DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Flood warnings have been issued for several Iowa rivers following heavy rainfall in many parts of the state.

East Nish near Atlantic (Cass County EMA photo)

The National Weather Service says a flood warning continues for the Nishnabotna River near Hamburg, in Fremont County, where the river was expected to crest at 25.3-feet early Saturday morning. Flood stage is 25-feet. Minor flooding is forecast.

The Cass County Emergency Management Agency reports the East Nishnabotna River near Atlantic will not approach its 19-foot flood stage. At 7:45-a.m. today (Friday), the river was at 12.56-feet. It is expected to crest at 13.6-feet before falling to just above 10-feet Saturday morning.

A Flood Warning is in effect as well for the Iowa River at Marengo, where the water was nearly 2 feet over flood stage on Friday morning. And warnings have been continued or extended for the Des Moines, Raccoon and North Raccoon rivers. The Des Moines River was expected to reach 2.5 feet above flood stage by Friday evening in Des Moines.

Police in Cedar Rapids report that officers and other emergency workers responded to more than 20 vehicles stranded on flooded streets. For a time Thursday night the rain fell at a rate of 2 inches an hour in Cedar Rapids.

Police in Red Oak arrested a man early this (Friday) morning, for Serious Domestic Abuse Assault. 29-year old Ryan Joseph Pullen, of Villisca, was taken into custody at around 3-a.m., at the Red Coach Inn, in Red Oak. Pullen was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center.

A pickup truck that struck a deer late Thursday night in Montgomery County, ended-up sustaining damage that caused the vehicle to go out of control and roll into a ditch. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says the 1997 GMC pickup driven by 50-year old Colleen Marie Terry, of Red Oak, was traveling north on L Avenue at around 10:30-p.m., when it hit a deer. The impact caused a tie rod on the suspension to break.

The pickup veered into the east ditch, hit a fence, and rolled over. No injuries were reported. The vehicle sustained $1,000 damage, while damage to a barbed wire fence was estimated at $500. Terry was cited for having no insurance (Accident related).

Sheriff’s Deputies were assisted at the scene by personnel from Stanton Fire and Rescue.

Evidence of the Missouri River flooding of 2011 remains apparent in southwest Iowa but the head of a grassroots organization working with flood victims says considerable progress has been made in recovery efforts. Leo Ettleman is the president of the group Responsible River Management. “Returning after the flood, there wasn’t a whole lot of positive things to look at,” Ettleman says. “To see where we are today, it’s really amazing how much recovery has taken place, and where we are right now.”

Four years ago, Ettleman’s organization was at the forefront of post-flooding issues. Areas where levees breached in June of 2011 — mainly southwest of Hamburg and northwest of Percival — are covered with sand and are uninhabited. But Ettleman says the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has addressed some of the levee issues in the years since the flooding. “There were large scour holes on the inside levees that left the levees in jeopardy of blowouts in later years,” Ettleman says. “There were some setbacks, where they moved the levees a ways to get on more firm ground and get some conveyance. They did relieve a few pinch points from the original design. The new levees that were constructed were 60-year upgrades — a lot better slopes. The seepage firms on the dry side are a lot bigger and wider, a lot better structures.”

He says the Corps has changed its strategy regarding releases at the Gavins Point Dam in South Dakota. Heavy releases from the dam in the winter of 2011 were a major issue in the summer flooding. “The upper basin above the reservoirs,” he says, “was well below normal as far as snowpack goes this past winter. There is quite a bit of water in the reservoirs now–approximately three million feet into the flood control zone now. But, that’s normal for this time of year, because there’s a tremendous amount of water going into Gavins, into Garrison (Dam), as well as Fort Peck, because of the mountain snowpack which is reaching there now. So, they’re not really that bad off.”

While much attention is given to Gavins Point, Ettleman says the fact is, three northerly dams control much of the water releases. “Gavins Point Dam, Randall and Big Ben are simply a pipeline,” Ettleman says. “The big three — Fort Peck, Oahe and Garrison — hold a tremendous amount of water. They hold the bulk of the water. We really need to see what gets released from Oahe, because what’s released there gets flushed on out.” In the years since the flooding, Ettleman says the Corps has done a better job of inviting farmers and other residents to the table regarding river management issues. Still, concerns remain.

