(Atlantic, Iowa) – Following a public hearing, the Cass County Board of Supervisors, during their regular meeting today (Tuesday), passed the First Reading of an amended Ordinance with regard to the Veterans Emergency Assistance Program, as published. Board Chair Steve Baier summarized some of the changes, as presented. Here is a portion of that summary…

Other changes include those related to Indigent Burial.

Cass County BOS mtg. 9-9-25

The Board waived the Second Reading of the Ordinance and passed the Ordinance as presented. Next up, the Board heard from Cass County Engineer Trent Wolken, who provided an update from the Iowa Department of Transportation with regard to a road under the Interstate, north of Marne.

In December, 2021, the Cass County Board of Supervisors voted to vacate the 500-foot long, 40-foot wide, 145-year-old section of road (570th Street), north of Boston Road in Brighton Township/northwestern Cass County, that is in the State of Iowa Right-Of-Way, under Interstate 80. Wolken said also, the Secondary Roads Department has been busy dealing with road shoulder work.

He mentioned crews are still working on some construction projects, including Bridge 169 by the landfill, which should be done early next week, Bridge 168 by Massena, and Bridge 73 southeast of Griswold, near the Montgomery County line. A pre-construction meeting for work on south County rod N-28 was set to take place Wednesday.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports a Creston man was cited Monday night, following a traffic stop. Authorities say 27-year-old Nicholas Keith Thornton, was pulled-over at around 9:50-p.m. at Sumner and Townline Streets. He was cited for Driving While License denied, suspended, canceled, or revoked, and released from the scene.

(Radio Iowa) – A D-N-R forester says the cooler temperatures are setting things up for a good fall color show in the coming weeks. Joe Herring is from Iowa Falls, and says the colors should start showing up soon. “I think it’s going to be good if if this weather is any indication of where we’re going, it’s perfect. We think the best fall colors come from clear bluebird sky days, warm days, cool nights, not freezing,” he says. Herring says freezing temperatures can kill off the color show.

“If it dips down into hard frost, that can actually kill those leaves and end the fall color early. But you know, we want to avoid the real strong, windy days and we’d like to avoid, you know, tons of rain in the fall,” Herring says. He says the tree canopies are strong heading into the fall color season. “It’s been a really good year for foliage, just for vegetative growth in general, just because of all the rain we’ve had,” he says.

Herring says he starting to see some early color in some trees, but there’s not been a full scale breakout just yet.

AVOCA, IOWA – The City of Avoca is moving forward with full implementation of its Noise Camera Program to reduce excessive engine brake noise along Highway 59, following the success of a spring pilot project. Officials say the initiative is designed to improve quality of life for residents while ensuring fair and effective enforcement of Avoca’s existing engine brake ordinance. According to Mayor Tom Bruck, “Jake brakes have been a problem in our community for a long time; it’s exciting to finally have a way to do something about it.”

The program uses technology from Intelligent Instruments with backend services by Sitestream. Calibrated microphones and high‑resolution cameras detect when noise exceeds ordinance limits, capturing brief audio and video of the vehicle. Trained staff review each case, and verified violations result in citations mailed to the vehicle’s owner with instructions to pay or appeal.

During the month-long pilot phase this spring, the camera documented 183 violations committed by 83 unique vehicles. About 44% of these violations were attributable to repeat behavior, with nearly one-third were linked to just five individuals. Officials say these findings indicate that enforcement focused on chronic offenders can substantially reduce overall noise levels.

“Quality of life for our residents is the city’s top priority,” said City Administrator Tyler Trout. “Our pilot demonstrated that targeting repeat violators can make a big difference. With this technology, we can more effectively address the few drivers responsible for most of the disruption, improving daily life for the entire community.”

What’s New for Drivers

• Full enforcement operations will begin in October once backend onboarding is complete.
• The program enforces only Avoca’s existing engine brake ordinance; it does not expand enforcement beyond that law.
• Motorists will see “Photo Enforced” signage posted along Highway 59 to notify drivers of automated enforcement tools now in place.
• Enforcement specifically targets semi-trucks and other vehicles using engine compression (“Jake”) brakes.
• Citations will include clear instructions for drivers to either pay the fine or appeal by the listed deadline.

The City emphasizes that the program’s purpose is not only enforcement but also deterrence. By addressing the small number of repeat offenders contributing the majority of excessive noise, Avoca aims to create a quieter and more peaceful environment for residents across the city.

