While the U-S Army Corps of Engineers is promising to focus more on flood prevention, many western Iowans are still questioning how that will be accomplished after the summer-long flooding of the Missouri River. Jody Farhat, head of the Corps’ water control office in Omaha, says she’s heard from plenty of worried folks up and down the river. “People are very concerned about potential flooding again next year,” Farhat says. “We’re committing to take a more flexible approach to our releases during the fall and into the winter and the spring.” Levees and dams along the waterway were weakened by the months of flooding and repairs on them are still underway. Farhat says the plan is to draw down upriver reservoir levels before the warm weather of 2012 arrives.

“We’ll get as much water out of the system as the weather permits and that we can pass safely without impacting the repairs that are going on,” Farhat says. “The dams and the levees are our number-one line of defense and we don’t want to interfere with any of that important work that’s going on.” Reservoirs upstream were inundated by heavy rains and record runoff from snowmelt, forcing the Corps to release water at such velocity that Missouri River levels were raised for the entire summer. Farhat says they’re working to plan ahead by dropping reservoir water levels now. “It’s not a specific amount,” she says. “We’ll base it on the current information and also on what we’re able to get out. When we get to this time of year, it really depends on the weather and where the runoff comes in. We’ll monitor that closely and hopefully we’ll be able to move some additional water out.” Farhat says the Corps will continue with “aggressive” flows from the dams for the next few months.

“We don’t want to cause icejam flooding this winter just to provide some relief in case it’s a wet year next year,” she says. “It’s a balancing the very real impacts of pushing extra water through the winter with that reduced risk of flooding next year.” Releases from Gavins Point Dam at Yankton on the South Dakota/Nebraska border continue at 40-thousand cubic feet per second, well above the long term normal for this time of year. Releases this summer topped 160-thousand CFS, or more than a million gallons per second.

(Radio Iowa)

Authorities in Lenox report a Taylor County man was arrested today (Tuesday) on a charge of 1st degree arson. According to the Lenox Police Department, 25-year old Christopher Cameron, of Clearfield, was arrested at his parents home. The arrest comes as a result of a joint investigation by the Lenox Police Department and the State Fire Marshalls Office related to the fire that occurred on November 6th, 2011, at the Lenox Motel.

An initial investigation the night of the fire conducted by the Lenox Police Department found inconsistencies relating to the cause of the fire. As a result the State Fire Marshall’s Office was contacted to review those findings.

Cameron was subsequently arrested after making an admission about the cause of the Motel fire and 3 other fires. Additional charges are expected to be filed by the Fire Marshall’s office. Cameron is currently being held in the Taylor County Jail on a $100,000 bond.

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says residents of Earling, Panama, Portsmouth and Westphalia should be aware 1380th Street is closed for a bridge replacement project that is expected to last about three-weeks. The bridge is located over an unnamed tributary of the Mosquito Creek, just west of Highway 191, between Elmwood Road and Highway 191.

Seivert says the bridge will be replaced with a culvert. Area residents who may have questions about the project can call the Shelby County Engineer’s Office at 712-755-5954.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday) approved the final payment application for the northwest Water and Sewer extension project. Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm said the project came in slightly over budget, but only because of extra surfacing rock needed to restore driveways and roadways in the area.

The intent of the project is to spur new business and industry development in the vicinity of the defunct Amaizing Energy ethanol plant located off of Glacier Road northwest of Atlantic, by providing water and sewer lines to prospective clients. The original cost of the project was $482, 141. The final contract price tag amounted to $483, 223, or about $1,100 over the contract price. That also included extra boring and a change out, for a connection line.

The county is paying for the project with tax increment financing on a recently constructed ADM grain bin, in addition to the Local Option Sales Tax. The Local Option Tax will gradually be paid back as revenue from the wind turbines in the county and other sources, allow.

Atlantic Police report 43-year old Dana Cisar, of Atlantic, was arrested Monday. Cisar was booked into the Cass County Jail for Driving Under Suspension and Non-Payment of Iowa Fines.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A former federal union official who embezzled $33,000 is asking a judge to show leniency. Ann Kelly, former treasurer-secretary of the American Federation of Government Employees in Council Bluffs, has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. The retired federal railroad inspector used union funds between 2002 and 2007 to make payments to personal credit cards and write checks to family members. The charge carries up to 20 years in prison, but Kelly’s attorney is asking a judge to impose a term of probation during Wednesday’s sentencing in Des Moines. Her attorney says Kelly’s theft was motivated to help her family out of financial crises that included her son having cancer and her husband having business failures. He says Kelly cashed out her retirement savings to repay the money.