Cass County highway report points to Longville-area road work, fiber permits

Cass County commissioners got a useful summer road update on June 2, when County Engineer Darrick Anderson presented the Highway Department’s 2025 annual report. For Longville-area readers, the takeaway is straightforward: the county said it completed more than $10 million in improvements last year, about $4 million of that in the Remer and Longville areas, while utility-permit activity tied to fiber expansion stayed busy across the county.

The report matters because it shows that the work affecting Longville is not limited to routine patching. It points to a full season of county-level infrastructure activity, from road projects to utility work in county rights-of-way. The board received the report at its June 2 meeting, making it an official snapshot of what the highway department already did in 2025 and what kinds of demands it has been managing.

Longville shop retirement after 28 years

The report also noted a staffing change that hits closer to home in Longville. Tom Sepin retired from the Longville shop after 28 years with the department. The report did not frame the retirement as a broader workforce overhaul, but it is a meaningful loss of experience in a shop that supports day-to-day county maintenance in the area.

For residents, that kind of turnover can matter even when it does not make headlines. Highway departments depend on local knowledge, familiar routes, and quick coordination during repairs, storm cleanup, and project work. A long-tenured employee leaving does not stop the work, but it can affect how crews are staffed and how quickly they respond.

More than $10 million in county improvements

Anderson’s report said the department completed more than $10 million in improvements in 2025. About $4 million of that work was concentrated in the Remer and Longville areas, according to the county’s summary. The report groups those areas together, so it should not be read as a Longville-only spending total.

Even with that caution, the scale is enough to matter locally. It suggests that Longville-area residents are living through a period of heavy county infrastructure investment, not just isolated maintenance. Road users may see the effects in improved pavement, upgraded segments, and ongoing work schedules that shift traffic patterns during the construction season.

Fiber permits point to more roadside activity

The report also said the highway department reviewed and processed 80 utility permits for work in county rights-of-way. That total rose sharply because of fiber optic expansion projects, especially in the northern half of the county.

That does not mean every project is in Longville itself, but it does mean the area is part of a larger wave of utility work moving through Cass County. For nearby residents and business owners, the practical result is more roadside activity, more coordination with county roads, and a summer schedule that may stay busy even when the paving crews are not on site.

For Longville, the report is a reminder that road conditions, staffing, and utility construction are all tied together. The county’s annual review suggests a summer with continued infrastructure work, and residents should expect the kind of intermittent disruption that often comes with it.

Sources

• Cass County Board of Commissioners minutes, June 2, 2026
• Pine Cone Press-Citizen, June 6, 2026: Anderson presents 2025 Highway Department annual report