The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a Nebraska man was arrested Tuesday night on weapon and Theft charges, following a report of an armed subject at the Riverside High School. Dispatch had advised that a black male came to the car door of the person reporting the incident, and told him he was taking his vehicle. The suspect was last seen walking up toward the school and had a gun in the center of his waistband. The subject also allegedly tried to steal another car, and was seen walking in front of the school, and subsequently in the smaller parking lot. It was noted that he never actually pulled the gun out, but showed the butt of the weapon. Upon arrival, deputies located 18-year old Puom Gatluak Gach, of Bellevue, NE., in a stolen vehicle. Gach was taken into custody without incident and brought to the Pott. County Jail, where he was charged with Robbery in the 1st Degree – Armed with a dangerous weapon, and Theft in the 2nd Degree – Motor vehicle theft under $10,000. He was being held on $25,000 bond for the Robbery charge, and $5,000 bond for the Theft charge.

(Radio Iowa) — A 12-year-old boy is in custody and facing criminal charges after he allegedly called 9-1-1 at midday Tuesday, claiming there had been a shooting at Sioux City West High School. Police Lieutenant Chris Groves says they quickly determined it was a prank. “Officers first responded to West High School and found that there was nothing there, everything was okay,” Groves says. “Through the investigation, we determined that the call originated near North Middle School.”

There was also no trouble at North Middle School. The investigation led officers to the boy, whose name was not released. The boy was taken to juvenile detention on a charge of making a false police report, a serious misdemeanor. Groves says the call caused many anxious moments for school officials, authorities, parents and students. “I actually put it on Facebook right away just to hopefully let people know that this was a false claim and that everything was okay,” he says, “but what that does is just cause chaos in everyone’s life.”

Groves says this is the latest in a series of recent crank calls which all appear to have come from the same source.”That particular phone number has made other prank or at least false, fictitious calls into the communications center over the last three weeks,” he says.  Officers are investigating to determine whether any other juveniles were involved in the calls.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A man who sued a Black Hawk County board has lost his bid to block a planned wind energy project. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that a judge affirmed Monday the county Board of Adjustment’s power and decision to issue a permit to Washburn Wind Energy. The company plans to erect 35 wind turbines east of Hudson.

Farmer Harold Youngblut’s lawsuit says the board’s April 2018 action violated the county’s zoning ordinance and amounted to an illegal “taking” of property because of the wind project’s potential effect on neighbors. The $120 million project drew objections from nearby property owners concerned about its potential impact on their health, quality of life and property values. Project supporters have said it would generate clean energy and give farmers where the turbines would be placed new revenue to keep their farms viable.

Youngblut’s lawyer says he’ll probably appeal.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A meteorologist says there’s not much risk of rainfall heavy enough to further raise the Mississippi River flood threat in eastern Iowa. A temporary flood barrier failed in Davenport on Tuesday, submerging downtown blocks and forcing some people to seek shelter on rooftops. They later were evacuated by boats. Davenport City Administrator Corri Spiegel declined to comment early today (Wednesday) about any overnight developments.

Scattered showers are in the forecast for Wednesday, but National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Gibbs said chances of a thunderstorm system that could bring heavy rain are “pretty low.” The service isn’t warning of severe weather upstream either.

The river is expected to crest Wednesday evening or overnight at 22.4 feet in Davenport, short of the record crest of 22.6 feet set in July 1993.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new report says an April survey of business supply managers suggests there will be solid economic growth over the next three to six months in nine Midwest and Plains states. The report issued today (Wednesday) says the Mid-America Business Conditions Index dropped to 55.9 last month from 58.2 in March. The February figure was 57.9.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss oversees the survey, and he says finding and hiring qualified workers remained the chief threat to the manufacturing economy for the region.

The survey results are compiled into a collection of indexes ranging from zero to 100. Survey organizers say any score above 50 suggests growth. A score below that suggests decline. The survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Iowa state parks invite campers to visit this weekend and help celebrate Camping Kick-Off, May 3 – 5. “Year of the Volunteer” is the focus of this year’s Camping Kickoff celebration as the Iowa DNR anticipates the 100th anniversary in 2020 by hosting more than 30 volunteer and family events across the state. A full schedule of programs is available at www.iowadnr.gov/campingkickoff. Campers will also receive a free issue of Iowa Outdoors magazine. T

Todd Coffelt, chief of state parks for the DNR, says “We are looking forward to this season opener and to welcome visitors and campers to our parks.” Those wanting to join the Camping Kickoff celebration can make advanced reservations through today (Wednesday, May 1st). Reservations can be made at https://iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com or by calling 1-877-427-2757. Phone center hours are 7 AM to 7 PM CST (Mon. – Fri.).

After today (Wednesday), campers can use walk-in camping on a first-come, first-serve basis for any sites not already reserved.

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds isn’t giving any indication on what she will do with several high-profile bills that passed the recent legislative session. She does say that there has been a lot of input on whether she should sign or veto the sports gambling bill. “I’m hearing on both sides, I’ve had a lot of people reach out,” Reynolds says. The bill approved by lawmakers would let the state’s casinos take bets on professional and college sports — either at the casinos or elsewhere via a smart-phone app. Reynolds says many people don’t want to see her sign the bill into law. “They’re concerned about addiction to gambling and the impact that this may have,”according to Reynolds.

Others say the state needs to take control. “I had a lot of other people who have indicated it is happening, it is going to continue to happen — and they think it is very important that we have some kind of oversight,” Reynolds says. Reynolds says both sides have made their feelings known. “You know it’s pretty equal right now, but I am hearing a lot from both,” she says.

The governor says she is treating the gambling bill like all the others and will go over it with her team and make a decision on whether to sign it into law.

(Radio Iowa) — May is starting out much like April ended, with continued cold weather and rain across much of the region. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub, based in Ames, says the long-range forecast models well into the middle of May don’t show much change for precipitation or temperatures. “The Northern Plains are not looking really good on either one of those,” Todey says. “In the Week Two time period, we’re likely to have below-average temperatures again, so we’re not making a whole lot of progress on warming up soils and drying things out.”

Some parts of the state have had standing water due to flooding for more than a month and some farmers are far behind in their planting due to soggy soil. Todey says the weather pattern simply isn’t shifting much. “Typically by this point in the spring, we do start getting more storm events, we start getting more warm air moving northward and we are getting some of that,” Todey says. “Unfortunately, it hasn’t moved far enough yet on a more regular basis. We’re still getting these fairly significant cold outbreaks and that has allowed the storm track to be such that we’re going to keep getting continued rainfall.”

For areas of the state that still haven’t had the chance to dry out from the spring soakings, Todey says there’s little relief in the immediate forecast.  “It looks like throughout a good part of the Corn Belt area and a chunk of the Northern Plains,” Todey says, “we have above-average chances for precipitation going on well into the middle part of May right now.” Todey expects the effects of the ongoing El Nino pattern to hang around into mid-summer, which could translate into below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation.