While parts of central Iowa saw severe flash flooding and damage to hundreds of homes after recent rains, Missouri River levels are expected to stay high throughout summer and into fall. Hydrologist Kevin Stamm, with the U-S Army Corps of Engineers, says they’re revising up all estimates for the Missouri due to unusually high mountain snowpack run-off.  Stamm says, “The 2018 calendar year run-off forecast for the Upper Missouri basin above Sioux City, Iowa, is 39.8 million acre feet, which is 150% of average.”

June run-off into the system above Sioux City was about 300-percent of normal. Joel Knofczynski, a senior hydraulic engineer in the Corps’ Omaha office, says there’s still room in the reservoirs upriver to hold back very large quantities of water.”Reservoir system storage is currently 68.4 million acre feet, or 12.3 million acre feet into the 16.3 million acre feet of available flood storage,” Knofczynski says. “Approximately 25% of the flood storage is still available to capture run-off.”

Knofczynski says releases from Gavins Point Dam near Yankton are already strong and they’ll increase substantially over the next few days. “Currently, Gavins Point releases are 42,000 cubic feet per second and will be increased to 60,000 cubic feet per second and possibly higher as downstream tributary flows recede,” he says.

The Corps expects to maintain the high flows into the fall months to get the upstream reservoirs down to ideal winter levels.

(Radio Iowa)

Authorities in Fremont County issued a news release a little after 10:30-pm., Monday, saying that a 16-year old male from Sidney who had not been seen since Sunday evening, has been located. Additional information about where he was found was not released.

Officials had put out a request for the public’s help in finding Joshua Michael Brace Lutz, just before 4-p.m., Monday. Lutz was last seen wearing American flag swim trunks.  He was not wearing shoes or a shirt at the time of his disappearance.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

FOUNTAIN HILLS, Ariz. (AP) — An Arizona grand jury has indicted a man on manslaughter charges in the deaths of our pedestrians near Phoenix four months ago.  Authorities say the SUV Bashaw was driving jumped a curb and struck married couples from Iowa and Canada as they waited to cross a street in Fountain Hills about 32 miles northeast of Phoenix. Maricopa County Sheriff’s officials say 27-year-old Alex Bashaw moved to Ohio after the March 23 collision. They say he’s been arrested on the grand jury warrant and is awaiting extradition to Maricopa County.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officers who followed a car zig-zagging down a Des Moines street before it crashed were surprised to find a 9-year-old girl at the wheel with a 7-year-old child riding shotgun. A 911 caller alerted police to a reckless driver Monday morning. Officers who spotted the car turned on their flashing lights while following it, but the curb-to-curb excursion didn’t end until the minor crash. Neither child was hurt. Police say the children were out on a joy ride, and were heading nowhere in particular.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The family of former longtime Iowa Gov. Robert D. Ray has announced plans for his funeral. The service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at First Christian Church in Des Moines. Earlier in the week, Ray’s body will lie in state Thursday at the Capitol. Citizens can pay their respects between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Ray died Sunday at age 89. He served 14 years as governor after his election in 1968 and was a former mayor of Des Moines and president of Drake University.

WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an 18-year-old man died after a fireworks accident in northeast Iowa. The Bremer County Sheriff’s Office says deputies and medics were sent around 11:30 p.m. Saturday to the man’s home near Waverly. Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Ellison said Monday that Coltin Carolus was lighting off fireworks with friends when he got too close to a device that may have malfunctioned. A sheriff’s office news release says he was taken office life support at a Waterloo hospital around 5:30 p.m. Sunday.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is asking for information on the person or persons who illegally dumped garbage along side the road near the junction of Hamburg Road and 655th Street. A picture on the Sheriff’s Office Facebook page shows a single mattress and other junk. If you saw a vehicle with junk, or persons in the area acting suspiciously, call the Sheriff’s Office at 712-243-2206.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department report 27-year old Justin Lee Stout, of Harlan, was arrested Saturday on an active Shelby County warrant. Stout was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with prohibited acts penalties, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and supplying alcohol to a person under legal age.

On July 3rd, 18-year old Justin Michael Couch, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. Couch was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and prohibited acts penalties. That same day, 28-year old Kayla Nichole Benson, of Harlan, was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant. Benson was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with prohibited acts penalties, possession of a controlled substance, and supplying alcohol to a person under the legal age.

On June 30th, Harlan Police arrested 25-year old Trent Allen Wendt, of Elk Horn, following a traffic stop in the 1000 block of Chatburn Avenue. Wendt was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while suspended. On June 27th, 32-year old David Allen Coenen, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop in the 1700 block of Exchange Street. Coenen was taken to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while revoked, operating a non-registered vehicle, failure to prove security against liability, careless driving, and failure to obey stop sign.

