(LeMars) — Tuesday is election day and Delana Irhke is seeking another term on the LeMars City Council. Ihrke is about to complete her first four-year term. Looking back, she says one major accomplishment for the council was able to consolidate positions and programs during her first term. She says the council has been able to keep focus and projects on task.
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As for the future, Ihrke wants to see the city keep a tight reign on its finances, but she also recognizes the need to upgrade the city’s infrastructure systems. She hopes that she can help the public library.
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During the discussion as to whether the city council should adopt a new at-large representation system, Ihrke removed herself from being a civic leader and instead acted as a concerned citizen of LeMars by delivering a petition of signatures, requesting the issue be brought before the city voters.
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Although Ihrke realizes some benefits to the at-large representation proposal, she would like the city stay with the ward-style of representation. She says a change may alter the way people vote.
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Voters who choose to change the system will want to vote yes, and voters wanting to see the same program continue will want to vote no.
(Onawa) — After months of being closed due to the summer flooding of the Missouri River, Highway 175 that connects Onawa, Iowa to Decatur, Nebraska including the toll bridge is once again open. Iowa Department of Transportation officials made the announcement last evening. The highway and bridge were impacted by the Missouri River flooding and was closed since June 27. The large scour hole that formed around the bridge piers and the abutment has been filled and the roadway embankment stabilized. The toll bridge has been inspected and is now safe for travel. The five-month long highway and bridge closure created several problems for people living in that area that needed to cross the river to go to work. Often what would have been a ten-minute commute would turn into an extra hour’s drive.
(Washington) — Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King has announced that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment will hold a hearing on Wednesday, November 30th to discuss the historic flooding that was experienced along the Missouri River this year. During the hearing, it is expected that King and other Members of Congress who represent areas along the Missouri River will have the opportunity to discuss concerns that have been raised about the management of the Missouri River. It is also expected that officials from the Army Corps of Engineers will appear before the committee to answer questions about the role it played in this year’s flooding.
