WASHINGTON – Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst have sent a letter pressing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to follow through on its commitment to rebuild a levee near Hamburg, Iowa, following the floods that devastated the area earlier this year. Following previous floods in 2011, the Corps mandated that the “Ditch 6 Levee” be lowered 8 feet. That levee was overrun earlier this year, contributing to the destructive flooding that left two-thirds of the city of Hamburg under water. After discussions with the City of Hamburg and the State of Iowa, the Corps committed to rebuilding the levee to its original height. It has not yet made good on that promise.

Grassley and Ernst have worked extensively to address communications shortcomings by the Corps regarding flooding and have cosponsored two bills to further address flooding along the Missouri River.

Full text of the letter follows:

“Dear Assistant Secretary James and Lieutenant General Semonite:

We are very concerned about a recent development regarding the Ditch 6 Levee in the City of Hamburg, Iowa. We request that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers immediately begin construction of the Ditch 6 Levee as the Corps designed and to the level of the signed agreement it has with the City of Hamburg and the State of Iowa in June 2019. During the flood of 2019, almost two-thirds of the City of Hamburg was underwater.  A key factor was Ditch 6 levee, which the Corps required to be taken down post the 2011 Missouri River flooding. This levee was overrun in 2019 causing significant loss and damage in Hamburg.

In June 2019, the City of Hamburg signed an agreement with the Corps to rebuild Ditch 6 Levee to a 919 foot-level.  This was the levee height in 2011 prior to being required to be taken down by the Corps. Community and businesses moved forward with repairs and recovery based on the Corps commitment and plan to rebuild the Ditch 6 levee this year to the 919 foot-level.  Businesses have spent close to $20 million in clean-up and repairs for reopening.

City and state officials have had numerous conversations with the Corps Omaha District in June, July, and August about the start of the work for the Ditch 6 Levee.  The Corps confirmed it had funding for its portion of the levee build and that the work could begin once the worksite was dry. On Wednesday, August 14, 2019, the city and state were notified by Colonel John Hudson that the Corps no longer had “authority” to rebuild the Ditch 6 Levee to the 919 foot-level and that it will only be built to 911 foot-level, which would be lowering the levee from its current height, as it was no longer an emergency measure.

In May and June, the Corps executed work to build a HESCO barrier in Hamburg to protect it against flooding.  The HESCO barrier was built to a 921 foot-level height.  While the breach of the L-575-B Levee has been closed, much work remains to restore that levee and the hundreds of miles of levees on the lower Missouri River to its full protective levels. With high flows continuing on the river, Hamburg is a heavy rain away from being flooded again.  As a result, the City of Hamburg needs to have the Ditch-6 levee built to 919 foot-level immediately as a first line of defense to a compromised levee system, which the Corps refers to as “delicate” at best.

Building the Ditch 6 Levee to the 919 foot-level is critical to local businesses and the safety of the community.  We expect the Corps to honor the commitment and agreement it made with the community in June 2019.”

Adair County Elections Deputy Josh Nelson reminds residents of Adair County that today (Monday, August 26, 2019) is the first day to file nomination papers with the Adair County Auditor to run for Mayor, City Council, City Park Board or School Board.  Candidate filing deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 19, 2019.

The City/School Election will be Tuesday, November 5, 2019.  Voter pre-registration deadline is 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 25, 2019.  You may file an absentee ballot request with the Adair County Auditor’s office at any time.  The deadline to request an absentee ballot be mailed is 5:00 p.m. Friday, October 25, 2019.  The last day to vote absentee in the Auditor’s Office is Monday, November 4, 2019 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

SIOUX CITY – Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Corrections said today (Monday), that Leandro Edwin Valdez, who was convicted of Robbery 1st Degree and other crimes in Sioux County, absconded from the Sioux City Residential Treatment Facility without permission last (Sunday) night. Valdez is a 23-year-old Hispanic male, height 5’4″, and weighs 177 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on July 12, 2019.

Persons with information on Valdez’s whereabouts should contact local police.

Leandro Edwin Valdez

The Glenwood Police Department reports 33-year old Mary Hughes, of Shenandoah, was arrested Saturday, for OWI 2nd offense, Inmate Assault on Employee of correctional Facility, and three counts of Assault causing bodily injury on a peace officer. Hughes was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail, until seen by a magistrate judge. And, 57-year old David Richey,  of Glenwood, was arrested Sunday for possession of a controlled substance and possession drug paraphernalia. His total cash or surety bond was set at $1,300.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report finds the immunization rates for Iowa teens rose from 2017 to 2018 and exceed both the regional (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) and national averages. The 2018 National Immunization Survey measures coverage for the Tdap (diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough), meningococcal and HPV vaccines among teens aged 13 to 17. In 2018, Iowa’s Tdap vaccination rate was 94.0%, up from 93.4% in 2017 and higher than the national (88.9%) and regional (86.6%) rates. Similarly, vaccination for meningitis rose in Iowa from 83.6% in 2017 to 89.2% in 2018 and was higher than the national (86.6%) and regional (80.9%) rates.

Finally, 2018 HPV vaccination rates for males and females combined were 73.4% for the first dose and 55.1% for the completed series. In both cases, these rates were higher than 2017 and higher than the national (68.1%, 51.1%) and regional (66.4%, 47.6%) rates.

