Atlantic and Marne Firefighters responded to the scene of a fully engulfed semi-tractor on Highway 173, one-mile south of Interstate 80, Monday night. The call came in at 7:23-p.m. The driver of the 2004 Volvo, 67-year old Sam Hoover, of Atlantic told KJAN News he was traveling south on 173 after having just turned off the interstate on his way home to Atlantic, when he noticed flames in the back of the truck. He said he locked the brakes up, got out of the cab and was going to grab his fire extinguisher, but by then the flames had started to consume the cab and the glass started to blow out.  He said there were flames coming from the engine compartment, also.

Volvo semi tractor, engine compartment, right side view 1-16-12

Hoover said he had just spent $4,000 on his rig in December, and was scheduled to have a wheel seals serviced by Volvo on Tuesday afternoon. Hoover owned the truck, which was contracted to Fremont Carriers, out of Fremont,  Nebraska. It’s not clear what exactly caused the blaze, which completely destroyed the tractor portion of the semi (no trailer was attached). The burned out hulk was still smoldering more than an hour after the first fire crews arrived. No injuries were reported.

Burned out Volvo semi tractor/Driver's side view 1-16-12

After many months of planning, the Board of Directors and Staff of the Griswold Cooperative Telephone Company has announced their BROADBAND NETWORK EVOLUTION PROJECT.

The end of December, Griswold Cooperative started the engineering and installation process of an advanced Broadband Network, that will result in what is generally referred to as Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH). This system will provide a platform for enhanced communications and entertainment services long into the future.

GCTC customers receiving telephone service from the Cooperative today, including all rural customers, will have fiber optics connected right to your homes or businesses. The project will replace the existing copper network cabling that is currently used to provide telephone, Internet and cable television service. The BROADBAND NETWORK will bring all services to customers over fiber optic cable, individually to each location. The fiber “pipe” opens nearly endless opportunities for communications and entertainment services because of the sheer volume of space, or bandwidth, which is available to every customer.

The entire project should be completed by 2015, but different portions or areas will be completed incrementally, at different times. As these steps are completed, those customers will be converted to the new fiber optic system and service offerings. For customers in Elliott and Grant, the initial phase of the project, you are seeing the engineering firm, RVW, Inc., in your neighborhoods and talking with each of you about the design parameters for each individual location GCTC is serving.

GCTC says they believe it is their responsibility to have the technology in place to meet the needs of customers now, and in the future.

The new fiber BROADBAND NETWORK will be capable of increased bandwidth per customer and will allow for higher quality TV channels, and the continued expansion of Internet speeds, data services and applications. The project covers the entire Cooperative service area with FTTH installations. Rural customers will be able to get TV services, which before have only been available to city residents.