(Anita, Iowa) – Members of the CAM School District Board of Education, Monday evening, approved an extension of school bus route times. Their action followed a public hearing at the CAM High School Media Center, during which there were several comments. Superintendent Paul Croghan…

He said they held a conversation last month and reviewed some of the things they were doing and reviewing the law. They settled on 15-minutes, which is their shuttle time as well. Croghan said the goal is to keep their regular routes under 60-minutes, given the amount of road/bridge construction underway in the area.

Mr. Croghan said also, the CAM School Board Monday evening approved a resignation and a contract.

A majority of the Board’s meeting, he said was devoted to the district’s facility project process. A couple of representatives of Site Logic – the district’s architects – were in attendance at the meeting.

The process includes potentially getting to a General Obligation Bond Referendum in November, 2024. The goal, he said, is to be fiscally responsible, while getting the district facilities in good shape.

Paul Croghan said in conclusion, there are good things going on in the CAM School District patrons can be proud of, and he asked for people to be safe this harvest season.

(Radio Iowa) – Voters in half a dozen Iowa cities can cast ballots in person today in primary elections for municipal offices. There are primary elections for city council seats in Burlington, Carter Lake, Davenport, Iowa City, Ottumwa and Sioux City. Polls opened at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

There’s also a primary in Davenport for mayor. Three candidates are challenging incumbent Mike Matson. Matson, a Democrat who briefly ran for governor in 2017, led the city’s response to the collapse of an apartment building in downtown Davenport this spring.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday), heard a weekly report from County Engineer Trent Wolken. He spoke about current/ongoing bridge and road projects,

Wolken said also they should be pouring concrete on the 730th Street project, this week. The goal was to pour the footing this week.

The Board concluded their brief meeting with the weekly committee reports.

(Red Oak, Iowa) – A public hearing was held this (Tuesday) morning in Red Oak, with regard to a proposed FY23-24 Montgomery County Budget Amendment. The meeting took place as part of a regular meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors. Hearing no comments for or against the proposal, the Board passed a Resolution appropriating funds for the Budget Amendment. Supervisor Mark Peterson…

In other action, the Board approved an Iowa DOT agreement for a DOT-initiated Detour of Primary Highways onto local roads, for the widening and other improvements of Highway 34. Supervisor Donna Robinson talks about the detour itself…

Montgomery County BOS mtg., 10-10-23

County Zoning Commissioner Barry Byers updated the Board on Secondary Roads Department maintenance and activities.

He also talked about current bridge and other projects.

And, the Board approved an agreement between the County and the City of Elliott, for the assignment of tax sale certificates for two parcels.

(Radio Iowa) – The Pentagon is moving an aircraft carrier strike group, as well as squadrons of fighter jets, closer to Israel following the weekend terrorist attacks, but Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley doubts the U-S will dispatch soldiers directly into Israel — and into harm’s way. “Israel does not want American troops on the ground,” Grassley says. “Israel has the capability of handling this situation, but I think if Israel would cry out to us that they need some help, they would get that help. I think it would be probably help other than troops on the ground.”

Saturday’s attacks by Hamas left a thousand “innocent civilians” dead, according to Grassley, along with at least 11 Americans. The Republican notes how one American media outlet had four sources linking the attacks to Iran, in addition to Hamas leaders thanking Iran for the backing, but Iran’s leaders deny any involvement. “I don’t believe what Iran is saying,” Grassley says, “and I believe the administration ought to be more candid with the people. Instead of saying they have no evidence of any Iranian connection with what happened, they at least could say, ‘We’re going to investigate and see what the sources are.'”

The attacks are a “sobering wake-up call to the world” and to America, Grassley says, as “state-sponsored terrorist groups want to wipe the Jewish people off the face of the earth.” “We in the United States stand strong with Israel, because Israel is our most trusted ally in the Middle East,” Grassley says. “We also stand with our Jewish American friends here at home. These atrocities will not be tolerated.”

He calls the attacks on Israel a threat to the entire Middle East. A group called the Party for Socialism and Liberation is organizing an event in downtown Des Moines at 6:30 tonight (Tuesday) which it’s calling a Rally for a Free Palestine. A statement from the group says, “The unrelenting oppression, murder, torture and occupation carried out by the Israeli apartheid regime has precipitated a counter-offensive by Palestinian resistance forces. Their actions are a morally and legally legitimate response to escalating Israeli oppression.”

AMES, Iowa – Oct. 10, 2023 – The Iowa Transportation Commission has approved $2.69 million in funding for two rail infrastructure and related rail development projects under the Railroad Revolving Loan and Grant (RRLG) Program. The projects are expected to support the creation and retention of 129 jobs within three years of project completion.

The Shenandoah Clean Sugar Plant Rail Spur project in Fremont County received a $424,000 loan and a $144,000 grant from the ITC. And, in Clinton County, the Commission awarded a $715,000 loan and a slightly more than $1.4-million grant for the New Horizons Switching Track project and additions. The total loans awarded amounts to $1.39-million, and the total grants amount to $1.548-million.