The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals handed the Iowa League of Cities a sweeping victory Monday (3/25), vacating U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules on sewage bypass and mixing zones saying the agency failed to follow federal notice and procedures for setting those regulations.

The league had challenged the EPA rules based on two letters from the federal agency which were sent in response to letters from U.S. Senator Charles Grassley.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is expected to argue only a small portion of Muscatine County – not the entire county – needs to be designated as in non-attainment for sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution, a significant change from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) recommended plan.

The IDNR will hold two public meetings – 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., Thursday, March 28 – at the Muscatine County Conservation Board’s Environmental Learning Center, 3300 Cedar Street, Muscatine, to provide information on the proposed non-attainment designation and seek input from the public, businesses and other affected stakeholders.

At those meetings, IDNR officials also are expected to present an analysis of air monitoring in support of a much smaller designated area of non-attainment.

The Loop – a riverfront circulator bus service connecting Quad Cities downtowns Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sundays – will be scaled back to just two days under a plan expected to be approved by the Bettendorf City Council Tuesday (3/19).

Bettendorf received a federal transit grant to purchase the four retro-looking Loop buses in 2009, and the service has been running significant deficits every since. The revenue from the Loop is expected to total just $30,000 for the current fiscal year, while operating expenses are projected at nearly $303,000 (excluding depreciation).

The operator of the DekHockey facility at Crow Creek Park is seeking city approval to sell beer at the rink during the coming season.

Patrik Levesque, a Quad City Mallards player and organizer/operator of the Bettendorf DekHockey facility, is expected to make his proposal to the park board Wednesday (3/13). He made a similar request last year, but the board tabled that request to investigate the issue of allowing alcohol sales at the park.

High levels of fine particulate and sulfur dioxide pollution Monday (3/4) in Muscatine prompted a health warning to residents by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

At noon Monday, fine particle levels averaged 57.5 micrograms per cubic meter at Garfield School in Muscatine and a daily maximum reading of 158 parts per billion (ppb) of sulfur dioxide was measured early this morning at the same school monitor, according to the IDNR.

Conditions were expected to improve by Tuesday (3/5) with a change in wind direction from a winter storm.

A public presentation on the proposed 2013-14 Bettendorf city budget will be given at 6:30 p.m., Monday (2/25) at city hall, 1609 State Street.

The $87-million budget would result in an overall 5 percent hike in property taxes and city service fees for the average Bettendorf homeowner.

The owner of the median-priced home – having an assessed value of $162,235 – would see an annual increase of $42 in property taxes, $18 in sewer fees, $4 in storm water fees and $4.60 in garbage collection cost under the budget proposal.

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Wednesday (2/20) reported a $2.2 million loss for the third quarter ended January 27, blaming the weak economy and winter weather disruptions at its Midwest gambling facilities.

The Isle, owner of the Bettendorf Isle of Capri and Davenport Rhythm City casinos, lost 6 cents a share in the third quarter, compared with a 3 cents per share loss for the same period last year.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to designate Muscatine County in "non-attainment" for sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution, a move Gov. Terry Branstad and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) had tried to sidetrack two years ago.

In his letter to the EPA's regional administrator in June 2011, Branstad recommended Muscatine County be designated as "unclassifiable" under the new SO2 emission standards, a move supported by the IDNR, then headed by Roger Lande, a prominent Muscatine attorney who resigned as IDNR director last year.

The average Bettendorf homeowner would see an overall 5 percent hike in property taxes and city service fees under the proposed $87.1 million 2013-14 budget outlined at recent city council sessions.

The owner of the median-priced home – having an assessed value of $162,235 – would see an annual increase of $42 in property taxes, $18 in sewer fees, $4 in storm water fees and $4.60 in garbage collection cost under the budget proposal.

MidAmerican Energy's president told the Des Moines Register newspaper the company will not seek legislation this legislative session that would allow the utility to bill customers in advance for construction of a future nuclear power plant.

William Fehrman said the utility would not make a third attempt to pass such legislation because "the political support isn’t there," according to the Register article.