Government

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack spent nearly three hours at Glenwood Community High School Thursday afternoon discussing flooding along the Missouri River and its impact on agriculture.

Vilsack shared information with an audience of approximately 100 Iowa and Nebraska farmers, elected officials and representatives from various governmental agencies.

Carrying a symbolic red, white and blue wrench, Republican presidential candidate John Davis made a brief appearance in Glenwood last Wednesday, vowing to “fix America.”

The Grand Junction, Colo., home builder made a 15-minute stop on Town Square during his on-going effort to visit every county in the United States. Davis and his family are traveling the country in a custom-painted, 43-foot motor home.

“I know a lot of the candidates just focus on Iowa,” Davis said. “I’m traveling to all the states because I’m committed to the entire country.”

The Iowa Department of Transportation has released an updated timeline for the U.S. Highway 34 – Missouri River Bridge project that will link western Mills County with Sarpy County in eastern Nebraska.

    The timeline calls for the $138 million project to be completed as early as the fall of 2013.

    Investigators from the Iowa State Auditor’s Office and Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) are assisting Mills County authorities with an investigation involving the Mills County Treasurer’s Office.
    “We have placed a person on (paid) administrative leave,” Mills County Attorney Eric Hansen said. “Some discrepancies came to our attention. This is a joint investigation between DCI and the state auditor’s office.”