President Obama on Monday signed a law which extends a program named for a late National Guardsman from Iowa. Andrew Connolly of Dubuque spent 16 months in Iraq before returning home in August 2007. A year later, doctors discovered a cancerous tumor in his spine related to his military service. Andrew quickly lost his ability to walk and applied for a federal veterans grant to help build a wheel-chair accessible home. Connolly died just under one year ago. His wife, Jennifer, remains in the home. Jennifer is now caring for the couple’s son, Brody, who has a neuromuscular disorder that restricts his breathing and keeps him confined to a wheelchair.

The “Andrew Connolly Veterans Housing Act” was set to expire, but now the benefit is extended for a decade. In May of 2011, Andrew Connolly testified before a panel in Washington, D.C. about the frustration he felt when he was confined to a wheelchair while living in a duplex built in 1890. The federal grant allowed him and his family to move into the wheel-chair accessible home.

“Today, I am in my new house. Today, I took a shower by myself in a five by five (foot) roll-in shower with handicap controls. Today, I cooked my own breakfast because I was able to reach all of the ingredients. Today, I was able to watch my son sleeping in his bedroom because I could (fit) through the doorway with my wheelchair,” Connolly said during the hearing. Andrew Connolly died on August 26, 2011. He was 28 years old.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors Wednesday, are expected to act on approving a Resolution to place a public measure on the November 6th General Election ballot, calling for the appointment of township officers to occur by the Board of Supervisors, rather than by election. Auditor Dale Sunderman says 12 townships in Cass County current have their positions filled by the Supervisors. Four townships (Benton, Edna, Union and Victoria), would be affected if the Resolution is approved.

The Board is also expected to act on awarding a tuckpointing contract to one of two firms who submitted bids and made presentations to the board a couple of weeks ago. The Supervisor’s meeting begins at 9-a.m., in their board room at the Cass County Courthouse, in Atlantic.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Department reports 20-year old Micah Blake Taylor, of Exira, was arrested Monday night. Taylor was taken into custody on an outstanding Audubon County warrant charging him with Domestic Abuse Assault. The charge stems from an incident which allegedly occurred at a residence in Exira, on Saturday, August 4th. Taylor was being held in the Audubon County Jail without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

A public hearing with regard to the plans, specifications and form of contract for the Atlantic Municipal Airport’s Taxiway Grading and Fuel Lane construction project will be held Wednesday morning, in the airport terminal building. Following the 9-a.m. hearing, the Airport Commission will act on a Resolution approving the plans, specs and form of contract. The City received a grant amounting to more than $510,760 last May, to help pay for the project and other improvements at the airport. The grant requires a 10-percent local match.

The Commission will also review the construction bids, and pass a Resolution awarding a contract for the project. They’ll also review the status of the City Hangar Door replacement project, before hearing other, airport-related discussion and business. The hangar door project received a $36,000 grant from the State of Iowa. The project calls for an old, manually sliding hangar door to be replaced with one that is hydraulically operated.