The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 34

8M The Des Moines Register Wednesday, July 1, 1992 Hardin Creek Bridge to go tumbling down Iowans pay for official's use of state vehicle 1 1 'f CHARLES SC11LOSSE IVTllF. REGISTER Greene County officials began demolishing the structure even as the high court considered its fate. By CYNTHIA HUBERT Rkcister Staff Writkr The wrecking ball came, down Tuesday on the Hardin Creek Bridge, despite a desperate bid before the Iowa Supreme Court to save it. Greene County officials began demolishing the structure even as the high court considered a preservation group's emergency motion to halt a controversial road project on which the bridge's fate rested. "We're really low," said Bob Aus-berger, who has been leading the effort to save the bridge.

"It's a helpless feeling." Ausberger and other members of the Greene County Lincoln Highway Preservation Group believe that the bridge and road in question have important historical significance. Others, including county Engineer Russell Helms, disagree. "That's contrived hogwash," Helms said. "They're using the historical issue to obstruct this project." He said the bridge is in serious disrepair and will be replaced with a new one as part of an effort to improve Old Highway 30 between Grand Junction and Jefferson. The roadway is a major commercial artery in Greene County and needs "significant work" to make it safe, Helms said.

Opponents of the project have lost several legal bids during the past 18 months to stop the project. They say that the segment of road targeted for construction is a candidate for the National Register of Historic Places, and are applying to place it on that list. "This could completely destroy the historic integrity" of the area, Ausberger said of the road project. Opponents recently lost a request for a permanent injunction against thecounty's plan, and last week a Bob Ausberger, president of the Lincoln Highway Preservation Group, headed an 1A miles east of Greene County effort to save "If county governments hesitated every time that some self-serving group were to file a legal action, we would never get anything done," he said. "The bridge project is proceeding on schedule." He said contractors were "champing at the bit" to begin work on the project.

"The clock is running against us," Helms said. "If we don't release the contractor to do work, in all likelihood, they will exercise their legal rights against the county. We have a contract to honor." Ausberger and others last year won a legal fight to protect another segment of Old Highway 30 that was threatened by the road project. A district court judge said that county officials failed to properly consider environmental factors in their plans for that portion of the project, which would have destroyed the historic Eureka Bridge. judge declined a request that the project be delayed, pending appeal of that ruling.

When opponents spotted demolition equipment poised at the bridge Monday evening, they quickly prepared a motion for a temporary injunction with the Iowa Supreme Court. The court ruled against the group Tuesday afternoon. Even before the ruling, wrecking equipment had punched a hole in the west side of the bridge. Susan Frye, a lawyer for the preservation group, agreed that "technically" the county had a legal right to proceed with the project. "But we hoped they would wait," Frye said.

"I just think this is extremely unfortunate." Helms said the county had no choice but to proceed with the project, which he said has the support of "99 percent" of the citizens of Greene County. Questions Were Raised Riverboat's records given to tax agencies By LARRY FRUHLING Rkkistkk Staff Wkitkh The Iowa Division of Criminal In vestigation has turned over the ganv bling records of two riverboat casi nos to state and federal tax agencies for further review, Darwin Chap man, the DCI director, said Tuesday, The records of the Dubuque Casino Belle and the Mississippi Bene 11, Dasea in uinton, were obtained by the DCI about seven 1 -months ago after questions were raised about the 1 1 adequacy of ac- counting proce- dures on the boats, both of which are owned by Robert Kehlof Dubuque. Kehl Chapman said Quner the DCI found "no criminal problem" in its review of the records, but realized it was at its limit of accounting expertise and had no money to hire an outside accounting firm. He said the records were given to the Internal Revenue Service and the Iowa Department of Revenue and Finance for further review about two weeks ago. Questions about the accounting procedures on the Kehl boats were raised last November by Richard Searl, a DCI agent who, at the time, was in charge of the 20 agents assigned to police the boats.

Searl said there were possibilities of employee theft of more than $10,000 and of the state's being shortchanged on tax revenue. Kehl issued a statement Tuesday saying he felt he had been exonerated. Your WIECK Continued from Page 1M with reduced staffing because of a tight state government budget. Last year Wieck became a lightning rod for criticism after he terminated the employment of 23 candidates for the State Patrol, the Division of Criminal Investigation and the Capitol police after one day on the state payroll. Wieck defended his use of the state automobile Tuesday.

