The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports officials with Windstream have notified the Shelby County EMA that there is a phone outage that is effecting landline 911 services in the city of Shelby. They do not have a time frame of when it will be fixed. The EMA is asking people to use cell phones if there is an emergency until landline services are restored.

Elk Horn Fire and Rescue reports also, landline 911 services are currently down in their area. If you need help, please call 911 on your cell phone or call 712-755-2121.

Windstream customers in the Minden prefix area of Pottawattamie County are also experiencing a phone outage that has disrupted 9-1-1 service to this area. If a cell phone is not available, you are asked to go to the Minden Fire Station for assistance. The station will be staffed until service is restored. This outage does not affect CenturyLink customers. To receive emergency weather warnings and community alerts such as evacuations, shelter locations, water/sewer system alerts and other emergency notices, sign up for free alerts from Pottawattamie Alert, part of the Alert Iowa Network, at www.pottcounty-ia.gov.

Several roads were closed, or remain closed today, due to flooding or flood debris.  Glacier Road, just east of the ethanol plant to Olive Street, was closed due to flooding.

In Pottawattamie County:

• Highway 6 near Oakland is closed in both directions from Hwy 59 west to County Road L-66, due to water over the road.
• I-680 east and westbound from the I-80 split to I-29 is closed in both directions.
• I-29 between N. 25th Street in Council Bluffs and U-S Hwy 30 in Missouri Valley is closed in both directions
• I-680 from I-29 west to the Mormon Bridge at Omaha is closed in both directions.

In Montgomery County:

• Highway 48 west of Elliott is closed. A detour was established by Iowa DOT.
• J Ave between Highway 48 south past the Schildberg quarry drive near 144th street is closed.
• 250th Street between Evergreen and Railroad Tracks was expected to have been closed today.
• 145th Street at Stennett is CLOSED due to water over the roadway. The closure is between 148th St x 150th.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reported the following roads are closed:

• Nishna Ave from 1st St to Oak Road (Harlan)
• Utility Ave between Chatburn and Industrial (Harlan)
• F-58 from Maple Road to Highway 59.
• Highway 59 is closed at the Corley Bridge (south of the Harlan Airport).
• Highway 30 from Hwy 44 to Denison: Alternate route – Hwy 44 to Hwy 59 and back north of Hwy 30.
• Hwy 30 is closed at I-29, the Missouri Valley exit to eastbound traffic.

In Page County:  The Page County Secondary roads has made the decision to close County Road J-53 east of Shambaugh, between Timber and 265th, for water on the road. Page County Road Teak Avenue between County Road J-53 and 290th is also being closed for the same reason. In Dallas County: Hwy 44 between County Road P46 and County Road P30 (near Linden), look out for flooding

For the latest road closures and other road information, go to 511ia.org

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports 42-year old Jeffrey Wade Bartles, of rural College Springs, was arrested Wednesday, at his residence. Bartles was arrested on a Page County Warrant for Theft. The warrant stemmed from a theft investigation conducted by the Page County Sheriff’s Office. Bartles was transported to the Page County Jail where he is being held on $300 bond.

Schildberg Park in Atlantic is temporarily closed, due to flooding. Please avoid the area if possible. It will remain closed until further notice. (posted 10:30-a.m.)

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Waterloo police are offering to take online reports about minor matters and crimes. The program lets residents use an online form to notify police about harassment, lost property, thefts and other minor offenses. The form can be found on the department website.

Maj. Joe Leibold says the new procedure will make the department more accessible, increase efficiency and decrease police response times to more important calls. He says residents reporting crimes in progress or emergencies should still call 911.

Atlantic, IA – The March session of Healthy U will be held Thursday, March 21, 2019, at Cass County Health System. The program, Colon Cancer: Myths and Misconceptions will be presented by Dr. Chad McCance, M.D., F.A.C.S.. Dr. McCance began his practice at Southwest Iowa Surgery in 2008. He provides general surgery, thoracic surgery and critical care procedures. Dr. McCance is boardcertified and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Chad McCance

Healthy U will be offered at noon on Thursday, March 21, 2019. Healthy U is a free educational series at Cass County Health System held monthly in Conference Room 2. The public is invited and welcome to attend, but reservations are required as a meal is provided for all attendees. Call 712243-7479 to reserve your seat.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) has released a video to highlight the dilemmas many Iowans face trying to find mental health services. It starts with the voices of Mary Neubauer  and Larry Loss — the parents of a boy named Sergei. “It quickly became evident that he needed longer term help if he were to recover from his illness and there simply wasn’t any,” Neubauer said. Loss is the next voice you hear in the video: “We’re just parents trying to find help for our son.”

Sergei Neubauer took his own life in September of 2017. Marion County Sheriff Jason Sandholdt is another voice in the video. He was at the statehouse yesterday (Wednesday), urging lawmakers to find long-term funding for services, especially for children.  “I struggle at three o’clock in the morning when a mom and dad call me and they say: ‘My 14-year-old son or daughter is suicidal…What should I do, sheriff?” he said. “For me to say: ‘Well, you can go to the ER and you might have to sit there for a couple of days until we find them a bed,’ that’s not good service.”

Suzanne Watson is C-E-O of the Southwest Iowa Mental Health Disabilities Region covering nine counties. She’s worked in the system for 25 years and has seen several attempts to find funding for mental health services. “I think we’ve put band-aids on it as we’ve gone, but I think it’s time that people realize that we need to get it a point where every region, every county can levy the amount of dollars that they really need to provide the best mental health system that we can.”

The City of Council Bluffs remains in a Flood Warning. Current street closures, due to flooding, include: N 25th to 28th Streets, Valley View from McPherson to Madison, Graham East-West from High to Fairmont, North 8th at Stern Hill Park. Additionally, I-29 northbound at 25th Street is closed.

Mosquito Creek continued to rise through the evening and Valley View Drive remains flooded and closed. The Council Bluffs Fire Department led a voluntary evacuation of Valley View Apartments on Wednesday evening. Valley View Park is closed until further notice.

Public Works crews will continue to monitor the situation, crews have begun mud and debris cleanup. High winds are forecast today with gust up to 33-mph. These winds will contribute to further tree damages and make maintenance of road closures and cleanup efforts difficult. Be cautious of flooded streets and mud. Many trees are hanging and unstable due to erosion and softened soils. City streets are still plagued with potholes. Drive with caution.

The Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency reports (as of 9-a.m.), the East Nishnabotna River was continuing to rise in the Elliott and Red Oak areas. Officials say they have exceeded the original crest limit from last night and are awaiting additional details from the National Weather Service for more updates. The City of Red Oak has started flood pumping operations along the Red Oak Creek as well. Updated road closures below.

NEW – FULL HARD CLOSURE on Highway 48 west of Elliott. Detour being established by Iowa DOT. Please check www.511ia.org for more information once available.

NEW – J Ave between Highway 48 south past the Schildberg quarry drive near 144th street.

ANTICIPATED & EXPECTED TO CLOSE SHORTLY – 250th Street between Evergreen and Railroad Tracks.

145th Street at Stennett is CLOSED due to water over the roadway. The closure is between 148th St x 150th.

Cass County Emergency Management Director Mike Kennon reported that (as of 9-a.m.), Highway 48, near Elliott, is closed due to flooding. Numerous other roads in the listening area are closed or covered with flood debris as the waters recede.