COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Council Bluffs is considering buying some property that was flooded by the Missouri River over the summer. The City Council on Monday will vote on the initial process of getting federal funds to buy the properties in two areas near the river. Building inspector Steve Carmichael says there are over 45 homes and other structures that are damaged beyond repair and they need to be demolished. He says they’re in a floodway, not protected by a levee. The city is working on a grant application to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for buyouts. Local governments must provide 15 percent of the amount requested.

A teenager from Overland Park, Kansas was injured this (Friday) morning, when the van he was a passenger in rolled over off of Interstate 29 in Mills County. The Iowa State Patrol says 16-year old Troy Burgett was transported by Glenwood Rescue to Jenny Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, following the crash which occurred at around 8:45-a.m.   Trooper says he was wearing a seatbelt.

Officials say a 2009 Ford van driven by 27-year old Kefentse Mandisa, also of Overland Park, was traveling north on I-29 about 6-miles south of Glenwood, when the van went out of control on the icy roadway. The vehicle slid into the median, rolled over, and came to rest on the driver’s side. Mandisa was not injured in the crash.

Students at the Lewis Elementary School were evacuated for a short time this (Friday) afternoon, after a smell of gas was noticed in the boiler room. Superintendent Dana Kunze says the incident occurred at around 12:15-p.m.   Students and staff followed the procedure for a gas leak evacuation, meaning they were taken to a safe location to await an investigation into the source of the smell.

An employee of Black Hills Energy arrived within minutes and a natural gas leak was confirmed. Kunze said there was a leak on the line leading to the hot water heater. After the line was shut off,  and when administrators were given the okay, students and staff returned to the building. Appropriate repairs are being made so the problem does not happen again.

Postal officials are urging Iowans to get their holiday cards, letters and gifts in the mail soon, because a major logjam is expected in just under two weeks. Richard Watkins, a spokesman for the U-S Postal Service in Iowa, says Monday, December 19th, is expected to be the busiest mail processing day of the year. Other deadlines are coming up as soon as this Saturday, if you want items delivered before Christmas. “Some of the mailing deadlines include December 10th for military mail to overseas bases other than Afghanistan — that deadline was last week,” Watkins says. “December 15th for parcel post, December 20th for First Class mail, December 21st for Priority Mail and December 22nd for Express Mail.” 

The state’s largest mail processing center in Des Moines is expected to handle about a million pieces of mail on December 19th, up from around 400-thousand pieces on a typical Monday. If you’re sending off boxed gifts this month, he offers a few quick tips to get them there faster. “We recommend before shipping packages to remove batteries from toys and other electronic devices,” Watkins says. “Also, place a card inside the package that contains both the delivery and the return address. That insures the safe return of an item that couldn’t be delivered if the mailing label became damaged or fell off.” 

The price of a stamp is also going up, but not until next month. Watkins says the cost of a first-class stamp is going up one penny to 45-cents, starting on January 22nd. He says those ‘Forever’ stamps are called that for a reason. Watkins says, “Customers who have purchased ‘Forever’ stamps in the past and have some in their drawers or tucked away in their offices, those will be good always, as you would expect, forever at the prevailing first-class rate.”

Find more mailing tips and information at: www.usps.com.

(Radio Iowa)

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County says two people were injured during a collision Thursday, four-miles northwest of Malvern, on Highway 34. An investigation revealed a Chevrolet being driven by 21-year-old Noel Thompson, of Red Oak, was traveling on Highway 34, when he attempted to pass a slower moving car. As he was passing the other vehicle, Thompson’s car collided head-on with a Buick driven by 73-year-old Grace Blackman, of Hastings. Both drivers were transported to Creighton University Medical Center by Malvern and Glenwood Rescue.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Department says an Atlantic woman arrested Wednesday on an Interference with Official Acts charge, now faces a charge of Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana.  19-year old Carly Jean Seddon was originally placed under arrest following an incident which allegedly occurred Wednesday afternoon during a traffic stop, in Brayton. A subsequent investigation resulted in the additional charge. Seddon is scheduled to appear in court next Monday (Dec. 12th).