The Iowa Department of Transportation says the scheduled closure of the westbound Interstate 80 rest area, located between Adair and Casey at milepost 80, is being extended into Friday, Jan. 27th, to complete work underway at that location.  The facility had been scheduled to re-open today (Thursday), at 5-p.m.  The rest area is closed to allow two large cranes to install a 148-foot tall, vertical wind turbine blade.

The blade will essentially serve as sculpture, and will join several other pieces of art and plaques at the rest area that highlight Iowa’s wind energy industry. Last year, Iowa became the first state in the nation to generate at least 20 percent of its electricity from wind power. Iowa currently has nearly 2,900 wind turbines creating 4,500 megawatts of electricity.

The Iowa House has given final legislative approval to an emergency allotment of one-point-three million dollars ($1.3 million) that will cover tuition costs for Iowa National Guard soldiers who’ve enrolled in college courses. Representative Chris Hall, a Democrat from Sioux City, has heard from a number of soldiers in his district who saw their individual benefits cut by 13-hundred dollars for this semester. “During the first week of the legislature, I know that I received emails from several of our Guardsmen from the 185th Air Refueling Wing,” Hall says. 

The Iowa Senate approved the bill last week, but Republicans delayed action in the Iowa House to ensure the Guard indeed needed that much money to fulfill its tuition grant promises. Representative Royd Chambers, a Republican from Sheldon who is a member of the Iowa Air National Guard, says Republicans were just going their “due dilligence” in checking the numbers. “We are, of course, all in support of supporting our National Guard members,” Chambers says. “But we also must remember that we are responsible for spending our tax dollars wisely and efficiently.” 

Legislators set aside the money for the program last year, before about three-thousand Iowa National Guard soldiers came back to Iowa after active duty in Afghanistan. The Guard announced in December that Education Assistance grants to its soldiers would be cut because there wasn’t enough money set aside to cover the tuition grants for the 14-hundred Iowa National Guard soldiers who’re enrolled in college. Governor Branstad has indicated he’ll sign the legislation. In other action this morning, the Iowa House approved spending three-million dollars in state money to help restore the U-S-S Iowa, a World War II era battleship that will be docked in Los Angeles as a floating museum. The Iowa Senate approved that level of spending on the project last week.

(Radio Iowa)

The Shenandoah Police Department reports two men were arrested Wednesday, on unrelated charges. 28-year old Lyle Stogdill, of Shenandoah, was taken into custody Wednesday night on a charge of burglary in the 3rd degree. Stogdill was also cited for Public Intoxication. His arrest stems from an incident which occurred in the 500 block of Harrison Street in Shenandoah. Stogdill was being held at the Page County Jail in Clarinda, on $2,000 bond. 

A couple of hours later, Shenandoah Police officers arrested Todd Pederson, of Essex, on a Nodaway County, MO. warrant for 1st degree burglary and parental kidnapping. Pederson posted a $10,000 bond, and was released from custody.