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Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones expressed his gratitude Wednesday evening for the outpouring of support the community and residents of Cass County showed during Monday evening’s Honor Flight motorcade from Atlantic to Des Moines. During the Atlantic City Council meeting, Jones also thanked the two Atlantic natives (Jeff Becker and Roger Underwood) who made the trip possible, and former Council member Steve Livengood, who was instrumental in organizing the local effort.
The veterans and their guardians boarded three buses in Atlantic as they prepared to visit the nation’s war memorials in Washington, D-C. Jones said they were ecstatic at how residents of the community and county showed their support. He said “They were hoopin’ and hollerin’” He said it was a great atmosphere, with the motorcycle escort to Des Moines, and seeing all people lining the streets of the communities the motorcade passed through, including Wiota, Anita, all the way to near Adair.
Jones said everything went pretty smoothly in D-C, although it was a bit on the hot side.
The East Mills School Board has decided to close an elementary school in Malvern in a cost-saving measure. The Daily NonPareil reports the Board voted on the matter during a special meeting Tuesday. The decision means students will not be attending Chantry Elementary School in Malvern next school year. The building will be shut-down as part of a strategy to address declining enrollment and financial troubles.
Superintendent Paul Croghan told the paper that the district plans to ask voters to approve an expanded physical plant and equipment levy in September as well as a school bond sometime next year. The board will confirm placing the levy request on the ballot at its July meeting. The state allows the district to ask voters for a levy of $1.34 per $1,000 of taxable valuation. Such a levy would bring in nearly $4 million for the district over 10 years, which could be used to repay a revenue bond.
Having students in one elementary building is projected to create savings by reducing staff positions, utility bills and transportation costs. An analysis by Iowa Schoolhouse Construction & Planning Services projected $80,000 in savings for the 2014-15 school year resulting from closing the school.
Chantry’s doors may reopen however, as the district moves toward creating an all-grades campus at the site of East Mills High School in Malvern. Croghan said that would require an $11.5 million school bond. The district’s overarching goal, he said, is to use its financial resources as efficiently as possible.
The East Mills Community School District was created in 2011 when the Malvern and Nishna Valley school districts reorganized. The original districts began whole-grade sharing in 2007, with high-schoolers in Malvern, middle-schoolers in Hastings and elementary students staying in their respective districts.
An Underwood teacher has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of Prohibited Acts, in connection with the use of allegedly stolen prescription pads to obtain pain medication in Nebraska and Iowa. The Council Bluffs Daily NonPareil reports Samantha Telleen entered her plea to the reduced, Class-C felony charge Tuesday, in Pottawattamie County District Court. In exchange for the plea agreement, eight additional counts of Prohibited Acts were dismissed.
Telleen’s sentencing was deferred for two years. She was fined $1,000 and placed on probation. In Iowa, a Class C felony carries a punishment of up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $1,000 fine, and she previously faced up to 90 years in prison. The woman faced nine counts of prohibited acts after charges against her husband, Heath, were dismissed in April. Telleen also was ordered to pay $480 in restitution to Jacqueline Sullivan-Ogg, who works at Underwood Family Practice, where Telleen allegedly stole the prescription pads.
Samantha Telleen works as a special education teacher at Underwood Middle School, while Heath Telleen teaches social studies at Underwood High School. The couple have been on paid administrative leave since mid-March.
The Mayor of Council Bluffs is advising residents to prepare for minor flooding near the Tom Hanafan River’s Edge Park. The Daily NonPareil, citing information from the National Weather Service, says an increase in Missouri River water levels, caused by heavy rains near Sioux City and Sioux Falls, S.D., could raise the river to flood stage of 30 feet by this weekend or earlier.
During a meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Wednesday afternoon, Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh said officials told him water levels will peak today (Thursday) and would recede starting Sunday. Walsh said it is unlikely the Missouri River will reach the same level as the Flood of 2011. However, that could change depending on additional precipitation that could fall throughout the week. The river is expected to rise to 32-feet, just 2 feet below flood stage.
