The City of Council Bluffs and the Iowa West Foundation have decided to cancel Loessfest 2019 due to the recent flooding. KETV in Omaha reports, the festival is held during Memorial Day weekend to help kick off summer. In April, it was moved to Labor Day weekend in hopes the park would be dry by then, but with this summer’s projected Missouri River levels, officials have decided to call off the festivities altogether.

In place of Loessfest, the City is working on planning a different community-wide celebration to be held at Bayliss Park over Labor Day weekend. Details have not yet been released.

MANCHESTER, Iowa (AP) — Two former hospital officials in northeast Iowa are accused of taking personal trips on hospital time and seeking expense reimbursement from the hospital. Delaware County court records say 61-year-old Lon Butikofer and 53-year-old Mike Briggs are charged with theft. Butikofer was chief executive officer of Regional Medical Center in Manchester. The Telegraph Herald reports that Briggs was the hospital’s system fund and development director.

Butikofer’s attorney, Mark Liabo, said Monday that his client would plead not guilty. Butikofer’s accused of stealing nearly $257,000 from January 2009 through March 15, 2017, by failing to properly record the personal trips as vacation or paid time off and by seeking reimbursement for the expenses.

Briggs is also accused of stealing more than $23,000 for failing to properly record personal trips as vacation or paid time off and by seeking reimbursement for expenses.

(Corrects gender on Leslie Skalberg) A man and woman from Red Oak were injured during a single-vehicle accident Sunday afternoon, west of Oakland. According to Pottawattamie County Chief Deputy Rob Ambrose, 72-year old Leslie Skalberg and his passenger, 63-year old Connie Skalberg were injured in the crash that happened on Highway 6 near 360th Street, at around 3:05-p.m., Sunday. Ambrose said Leslie Skalberg was driving a 2005 Chevy pickup driven when he suffered from an unknown medical condition.

Photo from the Minden Fire & Rescue Facebook page

The pickup went out of control and into the north ditch before becoming airborne and landing over a creek, about 60-to 70-feet away from the road. Rescue crews from Oakland and Minden worked to free the couple from the pickup. Ambrose said Connie Skalberg was flown to an area hospital by Midwest Medical Helicopter. Minden Rescue transported Leslie Skalberg to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. Both were said to be in stable condition this (Monday) morning.

(Radio Iowa) — About five dozen farmers and union members gathered at the Labor Temple in Keokuk Sunday to call for more revisions in the U.S. Mexico Canada Trade Agreement. Carrie Duncan, a local officer in the Machinist Union, says the event highlighted important connections among America’s working class. “They try to divide us and our farmers and our labor, we all toil in many different ways,” she says.

The rally was organized by the Iowa Farmers Union and the Iowa A-F-L C-I-O. Duncan says the new deal to replace NAFTA will benefit corporations, not workers. “We’re still outsourcing jobs,” she says, “not keeping manufacturing jobs here in the United States.”

The Trump Administration is lobbying U.S. lawmakers to ratify the new deal before congress takes a month-long recess in August.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowans have a new tool to look up information on their drinking water wells. Researchers at the University of Iowa have built an interactive online map for residents, engineers and well drillers. U-I engineering professor David Cwiertny helped design the map so users can see how deep wells are dug and look for testing results on nitrates, bacteria and arsenic. Cwiertny says, “We’ve been testing for those for some time and can we get that data out there so people can see it, understand what’s been collected historically and help that to inform decisions about where wells might go, or maybe not want to go.”

The well forecasting system is now available on the website of the UI’s Hydroscience and Engineering program.  “That’s a win-win,” he says. “That’s a very useful benefit from this site, is not just to inform drillers but also help agencies figure out, here’s where we could use a little more information. Why don’t we now, based upon the historical record, go prioritize in that area?”

It’s estimated 300,000 Iowans rely on private wells for their drinking water. Free testing for potential contaminants is available through the Iowa Department of Public Health.

(Thanks to Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

Sheriff’s officials in Pottawattamie County report 27-year old Tyler Ryan Doty was arrested at around 7:30-p.m. Saturday, for Driving While Barred/Habitual Offender. Doty was taken into custody in Underwood following a traffic stop for failure to display a registration plate. At around 8:45-a.m. Saturday, a Pott. County Deputy met up with a Deputy from Shelby County in Avoca, to pick up a person wanted in Pott. County, for Violation of Probation. 20-year old Noah Patrick Benedict, of Persia, was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail.

A deputy was dispatched to a bar/night club in Honey Creek at around 1:05-a.m. Saturday, following a report of a woman refusing to leave the premises. 27-year old Andrea Thramer was taken into custody for Trespassing. Late Friday evening, 22-year old Yardley Saloman Barthelemy, of Riverview, FL, was arrested by Pott. County Deputies in Council Bluffs, after authorities received a call regarding counterfeit money that was passed at a grocery store on W. Broadway Street. Barthelemy was taken into custody on a felony, Forgery charge. His bond was set at $5,000.

And, a traffic stop on an ATV operating on streets of Macedonia Friday evening, resulted in the arrest of 38-year old Adam Ray Evans, for OWI/1st offense. Authorities say Evans displayed cues of impairment, and failed the standardized Field Sobriety Tests.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Police in Webster City are investigating the assault Saturday evening, of an adult female and a juvenile male. Officers were sent to a residence in the 1200 block of 2nd Street at around 6:30-p.m., following a 9-1-1 call about a disturbance. When they arrived, Police found 35-year old Samantha Jo Gray, of Webster City, and the juvenile, had been assaulted. Both victims were transported to the hospital for treatment.

Anyone with information about the incident, is being asked to contact the Webster City Police Department at 515-832-9166, or, anonymously at 515-832-8437. Webster City Police are being assisted in their investigation by the Iowa DPS Division of Criminal Investigation, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa State Patrol.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston report numerous recent arrests. On Sunday: 37-year old Ryan McDougall, of Creston, was arrested at around 2:30-a.m. for Public Intoxication & Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd offense. He was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,300 bond: 31-year old Edgar Mendez Lopez, of Lenox, was arrested Sunday afternoon for OWI/2nd offense. He was later released on a $2,000 bond; and, 37-year old Joshua Smith, of Creston, was arrested Sunday evening on a charge of Simple Assault. He was released on a Promise to Appear in Court.

Saturday afternoon, 33-year old Shane White, of Clearfield, was arrested in Creston on an Adams County warrant for Failure to Appear (in court). White was transferred to the custody of Adams County Deputies. Late Saturday morning, 19-year old Jesse Christensen, of Creston, was arrested for Driving While Suspended. He was later released on a $300 bond. At around 8:15-a.m. Saturday, 36-year old Wesley Gregg, of Creston, was arrested on a Union County warrant for Theft in the 5th Degree. He was ordered to serve the balance of his jail time, and additionally charged with Interference with Official Acts. After the balance of his sentence was served, Gregg was released to Ringgold County Deputies, who had an active warrant for his arrest.

48-year old Brian Moore, of Kent, was arrested for Public Intoxication at around 5:30-a.m. Saturday, in Creston. Moore was later released on $300 bond. And, at around 8-p.m. Friday, 49-year old Derek Reha, of Creston, was arrested for Public Intoxication. He was also later released on $300 bond.