(Radio Iowa) – Five years after Kim Reynolds took over as governor, the Iowa legislature is proposing an amendment to the Iowa Constitution to clarify the line of succession at the top of state government. In 2017, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller issued an opinion saying his reading of the constitution indicated Reynolds, who was lieutenant governor at the time, would become acting governor after Terry Branstad resigned — and would continue serving as lieutenant governor, too.

Branstad and Reynolds disagreed and Reynolds named Adam Gregg as her lieutenant governor. Republican Representative Brooke Boden of Indianola says the proposed amendment to Iowa’s Constitution aligns with that decision. “The governor is qualified to select someone to serve as lieutenant governor,” Boden says. Representative Mary Wolfe, a Democrat from Clinton, voted against the proposed amendment.

“I don’t know how I even feel about it,” Wolfe says. “I mean, we do need to do something, I agree. That mess we went through last time this happened was not good, did not reflect well on anyone.” Wolfe unsuccessfully argued there should be a confirmation vote in the legislature for any newly designated lieutenant governor.

Two-thirds of the House and Senate members have now approved the language for the proposed constitutional amendment. The legislature must o-k the draft again in 2023 or 2024 before Iowans could vote on the proposed amendment in the 2024 General Election.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – March 22, 2022 – Construction of box culverts on Interstate 29 in Pottawattamie County will require lane closures and changing traffic patterns beginning on Monday, April 4, until mid-August, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Council Bluffs construction office.

Stage 1

North- and southbound traffic on I-29 will be placed into a head-to-head traffic pattern in the southbound lanes while the contractor works on the northbound lanes. The I-880 westbound/southbound ramp will be temporarily closed, and motorists will follow a marked detour route.

Stage 2

Both directions of traffic on I-29 will be placed into a head-to-head traffic pattern in the northbound lanes while construction takes place in the southbound lanes. The I-880 westbound/southbound ramp will be temporarily closed, and motorists will follow a marked detour route.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports additional filings have taken place in advance of the 5-p.m. Friday, March 25th deadline for County offices.

For Primary Election:

Jay W Mez –  Republican  – Cass County Attorney

Vanessa E Strazdas – Republican – Cass County Attorney

Wendy Richter – Republican – District 3 Board of Supervisor

There are still have no candidates for the following offices:

(Hospital Trustees, Soil & Water and Ag Extension have until August 31, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. to file)

For the General Election:

 Agricultural Extension – 5 positions

Soil & Water Conservation – 2 positions

Hospital Trustee – 4 positions

Township Trustees only have until this Friday to file:

Edna Township Trustee – 2 positions

Union Township Trustee – 1 position

(Creston, Iowa) – Officials with the Creston Police Department, Tuesday (today), said a 9-1-1 call reporting an “Active shooter” alarm and hearing gun shots at the Early Childhood Center, in Creston, turned out to due to a mechanical error with the alarm. Creston Police, Union County Sheriff’s Deputies and Iowa Department of Natural Resources Officers responded to the scene.

They immediately entered the school and began clearing the building, within minutes of receiving the 9-1-1 call. All Creston Community School District building went into lockdown. There was no indication of an active shooter, however. Once the building was thoroughly searched, the schools were given the “all clear” to release from lockdown status.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund recently donated funds to the Atlantic Park and Recreation for their decorated Easter Egg project.  Fund spokesperson Melanie Petty says wooden eggs are available at the Park and Rec office for children to paint.  Once the eggs are painted and turned back into Park and Rec they will be displayed in the City Park during the Chamber sponsored Easter Egg Hunt.

Both events will be held on Saturday, April 16th.  Stop by and vote for your favorite painted egg and enjoy a fun filled morning. 

(Glenwood, Iowa) – One person suffered from back pain and was transported to the hospital, following an accident Monday evening, in Mills County. The Sheriff’s Department reports a 2008 Honda driven by 21-year-old Brian Jaworski, of SIlver City, was traveling south on 287th Street near Barrus Road at around 5:30-p.m.,when the vehicle crossed into the wrong lane of travel and ended-up in a ditch. The vehicle then ramped a field entrance and crash on the other side. No charges were filed.

No injuries were reported after a 2020 International semi rolled away unoccupied, while it was parked in the I-29 southbound rest area, Friday afternoon. The driver was outside the vehicle when it began to roll away. The semi came to rest in the west portion of the ditch on I-29.

