City removing political signs; Iowa to lower flags Friday for SEAL; more

City removing political signs

The city of Fairfield is removing the political signs popping up all over town.

Tom Baker, the city?s code enforcer, said the signs are being removed for two reasons. ?The first is that most are being placed on city/state right of way, which is illegal,? Baker said. ?And the second is that the Iowa code forbids any political signs to be displayed before 45 days before an election and must be removed within seven days after an election.? The law can be found in section 306C of the state code.

The city code also addresses the same issues.

Baker said should someone be found placing or displaying these signs, he or she can be cited into court and fined.

?If you have them in your yard, please remove them until the appropriate time,? said Baker.

Iowa to lower flags for SEAL team member

DES MOINES (AP) ? The governor has ordered U.S. and Iowa flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of a U.S. Navy SEAL team members who was killed when a helicopter was shot down Afghanistan.

The office of Gov. Terry Branstad ordered all flags under state control to be lowered on Friday for Petty Officer John Tumilson, of Rockford. The 35-year-old Tumilson died Aug. 6 when a rocket-propelled grenade disabled a helicopter carrying 30 Americans and eight Afghans.

Tumilson joined the Navy after graduating from high school in Rockford in 1995. He is survived by his parents, George and Kathleen Tumilson, of Rockford, and two sisters.

Services for Tumilson are scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday at the Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock Community School in Rockford. Burial will be at Riverside Cemetery in Rockford.

Environmental commission member faces complaint

DES MOINES (AP) ? A statewide activists group is asking a member of the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission to resign or sell his stake in a livestock confinement construction company.

The Des Moines Register is reporting that Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement filed the complaint against Brent Rastetter on Tuesday, saying he should resign from the commission or sell his share of Alden-based Quality Ag. The group claims Rastetter benefits from actions taken by the commission to reduce regulations and that his serving on the commission is a conflict of interest.

Rastetter was appointed to the commission by Gov. Terry Branstad.

Rastetter could not be reached for comment.

Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht says the governor supports Rastetter and believes he can impartially serve on the commission.

Iowa closes bridge over Mississippi River

AMES (AP) ? Iowa transportation officials have closed a bridge over the Mississippi River between Lansing and De Soto, Wis., because of a crack in the floor beam under the bridge deck.

The Iowa Department of Transportation says the bridge on Iowa Highway 9 was closed immediately on Wednesday after the crack was discovered during a regular inspection. The department says it doesn?t know how long the bridge will be closed.

Traffic is being rerouted. The nearest bridges over the Mississippi River are about 30 miles north and south of Lansing at La Crosse, Wis., and at Prairie de Chien, Wis.