CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say one person died after a fire broke out at a condominium complex in southwest Cedar Rapids. Firefighters dispatched a little after 3 p.m. Tuesday encountered heavy smoke when they entered one of the units. They found a person inside a doorway who later was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries have been reported.
The victim’s name and other information about the fire haven’t been released.

(Radio Iowa) — Missouri River floodwaters are receding slowly from the southwest Iowa town of Hamburg but a former mayor expects a few hundred residents likely won’t return. Terry Holliman owns the NAPA Auto Parts store, flooded when the Missouri River broke through the Hamburg levee March 18th and inundated about two-thirds of the city of a thousand. “It’s a big financial loss for most people that can least afford it,” Holliman says, adding, the poorest residents took the brunt of the flood. “The lower areas are the lower-income families, the ones who can least afford a loss. It’s going to be hard on everybody,” he says.

Not everyone will be willing to start over. “We have a lot of recovery, a lot of rebuild,” Holliman says. “A lot of people simply will not come back to town because of the loss of homes. We’ll probably lose, easily 200 people.”  He says residents remain resentful about how the U-S Army Corps of Engineers manages the Missouri River and he accuses the Corps of neglecting flood control measures. Holliman said the dams and the levees were built in the 1950s for flood protection.

“They’ve now switched that. They no longer are about flood protection, they’re about environmental and recreational,” Holliman says. “They sat there during the winter with their dams full, knowing they’re going to have runoff from snowmelt and no place to put it except down the river.”

Spring flood damage across Iowa is estimated near one-point-six billion dollars, with another one-point-three billion dollars damage in Nebraska.

Red Oak Police, responding to a dispatch at around 8:25-p.m., Tuesday about an unconscious man in the 600 block of Hillcrest Drive, ended-up arresting the subject. Officers arrested 28-year old Logun Matthew Hughes, of Red Oak, after he was transported to the hospital and medically cleared. He was taken into custody for Child Endangerment and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where Hughes’ bond was set at $2,000.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that early this (Wednesday) morning, deputies arrested 56-year old Jules E. Gould of Shenandoah. Gould was located in the 300 block of Iowa street in Shenandoah where he was also taken into custody.

Gould was transported to the Fremont Count Law Enforcement Center and being held on $100,000 bond for the Delivery of Methamphetamine. Sheriff Aistrope said that the investigation is on going, and he expects more people to be arrested pending the conclusion of the narcotics investigation.

Deputies were assisted by the Shenandoah Police Dept.

J. Gould

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CDT

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — In his fourth trial, a jury has found a man guilty in the 1990 killing of a 9-year-old girl whose body was found in Davenport. The Quad-City Times reports jurors Tuesday found 57-year-old Stanley Liggins guilty of murder in the death of Jennifer Ann Lewis. The Rock Island, Illinois, girl’s body was found the night of Sept. 17, 1990 in a field near a Davenport elementary school. Liggins has been twice convicted of murder but the verdicts were overturned. His last trial ended in a mistrial.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Senate subcommittee has approved a resolution that seeks to amend the state constitution and restore voting rights to felons who complete their sentences, but it’s unclear if the measure will get through a full Senate committee in time to meet a legislative deadline. It is a key policy initiative of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds but some Senate members of her own party resist restoring rights for murders, rapists and child molesters and want other criminals to repay restitution first.

MARQUETTE, Iowa (AP) — A 66-year-old eastern Iowa man says only Alaska’s Denali thwarted his efforts to scale the highest peaks in all 50 U.S. states. In 2016, Don Smalley set himself the challenge to reach the highest point in every state. The Marquette resident high-pointed in 43 states between 2016 and 2017. Last summer, he failed in his attempt to summit Denali, the highest peak in North America. The Telegraph Herald reports that Smalley concluded his effort this February in Hawaii.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say more than 40 Dubuque jobs will be lost after MidWestOne’s purchase of ATBancorp is completed. The two banking companies announced the agreement last August. MidWestOne spokesman Greg Turner said Tuesday that the deal is expected to close May 1. Turner says some of the 44 ATBancorp employees whose jobs will be eliminated because of duplication are retiring or already have found new positions.

