DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – State officials say crews are working to reinforce and patch aging levees as they prepare for a record release of water on the Missouri River.

Speaking Monday at a news conference with Gov. Terry Branstad, Iowa National Guard Adjutant Derek Hill acknowledged officials are worried about the strength of many levees that haven’t been updated in years.

He says those levees will be under intense strain as more water from reservoirs upstream is released. That high water will hit Sioux City on Wednesday and Council Bluffs on Thursday.

Gov. Terry Branstad says officials continue to examine the levees, looking for spots where repairs are needed.

The DCI and Carter Lake Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a near drowning at a pool. Officials say a caller to 9-1-1 just after 8-p.m. Friday reported a child’s body was discovered in a pool at 1509 Q Avenue.

When law enforcement and medical personnel arrived on the scene they found the 15-month old toddler unresponsive. The DCI was contacted to conduct an investigation into the incident.

Officials say at this time it appears to be accidental. The toddler remains in critical care at a local hospital.

w/ News Director Ric Hanson

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The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports two men were arrested last week on domestic abuse-related charges. Officials say 33-year old Jonathan Talmadge Pennock, of Shenandoah, was arrested last Wednesday for violation of a no contact order issued May 23rd, on behalf of Jami Lynn Franklin.

And, on June 7^th, 22-year old Jesse Dean Seifert, of Omaha, NE, was arrested on a charge of serious assault, following an incident which was reported that same day by Mary Ellison, from Shenandoah. Seifert made his initial appearance in court last Thursday, at which time he was ordered to have no further contact with the alleged victim of the assault.

The sheriff’s office reports also, 58-year old Terry Ray Gray, of Hastings, NE, was arrested June 3^rd, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. A hearing on the charge is set to take place this Thursday afternoon, in Fremont County District Court. In the meantime, Gray was being held in jail on $5,000 bond.

And, no injuries were reported following a rollover accident June 2^nd, in Fremont County. Officials say Jennifer Krause, of Percival, was driving a 2003 Nissan Xterra north on 200^th Avenue by the Plum Creek levee, when a deer entered the road. Krause lost control of the SUV, causing the vehicle to slide off the road and hit a metal gate before rolling over onto its top.

Three people were injured Saturday afternoon during a rollover accident in Harrison County. The Iowa State Patrol says the crash happened at around 12:10-p.m., about three-miles north of the Mondamin exit, as one vehicle was passing another.

Officials say a non-contact vehicle was passing a 2001 Ford Excursion on the left as both were headed northbound on I-29. The driver of the SUV, 18-year old Donald Bennett, of Arlington, TN, became nervous and moved to the right. Once Bennett realized he was too close to the concrete barrier, he moved back over to the left, causing the SUV to swerve.

Bennett overcorrected, causing the Excursion to go out of control and enter a spin. It then left the roadway and rolled several times into the east ditch. Bennett remained trapped in the vehicle for time before he was flown by Mercy Air Care to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs.

Two passengers in the SUV, 16-year old Amanda Bennett and 56-year old Mary Bennett, were transported by Mondamin Rescue to the Onawa Hospital. All of the vehicles’ occupants were wearing their seatbelts.

The Patrol says Donald Bennett was cited for Failure to Maintain Control. The SUV he was driving sustained $15,000 damage.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – Fearing flooding from the swollen Missouri River, the Pottawattamie County Animal Shelter has moved from Council Bluffs to a new spot in Underwood.

Some volunteers are providing temporary housing for some of the dogs up for adoption.

The shelter says the animals available for adoption may be seen online at www.pottcountypets.petfinder.com.

People who want to adopt any of the animals must schedule an appointment by calling 712-366-0152.

w/ News Director Ric Hanson

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No 10-a.m. Arthritis Water class today at the Nishna Valley Family YMCA in Atlantic.

Investigators say someone tampered with a train switch in west-central Iowa which could’ve caused a serious accident. Mick Burkart, Iowa Interstate Railroad’s Chief Operating Officer, says the switch box was broken into just west of Menlo. It was discovered around 4 a.m. Sunday.

“A passing crew noticed the switch target did not look right. They notified out train dispatcher who stopped all trains in the area,” Burkart said. “We got some maintenance personnel out there to check and they found the switch had been tampered with.” If the crew had not made the discovery, Burkart says at some point, a train would’ve derailed.

“We could’ve had fatalities, we could’ve had a release of hazardous materials, we could’ve had quite a bit of damage…very bone-chilling to think about what could have happened,” Burkart said. Authorities have been taking fingerprints in the area of the switch box.

The FBI is assisting with the investigation. The Iowa State Patrol and Guthrie County Sheriff’s office are also involved. Burkart says there are locks on switch boxes, so they are not easy to break into.

“People, if they’re very determined, can do just about anything. So, it just depends on how determined they are,” Burkart said. All trains were shut down in the area from 4 a.m. until noon.

(Radio Iowa)

The chapter of the American Red Cross that covers southwestern Iowa and eastern Nebraska is launching a series of disaster orientation classes in hopes of bringing in new volunteers to assist others in recovering from floods, tornadoes and other catastrophes. Andrea Noon, spokeswoman for the Heartland Chapter, says they’re running short on help.

“We really do need the volunteers,” Noon says. “We’ve had over 30 disaster operations going since late March. With the situations that are happening, we’re going to need more local volunteers as well, so that’s why we’ve added more training classes to get those volunteers prepared for the classes and the things they are going to need to do.”

Among the requirements, Noon says volunteers need to be at least 18 years old.
“Anybody who wants to volunteer has to take our Disaster Orientation class,” she says. “That’s the basic overview about the Red Cross, about how we work with our volunteers and then what you would experience on a disaster relief operation. That is a requirement before anybody can be deployed or take some of these more specialized courses.”

Noon says if you want to be sent on a disaster mission, make sure you can get the time off from work or school. “What we’re looking at right now is a two-to-three-week deployment period,” Noon says. “That’s something that people have to consider. We also have specialized deployments for medical personnel as well.”

Noon says they had more than 100 people attend an orientation meeting several days ago and she hopes that trend continues. Specialty classes include basic food safety, shelter operations, disaster assessments and bulk distribution. The chapter is based in Omaha/Council Bluffs. Learn more at “RedCrossOmaha.org” or call (402) 343-7700.

(Radio Iowa)