ST. LOUIS (AP) — An environmental organization says the Upper Mississippi River is among the most endangered rivers in the U.S. American Rivers on Tuesday released its annual report that lists the Gila River in New Mexico as most endangered, followed by the Hudson River in New York and the Upper Mississippi. The report cites threats to public safety and river health posed by “climate change and illegal levee raises” on the Mississippi River in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.

The organization urges federal and state agencies to resolve levee violations, blaming illegally raised levees for destroying fish and wildlife habitat and making flooding worse downstream.
American Rivers says climate change is causing more frequent and severe flooding. The Mississippi is currently well above flood stage at several towns in the three states.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Tuesday), reports two arrests occurred Sunday. 43-year old Sean Eugene Hicks, of Emerson, was arrested at around 9-p.m. for Driving while denied or revoked, operating a vehicle without the ignition interlock, of speeding. His bond was set at $1,300. And,30-year old Anthony Robert Espinoza, of Doon, IA, was arrested at around 5:50-a.m. Sunday in Mills County. He was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance, Driving While Barred, and Providing False Identification. His bond was set at $3,300.

A single-vehicle accident in Mills County at around 1:10-a.m. today (Tuesday), resulted in the driver being transported to a hospital. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year old Lindsey Rhodes, of Red Oak, was driving a 2010 Dodge eastbound on Highway 34 near 350th Street, when the vehicle hit the gravel shoulder, causing Rhodes to over-correct. The vehicle went off the road and landed on its passenger side in the north ditch. Rhodes was transported to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital by Malvern Rescue.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a man being held in the Pott. County Jail, was presented with a warrant Monday out of Douglas County, Nebraska. 32-year old Jeramy Lee Swain, of Kelley, Iowa, was wanted on the warrant for being a Fugitive From Justice. Swain remains held without bond in the Pott. County Jail on the Nebraska warrant, and a similar warrant out of Pott. County.  22-year old Omar Ventura, of Omaha, was transported from the Fremont County Jail to the Pott. County Jail, Monday. Ventura was wanted on an Iowa warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana – 1st offense. And, 20-year old John Wesley Lovejoy, of Council Bluffs, was picked up from the Union County South Dakota Jail and transported to Pott. County, where he was wanted on three Probation Violation warrants. Lovejoy was booked into the Pott. County Jail and held without bond.