On the heels of the reopening of Interstate 680 in western Iowa, and Highway 175 in northwest Iowa after the destructive flooding that occurred this summer, Governor Branstad today (Monday) announced that $1 million in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding will be made available to continue the recovery efforts.  

Branstad says “The devastation of the Missouri River flooding this past summer is extreme. By providing the required local match that would otherwise be a burden that the homeowner, city or county would have to bear, we are helping Iowans to move forward with rebuilding not only their homes, but their lives.” 

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) will provide up to $1 million for the required local match portion that affected cities or counties will need to provide in order to acquire the federal funding offered through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.  The Hazard Mitigation Grant Program assists affected political subdivisions in acquiring property and damaged homes in the flood plain at fair market value.  All properties assisted with the program are in the 100-year flood plain and are deed restricted to be green space. 

The counties of Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie and Woodbury and non-entitlement cities within those counties, are eligible to apply for the funds through the Iowa Homeland Security Emergency Management Division.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors will meet Tuesday morning in Atlantic, to canvass the results of last Tuesday’s Special Election for the District 2 Supervisor’s seat and City elections in Anita, Cumberland, Griswold, Lewis, Marne, Massena, and Wiota. The canvass begins at 8-a.m. in the Supervisor’s Board Room at the courthouse.

The Board’s regular session will begin at 9-a.m.  Included during the session, is: action on approving the final payment for the Northwest Water and Sewer Project; and, continued discussions with regard to the County’s Indigent Burial  and cell phone policies.  The board will recess at 10:45, to attend the 11-a.m. Quarterly Home Care/Hospice meeting at the Cass County Memorial Hospital.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says a juvenile reported missing Friday night from Coin, was found safe and sound in nearby College Springs. Authorities say deputies were sent to a home in Coin after the boy’s mother called just after 11-p.m. Friday to report her son had not been seen since 6-a.m. that same day. While deputies were investigating the possibility the juvenile may have been with his father in Missouri, following a custody dispute, they managed to locate the youth in the area. The boy called his mother, who let him stay with a friend for the night, in the College Springs area.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports two people were arrested early Sunday morning following an investigation into a fight at the Ice House Restaurant, in Clarinda. 38-year old Derek Wayne Freshour, of Villsca was arrested on a felony charge of Assault on a Peace Officer, as well as OWI/1st offense, and Interference With Official Acts. And, 36-year old Heath Patrick Rodney, of Hartford, SD, was arrested on a charge of Public Intoxication and for two-counts of Interference with Official Acts.

The arrests occurred after a Page County Sheriff’s Deputy was called to investigate a fight at the restaurant, at around 1:30-a.m., Sunday. When he arrived, the deputy was directed to a vehicle with three occupants, which was attempting to leave the parking lot. The driver, identified as Freshour, allegedly attempted to use his vehicle to “move the deputy,” as the deputy was ordering the man to stop. Freshour finally obeyed the command, and was taken into custody. He was being held in the Page County Jail on $5,000 bond.

Rodney, who was one of the passengers in the vehicle, was booked into the Page County Jail as well, and later posted a $300 bond. The vehicle’s other passenger, Joshua Edward Simmons, was not charged. The incident remains under investigation.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will hold their regular weekly meeting one-day earlier than normal this week. Tuesday’s meeting begins at 9-a.m..  During the session, the board will canvass the results of the November 8th City Election. They’re also scheduled to hear from: Jane Lents, with regard to a Bond renewal; Sheriff Brad Newton, who will discuss garage issues; and John Hansen, with Midwest Construction Consultants, who will provide an update on the Adair Public Safety Center/Jail, and conduct a site tour of the new facility, which is scheduled to open in January.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office says an Adair man was arrested last Thursday on a drug charge. 42-year old Jon Darin Steckelberg faces a felony charge of Delivery of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine. Steckelberg was being held in the Cass County Jail on $10,000 bond.  And, 29-year old Nathan Lee Lukavsky, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Thursday on a District Court warrant for Probation Revocation. Lukavsky was being held in the jail on $5,000 bond.

Last Friday (Nov. 11th), 32-year old Matthew Ray Thies, of Atlantic, was arrested in Cass County for allegedly violating a No Contact order. Thies was brought to the Cass County Jail and released Saturday on his own recognizance. And, 37-year old James Leroy Chelf, of Atlantic, was arrested Friday, on a Cass County warrant for Failure to Appear on a Driving While Suspended citation. Chelf was brought to the jail in Atlantic and later released on $325 bond.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s office reported this (Monday) morning, one person suffered minor injuries during an accident November 3rd, a few miles north of Farragut. Officials say Judson Krein, of Farragut, was driving a 2007 Dodge Caliber on 370th Avenue, when he pulled into the intersection with 190th Street, and was hit by a 2000 Buick Century, driven by Michael Glenn, of Riverton. An unidentified passenger in one of the vehicles was taken to the Shenandoah Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

w/ Ric Hanson

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w/ Ric Hanson

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A recent study shows hundreds of Iowa residents are drinking tap water polluted with arsenic and health workers are increasing efforts to have private well owners test their water for the poisonous element. Arsenic is found naturally in soil throughout Iowa. It can seep into ground water, which is the source of tap water for more than half the state’s residents.

The Des Moines Register reported drinking large amounts of arsenic over decades can lead to various cancers and cardiovascular and respiratory problems. Short-term exposure can lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and skin problems. Health officials across Iowa gathered last week to talk about solutions to the problem. The University of Iowa study found nearly half of the 475 wells checked between 2006 and 2008 tested positive for arsenic.

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