Western Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King, Saturday issued a statement after Congress passed legislation to provide $8.1 billion in emergency funding for disaster recovery. The bill included $6.4 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund and $1.7 billion in funding for disaster recovery assistance through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps). 

King said “This year’s flooding along the Missouri River did significant amounts of damage to homes, businesses, and farm land, and it greatly weakened much of the infrastructure that’s in place up and down the river to protect us from flooding.” He added “The Corps has estimated that nearly $750 million in damage was done to the levees and other flood control infrastructure in the Missouri River basin. Getting our levees repaired to their pre-flood specifications has been a priority (of his) since (the) water levels crested.” King said “Without the protection of the levees, home owners and businesses will be unable to rebuild and many farmers will be forced to pay triple crop insurance premiums.” 

The legislation passed the House Friday. In addition, the House passed legislation to offset the cost of the disaster aid with an across-the-board cut to non-defense spending in Fiscal Year 2012. The legislation was approved by the Senate Saturday, although the offset for the disaster relief was stripped out by a vote of 43-56. The legislation now awaits the president’s signature.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The mayors of Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, will build a Habitat for Humanity home this weekend to settle a friendly wager over the Nebraska-Iowa football game.The men placed the bet on Nov. 18 on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge over the Missouri River between the two states. Under the terms of the deal, the mayor that backed the losing team would have to build a house in the winning mayor’s city.The Nebraska Cornhuskers beat the Hawkeyes 20-7 on Nov. 25, so Council Bluffs Mayor Tom Hanafan will be building a house in Omaha on Saturday. Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle plans to lend a hand.

Here’s the latest local and State News, from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson….

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (8.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.1MB)

Subscribe: RSS

Police in Council Bluffs say a 41-year old man was shot in the face early this (Saturday) morning, during an apparent attempted robbery. Michael R. White, of Council Bluffs, arrived at Jenny Edmundson Hospital in the Bluffs just before 1-a.m., suffering from a gunshot wound to his face. Officials say White was treated at the hospital before being transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, for additional treatment. Police say attempts to locate the suspect(s) involved in the shooting were initially unsuccessful. The Bluffs’ P.D.’s Criminal Investigation Division continues to investigate the incident. If the suspect or suspects are found, they will likely face charges of Attempted Murder and Robbery in the 1st Degree.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha says an Iowa man claims he was molested by a priest. The archdiocese on Friday announced a Carter Lake, Iowa, man has accused the Rev. Al Salanitro of sexually abusing him in between 1991 and 1994. Deacon Tim McNeil, chancellor of the archdiocese, says the 52-year-old Salanitro denies the allegations. McNeil says Salanitro, pastor of St. Bernadette Catholic Church in Bellevue, has taken a voluntary leave of absence while the allegations are investigated. McNeil says the allegations have been reported to law enforcement and the Archdiocesan Review Board. A letter was mailed Thursday to parishioners and school parents.

Salanitro was ordained in 1989. He has served as pastor in parishes in Blair, Laurel and Omaha.

Cass, Decatur and Taylor counties have added their 4-H history to “Iowa 4-H History by County,” a blog detailing the history of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 4-H Youth Development. The history blog is a partnership of the Iowa 4-H program and the Iowa 4-H Foundation. The online history notes the importance of the country fair to the 4-H program in Cass County.

Throughout the years, 4-H and the fair have changed emphasis to meet the needs of the times. As early as 1949, 4-H project entries began changing to meet the needs of 4-H members who resided in towns and had interests other than livestock, although animal project areas such as rabbit, poultry and goats continued to expand as well. View the full history on the blog, at www.iowa4hfoundation.org/4hhistory.

Over the next two years, 4-H staff and volunteers will be reviewing additionalcounty 4-H histories, with two to four being published on the blog each month, said Shelly Greving, marketing director for the Iowa 4-H Foundation. The idea that led to the blog took root 10 years ago during Iowa 4-H’s centennialyear, when several 4-H volunteers and ISU Extension staff members started talking about writing an illustrated history of 4-H in Iowa, Greving explained. Those early discussions resulted in “A 4-H Story: Helping Hands, Caring Hearts” (4H 4805), an illustrated 4-H ABC book for children. The book is available from the ISU Extension Online Store, https://store.extension.iastate.edu/.

County celebrations during the 4-H centennial, as well as ISU Extension’s centennial in 2003, resulted in the gathering of numerous pictures, record books and memorabilia. Florine Swanson, retired Iowa 4-H Foundation executive director, led the online history project as counties compiled their history and submitted it to the review committee to be published on the site, Greving said.
“All these efforts have resulted in what now will be a living history of 4-H. We hope 4-H members, alumni, volunteers, leaders and staff will add their comments and continue the history of 4-H, sharing the many facets of each county’s 4-H program,” Greving said. “Individuals may choose to continue the legacy of 4-H by making a donation to directly impact Iowa 4-H or their county 4-H program.”  Today’s 4-H youth develop citizenship, communication and leadership skills; and learn about everything from aerospace to zoology,” said Chuck Morris, director of ISU Extension and Outreach 4-H Youth Development.

To learn more about 4-H, contact Susan at the Cass County Extension Office at 712-243-1132.

MINDEN, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say the driver of a grain hauler died after the truck slammed into an unoccupied house in Minden in southwest Iowa. The Pottawattamie County sheriff’s office says emergency crews found 53-year-old Calvin Leaders, of Underwood, unconscious in the truck after the accident Friday morning. He died at a local hospital.

Chief Deputy John Reynolds says the grain hauler, which was empty, left the road and hit the house shortly after 7 a.m. No one was home at the time. Reynolds says it’s unknown if Leaders may have suffered a medical condition. An autopsy is pending.

In an update to our story earlier this morning about a semi crashing into a home in Minden, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s office this (Friday) afternoon, said the driver of the semi has died. Officials say at around 7:18-a.m., deputies were dispatched to 210 Lincoln Street in Minden, where they found a 2003 Peterbilt semi tractor trailer had left County Road L-66 from Lincoln Street, on the east side of the road, and collided into the front of a residence. No one was in the home at the time.

The unidentified driver of the semi was unresponsive when the initial 9-1-1 call was made. The driver’s brother arrived on the scene and began CPR prior to the arrival of Minden Rescue. Rescue personnel continued CPR, and the man transported to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, where he was pronounced dead about an hour after the crash. The Pottawattamie County Medical Examioner’s Office will schedule an autopsy to determine the cause of death, but officials say at this time, it’s possible the crash was related to health complications.

The house sustained visible damage to the walls and windows amounting to about $10,000, while the semi, registered to Charles M. Leaders Trucking, in Minden, sustained an estimated $30,000 damage.