The new Interstate 74 bridge may be at least a decade away, but the city of Bettendorf is being asked to commit an estimated $7.8 million for "aesthetic" improvements along the project corridor.

The memorandum of understanding outlining the financial commitments by Bettendorf, Moline, Davenport and the states of Iowa and Illinois is to be voted on at the December 6 council meeting.

The aesthetic components of the project total $46 million and include:

• The pedestrian/bike lane on the bridge.
• The pedestrian overlook planned for mid-span of the new bridge.

MidAmerican Energy spent $2.3 million on its nuclear plant feasibility study over the past 16 months, but has asked the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) to keep details of most of those expenditures confidential.

The privately owned utility company was given approval by the legislature in April 2010 to collect a total of $15 million over a three-year period to pay for the nuclear plant feasibility study.

All 32 exceedances of national air quality standards in Iowa so far this year have been recorded in Muscatine.

The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are levels of pollution considered "harmful to public health and environment," and include air pollutants ozone, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, lead and particulate matter.

As of Nov. 9, the air quality standard for sulfur dioxide (SO2) in Muscatine was exceeded 30 times and twice for particulate matter of less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5).

As it nears the end of removing nearly 300,000 tons of used foundry sand from its Bettendorf riverfront operation, Sivyer Steel has entered into a consent order agreeing to stay in compliance with regulations that permit no more than a six-month accumulation of the waste material on site.

The agreement signed Oct. 7 concludes a five-year period of discussions between Sivyer and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) over the foundry sand, used in making molds for casting steel at the facility.

Lee Enterprises – owner of the Quad City Times and Muscatine Journal – posted a $147-million loss in fiscal 2011, compared to a $46-million profit the year earlier.

The newspaper chain headquartered in Davenport reported a 20 cents per share loss in its fourth quarter ended Sept. 25, and a fiscal 2011 loss of $3.27 per share.

More than a year after Windstream (formerly Iowa Telecom) was awarded more than $17 million to build high-speed Internet connections to serve rural Iowans and create jobs in rural communities, none of the funds have been spent and not a single job created.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack announced the job stimulus grants in August 2010, and Windstream was targeted to receive more than $120 million, including $12 million for work in rural Iowa.

LeClaire voters may get a voice on whether the city should issue bonds to pay for the construction of a new downtown parking lot and purchase of technology equipment.

More than 225 eligible voters signed petitions seeking the referendum, Tom Kamp, spokesman for the group, said. The petitions were submitted Friday, Oct. 14 and would require the city to hold a referendum on the issuance of $408,000 of bonds.

Sivyer Steel in Bettendorf has agreed to fines of $54,786 after a March 2010 inspection by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found violations of federal hazardous waste regulations.

According to the consent agreement with the EPA, Sivyer was operating as a "conditionally exempt small quantity generator," creating less than 220 pounds of waste per month at its plant.

Subsequent to the inspection, Sivyer shipped nearly 8,000 pounds of hazardous waste from its facility at 225 S. 33rd St. for remediation.

According to the consent order, Sivyer:

As part of a plan to refinance its nearly $1 billion in debt, Lee Enterprises will give lenders 13 percent (6.744 million shares) of its common stock.

The deal announced Sept. 8 would give Lee more time to repay its long-term debt, largely the result of acquiring the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2005.

Lenders who will get the ownership share and a boost in interest on the refinanced debt include Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC, Franklin Templeton/Mutual Quest Fund and Monarch Master Funding Ltd.

The owners of Hawkeye Paving Corp. are seeking a special use permit to allow construction of a concrete recycling plant at 6001 State Street, Bettendorf.

A special use permit for the facility will be considered by the city Board of Adjustment at its meeting Thursday (9/8). The vacant site, currently owned by James Mahler of Bettendorf, is zoned general industrial (I-2).