(Radio Iowa) – A senate committee has voted to spend a million dollars to replace security cameras and enhance security in the Iowa Capitol Complex. Senator Janet Petersen of Des Moines says she’s grateful.  “As many of you know, we have had a number of threats on this building,” Petersen says.A 23-year-old man was charged with vandalism in early 2020 after breaking into the Capitol on a Sunday morning. Surveillance camera footage showed he made it all he way onto the floor of the Iowa Senate.

Petersen says the added security for the Capitol as well as the state office buildings that surround it is warranted. “Those that work in state government on the complex deserve to know that they should be safe,” Petersen says.

Iowa is among the 30 state capitol buildings with metal detectors at the doors where visitors enter. The screening devices and security guards have been deployed at the state Capitol for more than 20 years. Last year, a security fence was installed around Terrace Hill, the governor’s mansion in Des Moines.

(Radio Iowa) – The family of a Cedar Rapids man who has been missing since his submerged city truck was found in the Cedar River is hoping his remains can be found. Erik Spaw was last seen on May 6th driving between work sites, and his truck was pulled from the river on May 7th. His mother Karen and other family told K-C-R-G T-V they believe complications from Erik’s Type 1 Diabetes contributed to his crash.  “He was trying to change it some way so he’d get better control of his eyesight and things. And so he was kind of doing things differently you know, and kind of trying to get it adjusted better,” she says. Family members remember Spaw as a daredevil who had loved to jet ski, snowmobile, and race cars. His brother Johnny Spaw said numbness caused by his diabetes led to the end of his brother’s racing. The family has put up flyers asking for help in finding Erik’s body. Karen Spaw says the family grieves, but they also feel they are in limbo.

“We’re just kind of still in shock, but we’re really hoping that they find him because it’s so hard to not know, you know, for sure that he’s deceased and we’re just waiting,” she says. Brother Johnny Spaw has the same feeling. ”Just wish we could find him so we could get this over with. It’s not going to bring him back, but you need the old closure word everybody talks about. I don’t know. It’ll help, but it’s not going to help,” Spaw says. Erik Spaw was 54-years old and worked for the Cedar Rapids Water Division.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, received an update on one project to develop new housing, and acted on passing an engineering agreement for another. Marty Boose, with Boose Building Construction, LLC, of Atlantic, provided an update on his Redwood Subdivision project.

Redwood Subdivision project, lot descriptions (Courtesy Marty Boose)

Boose has been a carpenter for 47 years and moved to Atlantic in 1980. He started his own business in 1988 and has weathered the housing market ebbs and flows. His first custom home in town was built in 1991 and there have been 30 built since then. He says he’s been buying in-field lots, including for the Redwood Subdivision.

He already has two lots for new homes sold, with construction set to begin on one later this year, and the other in 2023. Prospective home buyers must sign a purchase agreement for the lot, to ensure quality houses are built around the cul-de-sac to protect both buyers and the City. Among the provisions: The purchaser of one of the lots must build within five-years from the date of purchase of the property, or it will revert back to the developer (Boose), who will assess a restocking charge; No pre-built or trailer homes will be allowed on any of the lots; Living space must be 1,000 square feet, and the home must be connected to public utilities (no septic tanks). The house cannot have metal siding or a metal ribbed roof.

Some of the nine lots, he says, will have enough room for walk-out basements and larger homes than those featured on his Ash Street project. Councilperson Elaine Otte and other members of the Council thanked Boose for his presentation.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, approved a Snyder and Associates Supplemental Engineering Agreement for additional services associated with the Prairie Hills Development Project, the land for which will be purchased from Jim Comes, for $830,000. The agreement covers many facets, including: Platting Services (Boundary and topographic survey, preliminary and final plats); Design services; Bid services; construction services and other necessary items plus the administration of those services. The total cost of the Engineering Agreement is $262,750. Councilman Pat McCurdy…

The Snyder representative to the Council, Dave Sturm, said services described for the large project will take “A long time,” to undertake, even with the help of “A lot of people.” Separately, the Council passed a Resolution setting the date for a public hearing on the sale of City-owned property at 611 Linn Street, as June 1st. Henningsen & Baragary, LLC, have proposed building a 3,000-sq.ft home on the lot. City policy says the lot can be sold for $1-dollar, provided a home worth a minimum of $100k is built on it.