(LE MARS)–Projects to improve the street surface or access are underway in Le Mars or begin next week.
City administrator Scott Langel says the intersection of Lincoln Street and Central Avenue Southeast, south of city hall, is closed.
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(as said: An area near the Assembly of God Church and the Le Mars Agri-Center is slated for work next week.)
Langel says drivers also need to be aware of about two-dozen street locations being worked on to repair the surface.
No action yet on ECO Center bids
(HINTON)–Another meeting is the result of a meeting to discuss a building project for the Plymouth County Conservation Board.
Bids for the Hillview Recreation Area environmental education center known as the ECO Center, are above the one-half million dollar budget. The low bid of H-W Design Build of Sioux City is 23-thousand dollars higher than the budget. The budget is to include both construction and the architect’s work. The project is to be built at the Hillview Recreation Area, west of Hinton.
Conservation Board Director Dennis Sohl says two pages of possible deductions in the project were given to the board last night. They were the result of work by an architect from PLaN Architecture of Sioux City.
The project was awarded Community Attractions and Tourism or CAT grant funds from Vision Iowa. Sohl says there are time lines for that state funding that require a decision on the project soon.
The Conservation Board may make a decision on whether to vote the project up or down at a special meeting expected September 29, 2010 at 7 p-m at Hillview Recreation Area.
240th Street slated to reopen
(LE MARS)–A project that closed a portion of a gravel road to replace a bridge with a culvert south of Remsen is scheduled to open Friday afternoon. (Friday is the correct date and it was previously noted as Thursday)
According to Plymouth County engineer Tom Rohe, 240th Street, from Quartz Avenue to Quest Avenue was closed for the culvert work. The road is to reopen at three this (Friday) afternoon.
Training offered for workers
(SIOUX CITY)–A free training information workshop for unemployed or underemployed Siouxlanders will be offered in Sioux City.
Western Iowa Tech Community College, Iowa Workforce Development and IowaWorks of Greater Siouxland will host the free training information September 28th.
The workshop is designed to help unemployed or underemployed individuals prepare for new careers.
Topics include extended unemployment benefits, career readiness, financial aid, training and educational opportunities at Western Iowa Tech and career placement.
There will also be information about programs created to help unemployed individuals find new pathways to jobs. These include Job Training Partners and Project Prosper.
Information on the session 8;45 in the morning to one in the afternoon at Western Iowa Tech’s Sioux City campus is available by calling the Western Iowa Tech Call Center at 274-6402.
Illinois company has low base bid on Iowa prison
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) An Illinois contractor has submitted the low base bid for a new maximum-security prison in Fort Madison, causing worries about jobs for Iowans.
The Des Moines Register reports Walsh Construction of Chicago offered a bid Wednesday of $116.9 million for the project, which is expected to employ 300 to 500 workers.
Scott Norvell of the industry group Master Buildings of Iowa is concerned that out-of-state workers could take many of the jobs if an out-of-state firm gets the contract.
Iowa Department of Administrative Services Director Ray Walton says the state has negotiated a labor agreement that contains specific provisions about how many workers can brought to a project by a construction company.
Walton says the state may award the contract next week.
Iowa sees more cases of whooping cough
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) More cases of whooping cough have been confirmed in the Council Bluffs area, prompting officials to offer immunizations.
The Daily Nonpareil reports the Lewis Central Community School District now has two confirmed cases of the disease. The district will be offering free vaccinations next week.
Council Bluffs Health Director Donn Dierks says more than two-dozen confirmed and probable cases have shown up since late August.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, can be very dangerous for infants and the elderly.
It starts with cold-like symptoms, but within a week or two, the patient develops uncontrollable coughing spells. These coughs are accompanied by the telltale whooping sound as the patient gasps for air.
2 Iowa women to plea guilty in embezzlement
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) An attorney says two women charged in the alleged embezzlement of nearly $6 million from West Des Moines insurer Aviva USA will plead guilty.
The Des Moines Register says William Kutmus, the attorney for Phyllis Stevens, confirmed that Stevens and her partner, Marla Stevens, will enter guilty pleas next Thursday in U.S. District Court in Des Moines.
The women were to go on trial Monday.
The plea agreements were disclosed in court documents filed Wednesday. A judge entered an order canceling the trial and setting a date for a change of plea hearing.
Kutmus declined to provide details of agreements.
Phyllis Stevens is charged in a 20-count indictment with fraud, money laundering and other charges. Marla Stevens is charged with conspiring and spending stolen money.
Regents to discuss ISU flood recovery
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) Iowa State University’s continuing flood recovery is on the agenda when the Iowa Board of Regents meets Thursday in Cedar Falls.
ISU vice president for business and finance Warren Madden will give a report on flood recovery. The regents also are set to vote to ratify emergency actions taken by regents’ Executive Director Robert Donley.
The Tribune of Ames reports the regents also will discuss a proposal to make ISU athletics self-sufficient.
In March, the board asked ISU and the University of Northern Iowa to present proposals for how they plan to reduce or eliminate general fund subsidies for their athletic programs.
The University of Iowa was not included in the request. UI’s athletics program is already self-sustaining.
WI man arrested in Iowa stop that nets $100K
ATLANTIC, Iowa (AP) A traffic stop on Interstate 80 in western Iowa has netted over $100,000 in cash and led to a money laundering charge against a Wisconsin man.
Iowa State Patrol officer Tom Clark said that a state trooper stopped a car near Atlantic on Wednesday and discovered six bundles of cash totaling $134,000 hidden in a false compartment in the dash.
Clark says a small amount of drugs was also found.
The driver, Jesse Locke, of Milwaukee, Wis., was arrested.
The Cass County sheriff’s office says Locke remained in the county jail on Thursday on $5,000 bond. The sheriff’s office did not know if he had an attorney.
Clark says I-80 is a drug and cash corridor. He says other traffic stops have turned up $1.5 million in cash.
NIU transfer Anderson eligible to play for ISU
AMES, Iowa (AP) Iowa State says transfer Darion Anderson has been granted a waiver by the NCAA to play his final season with the Cyclones.
Anderson, a 6-foot-2 guard, played three seasons after redshirting for Northern Illinois and scored 1,152 points.
Anderson graduated from Northern Illinois and is enrolled in graduate school at Iowa State.
The NCAA waived its rule requiring transfers to sit out a season for Anderson. The rule would have exhausted the five-year window Anderson has to play four years.
Anderson gives the Cyclones an experienced scoring threat in the backcourt. He averaged 10.6 points and six rebounds a game last season.
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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