And, on June 26th, 57-year old John Veydt, of Harlan, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia following an investigation in the 1300 block of Hawkeye Ave.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County report five recent arrests. 24-year old Theo Wynn Miller, of Glenwood, was arrested on Highway 34 at around 11:15-p.m. Sunday, for Eluding, Reckless Driving, Failure to Meet Mirror Requirements, Unsafe Passing, Failure to Maintain Registration Plate, Improper Registration Plate Lamp and Failure to Signal By Hand, Arm, Signal Device.  His bond was set at $2,300. Just after 8-a.m., Sunday, 58-year old Raymond Francis Deleon, a homeless person, was arrested in Mills County for Driving while Barred. His bond was set at $2,000.

Saturday night, 25-year old Kerin Osmar Izaguirre, of Columbus, NE, was arrested on I-29 for Public Intoxication and Interference with Official Acts. Bond was set at $600. At around 4-a.m. Saturday, 26-year old Nile Johnathan Packett, of Glenwood, was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault. Bond was set at $2,000. And, just before midnight, Friday, 55-year old John Casey Davis, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for OWI 2nd offense and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $2,300.

(Updated) DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officers who followed a car zig-zagging down a Des Moines street before it crashed were surprised to find a 9-year-old girl at the wheel with a 7-year-old child riding shotgun.
A 911 caller alerted police to a reckless driver a little before 8:30 a.m. Monday. Officers who spotted the car turned on their flashing lights while following it, but the curb-to-curb excursion didn’t end until the minor crash. Police say neither of the children was hurt.

Sgt. Paul Parizek says the children apparently were just out on a joy ride, and were heading nowhere in particular. Parizek says they won’t be referred to juvenile authorities, telling The Des Moines Register “the punishment to fit the crime is probably going to be in the home.”

A traffic stop in Cass County on July 1st, resulted in the arrest of 53-year old Bonnie Joyce May, of Massena. May was charged: with OWI 1^st Offense; Possession of Morphine Sulfate 1^st Offense; Possession of Methamphetamine 1^st Offense; Possession of Marijuana 1^st Offense; Unlawful Possession of Prescription Medication (Meloxicam); and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Also arrested was 59-year old Robert John Rasmussen, of Massena. Rasmussen was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine 1^st Offense. He was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance; May was released later that day on her own recognizance. And, on July 1st, 2018, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 52-year old Deanne Kay Cooley, of Anita, on charges of Theft 4^th Degree and Possession of Marijuana 1^st Offense . Cooley was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on her own recognizance.

Other recent arrests in Cass County include:

• On July 2nd: 27-year old Mark Allen Fredericksen, of Dow City, was arrested on a charge of Driving While Revoked. Fredericksen was taken to the Cass County Jail and released on his own recognizance later that day; 30-year old Charlie Bennett Hadfield, of Exira, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Hadfield was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $50,000 bond.
• On July 3rd, 46-year old Jason Edward Pierce, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Cass County on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Pierce was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $100,000 bond.
• On July 4th, Cass County Deputies arrested 23-year old Shawn Michael Williams, of Council Bluffs, on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Williams was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.
• And on July 5th, 59-year old Robert John Rasmussen, of Massena, was arrested on a District Court warrant for Failure to Appear. Rasmussen was taken to the Cass County Jail and was released the following day on $1,000 bond.

(12-pm. News)

The Iowa State Fair opens its 2018 run one month from today (Monday). Fair spokesperson, Mindy Williamson says they are now selling advanced tickets that give you a four-dollar discount off the 12-dollar adult ticket. She says they have a couple discount days during the fair run — but none of them offer cheaper tickets than the ones you buy now. You can get a two-dollar discount off the six-dollar children’s tickets now too. The discount tickets are available until opening day.

“We also offer advanced savings with our Thrill Park wristbands. Those are not available at a discount during the fair — however they are right now. We also have family fun packs which are a group of rides and attractions and five food dollars,” Williamson says. “And those are available now, but not available during the fair.”  You can get the tickets at the Iowa State Fair Ticket Office in the Administration Building on the Fairgrounds and online at iowastatefair.org.

(Radio Iowa)

A woman from Mills County was injured when nearly a dozen explosions took place in her vehicle, as it was parked along the shoulder of southbound Interstate 29, Saturday afternoon, just north of the Mills/Pottawattamie County line. Video from the scene showed several small explosions, jets of flames and one large explosion, all in a little more than 90-seconds. Most of the explosions were from three propane tanks in the vehicle driven by 42-year old Angela Thurman, of Pacific Junction.

Authorities say Thurman was driving her boyfriend’s car which contained three propane tanks. Not long after she lit a cigarette, one of the tanks exploded. Thurman pulled off the road and escaped prior to a second tank and the vehicle’s gasoline tank exploding.The woman was transported to a hospital in Council Bluffs, and later taken to a hospital in Omaha for treatment.