DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Iowa set a record for rain and snow over the past 12 months.
The Des Moines Register reports that the state saw nearly 51 inches of precipitation from June 2018 through May of this year. That’s about 16 inches more than the 34.42 inches the state averaged per year from 1981 to 2010.

State climatologist Justin Glisan says the past 12 months have been the wettest since 1895, the year officials began keeping weather records. He says Iowa can expect more rain as temperatures increase this summer, because higher temperatures create more water vapor in the atmosphere.

The USDA Midwest Climate Hub in Ames is predicting higher than average rainfall for most of the summer.

(UPDATE from CBPD: “At 4:41 PM officers located the missing juveniles at 14th Street & Ave I. They were returned to Children”s Square. Thank you for your assistance.”)

The Council Bluffs Police Department this (Saturday) afternoon, asked for the public’s assistance in locating an 11 year old female and 13 year old male who ran away from Children’s Square USA (500 North 7th Street). The children were last seen around 11:30-a.m. today (June 15).

11-year old Riann Goossen is a white female, long blonde hair, wearing black shorts and white shirt. 13-year old Tyler Stevens is a white male wearing a white T-shirt, Black Adidas Pants with a white stripe and red shoes. Both are from Council Bluffs.

If these children are located please contact the Council Bluffs Police Department 712-328-4728 or call 911.

Police in Council Bluffs say a Nebraska man is wanted in connection with an incident that took place Saturday morning, in Council Bluffs. Authorities say that at about 11:26-a.m., two men got into a verbal disturbance that turned physical. The suspect, 32-year old Anthony Samaroo, of Omaha, pulled out a pocket knife and lunged at the victim, 47-year old Ronald Ferguson, of Council Bluffs, stabbing him in his right forearm.

Samaroo fled the area by bicycle prior to officer arrival. Fuerguson was transported to Mercy hospital where he was treated and released. His injures were not serious or life threatening.

Samaroo has multiple warrants through Council Bluffs and one through Douglas County. He is considered armed and dangerous, if you see him do not approach. Please contact the police department. He was last seen heading west toward Omaha.

Suspect Anthony Lee Samaroo

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it couldn’t wait for spring floods to recede before starting to dredge the Mississippi River because of the volume of sand that needs to be removed. Dan Cottrell is the Corps dredging manager for the St. Paul district, which stretches from Minnesota’s capital city to Guttenberg, Iowa. He told the La Crosse Tribune that the Corps starting dredging April 29.

He says the Corps has dredged 160,000 of the 1.1 million cubic yards of sediment that must be removed from his district. Cottrell says the Corps usually dredges about 980,000 cubic yards of sediment from April to November. Paul Machajewski, the district’s dredge material manager, says $29 million has been allocated for the operation to keep the river clear for navigation.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police in several Iowa cities will hold events in the coming days to build connections with the communities they patrol. Police in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Marshalltown will hold “Coffee with a Cop” events, which allow the public to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know police officers.

In Iowa City, officers will sit down with residents at a booth during the Iowa City Pride Festival this Saturday. Free iced coffee will be provided by Java House. In Cedar Rapids, police will hold an event Wednesday morning at a Hy-Vee grocery. In Marshalltown, the sit-down will be June 22 at Tannin.

“Coffee with a Cop” was launched in California in 2011 as a way to establish friendly, informal contact and establish trust between police officers and residents.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.8MB)

Subscribe: RSS

An accident Thursday afternoon in Fremont County resulted in three people, all from Columbia, Missouri, being transported to the hospital The Iowa State Patrol said Friday, 59-year-old Leo Holden was traveling north on Highway 275 in a 2006 Pontiac G6, when for unknown reasons, the car left the roadway to the right. When Holden over-corrected, the vehicle entered the east ditch and rolled once, coming to rest on its top. The accident took place at around 4:40-p.m., north of Sidney.

Authorities say Holden suffered undisclosed injuries, and was transported by Tabor Rescue to Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. Two passengers in his vehicle suffered serious injuries, and were also taken to Nebraska Medicine: 52-year-old Angelic Holden and 53-year-old Kimberly Overton. The Patrol says Angelic Holden was completely ejected from the car through the roof.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Tabor Rescue, Sidney Fire and Rescue, LifeNet out of Clarinda, and numerous other first responders all responded to the scene.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.0MB)

Subscribe: RSS

(Radio Iowa) — The Grand Falls and Lakeside casinos each agreed to fines for gambling violations Thursday at the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission meeting. Commission administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says the violation was discovered at Grand Falls in Larchwood when a minor was stopped from entering the gambling floor.

“As part of that process the minor had indicated that he had been on the floor previously,” Ohorilko says. “Grand Falls conducted a review of their surveillance coverage and did confirm that that minor had made his way onto the floor in the early morning hours, was on the floor 70 minutes, gambled.” Ohorilko says the male minor was not challenged by security in the first visit.

“It was noted that Grand Falls did self-report the violation — however because of the nature of what had occurred — it would call for an administrative penalty. And Grand Falls agreed to pay the penalty in the amount of 20-thousand dollars,” according to Ohorilko. He says this is the second violation by Grand Falls in the last 365 days — which is why the penalty was 20-thousand. A third violation in the same time period would result in a 30-thousand dollar fine.

The penalty for the Lakeside Casino in Osceola resulted from a violation of the rules for gamblers who have banned themselves from casinos. “There was an individual who was on the statewide self-excluded list. That patron had contacted Lakeside and informed them they were receiving promotional mailings. If someone is on that statewide self-exclusion list, they are not permitted to receive marketing material,” Ohorilko explains.

He says the investigation by the casino determined this was not a single incident. “They also confirmed that there was a specific email that went out and 36 other individuals received promotional mailings,” he says. Ohorilko says the improper mailings came from a promotions company hired by the parent company of Lakeside. “Part of that process, the screening mechanism was not working correctly,” Ohorilko says. “So the situation has been rectified. Commission staff is comfortable at lest that this will not occur again.”

It was the first violation by Lakeside in the last 365 days and the casino was fined five-thousand dollars.

Red Oak Police report a Union County man was arrested Friday evening on a Pottawattamie County warrant. 32-year old Sean Patrick Bagby, of Creston, was arrested following a traffic stop at around 6:45-p.m., on a warrant for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order. Bagby was taken into custody with the assistance of Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies, and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held without bond.