MISSOURI VALLEY, Iowa (AP) – The DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa will host events to commemorate a Civil War-era steamboat that sank in the Missouri River. The refuge group plans to host a weekend of events March 27-29 to highlight the history of the Bertrand that sank on April 1, 1865.  Visitors will be able to see thousands of artifacts that were rescued from the Bertrand after private salvagers discovered the wreckage in what is now the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge.

The Daily Nonpareil reports that the Bertrand was making its way to Montana territory with passengers and mining equipment on board when it struck a snag in the shallow river 25 miles north of Omaha. The steamboat’s passengers abandoned ship and waded to shore as the boat sank into the mud. All survived, but the cargo was lost.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports an Elliott man was arrested Tuesday on a sex abuse charge. 31-year old Josh James Fink, of Elliott, was taken into custody on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for Felony Sexual Abuse in the 2nd Degree. Fink was booked at the Cass County Jail and later released on $25,000 bond.

The Des Moines Water Works filed suit in U-S District Court this week against the supervisors of Buena Vista, Calhoun and Sac Counties claiming their drainage districts have cost the utility thousands of dollars to remove nitrates from the water that it draws from the Raccoon River. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says he understands the challenges before the Des Moines Water Works, but says the lawsuit is the wrong way to bring about change. Northey has been working to get farmers and others involved in voluntary programs to improve water quality.

“At the end of the day if they are successful it would be that there should be regulation — it still doesn’t clean up the water,” Northey says. “It just impacts folks in the pocketbook, and a lot of legal fees, a lot of uncertainty. I think it even causes folks to wonder if they aught to participate in the voluntary programs or not.”

Northey says the work should be in the watershed, not the courtroom. “And all the money that’s spent on that legal process, I think it would be a lot better spent putting practices on the ground, working with our landowners, improving our technologies to be able to keep those nutrients on the land,” Northey says. He says the lawsuit could set a bad precedent that would allow more suits against other counties and many others.

Every other drainage district and any user along the way, obviously it would be such that they could sue somebody up river. Obviously, Ottumwa could sue Des Moines for any type of water qualities that they have,” according to Northey. Northey says the issue may come down to who owns the water, and should entities be able to dictate to upstream districts specific terms for water quality.

(Radio Iowa)

Authorities in Page County are investigating a motorcycle accident that resulted in two people being sent to the hospital, Tuesday. Sheriff Lyle Palmer says his office was notified at around 5:17-p.m. about the accident, which took place about two-miles north of Clarinda, near the entrance to the Nodaway Valley Park. Palmer says 61-year old Jack Newman, of Omaha, was operating a 1982 Honda motorcycle northbound on Highway 71, when there was a problem with the rear tire.

Newman, and his passenger, 49-year old Ann Standeven, of LaVista, NE, were ejected from the cycle. They suffered unknown injuries, and were transported by Clarinda Ambulance to the Clarinda Regional Health Center.

An investigation into the accident continues. The Page County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Clarinda Police Department along with the Clarinda Fire Department and Clarinda Ambulance service.

The Glenwood Police Department report 21-year old Andrew Jeppesen, of Malvern, was arrested this (Wednesday) morning. Jeppesen was charged with Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300.

In a report to the Atlantic Rotary Club at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Nishna Valley Trails (NVT) President Dave Chase announced that he had received word that the Atlantic City Council had recently approved NVT’s request for $50,000 for the construction of the Troublesome Creek Connector Trail Project. Chase received word from Atlantic City Administrator, John Lund, on Friday, by email. The grant is coming from the City’s Community Progress Fund. The money will be available July 1 as part of the City’s 2015-16 fiscal budget according to Lund.

Chase said “This is a big boost to our fundraising efforts which now stand at $310,000 in commitments to date from a number of sources.  This is well over half of our goal of $550,000.”
Chase went on to say that grant applications for an additional $120,000 have been submitted to a number of foundations and agencies, and other applications are in the works.

He also reported to the Club that the Atlantic Lions Club had recently voted to donate the net proceeds of its upcoming April 16 Pancake Feed to the Project. According to Chase, “These recent commitments are examples of the public/private support of enhancements to our area recreational opportunities which will pay dividends in the forms of healthy living and economic development for our community.”

With Ric Hanson.

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Police in Creston say a teenager was referred to Juvenile authorities, Monday, following an alleged assault. 13-year old Chandler Parker faces a Simple Assault charge. After being processed at the Union County Law Enforcement Center, Parker was released to the custody of his father.

On Tuesday, Creston Police arrested 28-year old Robert Branan, of Lenox. Branan faces a Domestic Abuse/Simple Assault charge. He was released from the Union County Jail on $300 bond. That same day, 26-year old Samantha Henry, of Creston, was arrested on a charge of Driving While Revoked. She was later released on a $1,000 bond.

With Ric Hanson.

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Public hearings are set to take place this (Wednesday) evening in Atlantic, on several bond resolutions that amount nearly $2-million, and the proposed plans for construction of 2015 Street Improvements. The hearings are part of a regular meeting of the Atlantic City Council, which begins at 5:30-p.m.

The first hearing covers the street improvement plans & specifications. The Council passed a resolution calling for a hearing on the estimated $1.175-million project during their meeting on March 4th, as required by Iowa law. The second hearing, also required by Iowa Code, is with regard to the issuance (purchase) of bonds amounting to $1.45-million to pay the costs of street, water system, storm water management system, sanitary sewer system and sidewalk improvements, plus $100,000 for the purchase of a fire truck, for a total indebtedness of $1.55-million. Those bonds are being bundled, with the intent to save taxpayers $4,000.

The third public hearing is with regard to a bond purchase agreement in the amount of $100,000 for improvements to the City Hall Auditorium, while the final hearing pertains to the purchase of bonds amounting to $415,000, for an Urban Renewal Project in the Southeast Urban Renewal Area, that would benefit local developer Don Sonntag, by funding an economic development grant in connection with the 2015 Southern View Estates Project.

The Economic Development agreement between the City and  Sonntag stipulates financial incentives amounting to $360,000 will be granted in return for the creation of new jobs and affordable housing. The City will pay the funds in three increments, as sections of the project are completed. Sonntag agrees to enter into an Assessment Agreement that specifies an increasing valuation of about $1-million per year through Jan., 2018.

In other business, the Atlantic Council will act on the appointment of citizens to several boards and commissions, and the closing of Chestnut Street from 2nd north to the Depot on May 9th, for the purpose of an E-Recycling event scheduled to take place from 8-a.m. to 4-p.m. on that date.