CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – The Latest on flooding along rain-swollen rivers in Iowa (all times local CDT): 5:30 p.m….About 100 homes in low-lying areas of the small Linn County town of Palo along the Cedar River have been evacuated. City Clerk Trisca Dix tells The Associated Press that the mandatory evacuation in the town of about 1,000 took place Saturday afternoon before the river was expected to crest Sunday night at 24.5 feet. Mayor Tom Yock told the Des Moines Register that volunteers and work crews scrambled Saturday to protect as much of the town from flooding as possible.

Yock said the town, which was devastated by record flooding in 2008, is trying to be more proactive this time around. He says many people moved their belongings to the upper levels of their homes and built sandbag barriers before evacuating.

4:10 p.m.: Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and several other state leaders on Saturday toured flood damage in Clarkesville and Shell Rock and assessed flood preparedness plans underway in Cedar Rapids.  Branstad was joined by Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Tim Orr and Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Director Mark Schouten. Branstad and Reynolds also expect to assess flood damage next week.

On Friday, Branstad signed a disaster proclamation for 13 northeast Iowa counties affected by flooding. It activates the Iowa National Guard to assist in preparedness and in response when there’s damage.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports a woman wanted on a warrant connected to an accident that occurred on or about Sept. 19th, turned herself-in to the Sheriff’s Office Saturday morning. Samantha Eslinger, of Panama City, FL, was charged with OWI and Driving While Suspended. Eslinger was later released on a $1,500 cash bond.

Governor Terry Branstad is deploying the National Guard to respond to flooding in 13 Iowa counties and prepare for future flooding downriver. “We just have to deal with whatever situation comes our way,” Branstad told reporters. “We need to be as well-prepared and in a situation like this in major cities like Waterloo and Cedar Rapids, obviously,we have a little time to prepare and we want to do everything we can for the state to assist the communities and doing the best job we can to avoid and mitigate damage.”

Branstad has signed a proclamation declaring a “disaster emergency” in 13 counties affected by flooding. The counties included are Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Chickasaw, Delaware, Floyd, Franklin, Linn and Wright. Iowa National Guard Adjutant General Timothy Orr says there were lessons learned during the significant flooding of 2008.

“I think it starts with the community preparedness,” Orr says. “We’re seeing that all up and down our rivers, the pro-active approach of our communities.” Orr has deployed teams of soldiers to emergency management offices in 11 counties. Three more teams will be deployed today (Saturday), focusing on areas south of Iowa City.

We’ve learned that by working from the Mississippi River north, we can get after some of those big issues early on and identify potential issues that will give us time and an ability to bring resources.” Flooding is NOT expected in Iowa City, but Orr says communities like Columbus Junction and Oakville may need to brace for flooding.

Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds will tour flood damage in Clarksville, Shell Rock and Cedar Rapids today (Saturday).

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:30 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Wisconsin emergency officials say preliminary estimates show flooding over the last few days has caused millions of dollars in damage across a number of western Wisconsin counties. Richland County reported more than 40 homes have been damaged, with one destroyed. Vernon County officials are reporting between $2 million and $3 million in damage to roads and bridges.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University President Steven Leath damaged a university-owned airplane he was piloting when it made a rough landing at an Illinois airport in an incident that was made public 14 months after it happened. Accident reports obtained by The Associated Press show both wings on the plane suffered damage after Leath failed to navigate windy conditions and hit the runway at the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, Illinois.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has sentenced a Sioux City man to life in prison for the shooting death of a man in the western Iowa city of Sloan. The Sioux City Journal reports Timothy Schroeder was sentenced Friday to the life term after a jury found him guilty in July of first-degree murder in the January 2015 death of 29-year-old Dustin Wilder in his Sloan home.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court is reducing a judge’s $368,000 award of legal fees to an Iowa State University whistleblower who was viciously mistreated by his superiors. The court says that Dennis Smith isn’t entitled to the full award because his case was only partially successful.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers says three students were reported as having absconded from the Clarinda Academy sometime around 10:30-p.m., Friday.  Law enforcement and Clarinda Academy personnel are searching for the escaped students. No additional information is available at this time.

The Clarinda Academy is a residential foster care facility that provides residential treatment to at-risk and delinquent male and female youth from several states.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of a Red Oak woman on Friday night on multiple charges.  At 5:48pm officers arrested 46-year-old Shelby Joann Olivares of Red Oak for Violation of a No Contact Order and Interference With Official Acts, both simple misdemeanors. She was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 cash bond.

Senator Chuck Grassley’s regional director based in Council Bluffs, Donna Barry, will be holding open office hours in Audubon, Harrison, Crawford, Carroll, Shelby, Pottawattamie, Cass, Adams, Montgomery, Monona, Mills, Fremont and Taylor counties on Sept. 28, 29 and 30, and Oct. 4 and 5. The office hours provide an opportunity for Iowans to obtain casework assistance or to express views.

