(Radio Iowa) – The first-degree murder trial for the man accused of killing an Algona Police Officer last September will -not- start today (Tuesday) due to flooding in northwest Iowa. Attorneys for Kyle Lou Ricke asked for a continuance in the case on Monday, saying the flooding across the area could lead to problems with the jury pool. Defense Attorney Matthew Pittenger argued many potential jurors may not be able to give their full attention to the case if they are dealing with flood issues at their home or business.

In her ruling, Judge Nancy Whittenburg cited safety concerns, not only the jury pool, but also for those traveling from Kossuth County to attend the trial. Judge Whittenburg moved the trial to Dickinson County last month, after defense attorneys argued that Ricke would not be able to get a fair trial in Kossuth County, due to the publicity surrounding the case.

The trial is now scheduled to begin on Monday, July 8th at the Dickinson County Courthouse in Spirit Lake.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge is opening its campus apartments to those affected by the flood water. Iowa Central president Dr. Jesse Ulrich said that displaced families can use the temporary housing which is equipped with necessities such as beds, a couch, private bathroom and a kitchen. Ulrich said the service will be in place through July 5th. There are sixteen campus apartment-style buildings on the Fort Dodge campus.

People needing emergency housing need to contact the Webster County Public Health office. All arrangements will be made through their office. Individuals will need to bring their personal supplies such as a pillow, bedding for a twin size bed, personal hygiene items and kitchen supplies.

(Radio Iowa) – Flood waters are dropping in some areas of northwest Iowa, but Sioux County Sheriff Jamie Van Voorst says the emergency remains. He says you should use common sense when driving in the areas that had been flooded. He says you should stay on the known open roads and not venture too far out to go sightseeing. The sheriff says there has not been time for inspectors to get out and look at the roads to determine if they are safe.

“In a lot of cases, the shoulders have washed out or culverts underneath where people can’t see are washed out and there’s even some areas where bridges have been compromised and haven’t been checked yet,” he says. “So there’s a lot of unforeseen things under the surface that people need to be very cautious around.”

Some of the damaged roads and bridges may not be open for several days as crews inspect and make assessments. Some bridges may be out of service for weeks, maybe even months.

(Pottawattamie County, Iowa) – An account has been established for the family of a Pottawattamie County woman who died during a collision last week in Omaha. The crash also left one-person injured. The accident happened at around 7:30-a.m. Thursday (June 20th), near downtown Omaha. Officials with GoFundMe say 21-year-old Chloe Johnson, of Crescent, was a passenger in the car that collided with another vehicle. Johnson was a sous chef at Sand Point in Omaha. Chef Marcus Jones organized a gofundme to help her family with expenses and hopefully donate to a charity in Chloe’s name.

Chloe Johnson

The driver of the car Johnson was a passenger in, who is from Council Bluffs, was being treated for a non-life-threatening back injury at last report. The driver of the other vehicle was not hurt.

An investigation into the crash is ongoing.

(Radio Iowa) – Officials with the U-S Army Corps of Engineers will hold an open house tonight (Tuesday) at the Effigy Mounds National Monument Visitor Center in Harpers Ferry to discuss plans to protect the area from flooding and erosion. The prehistoric burial mounds that comprise Iowa’s only national monument have stood for centuries, but the Corps’ Jill Bathke (BATH-key) says they’re now under immediate threat. “Construction of the locks and dams on the Mississippi River and climate change has altered the hydrology that has increased erosion of the shorelines,” Bathke says, “and that’s really eroded a lot of the irreplaceable Native American burial and ceremonial mounds and that cultural landscape.”

The protected area of northeast Iowa is home to some 200 earthen mounds that are believed to have been built during the first millennium. Many mounds are shaped like animals, including bears and birds. About 100 mounds are in a low-lying area known as the Sny-Magill unit, and she says that’s the section being placed at risk by the river. “Right now, out on public notice is our tentatively selected plan which would protect the Sny-Magill unit with a 2,000 foot linear berm,” Bathke says. “On top of that berm, there would be an access trail where people and tribal nations could views the mounds and appreciate their context in the cultural landscape.”

The monument is managed by the National Park Service, and the area east of the Sny Magill unit is part of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, which is managed by the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service. Bathke says coordination and consultation with tribal nations about the proposed protection plan is ongoing. Another element in the mix, she says an endangered species of mussel has been found in the area. “A lot of the work in the last year has been done to find ways to minimize impacts to those endangered species while also protecting this really important cultural resource,” Bathke says. “We’ve done consultation with over 19 tribal nations that are culturally or traditionally affiliated with the park, and so that also has taken time.” If the project is approved, the boat launch at Sny-Magill would be temporally closed in spring and summer of 2026 for construction.

“Generally, we found that there’s a lot of support for this project,” Bathke says. “We are proposing to have tribal monitors on site during all active construction activities to ensure that we’re doing this in a way that’s appropriate. And if there’s any significant findings that we would coordinate that appropriately with tribal nations.” Tonight’s open house runs from 5:30 to 7 P-M.