public meeting Monday night in the Therkildsen Center to discuss the possibility of changing 6th and 7th Streets to all one-way, from Cyclone Avenue to Chatburn Avenue (Highway 44). The Therkildsen Center filled with over 50 people, including several business owners attending the meeting to give an opinion on the changes. Harlan City Councilman Keith Kaufman said the reason behind the changes was to generate interest from non-local people in coming to the downtown area. City Administrator Terry Cox said there were several concerns from the crowd.

He said “Overall it was the safety of kids, a speed factor with taking the parking off and where the cars will park. Also the snow removal and where cars will park during removal.” Cox said several businesses had their own concerns. A petition was also passed around that was signed by 55 residents against the change to 6th and 7th Streets. Cox says the matter of making 6th and 7th Streets one-way has been brought up several times in the past.

“This was brought up 12 years ago and 8 or 12 years before that. It was brought up as a discussion items to see if there was any improvement to do it back then and now this time.” For now, Cox said no decision will be made. “There will be another streets and alleys meeting to recommend to the council to go further or any changes or they will recommend they will stay the same. That’s where we are at right now.”

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

A bridge over Long Creek in Shelby County is closed for the next five months, while crews work to replace the structure, which is located in the 2100 block of 1500th Street. The site is just east of the intersection of 1500th and Umbrella Road. Shelby County Emergency Management officials urge emergency responders to plan alternate routes to reach residences located in the area. If you have any questions, call the County Engineer’s Office at 712-755-5954.

The director of the C-I-A resigned last week, in part, due to the F-B-I reading his emails and learning of an affair. A longtime critic of the F-B-I, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the whole episode with retired Army General David Petraeus should be a reminder to everyone that our private communications really aren’t likely all that private. “Anything that I put on my iPhone or Blackberry, I guess I just figure it’s all going public,” Grassley says. “I wouldn’t be surprised but what the FBI’s listening in to this phone call. Whether they have a legal right to do it or not, I don’t know. I presume they wouldn’t be doing anything that’s not legal.”

Grassley, a Republican, says the climate of our nation’s capitol has forced him to take a mindset that leans more to the paranoid.  “If the FBI’s not spying on me, probably the Russian embassy and the Chinese embassy is as well,” Grassley says. “Everything you do here in Washington, you’ve just got to consider it’s public.” Under federal law, the F-B-I needs a judge’s approval on a warrant to monitor -recent- communications. Agents only need a prosecutor’s okay, not a judge, to read electronic messages that are at least six months old.

(Radio Iowa)

Two men from Creston were cited Sunday, following a traffic stop in Lenox. According to the Lenox Police Department, an officer stopped a 1996 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by 24-year old Blake Gunter, of Creston. The stop was initiated because the vehicle had expired license plates.

During the stop a passenger in the vehicle, 31-year old Raymond Davis, of Creston, was found to have an open can of beer. Davis was issued a citation for possessing an open container of alcohol. Gunter was cited for having an expired registration. Both men were released after receiving their citations.

Authorities in southwest Iowa are looking for a man who ran from Lenox Police Officers Saturday night, after the vehicle he was driving was stopped for speeding. The Lenox P-D reports an officer attempted to stop a Chevy truck at around 10:15-p.m. Saturday, in the 100 block of Van Buren Street.

Gasper Chay-Merida

The driver of the truck refused to stop. The vehicle continued for about 4 ½ miles and onto gravel roads before coming to a halt. The driver jumped out and ran into a field. Police were unable to locate him. A search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery a Guatemalan I.D. card. Officers identified the photo of the man on the card as the driver.

Police say they’re looking for 27-year old Gaspar Chay-Merida, whose last known address was in Sioux City. Chay-Merida is wanted for questioning in connection with the incident. He’s described as being a Hispanic male with brown eyes and brown hair, 5’8″ tall and weighing 180 pounds. The man was last seen wearing blue jeans, a T-shirt and no coat. Anyone with information concerning his location is asked to contact the Lenox Police Department at 641-333-2929.

The City of Atlantic’s Airport Commission will meet Wednesday morning at the airport terminal building. During the 9-a.m. session, the Commission will discuss the 2013 Parallel Taxiway paving and lighting project. The discussion will include the review of a letter of proposed funding, a review of the anticipated project schedule, and the consideration of an Engineering Agreement for the design, bid and construction services.

The Airport Commission will also discuss the 2014 Federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP), the draft for which is due by this Friday, Nov. 16th. The final AIP plan is due January 11th, 2013. Along those same lines, the Commission will review the five-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), and a long-range Needs Assessment. They’re also expected to discuss the need for additional hangar construction. During their meeting on October 10th, the Commission learned a jet would like to hangar at the airport.

The Commission discussed where to temporarily locate the jet and possible options for either rebuilding the block hangar or building a new t-hangar and how to fund a new project.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors are expected to act on approving the final plat for the Walnut Grove Subdivision during their meeting Wednesday morning, in Atlantic. The Cass County Zoning Commission held a public hearing on May 12, 2011 to consider a preliminary plat filed by Jason Wright, and others designated as Walnut Grove Subdivision. Afterward, the Commission Commission recommended and the Supervisors on June 8th approved, the preliminary plat for the Subdivision. The property was the old Walnut Grove Farm along Highway 6 at Lansing Road, south of Atlantic.

In other business, the Board, at 10-a.m., Wednesday, will discuss Iowa Code Chapter 354, and the County’s division of land process.