Barry’s schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2016

1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.: Audubon County, Exira City Hall

Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016

9:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.: Harrison County, Dunlap City Hall

11:00 a.m.–Noon: Crawford County, Manilla City Hall

1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.: Carroll County, Manning City Hall

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.: Shelby County, Irwin City Hall

Friday, Sept. 30, 2016

8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.: Pottawattamie County, Carson City Hall

10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.: Cass County, Griswold City Hall

1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m.: Adams County, Corning City Hall, Council Chambers

3:00 p.m.–4:00 p.m.: Montgomery County, Villisca City Hall

Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016

4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.: Monona County, Mapleton Public Library

Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016

8:00 am.-9:00 am.: Mills County, Malvern City Hall

10:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.: Fremont County, Tabor Library

4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.: Taylor County, New Market City Hall

Grassley’s offices in Iowa regularly help constituents contact federal agencies to sort through problems with Social Security payments, military service matters, immigration cases and other issues. His state offices are located in Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Des Moines, Sioux City and Waterloo.

Dale Sunderman, Cass County Auditor, reports absentee voting is available for the November 8 GENERAL ELECTION. The first day to vote an absentee ballot in the Cass County Auditor’s office is Thursday, September 29, 2016 and the last day to vote in the auditor’s office is Monday, November 7, 2016.

ABSENTEE BALLOTS: Any eligible voter who so chooses may vote a ballot before November 8 (called ABSENTEE BALLOT). The ballot may be applied for by mail or may be voted at the office of the County Auditor on any day the office is open up through November 7th.

IF VOTING AT THE COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE: beginning September 29th, the absentee voter may come to the CASS COUNTY COURTHOUSE during the regular office hours of 8 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday thru Friday, up through the day before the election and cast a ballot. In addition to regular office hours, the office of Cass County Auditor will be open Saturday, October 29, 2016 from 8 AM to 5 PM and
Saturday, November 5, 2016 from 9 AM to 5 PM.

IF VOTING BY MAIL: A written request may be mailed or hand delivered to the County Auditor’s office. (Absentee request forms are available at the auditor’s office and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.state.ia.us). A ballot along with instructions on how to complete the ballot will be mailed to the requester. For the ballot to be counted the completed ballot then must be returned either by personal carrier to the office of County Auditor before close of polls on November 8 or returned by mail postmarked no later than November 7. Deadline to request an absentee ballot by mail is 5 PM on Friday, November 4. All BALLOTS ARE TO BE RETURNED whether they are voted or not voted. A postage paid return envelope is provided with each absentee ballot mailed out.

VOTER REGISTRATION: In order to vote in Iowa a person must be registered in the person’s current county of residence, under the person’s current name, and at the person’s current address. Registration forms are available at the county auditor’s office, many State of Iowa service offices and on the Secretary of State’s web site: sos.iowa.gov.   The county election commissioner recommends that persons not currently registered or who have moved since last registering and are planning to vote in the November GENERAL ELECTION, pre-register in the office of the County Auditor as soon as possible. You may register or re-register and vote absentee on the same day. Last day to pre-register in the office of the County Auditor is Saturday, November 5th, 2016.

Reminder: You may also update your registration when you update your address for your driver’s license. Since your Iowa driver’s license is often used as official identification, it is important that the data shown is accurate. Iowa law requires residents to notify the Department of Transportation within 30 days of an address change. An easy method for changing your address is to visit an Iowa driver’s license station – in Cass County that station is in the Cass County Treasurer’s office, Courthouse, Atlantic, Iowa.

The address for the Cass County Auditor / Election Commissioner is:
CASS COUNTY AUDITOR, COURTHOUSE, 5 W 7TH ST, ATLANTIC, IOWA 50022
(Phone:712-243-4570; Email: auditor@casscoia.us)

United States Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, Kevin E. VanderSchel, announced on Friday, that 39-year old Omar Rosales-Ixta, of Carter Lake,  was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge James E. Gritzner to 168 months (14-years) in prison, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Rosales-Ixta’s term of imprisonment is to be followed by five years of supervised release. Rosales-Ixta entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine on May 26th, 2016.

Rosales-Ixta’s co-defendant, 34-year old Michael Leroy Poore, of Logan, was sentenced by Senior Judge James E. Gritzner to 78 months (6 1/2-years) in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine to be followed by four years of supervised release. Poore entered a guilty plea to the charge on April 29, 2016.

The pleas of guilty and sentencings were the result of an investigation into methamphetamine distribution by the defendants between July and November of 2015. During that time, the defendants distributed over two kilograms of methamphetamine, which was obtained in Omaha and transported to Pottawattamie County where it was sold.

Co-defendant Broc Todd Waltermeyer is scheduled for sentencing on November 2nd, 2016. The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force, Omaha Police Department, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has sentenced a Sioux City man to life in prison for the shooting death of a man in the western Iowa city of Sloan. The Sioux City Journal reports Timothy Schroeder was sentenced Friday to the life term after a jury found him guilty in July of first-degree murder in the January 2015 death of 29-year-old Dustin Wilder in his Sloan home.

Schroeder’s wife, Amanda Schroeder, had testified the couple gave Wilder a ride home from a bar in the early morning. She was in another room when she heard a gunshot from the kitchen. She looked into the kitchen and saw Wilder on the floor and her husband holding a handgun.

A dog sitter found Wilder unconscious hours later. Authorities declared him dead at the scene.