OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says this spring’s drier than normal weather has helped keep space free for floodwaters in the reservoirs along the Missouri River.   The corps said Friday nearly all of the 16.3 million acre-feet of the planned storage space for floodwater remains free because March was so dry. The corps now says runoff into the Missouri River should be about 94 percent of normal this year, but that could change because it is still early. Last year, late spring rains combined with heavy snowpack to force the release of massive amounts of water from the dams and record flooding along the 2,300-mile-long river.
Corps officials say there appears to be enough water this year to provide for full navigation from Sioux City, Iowa, to St. Louis.

Officials with the Iowa National Guard have confirmed today (Friday) 49-year old Staff Sgt. Cory A. Mildenstein of Sioux City, died after drowning in the Atlantic Ocean while swimming near Aquadilla, Puerto Rico on Wednesday, April 4^th.

Staff Sgt. Cory A. Mildenstein

Mildenstein, a member of the Civil Engineering Squadron, 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard based in Sioux City, was conducting construction projects upgrading military facilities in Puerto Rico at the time of the accident. 

Mildenstein was born in Cherokee, and graduated from Sioux City East High School in 1981. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in October 1985. Following graduation from Basic Training, he attended the Electronic Warfare Systems Specialist Course and was then assigned to George Air Force Base, CA. He joined the Iowa Air National Guard in October 2005 and was named honor graduate of his Structural Maintenance course. Mildenstein previously deployed to Bagram, Afghanistan as part of the Iowa Air National Guard Civil Engineering team in 2011. 

The family of Staff Sgt. Cory A. Mildenstein issued the following statement: “Cory always had a smile on his face and space in his heart for everyone. He was very proud of his children Amber, April and Zac. He loved spending time with family and friends and he was always willing to help with a home repair, or car project.” 

Funeral arrangements are pending.