(Radio Iowa) — National Weather Service forecasters are recalculating the crest of the Missouri River in the Council Bluffs area due to early morning rains. Meteorologist Taylor Nicolaisen at the National Weather Service office across the river in Valley, Nebraska says as much as four inches of rain fell on the north side of Omaha during this morning’s storm. Three-and-a-half inches was reported in Crescent, Iowa. “It will bump up the river marginally, at a minimum, here with the crest that was already forecast,” Nicolaisen says.

The Missouri River crest is starting today in the Omaha/Council Bluffs metro. Heavy rain has been reported in NORTHEAST Iowa and the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood WARNING that includes the city of Dubuque. Forecasters warn hail is possible in the storms striking in eastern Iowa. The storm that hit in parts of WESTERN Iowa early this (Tuesday) also produced a lot of lightning around 6 a.m. In a 50-mile radius of Omaha, the National Weather Service recorded 100 cloud-to-ground strikes every five minutes. “Very loud thunder, obviously quite a bit of trouble. That was waking people up and we had to send alerts out on phones and that was waking people up as well,” Nicolaisen says, “so a lot of people rubbing their eyes early this morning.”

A flash flood WATCH that was in effect for a large swath of Iowa stretching from Council Bluffs to Decorah and the northeast tip of the state was cancelled at 10-a.m. for all but Monona, Harrison, Shelby, Pottawattamie, Mills, Montgomery and Fremont Counties. The WATCH is set to expire at 1-p.m. A Flood Warning is in effect until 3:30-p.m. for Monona, northwestern Pottawattamie and Harrison Counties.

Nicolaisen says there’s a lot of moisture in high levels of the atmosphere. “The atmosphere is absolutely juicy,” he says. “…That’s going to be kind of the trend here. We’re going to at least be capable of heavy rain of and on here in the next few weeks.” Nicolaisen warns there’s a chance of heavy rain in the Missouri River valley — from South Dakota through Kansas and Missouri through the rest of September and into early October.

(Update 10:15-a.m.) — OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Missouri River continues to rise and flood mostly rural land in Nebraska and Iowa, but Interstate 29 remains open near Omaha. Iowa Transportation Department officials expect to have to close parts of I-29 at some point during this week’s flooding. The river is expected to crest Saturday near Omaha after overnight rains dropped 1-to-3 inches in the area.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — The field manager of an Iowa hog farm has testified that a woman with whom he was having an affair told him last year she was deathly afraid of her husband — a man now accused of using a corn rake to kill her. Jerry Frasher testified Wednesday in the trial of Todd Mullis. Mullis is charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Amy Mullis on Nov. 10 at the farm about 40 miles west of Dubuque.

Delaware County’s county attorney John Bernau, right, questions witness Delaware County Deputy Eric Holub as he hands back a corn rake during the first-degree murder trial for Todd Mullis at Dubuque County Courthouse in Dubuque, Iowa, on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2019. Todd Mullis is accused of killing Amy L. Mullis by stabbing her with that rake on Nov. 10. (Nicki Kohl/Telegraph Herald via AP)

A prosecutor has said Todd Mullis was irate over the affair and fearful that he’d lose their farm if she divorced him. The Telegraph Herald reports that Frasher said he told Amy Mullis they had to cool things after Todd Mullis confronted him about text messages Frasher exchanged with Amy.

Two men wanted on separate warrants turned themselves-in to the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, Wednesday. 32-year old John Phillip Fry, of Council Bluffs, was wanted for Violation of Probation, and 22-year old Alexander Page McGinnis, also of Council Bluffs, was wanted for Harassment in the 2nd Degree/3rd offense. After their warrants were confirmed, both men were transported to the Pott. County Jail, and turned over to Corrections Staff.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports several candidates have filed nomination papers to run during the Nov. 5th City/School Elections. The deadline to submit nomination papers to the Cass County Auditor’s Office, for persons seeking City office, and School Board candidates (Submit papers to your School District Secretary), is 5-p.m.!

Those who have filed papers today (Thursday) include:

• Jericho Schmitt, Mark Opbroek, Wayne Preister and Angela Redler – for the Marne City Council
• Ashley Hayes-Atlantic Park and Rec
• Incumbents Jim Fisher and Steven R. Havens have filed to run for re-election to the Wiota City Council,
• Duane Scott Anderson has filed to run for re-election to the Lewis City Council.
• Russell Hansen has filed to run for Mayor of Lewis.

Candidates may submit nominations for both City and School Board positions. Today is the deadline!

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — A judge has ordered a jury to return to deliberations today (Thursday) in the case of an Iowa woman accused of killing of her former boyfriend in 1992. The Muscatine Journal reports that the jury leader told the judge Wednesday that the jury was having difficulty reaching a unanimous verdict in the murder case against Annette Cahill. Prosecutors say she used a baseball bat to kill 22-year-old Corey Lee Wieneke, whose body was found in October 1992 on his bedroom floor in rural West Liberty.

Judge Patrick McElyea sent the jury members back to the jury room, and he conferred with lawyers for both sides. He had the jury members returned to the courtroom and asked them to return Thursday morning and “continue to engage in open-minded discussion and persuasion.” A witness came forward in 2017, saying Cahill had implicated herself in the death in 1992, prompting authorities to re-examine the case. Cahill is now a mother of three adult children and a grandmother.

Cahill’s first trial ended in a mistrial in March 2019 when that jury couldn’t reach a verdict.

Police in Creston report the arrest Wednesday afternoon, of 60-year old Steven Nutt. The Creston man was arrested in the 500 block of W. Taylor, for Driving While Barred. He was later released from the Union County Jail, on a $2,000 bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.3MB)

Subscribe: RSS

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a loaded gun was found in a student’s backpack at an Iowa City school. Police say officers responding Wednesday morning to reports about a gun at Tate High School found the student outside. They seized his backpack and, after obtaining a search warrant, searched it and found the weapon. Police say no threats were made to staffers or students. Charges against the boy are pending.