Police in Council Bluffs have arrested a suspect in a shooting that occurred during a home robbery shortly after midnight Saturday morning. The victim, 41-year old Michael R. White, of Council Bluffs arrived at Jennie Edmundson Hospital Saturday a little before 1-a.m., Saturday, suffering from a gunshot wound to the face. Officials say White was initially treated at Jennie before being transported to the Nebraska Medical Center for additional treatment, where he was last reported to be in “Fair” condition.

Authorities say a suspect in the shooting, 25-year old John R. Smith-Munoz, of Council Bluffs, was apprehended at around 7-a.m., Saturday. He’s been charged with attempted murder and first-degree robbery. The incident occurred at White’s home near Bahnsen Park, in north Council Bluffs. According to Bluffs’ Police, Smith-Munoz allegedly took a Ruger C-9 9mm handgun valued at $500 from White’s house. It’s not clear if that was the same weapon was used in the shooting.

Republican Presidential hopeful and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, will be in Atlantic this (Sunday) evening (Dec. 18th), on a campaign stop. Santorum will hold a “Cup of Coffee and Questions and Answers” session with area residents, at the Farmer’s Kitchen Restaurant (319 Walnut Street), from 5:30- to 6:30-p.m.  Light refreshments will be served. The event is free, and open to the public.

Santorum is making the stop in Atlantic as part of his on “Faith, Family and Freedom” tour across the State this month. For more information on the Santorum and his position on the issues, visit www.ricksantorum.com.

A World War Two-era cargo ship named after a Southwest Iowa town, and the State’s namesake battleship will share the same port next year. The S.S. Red Oak Victory cargo ship is already

SS Red Oak Victory w/new paint & hull

berthed at The Port of Richmond, CA.  It will be joined next year by the U.S.S. Iowa, after renovation work on the battleship is completed in the San Francisco Bay area.

The Red Oak Victory was named for the town of Red Oak, which saw the heaviest losses in World War Two. By the end of the war, Red Oak has lost 50 servicemen, a toll that national publications deemed to be the highest per capita of any community in the country. The ship was commissioned in 1944, and saw service in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. It has the distinction of being the only ship operated by both military and civilian personnel during her career. The vessel spent a month in dry dock in San Francisco getting a new coat of paint and an improved hull, before being moved back to its berth at The Port of Richmond.

The U.S.S. Iowa saw service in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during WWII, and during the Korean War.

USS IA in the "Mothball Fleet"

For more info: http://www.ssredoakvictory.com/index.htm and http://www.ussiowa.org/

Western Iowa Republican Congressman Steve King, Saturday issued a statement after Congress passed legislation to provide $8.1 billion in emergency funding for disaster recovery. The bill included $6.4 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund and $1.7 billion in funding for disaster recovery assistance through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps). 

King said “This year’s flooding along the Missouri River did significant amounts of damage to homes, businesses, and farm land, and it greatly weakened much of the infrastructure that’s in place up and down the river to protect us from flooding.” He added “The Corps has estimated that nearly $750 million in damage was done to the levees and other flood control infrastructure in the Missouri River basin. Getting our levees repaired to their pre-flood specifications has been a priority (of his) since (the) water levels crested.” King said “Without the protection of the levees, home owners and businesses will be unable to rebuild and many farmers will be forced to pay triple crop insurance premiums.” 

The legislation passed the House Friday. In addition, the House passed legislation to offset the cost of the disaster aid with an across-the-board cut to non-defense spending in Fiscal Year 2012. The legislation was approved by the Senate Saturday, although the offset for the disaster relief was stripped out by a vote of 43-56. The legislation now awaits the president’s signature.