w/ Ric Hanson

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OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will change its approach to managing the Missouri River following a summer of record flooding that damaged or destroyed nearly 400 homes, led to millions of dollars in road repairs and forced communities to scramble to build temporary levees. The corps announced Monday that it will make the changes in the coming winter and spring. Those changes include getting as much water out of the river basin’s reservoir system as possible this fall and winter, as well as analyzing how much more reservoir space might be reserved to ease the flooding. The corps says the change came in response to concerns voiced by residents during eight public meetings held recently in Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Montana and North Dakota.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – An Iowa man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty in a prostitution case in Nebraska. The U.S. attorney’s office in Omaha says 45-year-old Richard Costanzo, of Carter Lake, was sentenced last week after pleaded guilty to several crimes that happened between 1997 and 2009. They stemmed from the operation of an escort service in Omaha. Costanzo also was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to witness tampering in a related case. That sentence is to run at the same time as his sentence for the prostitution and other convictions.

An Essex woman who had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide in connection with the deaths of two Cumberland boys was sentenced today (Monday) to serve two 10-year prison terms. 19-year old Karli Jo Brown,  will serve the sentences concurrently (at the same time).  She also was ordered to pay a yet-undetermined amount of restitution. Brown was the driver of a car that passed other vehicles in a no-passing zone on a hill and collided head-on with another vehicle, on November 28th, 2010. She driving almost 25-miles over the posted speed limit and texting her boyfriend when the crash occurred.

Two children in the other vehicle driven, by Nina McNeese, of Cumberland, died.  Five-year old Maliki and 4-year old Alex McNeese were properly buckled in, but died at the scene of the crash on Highway 48.  Brown and Nina McNeese were injured in the crash.

In April, Brown was charged with two counts of motor vehicle homicide and one count of causing serious injury by motor vehicle. In return for a guilty plea, prosecutors later dropped the charge of causing serious injury by motor vehicle. The county attorney says the deal allowed Nina McNeese, to avoid the pain of a trial.

Atlantic Police Chief Steve Green reports three people were arrested over the weekend. On Friday, 24-year old Kelsey Swinnerton, of Atlantic, was arrested on a charge of OWI/1st offense. Saturday, officers arrested 27-year old Laura Madden, of Atlantic, on a charges of Burglary in the 3rd degree, Domestic Abuse & Assault, and Assault while participating in a felony. Any, on Sunday, 30-year old Steve Pedersen, of Atlantic, was arrested on a warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault.

All three of those individuals were booked into the Cass County Jail and held pending an appearance before the magistrate.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three people suffered minor injuries during a rollover accident Friday northwest of Atlantic. Authorities say a 2000 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by 16-year old Cal Jeffrey Heuton, of Atlantic, was traveling east on Glacier Road when Heuton failed to stop at the controlled intersection with Buck Creek Road. The car left the road and overturned. Heuton was treated at the scene for minor injuries. One passenger in the car suffered minor injuries, while a second passenger was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by ambulance for treatment of leg injuries. The names of the passengers were not released. Heuton was cited for Failure to Maintain Control and Failure to Obey a Stop Sign. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $5,500.

And, officials say no injuries were reported following an accident Saturday, on Tucson Road. A 2005 Pontiac Grand Am driven by 18-year old Chelsey Noel Nicklaus, of Griswold, was westbound on Tucson Road between 670th and 680th Streets,  when the woman lost control of the car, which slid into the north ditch and rolled through a fence. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $10,000.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa jury has convicted a woman of murder in the 2001 death of her neighbor, rejecting her claim that she shot him in self-defense during a home invasion. Forty-five-year-old Tracey Richter says she shot 20-year-old Dustin Wehde to protect herself and her three children after he and another man broke into her home in December 2001. She says the second intruder fled.

But Monday’s verdict supports prosecutors’ claim that there was no home invasion and Richter shot Wehde to keep him quiet about his role in a plot to frame her ex-husband. Richter was involved in a custody battle at the time.

Richter later moved to Omaha, Neb., where she was arrested last summer. She faces life in prison at sentencing.

The director of the Iowa Department of Transportation said today the rush to repair western Iowa roadways has cost millions in man hours and materials. D-O-T director Paul Trombino was at the governor’s weekly meeting with reporters to provide an update, and he says the state will seek to get most of the money from the federal government.  Trombino says the costs right now are close to 50-million dollars, and they are all at this point eligible for federal reimbursement. Crews have been working long hours on a “fast track” system to get the roadways repaired and reopened. Governor Terry Branstad says that’s because the federal government requires the repairs to be made within 180 days of the flood to be eligible for reimbursement.

He says federal officials count from when the flood started, and this flood started in June and the water didn’t go down until September in many places. “So this made it a big challenge,” Branstad says. He says the D-O-T and all the contractors did a great job despite that challenge. Trombino says the 50-million is the total right up to today. Trombino says that’s what they know right now from the start of repairs in June, and it includes the repairs on all the roadways. Trombino says there will be some state costs, as on Highway 175 for example, they took this opportunity to add some protections to the roadways in areas as a precaution against future floods.

He says those improvements are considered betterment under the federal highway rules, but Trombino says they felt it was worthwhile for the long-term preservation of the roadway and the bridge to make additional improvements. Three major river crossings were closed by the Missouri River flood waters, with a total of 77 miles shut down by the flooding. As an example of how fast the repair work was done, the just over three mile section of I-680 was reopened to traffic just 34 days after the waters receded.

(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)

A fire outside of the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Atlantic early this (Monday) morning sent flames shooting above the roof of the building, and destroyed numerous items left for donation in and near a drop box. Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees said a newspaper carrier reported the fire near the west side of the building located at 716 West 7^th Street, at around 2:30-a.m. McNees says there were numerous items piled outside the building during the day, Sunday, including 4 or 5 mattress and box-spring sets, furniture, children’s toys, and clothing. No damage was reported to the building itself. He says the fire was investigated this morning by himself and Atlantic Police Officer Paul Woods. He says it appears the fire was accidental in nature and may have been smoldering for quite some time.

He says a second eyewitness confirmed the belief the fire was accidental. McNees says firefighters knocked down the flames quickly. They were on the scene for about 30-minutes. No injuries were reported.