Patrons of the Riverside Community School District have said No to the renewal of a 10-year PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy). Unofficial results from the Pottawattamie County Elections Office shows there were a total of 334 No votes (56.4%) to 258 Yes votes (43.6%). A 60% super majority was needed for the PPEL to pass. The votes are broken down as follows:

• Absentee: 8 Yes, 7 No
• Carson: 77 Yes, 63 No
• Macedonia: 36 Yes, 58 No
• Oakland: 137 Yes, 206 No

And, the voters elected Timothy Petersen to fill a vacancy on the Riverside School Board in District 5. There were two write-in absentee votes. Turnout for the election amounted to 21.3% of the 2,774 registered voters in the District.

If it had been renewed, the 10-year PPEL tax rate would have been $1.34/$1,000 taxable property valuation, and would have been used for critical updates such as replacing the HVAC units at the Elementary and Intermediate Schools. The district also wanted to update its bus fleet and technology.

COUNCIL BLUFFS – Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Director Doug Reed, Tuesday night, said the Joint Preliminary Damage Assessment Team comprised of officials with the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency, Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency completed assessments of impacted properties throughout the county, Tuesday.

Pott. County EMA

Their assessments focused on a representative sampling of the damages to residential properties resulting from recent flooding. Reed said “We had approximately 260 properties we know had some level of damage based on our local preliminary damage assessments and reports provided by residents.”

He added, “We were able to work with our partners from Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management and FEMA today (Tuesday) validating that data by examining approximately 25-30 percent of our known damages.” Officials agree that based on the event and historical trends that there are likely many more properties with impacts that were not reported as of yet. Some properties in affected areas are still not accessible due to remaining floodwaters or dangerous road conditions.

State and federal officials will now examine all the data that has been collected and FEMA will then determine whether Pottawattamie County residents will be added to the existing Individual Assistance Program authorized by President Trump’s Major Disaster Declaration for the Midwestern flooding that has devastated the region. Local officials hope to have confirmation over the next couple of days.

Reed concluded with, “It’s important for everyone, even if minimally impacted, to always report their damages when requested by emergency management. Providing the entire scope of impact helps us paint the picture for officials in determining our inclusion into assistance programs. Individuals may not be in a position where they need assistance but your information is critical in getting that help to those that do.”

Voters in the Atlantic Community School District have approved by more than a Super Majority, a $9.5-million bond referendum for school improvements and safety upgrades. Unofficial results from the Cass County Auditor’s Office show there were 736 Yes votes (65.77%) and 383 No votes (34.23%).

Deputy Auditor Sheri Karns reports the results are not official until the Canvass of Election which is to be held April 8th in the Board of Supervisors Room.  She said also, that there were five ballots that have not been returned by mail.  In order for those ballots to be counted they must be postmarked prior to Election Day and received in the auditor’s office by noon on April 8th, 2019.  There were also no provisional ballots.

Atlantic School District Superintendent Steve Barber told KJAN News district officials are “pretty excited” by the results. He thanked the Facility Committee for their time and effort to work through the process, and everyone who voted in favor of the improvements to the school system and the community.

Barber said the next step, aside from the canvass April 8th, is to engage with the district’s bondsman and get the bonds purchased and move forward in working with the architects to complete the Washington Elementary parking lot this summer. From there, they’ll move on to the baseball/softball complex, the Trojan Bowl and the High School facility. Barber said more information about when those projects will get underway will be made known as soon as possible.

Superintendent Barber said also,”Obviously when you don’t have to raise taxes that’s always an easy one to do, but you know it’s been 23-years since we did a major project, and I think many of our community members recognize that we have some unsafe situations, we have some ADA non-compliance things going on, and this is just going to be great for our students, for our school and for our community.” He said they’re looking forward for the facilities to be “modernized and to show respect for our school system and our community

With passage of the measure, the indebtedness of the district will be in excess of 1.25-percent of the assessed valuation of taxable property in the School District.

The Resolution on the ballot asked: “Shall the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Community School District, in the Counties of Cass, Audubon and Pottawattamie, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness ans issue general obligation bonds in an amount not exceeding $9,500,000 for the purpose of furnishing, equipping, constructing, improving, repairing, and renovating school buildings and improving the sites thereof at the school district’s existing school buildings located in Atlantic, Iowa, including without limitation: (a) renovating, equipping and improving the football field/track/stadium, team building, concession and related buildings/site improvements, (b) renovating, equipping and improving the softball/baseball fields and related buildings/site improvements, (c) constructing, relocating, equipping and improving tennis courts and related buildings/site improvements, and (d) improving and realigning a roadway for smoother access to the elementary school and connection to the middle school?”