(Radio Iowa) – The percentage of people who return to prison in Iowa after being released is the lowest it’s been in the last decade. About a third of people paroled in the past three years have ended up back to prison. The Iowa Department of Corrections says that’s a three percent decrease from last year and it means fewer people are committing new crimes or violating the terms of their supervised parole.

Shannon Magnuson is the lead researcher for a study on Iowa parole by the nonprofit Justice Systems Partners. She says fewer returns could mean Iowa is better preparing people to re-enter the community when they’re paroled. “If you’re seeing a rise of people staying longer in prison and then returning less, then we must be functionally doing something different in prison, or while people are under supervision, that’s keeping them from coming back,” she says.

Beyond regular check-ins with a parole officer, people recently released from prison may have to show they’re employed or have somewhere to live. Magnuson says her research shows there was a 25 percent decrease in people returning to prison in the judicial district that includes central Iowa when the department relaxed those rules. “What we’re seeing in the fifth district was that when we gave people time to tackle one thing at a time, they did better,” she said, “and overall, we see less recidivism as a result.”

There are 22 counties in the fifth judicial district and it includes the cities of Des Moines, Newton, Knoxville, Osceola, Creston and Guthrie Center. (The list of counties in the fifth judicial district include: Adair, Adams, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Jasper, Lucas, Madison, Marion, Polk, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Warren and Wayne.)

(Radio Iowa) – Lawmakers on a panel that reviews state regulations have temporarily blocked a proposed change in state guidelines for a specific type of septic system, a change that would make it cheaper to install. Republican Representative Mike Sexton, a farmer from Rockwell City, proposed the delay. “If these were livestock farms we were talking about instead of homeowner’s septic tanks, the [expletive] would hit the fan,” Sexton said.

There are tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Iowa that are not connected to a public sewer system and use a septic system to trap and filter toilet waste. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has proposed ending the requirement that aerobic treatment units which circulate air to treat sewage have a final step that sends discharged water through soil or sand filters. Sexton says blocking that change from going into effect until at least the middle of next year will hopefully pressure lawmakers to crack down on a related issue.

“Folks, raw sewage is coming from these septic tanks that aren’t maintained,” Sexton says. “There’s not a reporting mechanism on failed systems. We have homes that aren’t being inspected. You know that’s right.” The legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee voted eight-to-two to block the rule from taking effect now — a delay that will last until the 2026 legislature ends. The vote came after more than 40 minutes of public testimony from people who strongly supported or opposed changing state guidelines for aerobic treatment units.

Nick Laning is a lobbyist for Infiltrator Water Technologies — a company that makes these type of septic units. Laning told legislators very few aerobic treatment units are being installed in Iowa today because state regulations are outdated and unnecessary.”Delaying these rules only prevents Iowans from accessing ATUs which are already available in every other state,”Laning said, “and they can be more affordable, better suited to local geography and capable of treating nitrates other water quality issues.”

The DNR and EPC identified an outdated, unnecessary regulation,” Laning said. Jim Carroll, a licensed engineer who designs and maintains wastewater systems in Iowa, opposed getting rid of the filtering requirement for aerobic treatment units.  “Environmental protection is really our primary concern, not whether that product is affordable or not,” Carroll said. “If it’s going to pollute the environment, it doesn’t matter what it costs.”

The water quality bureau chief in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources told legislators the proposed change creates a level playing field for all types of septic systems and it fulfills the governor’s executive order that requires agencies to reduce regulatory burdens.

(Clarion, Iowa) – A single-vehicle accident late Sunday evening about eight-miles south of Clarion, in Wright County, left one person dead and two others injured. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2009 Chevy Cobalt driven by 24-year-old Josue Castanon Coronado was traveling south on Wright County Road R-38 at around 7:20-p.m., Sunday, when the passenger side tires dropped-off the edge of the road. Coronado over-corrected, causing the car to lose control.

The vehicle struck a utility pole and entered a cornfield and caught fire after the car came to rest. Coronado, and two passengers in the car – 20-year-old Antoni Emmanuel Castanon-Coronado, and 36-year-old Michael Mendez-Mendez, of Webster City – were ejected. None of the victims were wearing seat belts. Mendez died from his injuries.The other victims were injured.