WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao today (Wednesday) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award $15.74 million in airport safety and infrastructure grants to 25 airports in Iowa. This investment in Iowa’s airports is part of a $520.5 million national investment in America’s airports that was announced today by Secretary Chao. Included among the area airports that were awarded grant funds, was:

• $909,000 to Atlantic Municipal Airport for runway rehabilitation.
• $278,000 to Arthur N. Neu Airport in Carroll for runway, taxiway and apron pavement sealing.
• $225,000 to Schenck Field in Clarinda to acquire snow removal equipment.
• $600,000 to Denison Municipal Airport for runway construction.
• $383,976 to Harlan Municipal Airport for apron reconstruction and apron pavement sealing.
• $369,000 to James G. Whiting Memorial Field in Mapleton for runway lighting reconstruction and to install visual guidance systems.
• $108,000 to Red Oak Municipal Airport for taxiway and apron pavement sealing.
• $900,000 to Sioux Gateway Field in Sioux City for taxiway reconstruction.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao. says “This $520.5 million in federal support to airports across the country will help to keep our nation’s airports in good shape and make air travel a better experience for passengers.”

DENISON, Iowa (AP) — A man who’d operated a vehicle dealership in western Iowa has been fined and placed on probation for fraudulent sales practices. Crawford County court records say 59-year-old Robert Adams pleaded guilty Tuesday before being fined $750 and given a deferred judgment and three years of probation. Under a deferred judgment, his conviction could be removed from his record if he were to successfully complete the terms of his probation. Prosecutors dropped several other charges in return for Adams’ plea. Customers say Adams didn’t forward to the appropriate agencies or entities money paid for title transfers and warranty contracts and protection plans.

Police in Creston report 48-year old Michael Williams, of Creston, was arrested Tuesday afternoon. Williams was arrested for Violation of a Protective Order. He was being held in the Union County Jail, while awaiting a bond hearing.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (Telegraph Herald) — The Dubuque City Council has approved an agreement to split the nearly $1.8 million cost of building a dock so Mississippi River cruise ships could stop and let off passengers to explore the city. The 20-year agreement with Viking Cruises passed by the council Monday calls for the dock to be built near Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark. The Telegraph Herald reports that Viking also would pay the city $1 for each passenger on the boats that dock in Dubuque. The money will help pay for maintenance and operational fees. Viking plans to begin the cruises in June 2022.

Officials with the Iowa Army National Guard report, that as part of the U.S. Army’s ongoing overseas operational requirements, LeMars-based Troop C, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division, Iowa Army National Guard, recently received deployment orders for Operation Enduring Freedom in the United States Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM) Area of Responsibility (AOR). U.S. AFRICOM is responsible for U.S. military operations, exercises and security cooperation activities on the African continent, its island nations and surrounding waters.

Guard spokesman Col. Michael Wunn says “This is the second of several deployments announced by Maj. Gen. Ben Corell, the Iowa National Guard Adjutant General, during his Condition of the Guard address to the Iowa General Assembly on Jan. 16, 2020.” Troop C will deploy with approximately 90 Soldiers. They will be joined by approximately 40 Soldiers from Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry Regiment, assigned to the Freedom Center located on Camp Dodge in Johnson.

Col. Wunn said also, “This is the third federal mobilization for Troop C since 2001. The troop previously deployed to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2010. For the last four years, Troop C, along with several additional Iowa Army National Guard units, has completed increasingly complicated training events in preparation for mobilization. The troop is currently working to schedule send-off ceremonies, which will occur in June. They will travel to Ft. Bliss, Texas, to complete their final training and readiness checks before deploying overseas. The deployment is expected to last approximately one year.”

The Iowa National Guard is experiencing an increase in deployments as a number of its units come into their “mission year” as part of the U.S. Army’s current force generation cycle.  Additional mobilization announcements are expected in the near future.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports four recent arrests. Late Monday night, 20-year old Kohl Robert Danielsen was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following a traffic stop for speeding near Avoca. Saturday afternoon, 29-year old Logan Bernard Stichler was arrested in Council Bluffs for Domestic Abuse Assault causing bodily injury/1st offense. Early Saturday morning, 38-year old Allen E. Westerfield was arrested for OWI/2nd offense, following an investigation into a vehicle in the ditch near Crescent. And, a 17-year old male was arrested Friday afternoon in Oakland for making a False report to a public safety entity. The unnamed teen allegedly pulled a fire alarm at the Riverside High School.