COUNCIL BLUFFS – As yet another storm system has caused damage to both public and private property, Pottawattamie County Emergency Management officials continue to request damage reports and pictures from the public. Director of Emergency Management Doug Reed, says “We’re now included in three active State Proclamations of Disaster Emergency, it’s almost unprecedented.

“Covering a county of over 93,000 square miles can be challenging for our staff of three, so reports from the public are crucial in expediting the process to help identify needs and apply for assistance programs that can help our jurisdictions, residents, and businesses,” Reed said.

Reporting Damages. Damages for the most recent storms occurring in the county are being requested from those impacted. Any renters, homeowners, or businesses that have not yet reported their damages for the May 6 or May 20 through May 24 storms should do so on the emergency management website. Please indicate the exact date damages occurred and provide photos if possible.

Current Declaration Status:

• Severe Storms and Tornadoes (April 26) – Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for FEMA Individual Assistance and Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance. FEMA Public Assistance program is being requested.
• Severe Storms and Tornadoes (May 6) – Governor’s Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for state assistance to local governments, Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program, and Iowa Disaster Case Advocacy Program – please report damages here.
• Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Derecho (May 20 through May 24) – Governor’s Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for state assistance to local governments, Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program, and Iowa Disaster Case Advocacy Program. An expedited Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for FEMA Individual and Public Assistance is being requested – please report damage here.

Assistance for Farmers: USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack has approved the Governor’s request for the activation of USDA disaster assistance in the state and Pottawattamie County. The Governor’s press release on the announcement can be found here. A USDA Farm Service Agency Disaster Assistance Fact Sheet can be viewed at this link. Impacted farmers in Pottawattamie County should report their damage and inquire on available assistance programs through their FSA Service Center in Oakland or Council Bluffs.

Access to Assistance Information and Ways to Help:
Information and links to available assistance programs and ways you can contribute to disaster relief can be
found at the emergency management agency website and the Share Iowa website. Both websites are updated
as information is received from partners and service providers.

ADAIR COUNTY, Iowa – U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) today met with local leaders in Greenfield to survey the damage and discuss recovery efforts following this week’s devastating tornado and storms.

“My heart breaks for the Greenfield community. Witnessing the damage today has been sobering,” Ernst said. “In the midst of such devastation, Senator Grassley and I saw true Iowa resilience: neighbors helping neighbors and communities coming together in the midst of hardship. That is what it means to be Iowa strong! As our state continues to recover, I will keep working at the federal level with our entire delegation and Governor Reynolds to ensure Iowans have access to the resources they need.”

“I was grateful for the opportunity to support the Greenfield community and meet with those on the ground who are working tirelessly to put their town back together. Iowans stand together in good times and bad. Greenfield is showing remarkable strength and resilience after experiencing terrible destruction and losing neighbors, homes and businesses,” Grassley said. “I’ll continue to do all I can to assist Greenfield and other storm-affected areas in Iowa as they rebuild.”

The senators earlier this week led the entire Iowa congressional delegation in urging President Biden to approve Governor Kim Reynolds’ Presidential Disaster Declaration request to aid in storm recovery.

Senator Ernst shared the following video message from Greenfield:

(Radio Iowa)- A northern Iowa man has been found guilty of murdering a retired grocer more than a decade after the crime. A Chickasaw County jury has found 51-year-old Randy Patrie guilty of killing 70-year-old Carl Gallmeyer of Nashua in September of 2012. Patrie was the primary suspect, however, before local officials could proceed with their case, he was sentenced in 2014 to life in federal prison on felony firearms charges and for being a career criminal.

In 2018, Patrie was re-sentenced “I think everyone is very grateful the jury delivered justice to the Gallmeyer family after nearly 12 years of waiting,” Laudner says.

Patrie’s first degree murder conviction carries a mandatory life sentence in an Iowa prison. No sentencing date has been set.

(Radio Iowa) – President Biden has approved federal disaster assistance for residents and businesses in four counties hit by Tuesday’s severe weather. Governor Kim Reynolds made the request yesterday (Thursday), noting over 200 homes had been severely damaged or destroyed in Adair, Montgomery, Polk and Story Counties. The state’s initial damage estimate is 11 million dollars.

In a written statement, Reynolds thanked Biden for expediting the assistance, which the governor says it critical to Iowa’s recovery process. Homeowners and renters in the four counties who were affected may seek federal assistance now to cover temporary housing, medical bills and other expenses.

U-S Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack has approved U-S-D-A disaster assistance for farmers in 29 counties that had damage from the tornadoes and severe weather that hit Iowa LAST month.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced May 21, 2024, to 84 months in federal prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencings, Alejandro Almaraz, 24, and three co-defendants, conspired to distribute methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska metro areas. This case involved the seizure of approximately 12 kilograms of methamphetamine. The seized methamphetamine was transported from Juarez, Mexico to the United States through El Paso, Texas.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Almaraz will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

Almaraz’s three co-defendants were sentenced earlier this year. Arnulfo Ibarra-Nunez, 57, was sentenced to 144 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Stacey Hernandez, 19, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Manuel Gamez-Acosta, 25, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Council Bluffs Police Department.

(Radio Iowa) – Tornado sirens wailed this (Friday) morning in several central and eastern Iowa counties as severe storms rolled across the state. In Hamilton County, southbound traffic is being detoured off of Interstate 35 due to several semis having been knocked over by powerful winds. Hamilton County Sheriff Doug Timmons says there were no serious injuries reported.

One of several semis along I-35, flipped by the strong winds. (Photo by Pat Powers, KQWC)

“About the 139 mile marker, which is the Kamrar exit, is currently closed,” Sheriff Timmons says. “We got multiple semis that are tipped over and we got powerlines across the road. We’re diverting traffic.” Timmons says there’s damage to buildings in the county that was either caused by a small tornado or strong straight-line winds. As yet, no tornadoes are confirmed in today’s storms.

MidAmerican Energy reported some 35-thousand customers statewide were without power at the peak this morning, while Alliant Energy had another 12-thousand customers in the dark.

The Atlantic Memorial Day service will be held Monday, May 27 at 10:00 am at the Atlantic Cemetery Field of Glory.  Steve Livengood, local veteran who helps to coordinate those events, has announced that the flags that are normally raised on Friday and left through the weekend will not be raised until Monday morning.

The flags will be raised to half-mast Monday morning at 7:00 am and lowered and stored at 5:00 pm.  The service will feature canon fire to begin, the Atlantic High School Band and keynote speaker Ryan Graham.  If you can’t make it to the service, KJAN TV will provide live streaming video.

(Radio Iowa) – The Waterloo Visiting Nurses Association will be closing its doors at the end of the month after almost a century of work in Black Hawk County and beyond. Executive director Annett Burke says like many nonprofit health organizations, the Waterloo Visiting Nurses Association has seen diminishing private donations and minimal Medicare reimbursement. “With all of that, it has all combined into the perfect storm in that we are just no longer able to provide services and still cover the overhead.” Burke says staffing has become a major issue.

“It’s very difficult to get and retain nurses and nurses aids,” says. “They are the ones who are the meat of the industry.” The non-profit in Waterloo has provided a variety of services, like nutrition classes, blood pressure checks and immunization clinics.

There are other Visiting Nurses Associations still operating in the state in places like Council Bluffs, Iowa City and Dubuque.