It is not unusual for him to go to crime scenes where the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has been called in, and he also uses the state vehicle to check on state troopers, Wieck said. Wieck also said he regularly used his state car to assist motorists with disabled autos as he drove to and from work on Interstate Highway 35. Opposed To Using Own Car Wieck said he would be opposed to equipping his own family car with a police radio and then seeking reimbursement for the miles that he drove the auto for government work. "Should I have to maintain a personal car to go out on state business? I don't think so," he said. He also said it would be impractical to drive his personal automobile to Des Moines every time he needed a state government car.

He estimated that he worked 60 to 70 hours a week on state business. A number of other public safety employees who work at staff jobs at the state Capitol also drive state government cars back and forth to work, but Wieck said he wasn't sure how many. Wieck, who practiced law in Osceola prior to accepting the state post, said he had not moved to the Des Moines area because he realized that he probably would not be a longtime government employee. "I'm appointed by the governor -and serve at the pleasure of the governor," he said. He said it was true that most state troopers lived within 15 miles of their assigned post, but "that is not an iron-clad rule." He said some exceptions had been made to the policy.

Richard Vohs, an aide to Gov. Terry Branstad, said the governor had not reviewed Wieck's use of the state car for commuting to and from work. State teased by spotty rain RAIN Continued from Page 1M vented some crop damage, most areas have reached the breaking point. "It's starting to look scary," said Jim Jensen, extension agriculturist for Des Moines County. "We haven't had a whole lot of damage yet, but we would have to have at least an inch a week from now on to keep the crops going.

I don't know if that's eo- ing to happen." Many crops do not appear to have been damaged by the lack of rain so far. Jensen said, but Dastures have become too dry to harvest much hay and livestock feed. Farmers have had to ship in hay and to use supple ments to compensate. In Des Moines, the lack of rain has Gov. Terry Branstad worried.

On Tuesday he said it was critical that Iowa farms receive rain in the next few days. "We will see irreversible crot) damage if the droueht that has stricken parts of our state, especially soutnern and eastern Iowa, is not broken here," Branstad said. Perhaps the onlv Dortion of the state that has escaoed much of the drought has been the northwest, where precipitation figures for the first six months of 1992 nearly equal the normal rainfall. As the temperatures get hotter this summer, however, moisture will be needed all the more. OFFICIAL PUBLICATION (R343) (SECOND NOTICE) iOTJCEF REDEPTIQN OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONOS DATEDMAY 1,1982, OF THE CITY OF IOWA FALLS, IOWA Natlre Is hrbv aluAn thnt ntv n4 in Falls, lowa, has adopted a resolution exercis ing irs ngnt in can ana prepay on June 1, 1993, General Obligation Bonds of the City, dated May 1, 1962, and numbered as follows: Dunu5 iu to uv, inclusive, aggregating $555,000 00.

The said bonds, so called for payment, are scheduled to mature June 1, 1995 to 1997. Inclusive. The holders or the above drrlhri hnnri hereby directed to present the same tor payment to the City Treasurer of the City of lowa Cnll num nn 1 Inn. on said bonds will cease on said date. i nis notice is given oy order of the Cruncll of the City of lowa Falls, lowa, pursuar to the terms of the resolution of said City, adopted November 19, 1984, outhorliing the Issuancsof said bonds.

r.r. Bys Larry 6. Smith, Clerk FIRST NOTICE OF CALL PUB-D IN DES MOINES REGISTER ON CITYOr IOWA FALLS, IOWA NOTE ISHFI NOVEMBER 28, 1984. A I SO NOTITF CALL SENT TO ORIGINAL PURCHASER SAID ISSUE ON SAID DATE. 1 R3451 State of lowa lowa Department of Transportation Office of Motor Carrier Services Official Notice J.L.

Mack aVba Wall Lake Transport, has ilea an ODDliratlon with th rtffir nf AAninv Carrier Services seeking authority to transport: Liquia ten nier or UAN (urea amonlo nitrate solution) In bulk, In tank vehicles, between points In Calhoun, Carroll. Cherokee, Crawford, Harrison, Ida, Kossuth, and Sac counties, lowa. Restricted to facilities owned or used by Cropmate' CoVBoyer Valley Fertilizer Anyone whoe rtahts mnv nnuanaiu fected by the grant of such authority may fi le a potest pursuant to IOWA CODE 325.13 AND Protests must be filed with the Office of Motor Carrier Services, 100 Park Folr Mall, P.O Box 10362, Des Moines, lowa 50304-0362 no later than thirty days from the date of this publication, ond copy served on applicant's representative, J.L. Mack, P.O. Box Wall-Lake, I A 51 466 Docket No SAC.m Published In The Des Moines Register on July! 1, 1992.

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