Doug Reed, emergency management director for Pottawattamie County, said in a press release, that the river is expected to fall below flood stage by Tuesday morning. Earlier this week, the National Weather Service issued a river flood advisory for areas along the Missouri River. The potentially affected areas in Iowa include the cities Council Bluffs and Missouri Valley and elsewhere in Pottawattamie and Harrison counties. Affected Nebraska areas include Omaha and Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties.
Jody Farhat, who oversees dam releases for the corps, said the flooding would be the second- or third-highest stages officials have seen from Sioux City to Omaha. Pott. County Emergency Management officials say City and county officials will inform residents in flood-prone areas near the river to closely monitor water levels and be keeping a close eye on roads that could be affected by high water.,
Officials say the Narrows Rivers Park will be closed to public access, beginning Friday morning. The Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge north of Council Bluffs closed Wednesday due to high water levels on the refuge’s auto tour road. The DeSoto and Boyer Chute national wildlife refuges are located north of Omaha on U.S. Highway 30 between Missouri Valley and U.S. Highway 75 near Fort Calhoun, Neb. DeSoto currently remains open.
A flood information hotline – (712) 242-1104 – will be available to Pottawattamie County residents Today (Thursday) and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
BLAIR, Neb. (AP) – Federal regulators have appointed a new senior inspector at the Nebraska nuclear power plant that recently reopened after nearly three years offline. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Wednesday that Max Schneider will be the new senior resident inspector at Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant just across the Missouri River from Iowa.
Fort Calhoun resumed generating power in December after a prolonged outage to address regulators’ safety concerns and make sure flood damage was repaired. Fort Calhoun is owned by the Omaha Public Power District.
The NRC keeps at least two inspectors at every nuclear power plant. Schneider will join resident inspector Jacob Wingebach at Fort Calhoun.
No serious injuries were reported following a single-vehicle accident between Red Oak and Stanton Wednesday evening. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports Pamela A. Sandell was driving a 2001 Buick Park Avenue east on Highway 34 at around 5:45-p.m., when she suffered from an apparent medical issue and briefly lost consciousness.
Her car crossed the westbound lane of travel and entered the north ditch, where the vehicle hit a residential driveway at 2365 State Highway 34, before vaulting into the air over the driveway and crashed down into the east side of a drainage ditch. The impact caused the car’s airbags to deploy.
Sandell suffered only minor abrasions and bruises during the accident. Officials say she refused medical treatment at the scene. Her car sustained $7,000 damage, and was considered a total loss. No citations were issued.
No injuries were reported following a collision Wednesday morning between a semi and Ag equipment, southeast of Stanton. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says the driver of a tractor, James A. Herzberg, of Villisca, was cited for Driving Left of Center following the crash just east of Q Avenue on 250th Street, at around 9:15-a.m., Wednesday.
Authorities say Herzberg was operating a John Deere 4040 tractor pulling a Rhino 12 high capacity hay rake, and had observed a semi driven by Marvin G. Reents, of Clarinda, approaching from the rear. Herzberg moved the tractor and rake north, into the westbound lane in anticipation of an upcoming turn, and to allow the semi to pass him on the right because the road ahead was clear.
Herzberg noticed the semi was pulling into the left lane as if to pass tractor, so he tried to return to the eastbound lane, when the hay rack and tractor were struck by the right front side of the semi. The semi, owned by Reents, sustained $8,500 damage. The rake and tractor sustained a combined $16,000 damage.
Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report the overnight arrest of 23-year old Nicholas Allen Philby, of Red Oak. Philby was taken into custody for Driving While Revoked on an original charge of OWI. He was arrested following a traffic stop at 250th Street and L Avenue, southwest of Stanton. Philby was being held in the Montgomery County Jail Thursday morning in $1,000 bond.
Today – Showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2pm. High near 85. South southwest wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.
Tonight – Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Low around 66. West southwest wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Friday – Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Southwest wind 3 to 7 mph.
Friday Night – Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South southwest wind 5 to 8 mph.
Saturday – A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. South southwest wind 6 to 8 mph.
Saturday Night – A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 67. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Sunday – A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84.
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