Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Transportation said Wednesday, that a second lane on Iowa Highway 2 west of I-29, has reopened to traffic. A single lane was reopened last Friday, May 10, providing limited mobility to the area. In opening a second lane, mobility will be greatly improved, and traffic delays should be reduced between Iowa and Nebraska.

As with the eastbound lane that was reopened last week, the westbound lane reopened today has water over the roadway; however, a temporary solution has been put in place. The solution includes concrete barrier rails along the edge of the road to keep vehicles on the roadway and permeable rock laid on the roadway to provide a surface for traffic to pass across while allowing water to continue to flow. This solution restores mobility without causing water to be pushed to surrounding land.

This area is susceptible to ongoing threats of flooding and is being closely monitored. Traffic patterns on Iowa 2 between I-29 and the Nebraska border may shift or the roadway may need to be closed to traffic periodically, possibly with short notice, to accommodate shifting water levels. Travelers should check 511ia.org, the Iowa 511 mobile apps or call 511 (within Iowa) or 800-288-1047 (nationwide) for up-to-date closure information on Iowa 2 or any other state-owned roadways across Iowa.

The Southwest Iowa Squadron of Heroes has announced they have been awarded two local grants.  Grant applications were submitted to Southwest Iowa REC and to the E.F. & Sylvia Schildberg Foundation.  The Squadron appreciates the support that has been given by so many to make this all possible.

Pictured above is Batman’s assistant, ROPD Police Chief Justin Rhamy accepting grant check from Seth Wise with the E.F. & Sylvia Schildberg Foundation, Schildberg Construction. (Photo submitted)

Organizers say “We are one step closer to getting the Hero Bus on the road.  Stay tuned for several exciting announcements in the next few weeks.”

Southwest Iowa Squadron of Heroes was formed to promote a positive message and outreach to those in the age bracket of 1-101. Their Mission Statement is to “Affect a positive influence in one person’s life (hopefully a young person), and the efforts/cost/time will all be worthwhile. We may never know the result or the particular person we had a positive contact with and that part of the equation does not matter.”

Their current superheroes include: Wonder Woman (Sydney Rhamy), Batman (Justin Rhamy), Optimus Prime (Luke Mellott), Captain America (Will Brown), and Thor (Justin Mann). Other committee members include Brad Baker, Karl Bormann, and Kattie Lewis.

For more information and upcoming events, see the Southwest Iowa Squadron of Heroes Facebook page.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, voted 4-to 2, with Councilperson Ashley Hayes abstaining, to authorize the sale of and solicitation of bids for, the Atlantic Senior Center, with a minimum bid of $40,000 and a deadline for bid submission as 4:30-p.m. May 30th.

Councilpersons Kathy Somers and Gerald Brink were opposed to the move. Somers said she’s ok with selling the building, but not okay with putting it up for bid, especially with a minimum bid of $40,000. She said “I think we ought to just take the highest bid or say we will maintain the right not to award it to the highest bidder, and I also think it would just be better, in general, if we would just put it up for sale even if we (The City) sell it “By Owner,” without a real estate agent involved. That way we could negotiate with individual parties that are interested, rather than just saying “We’ll take the highest bidder or we won’t take the highest bidder. Because all of that I don’t think is very fair.”

City Clerk Barb Barrick said they can make the ad say “They City…has the right to reject any and all bids.” In other business, the Atlantic City Council awarded the lowest bid contract for construction of an addition to the Street Department building, to Iron Specialties, in the amount of $116, 926. The Engineer’s estimates put the cost at $119, 500. The two other bids, from Henningsen Contruction and Jensen Builders, came in considerably higher than the lowest bid, at $137, 924 and $159,900, respectively.

Ashley Hayes reads from her letter of resignation.

The Council also accepted the resignation of Ashley Hayes, effective the end of Wednesday night’s meeting. Hayes, who moved out of the 3rd Ward into the 1st Ward, creating a vacancy, was emotional in making her final statement as a Councilperson. She said “When I agreed to run for office nearly eight-years ago, I was so excited improving our Parks Department and being a living example of how younger people in the community can get involved, be heard and create change.” She went on to say how proud she is of the Parks system, and how proud she is to see more young people sitting on various local boards and committees who will shape the future of Atlantic. She said “Thank you for allowing me to serve throughout these two terms….I look forward to serving through other roles in the community.”

Anyone from the 3rd Ward interested in filling the vacant seat, has until 4-p.m. May 29th to submit their resume’ listing their qualifications to the City Clerk’s Office. The person who is appointed by the Council, will hold the seat until the November, unless there is a petition within 20-days calling for a Special Election. The Special Election would take place 60-days afterward. The filled position will be on the ballot during the November General Election, so the person appointed would have the chance to run for the seat full-time.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A South Dakota man accused of robbing a northwest Iowa bank has been sentenced to more than eight years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors for Iowa said Wednesday in a news release that 43-year-old Brendon Reed, of North Sioux City, South Dakota, was sentenced Tuesday to 105 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $14,000 in restitution to the United Bank of Moville.

Reed pleaded guilty in December to a bank robbery count. Authorities say he robbed the Moville bank on March 30, 2018, and was caught later that day after crashing a stolen car as he was being chased by officers near Salix.

He previously pleaded guilty in state court to stealing the car and was sentenced to 10 years in an Iowa prison for that crime.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has been dropped from a lawsuit that could cost the state millions of dollars in a case alleging former Gov. Terry Branstad and others singled out a former state official for a pay cut because of his political party or sexual orientation.

The lawsuit filed by former Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey in 2012 is set for a June 3 trial in Des Moines. The lawsuit names Branstad, members of his 2010-2011 staff and former Iowa Workforce Development Director Teresa Wahlert.

Godfrey, who is gay and a Democrat, says he was discriminated and retaliated against, and his constitutional rights to due process and equal protection were violated in 2011 when Branstad slashed Godfrey’s pay after he wouldn’t resign.

Documents filed Wednesday by Godfrey’s attorney, Roxanne Conlin, indicate the state could be on the hook for millions of dollars in damages and attorney fees but the final amount will be up to jurors to decide. Conlin says Reynolds had little to do with the issues of the case, and dismissing her was a strategic decision.

Red Oak Police report a 17-year old male was arrested at around 3-p.m. Wednesday, for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana. The teen, who was arrested in the 2000 block of N. 4th Street, was subsequently released to his mother from the Montgomery County Jail.