“When it comes to the management of the reservoirs,” he says, “even as recently as this spring’s annual operating meeting in Council Bluffs, they manage the reservoirs for a drought. A drought will last from five to 10 years and they have to have enough to last throughout that drought.” Hydropower is the “800-pound gorilla in the room,” he adds. They have to have that electricity produced in the area, otherwise, it has to be purchased from somewhere else. Ettleman says the Corps is monitoring soil saturation and water retention from snowfall during the winter months.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A late spring storm system affecting several Midwest states is bringing thunderstorms to Iowa, though weather officials are scaling back the rainfall forecast. Meteorologist Todd Shea with the National Weather Service says officials expect the system to drop between 1 and 3 inches of rain Friday morning. An earlier forecast predicted between 2 and 4 inches of rain. Shea says officials are also monitoring potential flooding along some rivers.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says colleges should be more open about their finances, or lose federal aid. The Republican presidential prospect argues for more transparency in higher education in a speech in Ames. It’s his fourth policy speech in recent weeks as he prepares for a potential run for president.

ANAMOSA, Iowa (AP) — Disposable sanitary wipes that don’t break apart are plugging up a sewer system in an eastern Iowa city and in other communities around the country. Cedar Rapids television station KCRG says the wipes are clogging pumps at underground lift stations in Anamosa. The stations keep sewage from low-lying areas flowing to the treatment plant.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The former owner of a Cedar Rapids business has been sentenced to more than 11 years in federal prison for selling synthetic drugs from his store and for identity theft. Prosecutors say 39-year-old Matthew McCauley on Wednesday was given 134 months in prison at his sentencing in U.S. District Court.

A company which operates a call center at the Pioneer Mall in Sergeant Bluff is expanding and adding 400 new jobs. Barry Belcher is the site director of the facility. “We’re really excited, we recently entered into a partnership with a leading national wireless provider, and as a result of that partnership, we’ll be increasing the team here,” Belcher says. He says they have 80 people already in training at the facility and they hope to fill the rest of the jobs by the end of the year.

“It’s inbound customer support — taking care of our wireless customers — and then along with that we need staff and leadership to help manage the business,” Belcher says. “We’ll have about 350 of those positions will be entry-level positions, taking care of customers, and the rest of the positions will make up our training and our leadership and our staff positions.” Sergeant Bluff Mayor Jon Winkel help found the facility when it was owned by Long Lines Wireless.

He says there are a lot of employees left from the original company, but he says it is also like having new life breathed into it with the expansion. Winkel says both Sergeant Bluff and the Siouxland area will benefit from the expansion.

(Radio Iowa)

Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst has announced her U-S Senate office in Washington, D-C, has a new location. Correspondence to her office can be addressed to:

Sen. Joni Ernst

111 Russell Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C 20510

Her phone numbers are: 1-202-224-3254; Fax – 1-202-224-9369.

Ernst also has an office in Council Bluffs located at 221 Federal Building, 8 South Sixth Street, Council Bluffs, IA, 51501.  Ph: 712-352-1167; Fax: 712-352-0087.

Officials with the Treynor Community School District have announced the hiring of Gary McNeal their next High School Principal.

Mr. Gary McNeal (Photo from the Treynor School District website)

According to the district’s website, McNeal has been serving as the principal at Clarinda Middle School for the last six years, and has also served as a high school principal in Texas.

Gary McNeal will take over as High School Principal in Treynor, effective July 1st. In addition to his principal experience, Mr. McNeal has worked as an assistant principal, dean of students, activities director, classroom science teacher (chemistry, physics, etc.) and served in a variety of coaching roles throughout his career.

McNeal earned a Bachelor’s degree from Wartburg College and later earned a Master’s degree from the University of Houston.  His wife Tammi, is also an educator and has been teaching science at Clarinda for the last six years. Mrs. McNeal has accepted the Middle School Science position at Treynor Community Schools and brings with her 20+ years of teaching experience in the science content area.

Together they have three grown children that all reside within a few hours of Treynor.

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

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Police in Creston report the arrest Wednesday at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, of 20-year old James Arthur Franke, of Creston. Franke was taken into custody on a Union County warrant for Probation Violation, the original arrest for which was based on a charge of 2nd degree Burglary. Franke was later released from the jail on $1,000 bond.