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(Radio Iowa) — Leaders of water-inundated towns in southwest Iowa are blaming the U-S Army Corps of Engineers for blundering decisions that may have contributed to the region’s widespread flooding. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he “absolutely” will call for an inquiry into the Corps’ actions, like ordering the town of Hamburg to remove reinforcements from a levee which protected the town in the 2011 floods. “When a town was trying to help themselves and then have to take protection down and then get flooded like they have now, where it’s probably worse than it was in 2011,” Grassley says, “we have to have a complete review of the manual that governs all that.”
The Corps is also being criticized for having radically boosted releases recently from Gavins Point Dam upriver on the Missouri River and for now vowing to cut back the flow when the damage is already done. Critics say it’s far too little, too late. “Now that this flooding is taking place, to have the Corps say that some of the dams, that they’re going to shut down releases right now as the flooding is happening, not being on top of it ahead of time, trying to anticipate things,” Grassley says. “It’s ridiculous.”
Defenders of the Corps’ actions say it was the perfect storm of conditions that brought the unstoppable flooding, with frozen soil, a deep snowpack that melted quickly, and heavy rain showers. Grassley disagrees and says the Corps’ should have known better. “Anticipating weather ahead of time, they just didn’t take that into consideration,” Grassley says. “The tremendous rain and storms they recently had in Nebraska is a perfect example of being out in front of it instead of always being behind the curve.”
Grassley says the Corps’ river management priority list includes several elements, like maintaining water levels for commercial and recreational boating, when he says the number-one concern should be flood prevention.
Corps official Jud Kneuvean says levees usually take six months to repair. That means most likely won’t be fixed by mid-May, the start of the most flood-prone part of the year. The Nebraska Farm Bureau says farm and ranch losses could reach $1 billion in Nebraska alone.
(Updated) — A firearms dealer in Cass County looks to help out the flood victims of southwest Iowa, by collecting flood relief items. Brice McCunn, with McCunn Specialty Firearms in Massena, said on his social media page, that “It’s hard to sit back and watch what’s happening in southwestern Iowa and Nebraska right now with all the flooding. In Massena and the surrounding area we have been very fortunate in the last week compared to many. Families are losing everything they have, businesses are a total loss and lives are being lost.”
He told KJAN News a relief coordinator in Hamburg informed him of what’s need most. She asked for paper products [paper towels/plates], hygiene products, and bottled water. McCunn said cleaning products are going to be needed for the recovery effort, as well. Items such as bleach, rubber gloves and other gloves to handle wet and damaged property. The Hamburg Elementary School is the site where all donations from various area efforts will be assembled and dispersed to those in need. Brice said they would bring a trailer full of those supplies to the Hamburg collection point next Monday, March 25th.
Monetary donations are welcome also, but Brice said what they really need are the supplies. He said hey will be taking donations through at least Sunday at McCunn Specialty Firearms. They’re located east of Massena near the intersection of Highways 148 and 92. You may drop-off your donations at the store from 9-a.m. Until 6-p.m. each day, through Sunday. If you have any questions, call Brice McCunn at 712-779-0694.
The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday), passed a Resolution in opposition to Iowa Senate Study Bill (SSB) 1045 and Senate File 184, which were recently passed by the Senate Committee on Transportation, and is designed to help, among other things, the northeast Iowa logging industry. Board Chair Steve Baier said the bill, if passsed, would allow for an increase the amount of loads being transported on County roads. He said the State wants to approve permits to hail up to 130,000 lbs on non-primary highways, without having to contact local county engineers. The load limit on most county roads is 80,000 lbs.
Baier said that would leave the County footing the tab for repairs to roads and bridges. Supervisor John Hartkofp said there are other costly issues to consider with having that size load, as well. Hartkopf said the county would spend an incredible amount of money on signage alone. And, many of roads and bridges are old, and can’t handle 130,000 lbs. Supervisor Steve Green said it would be costly to have the 228 County bridges be reinspected before they are allowed to handle the heavy loads. The Resolution passed by the Supervisors “Strongly urges all Iowa lawmakers to vote in opposition to [the] legislation.” Cass County Engineer Charles Bechtold said there’s other opposition to the bill, as well.
The County Engineers’ Association would also like to see the bill not make it through the session, but it’s a political issue, and no one is listening to the people who work directly with the infrastructure. Hartkopf added that he would like to know “Who’s behind the door…” that’s pushing the legislation. The Board feels there is another entity besides the logging industry who would benefit from the load change.
In other business, Bechtold informed the Supervisors there are some roads still closed due to flood damage in the county, especially in the Griswold area. Quimby Road sustained significant damage. Huge chunks of ice up to 18-inches thick from the Nishnabotna were deposited on the road. A woman from Pottawattamie County struck one of the “ice bergs,” as Green called it, causing her car to be wedged onto it, and off the ground. Bechtold said they are working to repair roads as time and weather allow. One of the issues is getting road rock from the Schildberg rock quarry, which has a great deal of water in the pits. That water has to be pumped out…a job that could take weeks, if not months.
The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop on Highway 6 late Monday night, resulted in the arrest on drug charges, of 18-year old Kyle Allen Shenefield, from Council Bluffs. His vehicle was pulled over for having no tail lights. Shenefield was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/marijuana – 1st offense, and transported to the Pott. County Jail, where his bond was set at $1,000.
Monday afternoon, 24-year old Dakota Lee Wilson, of Council Bluffs, turned himself-in to the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office. Wilson was wanted on a warrant out of Council Bluffs, for Domestic Abuser Assault by impeding the flow or air or blood, and Domestic Abuse Assault/Strangulation. His bond was set at $7,000 altogether.
And, 34-year old Johnette Lola Medina, of Sioux City, was picked up at the Woodbury County Jail and transported to the Pott. County Jail. Medina was wanted on warrants for being a Fugitive from Justice, and Violation of Probation.
MAQUOKETA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man suspected of attempting to steal items from a dentist’s office in eastern Iowa died after scuffling with the dentist. The Telegraph Herald reports that police were called to the Maquoketa office a little after 2 a.m. Monday. The dentist told officers that he’d been staying overnight in an apartment at the office and heard a noise. He says he found the man in the office’s garage and tackled him.
Maquoketa Police Chief Brad Koranda says officers found the dentist on top of the man. Koranda says the man apparently had a “medical episode” during the struggle and died. An autopsy has been ordered.
More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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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 the arrest at around 9:45-p.m. Monday, of 29-year old Matthew Jay Davis, of Creston. Davis was arrested at Levy/Division on a charge of OWI 1st ofense. He was released later on a $1,000 bond.
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A teacher accused of being drunk at her school in Dubuque has pleaded guilty. Dubuque County court records say 38-year-old Erin Ellerbach, of Asbury, entered the plea last week to a charge of public intoxication. She was ordered to pay $135 in fines and $60 in court costs.
She was taken into custody Dec. 17 at Jefferson Middle School. A Dubuque officer sent to the school reported that she had slurred speech, red and watery eyes and smelled of alcohol. A subsequent test showed she had a blood alcohol level of nearly three times the legal limit for driving. The court records also say school officials found cans of flavored alcoholic beverages in her office.
The district says Ellerbach has resigned her position.
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