COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Iowa and Nebraska transportation officials said Thursday that they’re hoping to have nearly all roads and bridges that were damaged by last month’s flooding repaired by midsummer, but that a wet spring could hamper their efforts.

Iowa Department of Transportation Director Mark Lowe and his Nebraska counterpart, Kyle Schneweis, held a joint news conference in Council Bluffs to update the public on the damage in their states and how long it might take to repair.

In Iowa, the damage is concentrated in the west along Interstate 29 and the Missouri River. “The work to get traffic moving again has been nonstop,” Lowe said. “We have people who don’t know what day it is anymore because they’ve been working day and night.”

Lowe said many repairs have been made and some roads have been opened along the interstate north of Council Bluffs, which is just across the river from Omaha, Nebraska. The damage is heavier farther south, where twin bridges along the interstate south of Nebraska City and north of Hamburg, Iowa, were heavily damaged. The state hopes to have traffic moving in that area again by June.

“The complicating factor is that the flooding threat is not over,” he said. “Because of damage to the levee system, we will have to balance how future flooding might affect repair efforts.”

There were 50 levee breaks along the Missouri River during March flooding, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday. Several of them span more than a football field in length, and at least one near the Missouri state line on the Iowa side stretches 1,140 feet. Crews are working to repair those levees, but the Corps has been unable to begin repairs on some areas — mostly in southwestern Iowa — that are still underwater.

Weather experts say this spring could bring major flooding for much of the U.S, as the ground in the Midwest and South is already saturated and northern snowmelt is expected to be significant. The extent of the flooding will largely depend on how much rain falls over the next few months. Thursday’s news conference was held as the second “bomb cyclone ” in as many months dropped heavy snow from Colorado to Nebraska, South Dakota and Minnesota.

In all, Iowa had nearly 50 miles along the I-29 corridor that are damaged, nearly half of that categorized as severe. Lowe said damage estimates are between $70 million to $90 million. Officials were hoping the latest big storm wouldn’t exacerbate flooding along already swollen rivers.

An attempt to stop a vehicle in Adair County this (Thursday) morning, resulted in a pursuit that ended near Massena. Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater reports he attempted a traffic stop in Bridgewater at around 9:40-a.m. The male driver, later identified as 36 year old Daniel Floyd Edwards of Tingley, failed to yield to the emergency lights and tried to elude law enforcement.

The high speed pursuit that followed lasted for the next 41 minutes, traveling mostly on rock and level “B” low maintenance roadways.  The pursuit exited Adair County, initially entering Cass County.

The pursuit continued south into Adams County, came back into Adair County and then entered into Cass County once again.  Tire deflation devices were deployed and contributed to a successful end to the pursuit approximately 2.5 miles southeast of Massena. Edwards was arrested on multiple, outstanding arrest warrant issued out of Adams County and a Parole Violation arrest warrant issued out of Ringgold County. Charges relating to the pursuit are pending.

The Adair County Sheriff was assisted by the Iowa State Patrol, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa DNR-Law Enforcement, the office of the State Fire Marshal, and the Fontanelle Police Department.

Spring is finally here and that means it’s time for the Kiwanis Club of Atlantic to hand out bike helmets to all of the 3rd Graders!  Melanie Petty, spokesperson for the Trevor Frederickson Memorial Fund, says they are pleased to announce that the fund was able to donate $500 again this year to help make this happen.  Petty says they would like to thank the Kiwanis Club for continuing this tradition.  Without, Melanie says, many children would be riding bikes without a helmet.

The 11th Annual TFred Memorial Golf Tournament is just four months away.  The committee is busy finalizing all the details and letters will be mailed soon.  If you are interested in golfing at our tournament or donating an item to our silent auction please contact Melanie Petty at 712-249-3696.  All funds raised are given back to the community that Trevor loved.  We are a 501(c)3 non profit group.

Vice President Mike Pence will be visiting Iowa tomorrow (Friday). According to reports, Mike Pence will travel to Pacific Junction to visit with families, businesses and the agricultural community affected by the severe flooding in the Iowa and Nebraska region.

Pence will visit also Lincoln, Ridgeview Farms (18031 Lambert Avenue (US Highway 34)). Gov. Kim Reynolds will join Vice President Mike Pence to tour flood damage at around 11:30-a.m.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Nebraska man has been given three years of probation for tampering with odometers sold at his vehicle dealership in northwest Iowa. The Sioux City Journal reports that 38-year-old Francisco Hurtado also was sentenced Wednesday to a suspended prison sentence of five years, fined $1,500 and ordered to pay more than $19,000 to seven victims. He’d pleaded guilty to two counts of fraudulent practice.

Authorities say Hurtado lives in South Sioux City, Nebraska, and owns Siouxland Auto Sales in Sioux City. Iowa investigators say they found odometers in high-mileage vehicles had been rolled down to increase the vehicles’ value.

Court records say Hurtado acknowledged replacing odometer clusters on some vehicles. The records say, however, that Hurtado had not followed Iowa law in resetting the replaced odometers to zero or to the original mileage, nor placing notices on the dashboards noting that the odometer clusters had been replaced.

Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst, from Red Oak, will hold two public events next week in Pottawattamie and Adair, and non-public event in Guthrie Counties, as part of her 99 County Tour Stops.

On Monday, April 15th, Ernst will host a public Resource Fair at the YMCA Healthy Living Center (714 S. Main St.), in Council Bluffs. The event takes place at 3-p.m., and features several local, state and federal agency representatives who will provide information to area residents on a variety of resources, including flood relief assistance. In addition, various non-profit agencies – especially those that assist seniors and veterans – will be on location, along with Ernst’s information booth.

On Wednesday, April 17th, Senator Ernst will hold a public, Town Hall meeting in Greenfield at the Warren Cultural Center (154 Public Square), beginning at 3-p.m., and she’ll attend a private event in Guthrie Center at the Guthrie County REC (1406 State Street), beginning at 5-p.m.. The Guthrie Center event features the presentation of a “Spirit of Enterprise” Award to Ernst, and a Business Roundtable.