Officials say while the report is welcome news, vaccination is an ongoing effort that begins with every infant born and continues through its life. Recent disease outbreaks across the country illustrate that while vaccines are essential in preventing disease, many Americans do not utilize these life-saving tools to protect themselves, their families and their communities from vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccines have the ability to protect Iowans of all ages from serious and sometimes deadly infectious diseases.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports three people filed nomination papers for the Nov. 5^th City Elections in Atlantic:

Pat McCurdy, of Atlantic, is running for the 3rd Ward Council seat he was appointed to earlier this year, following the resignation of Ashley Hayes.

Linda Hartkopf has filed for re-election to her 4^th Ward seat on the Atlantic City Council, and Grace N. Garrett has filed for an Atlantic City Council At Large position currently held by Dana Halder.

The last day for candidates to file nomination papers, is September 19th.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in a search Saturday, for two people, on a property that Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater said was difficult to navigate in the dark of night. The Madison County K9 “Orozco” was instrumental, the Sheriff said, in locating Matthew Jones, of Indianola, and Shannon Keeney, of Des Moines. The pair were found hiding under one of the hundreds of vehicles on the property.

Further investigation revealed that Jones and Keeney were not simply “Star-gazing the big dipper,” as they told authorities. Both were charged with Possession of Burglary Tools, Burglary in the 3rd Degree (Vehicle-related), and Possession of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine. On Sunday, a search warrant was executed on Jones’ vehicle, which led to charge of Burglary in the 3rd Degree, and Theft in the 2nd Degree, with regard to a separate property.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Department was assisted by the Cass and Madison County Sheriff’s Offices, Stuart and Greenfield Police Departments, and the Iowa State Patrol.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Meyer & Gross Real Estate and the Atlantic Community Promotions Commission, will be hosting a Drive-In Movie experience Saturday, September 7th. Bailey Smith, Executive Director at the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce said “Last year was the first time we tried this idea out and had 350 people attend the movie, so we knew it would be a welcomed idea again this year.” She says “The Drive-In is a fun, nostalgic experience for community members and those in the surrounding area to enjoy. This also gives us the opportunity to show off our town and encourage people to shop and eat before coming to the movie.”

The Drive-In Movie will be at the Cass County Fair Grounds in the grandstand area beginning around 8-p.m. Sept. 7th, with a showing of “Grease”. Cars may begin parking at 6-p.m. The screen is 60 feet long with a high definition projector. Speakers will be available next to the screen for people to utilize. A transmitter will be provided for those enjoying the movie from their car. Attendees will turn their radio to a certain station and the transmitter will play the audio through their car speakers.

Entry is $5 per car or $2 per person for car-less entry. People are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on. Parking will be available on the other side of the Fair Grounds for car-less entry attendees. Inside parking for the Drive-In is limited, so pack a chair or blanket as precaution. Each attendee will receive a free bag of popcorn and one free drink. Additional beverages will be $2. Popcorn refills and candy will be available for $1.

For more information, visit www.atlanticiowa.com, call the Chamber at 712.243.3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com. The Drive-In is sponsored by Meyer & Gross Real Estate, Hy-Vee, Family Crisis Support Network, Nishna Valley Family YMCA and the Atlantic Community Promotions Commission.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Another Iowa Democrat has entered the primary race to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. Mike Franken said in an introductory video Monday that he’s “not afraid to stand up for the proud progressive principles that Iowa Democrats share.” Franken retired from the U.S. Navy as a three-star admiral in October 2017. His career included ship commands and years in senior policymaking, strategy, and planning roles for the Defense Department.

He was born and raised in rural northwest Iowa and moved back to Sioux City shortly after his retirement. Des Moines commercial real estate business president Theresa Greenfield, Des Moines businessman Eddie Mauro and Indianola lawyer Kimberly Clark are already in the Democratic race. Ernst is seeking her second six-year term.

(Radio Iowa) — Captain Al Haynes, the pilot of United Airlines flight 232 — which crashed in Sioux City in 1989, has died at the age of 87. Larry Finley, director of Sioux City’s Mid-American Air Museum, became friends with Haynes. Finley says Haynes loved Sioux City and the response he and the crew were given in the aftermath of the deadly crash. “He made that comment many times in our conversations,” Finley says. “He said, ‘You know, I’ve been to a lot of communities but I really feel at home with the friendliness and the compassion of the people in Sioux City. I never knew anything about Sioux City until we made this unannounced approach to your airport.'”

The D-C-10 had suffered complete hydraulic failure enroute from Denver to Chicago with 296 people on board. Haynes managed to guide the crippled airliner to Sioux Gateway Airport, where it crash landed as a fleet of ambulances and fire trucks waited at the scene. While 111 died in the fiery crash, 185 survived. Finley says Haynes never considered himself a hero and deeply regretted the loss of life in the crash. “That’s one of the reasons that every year, subsequent to the crash, the crew had its own reunion,” Finley says. “Captain Haynes explained to me that it was therapeutic for all of them because they all felt that somewhere in the back of their mind, they were all responsible.”

Without the perseverance of the crew, the outcome could have ended in greater loss of life, as no domestic airliner had ever experienced that type of catastrophe before. “Captain Haynes said that was the reason they made it to Sioux City and it was as successful as it was because individually, the four people in the cockpit had never experienced total hydraulic failure on an aircraft like that,” Finley says. “He says it was everybody having input into the final solution.”

With all hydraulics out, Haynes steered the plane by using the thrusters on the two remaining engines, one on each wing. Haynes died Sunday at a Seattle hospital. Funeral services are pending.