AREA COUNTIES ADDED TO ADVISORY:

CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-CASS-ADAIR-MADISON-ADAMS-UNION-TAYLOR AND RINGGOLD.

410 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE AREA AROUND SUNRISE AND REMAIN STRONG AND GUSTY THROUGH THE DAY. THE GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DIMINISH SOME BY SUNSET THIS EVENING.

WEST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 45 TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED. THE STRONG WINDS WILL MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION. IN ADDITION…LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS MAY BE BLOWN AROUND.

COUNTIES IN IA: MONONA-HARRISON-SHELBY-POTTAWATTAMIE-MILLS-MONTGOMERY-FREMONT-PAGE

345 AM CDT THU OCT 18 2012 – NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE/VALLEY, NE

A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TODAY (THURSDAY) FROM 10-AM TO 7-PM.  WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING AND CONTINUE INTO THE EVENING. NORTHWEST WINDS WILL AVERAGE 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 45 TO 50 MPH EXPECTED.

THE STRONG WINDS WILL MAKING DRIVING DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 30 TO 39 MPH OR GUSTS BETWEEN 45 TO 57 MPH ARE EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.

The City of Atlantic has received the “green light” from the F-A-A , to begin the process of building a parallel taxiway at the Atlantic Municipal Airport. City Administrator Doug Harris told the City Council about the good news during their meeting, Wednesday evening. Harris says he received an e-mail last week from the F-A-A informing him of the news. Harris said he was surprised, because everyone thought after the FAA approved side work and grading for the project, that it would be years before the City saw any money for the parallel taxiway. The e-mail however, said the project is “A go,” for Fiscal Year 2013, which according to Harris, means it will go out for bid early next year.

The Airport Improvement Project will be 90-percent paid for through federal funds. That amounts to a little more than $1.04-million. The City picks up the remaining 10-percent of the cost. Funds for the FAA grant come from a tax on the sale of airline tickets. The City had earlier received a federal grant amounting to more than $538, 800, for the grading, paving, marking and lighting of a parallel taxiway.

Iowa is now home to a newly-designated National Historic Landmark, but you can’t see it. “The Davis Oriole Earthlodge Site” is estimated to be nearly a thousand years old — and it’s buried under a few feet of Iowa soil. Jerad Getter, director of the Mills County Conservation Board, says it’s in a park, near the town of Pacific Junction. “You cannot see anything from the site,” Getter says. “It’s all underground. The common person driving by will not know what it is. It doesn’t look any different than the rest of the ground. It’s the significance that’s underground.” Getter says what’s underground was a home that was part of a village.

“An earthlodge is basically a lodge that was built above ground. It was basically built with sticks, but it had earth over it and grass was growing on top of it,” Getter says. “So it’s like a domed house.” Experts who’ve examined the site estimate it was inhabited as early as the year 900, and perhaps until the 13-hundreds. Getter says the site won’t be open to the general public. “Since it is an Historical Landmark Site, they don’t want people to know where exactly it’s at so people aren’t out there with their shovels, digging,” Getter says. “But there will be a plaque that goes up in the office here.” His office is in Pony Creek Park.

The U.S. Department of the Interior describes “The Davis Oriole Earthlodge Site” as an outstanding example of the “physical features of lodge habitations” that were built across the Great Plains. The National Park Service will now work with local officials to develop a plan for preserving the site. An aboveground replica of the Earthlodge has been built in nearby Glenwood, across the street from the Mills County Museum. Artifacts collected in the area by an amateur archeologist are on display at the museum.

At the time the now-buried Davis Oriole Earthlodge Site was constructed, archaeologists say a group of Native Americans were living on the east and west sides of the Missouri River basin, constructing hundreds of earthlodges that were part of thriving communities where farming and buffalo hunting were the main occupations.

(Radio Iowa)

An Omaha man claims an accident on Interstate 29 in Mills County Wednesday evening, was the result of a medical condition. 64-year old Mark D. Makowske, told the Iowa State Patrol he was traveling north on I-29 at around 6:10-p.m. near Pacific Junction, when his hands suddenly clenched up. The condition caused him to swerve to the right and lose control of his 2009 Chevy Aveo.

The vehicle hit a cable guard rail and traveled down the guardrail before coming to a stop. The guardrail sustained extensive damage, while the vehicle was considered a total loss. Makowske, who was transported to Creighton University Hospital by Pacific Junction Rescue, was cited for Failure to Maintain Control. The Patrol says he was wearing his seat belt.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says an Atlantic man was arrested Wednesday, on drug charges. 22-year old Jeremy Michael Petersen was taken into custody for Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Marijuana, Prohibited Acts, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Petersen was brought to the Cass County Jail and subsequently released $7,500 bond.

Access to a popular Cass County recreation area has been improved, thanks to work by crews with the County Conservation Department. The “Rock Cuts” at Cold Springs State Park near Lewis is over three-quarters of a mile from the nearest access road, which makes entry to the area by emergency responders, problematic.

That fact was made evident on July 4^th of this year, when a 31-year old Lewis woman drowned in the waters of the Nishnabotna River. The turbulent river winds its way through the Rock Cuts. It was the second time a person had drowned in the area since July 2005.

Cass County Conservation Department Director Micah Lee says after the most recent drowning, they found out access to the area by emergency responders was extremely difficult, so the access road was cleared and widened for vehicles and personnel. He said there shouldn’t be an issue with access, for the foreseeable future. Lee said they will be able to keep the road clear, thanks to the recent acquisition of a new machine capable of clearing brush.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Wednesday), through County Attorney Dan Feistner, presented in an open session, the County’s initial bargaining proposal to the Public, Professional and Maintenance Employee’s Union (PPME), for Fiscal Year 2014-through 2016. The Union represents the County’s Secondary Roads Department.

Last week, the Supervisors received the Union’s initial bargaining proposal, which the County rejected. The next step, according to Cass County Engineer Charles Marker, is for the Union to review the County’s proposal. He says from here, negotiated will be conducted in closed session. If an agreement cannot be reached, the matter will be handled through a mediator.

Contract proposals of the type presented by both entities are typically not approved at first glance, and counter-proposals are not unusual. Union representative Craig Meyer quipped afterward that the County’s proposal “Looks Good.” Meyer said he’d go for it, but he doesn’t think the rest of them (Union members) will. That drew laughs from the Supervisors, who will continue working with the Union on a collective bargaining agreement.