Mills County authorities report also, 32-year-old Tyler Eldon Buckner, of Emerson, was arrested last Friday evening, for Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $300.

(Radio Iowa) – Another proposal for revamping Iowa’s 44-year-old Bottle Bill has won bipartisan approval in a House committee and could be debated by the full House early next week. Just like a version pending in the Iowa Senate, it would no longer require grocers, convenience stores and other retailers that sell beer and pop to accept the empty bottles and cans and pay the nickel deposit fee in 2023. Brad Epperly, a lobbyist for the Iowa Grocery Industry Association, says if that change takes effect, it’s a significant step.  “Progress around this place is sometimes slow,” Epperly says. “Something like this is more of a quest.”

But grocers object to another section of the House proposal that would require them to pay another half-a-cent per container. “For us, payment to opt out of a government mandate is something principally that’s very challenging,” Epperly says, “let alone the amount that we’re talking about here.” He estimates the bill would require grocers and retailers to pay an additional 50 million over five years. R.G. Schwarm, a lobbyist for the Iowa Recycling Association, says it’s a positive step to double the handling fee for redemption centers which are struggling to stay in business. However, Schwarm says the plan, as written, appears to let all retailers opt out of accepting cans — and there aren’t enough redemption centers to deal with the volume of empties containers.

“There are 44 counties that do not have a redemption center…It’s largely in rural Iowa and that’s where our concerns lie,” Schwarm says. “When we remove a significant amount of infrastructure for redemption, that’s where we’re going to make it more difficult for Iowans to redeem.” The House plan also proposes a new tax credit for beer makers that’s connected to the number of empty beer cans that are redeemed for the deposits. Representative Brian Lohse, a Republican from Bondurant, is the leader of a group of House members who’ve been working on a compromise. He says lawmakers hear about the Bottle Bill from Iowans daily.

“It’s something that we know we have to do. I mean this isn’t just a, ‘O.K, it’s not working. We’ll see what we can do.’ This is, from our leadership, ‘Get something done,'” Lohse says. “And we are tired of talking about it. We know we need to have action. Now’s the time to do it.”

Lohse, who owns a grocery store, says the proposal requires all the private businesses involved to participate in changes in the bottle and can redemption system. A House subcommittee reviewed the plan at 8 a.m. this (Tuesday) morning and the House Ways and Means tax-writing committee approved it two hours later.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday morning, unanimously approved increases the County Board of Health had approved earlier, with regard to septic system, time to transfer and water well, permits. Jotham Arber, with Cass/Guthrie Environmental Health, said the fee schedule has not changed in 10-years, until now.

He says the County wasn’t breaking even, based on what the Sanitarian was billing and what the homeowner was paying for those permits.

The new rates ($225 for Septic systems; $300 for title transfer, & $175 for Water Well permits) will take effect July 1, 2022. The changes were approved by the Cass County Board of Health, and needed approval of the Supervisors before it goes into effect on July 1st.

The Supervisors also heard from Mick Allen, representing the Atlantic Golf and Country Club. He asked the Board to approve a water usage permit for irrigation, that would allow them to pump water out of the Nishnabotna River. A line on a map the Supervisors received shows the proposed pipeline that would be used, to draw water.

Allen says about five-or six-years ago, they spent about $55,000 to put four wells in. Due to the drought, those wells have gone dry.

He says they’re projecting that on a year with little-to-no rain, in extreme conditions, they would have to pull between 100-to 200,000 gallons out of the river, on a daily basis. After some discussion, the Board approved the request, pending approval and receipt of permits from the Iowa DNR.

(Lewis, Iowa) – Two families are offering a $5,000 cash reward for information that leads to the return of a church bell in Cass County. Drue Kirchhoff, with Southwest Iowa Tiling, in Griswold, says the bell was located in front of the United Congregational Methodist Church in Lewis.

The church bell has a long history of being in the area, but Kirchhoff wasn’t sure of its age.

The United Congregational Methodist Church of Lewis’ bell (file photo)

He believes the bell was made of cast iron, which is a hot commodity these days for its salvage value, especially when it’s included with other, heavy metals. He’s asking salvage yards to be on the lookout for the bell.

Kirchhoff, and Rob and Marlo Stamp with Stamp Construction, in Atlantic, are offering the reward for the return of the bell, no questions asked.

If you or someone you know has information that may help the Cass County Sheriff’s Office with their investigation, please call 712-243-2206.