Western Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King today (Monday) sent a letter signed by Iowa’s entire House delegation to President Barack Obama,  asking him to grant Governor Terry Branstad’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration for six counties that have been ravaged by Missouri River flooding. If granted, the disaster declaration will trigger the release of federal emergency assistance resources to Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie and Woodbury counties to aid their response to flooding that began on May 25, 2011 and is continuing. King initiated the congressional letter of support for the state’s request.

King said “Missouri River flooding is doing extensive damage to western Iowa, and I am asking the President to grant the state’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration.”  He added “From Sioux City to Hamburg, this flood is consuming homes, businesses, farmland, and infrastructure, and the damage will continue to mount as the water remains with us over the summer. With the support of Iowa’s House delegation behind the state’s request, the President should not hesitate to issue a disaster declaration that will allow federal resources to strengthen ongoing recovery and relief efforts.”

King’s letter to President Obama notes that Governor Branstad has asked for a Major Disaster Declaration after determining that the ongoing Missouri River flooding “is of such severity and magnitude that effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and the affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance is necessary.”

MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (AP) – The American Red Cross has closed one of its 24-hour shelters for Nebraska and Iowa victims of Missouri River flooding. The Red Cross says there is no current major need for the shelter at Missouri Valley, Iowa.

The two 24-hour Nebraska shelters are at Fort Calhoun High School at Fort Calhoun, north of Omaha, and in southeast Nebraska at Peru State College in Peru. The remaining 24-hour shelter in Iowa is at Sidney High School in Sidney, in the southwest corner of the state.

Other shelters are on standby in Cass, Cedar, Dixon, Douglas, Sarpy and Thurston counties in Nebraska, Pottawattamie County in Iowa.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The forecast for rain in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa is worrisome for officials who are already concerned about flooding along the swollen Missouri River. Storms are expected to develop Monday afternoon and again in the evening, and the National Weather Service says there is a moderate risk of severe weather.

Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management spokesman John Benson says the storms might drop enough rain to cause local flooding problems. Weather Service forecaster Van DeWald says the first round of storms in the afternoon shouldn’t significantly worsen flooding along the Missouri River because the storm will move across the region.

DeWald says the places most likely to have flooding problems Monday are the places that received heavy rain Sunday, such as Fremont, Neb. and Audubon, Iowa.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office says three-people were injured during a two-vehicle accident early Monday morning, near Shenandoah. 31-year old Joshua James Shipp, of Boise, Idaho, suffered incapacitating injuries during the crash, and, 38-year old Daniel J. Crnic, along with his passenger, 40-year old Carol Griencewic, both of Omaha, suffered unknown, possible injuries.

Officials say Shipp was traveling westbound on Highway 2 in a 2008 Chevy van at around 12:40-a.m., when he ran a stop sign at the intersection with Highway 59 and broad-sided Crnic’s 2010 Ford Fusion, as Crnic was headed north on Highway 59.

Both men were transported to the Shenandoah Medical Center, and both vehicles were totaled in the crash. Authorities cited Shipp for failure to stop for a stop sign.

(updated 6-21-11 to add 3rd victim: Griencewic)

Craig Finney (photo provided by authorities in MO.)

A Macedonia man wanted in connection with the shooting of a rural Minden woman late last week was arrested Saturday morning, nearly 350-miles away, in Central Missouri, after authorities in the Ivy Bend area located an allegedly stolen, SUV he driving, and began conducting surveillance on a residence.

According to Pottawattamie County Sheriff Jeff Danker, 50-year old Craig Finney was taken into custody in Morgan County, Missouri. Finney was wanted in connection with the shooting early Friday morning, of 48-year old Patricia Harker.

Danker says authorities in Morgan County, MO, were about to execute a search warrant at a home in the area, when Finney was observed leaving the residence at around 7-a.m., Saturday.

Finney allegedly broke into Harker’s home at around 2:20-a.m. Friday, and fired his shotgun at another man holed-up in a bathroom, before turning the weapon on Harker and shooting her in the shoulder. He then shot himself, before leaving the scene of the crime. Harker was transported to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs before being transferred to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, where she was recovering from serious injuries. Finney was being treated for his injuries at a facility in Missouri.

Danker says he’s amazed the man managed to make it to central Missouri, given the nature of his injuries.

When he’s eventually returned to Iowa, Finney will face two felony charges of attempted murder and one-felony charge of willful injury. Finney was Harker’s former boyfriend. A restraining order issued against him in July 2004 was rescinded four-months later. He later received a deferred judgment on domestic abuse-aggravated assault charges.

w/ News Director Ric Hanson

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa nonprofit nursing home chain wants dozens of its facilities reclassified to residential properties for property tax purposes. If Care Initiatives succeeds in its quest, communities where the facilities are situated would get about half as much tax revenue from the facilities, which mostly are classified as commercial properties.

Care Initiatives has appealed 15 rejections to the Iowa Property Assessment Appeal Board. The company cites Iowa law, but several county assessors dispute that nursing homes are used primarily for human habitation.

Care Initiatives owns and operates facilities located locally, in Atlantic, Avoca, Bedford, Corning, Creston and Panora.

An Atlantic man was arrested twice in one week on Public Intoxication charges. The Police Department reports 54-year old Roy Milczarek was taken into custody Saturday. He was being held in the Cass County Jail pending an appearance before the magistrate.

Milczarek was also arrested last Wednesday, on the same charge.

w/ News Director Ric Hanson

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The cool April weather will delay one of the favorite summer delicacies of Iowans. Growers say sweetcorn planting was slowed and it won’t be available in great supply until after the Fourth of July. Ron Deardorff of Adel, grows 160 acres of sweetcorn in central Iowa. He uses some custom planting techniques to help the corn survive cooler weather. 

He says they lay down plastic and then he has a special planter that pokes a hole in the plastic and drops in a seed. It basically creates a little greenhouse underneath the plastic. Deardorff supplies various stores and vendors with sweetcorn and also supplies it to the annual “Adel Sweetcorn Festival.” Deardorff has been growing the Iowa favorite for almost 30 years, and says genetics have improved the quality of the corn over the years.

He says the corn is sweeter, the plants are healthier, the stalks are better to support the ears. “The corn we were planting 25 years ago wouldn’t even compare to the wonderful stuff we have nowadays,” Deardorff says. The advances also mean the sweetcorn can be stored longer before it loses its flavor. Deardorf plants the corn in about 20 different stages so new corn is maturing right up to labor day. Iowans cook sweetcorn in a variety of ways and eat it with butter and salt and other additions — but Deardorff likes it best fresh without condiments. 

“The true test of corn is raw right there in the field, it’s not covered up by butter, salt and pepper or anything,” he explains, “…I’ll probably eat more raw corn than I do cooked corn.”

With a good crop, Deardorff will produce about one-point-five million roasting ears this growing season. Fuel, fertilizer and seed costs are up this year, which means sweetcorn is expected to see a little increase in price this year once it hits the stores and stands across the state.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)