With all the rain in recent weeks across the Midwest and Northern Plains, water levels are rising along the Missouri River basin — and the water will likely remain high through fall. Dave Becker, operations manager for the U-S Army Corps of Engineers at Gavins Point Dam, says they’re having to increase the releases from the dam near Yankton.  “Our runoff here above Sioux City has gone now up to 141% of normal, so the upper reservoirs are really storing quite a bit of water and we need to evacuate that this fall while we can,” Becker says. “Our flows are steadily being increased.”

Becker says the high water levels will likely continue for a few months.  “Releases are expected to be up there through the fall, probably until about Thanksgiving,” he says. “They have extended the length of the navigation season which normally stops a little before Thanksgiving so they’ve extended that a little bit.” Repair work is still underway on several of the spillway gates at Gavins Point Dam. Becker says they can use the spillway and continue the repairs.

“Right now, we’re using five gates and we may go up to as many as using eight gates for these releases,” he says. “Even though we have four gates being worked on, we have plenty of gates we can use to release the excess water.” The river has risen about two feet at the gauge on the Meridian Bridge in Yankton, but it’s still well below flood stage. Releases from all the main stem dams are being increased to move the water before winter arrives.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County have released additional details about a crop dusting helicopter crash that happened Saturday afternoon, south of Macedonia. Authorities identified the pilot as 26-year-old Christopher Moore, of Creston.

Moore was flying over a soybean field when his helicopter hit a non-energized power line just south of Pioneer Trail and 340th Street. Treynor Fire Chief Russ Maguire said Moore was outside the wreckage and conscious when paramedics arrived on the scene. He was transported to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha for treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

Officials with the FAA were contacted and were expected to investigate the crash.

Police in Creston report 23-year old Christopher Gage Cosenza, of Creston, was arrested early Saturday morning. Cosenza was taken into custody at around 2-a.m. on charges that include Assault on a Police Officer with Injury, Domestic Assault, and Assault with Injury. He was being held in the Union County Jail on $2,000 bond.

Last Friday afternoon, Daniel James Perkins, of Creston, was arrested at the Union County Jail, for Violation of a Protective Order. Perkins remained in the jail on $300 bond.

And, a Clarinda woman reported to Creston Police her vehicle was vandalized while it was parked at the Intersection of New York Avenue and Patriotic Parkway, in Creston. The damage was estimated at $3,000.