Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:57 a.m. CDT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to increase releases of water Saturday from the Gavin’s Point Dam into the Missouri River. Missouri River Basin Management Chief John Remus said Thursday that the Corps is increasing releases because of water on the ground and runoff into the Oahe and Fort Randall reservoirs in South Dakota. He said the releases would increase by 5,000 cubic feet per second, to 75,000 cfs.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Midwestern farmers are enduring a spring like no other. Most of the nation’s corn and soybeans are grown in the Midwest, and farmers in the region have for years struggled with low prices that got even worse due to a trade dispute between the U.S. and China. Amid those problems, farmers haven’t been able to plant because of seemingly endless storms. President Donald Trump promised $16 billion in aid but that led to confusion because details about the payments won’t be released until later.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — An ex-nurse at the Independence Mental Health Institute is blaming changes to collective bargaining rules for a decision to fire her after a patient severely beat her last fall. The Des Moines Register reports Tina Suckow was fired in March, days after her federally entitled medical leave expired. A patient beat Suckow with his fists last October, requiring surgeries and neurological treatments. Suckow and union leaders blame reduced staffing and more limited bargaining rights approved in 2017.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Officials in the eastern Iowa city of Davenport say the city is building a bigger flood barrier in the wake of a breach in April that sent floodwaters rushing into downtown streets. Davenport City Administrator Corri Spiegel tells the Quad-City Times that the city will build larger flood walls when there is a high probability the river cresting above 21 feet. Days after the last temporary barrier broke on April 30, the river hit a historic crest of 22.7 feet.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) officials have used the state’s safe haven procedures for the 35th time since the law went into effect. A boy was born May 17, 2019, at an Iowa hospital and the infant was released to the custody of DHS.

A court hearing to terminate parental rights is held within a month. Specific details are withheld in order to protect the identity of the parents and the child.

Through Iowa’s safe haven law, parents have the option to safely hand over custody of babies age 30 days or younger without fear of prosecution for abandonment. The parent, or their authorized representative, can leave the newborn at a hospital or health care facility, and can remain anonymous.

The safe haven law was approved in the wake of a high-profile case in 2001 involving a teen mother in eastern Iowa who killed her home-delivered newborn. Infants who are safe haven babies are placed with currently-approved foster or adoptive families.

If you are interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent, please visit www.iowafosterandadoption.org. For more information on the safe haven procedure: http://dhs.iowa.gov/safe-haven

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to increase releases of water Saturday from the Gavin’s Point Dam into the Missouri River.

Missouri River Basin Management Chief John Remus said Thursday the Corps is increasing releases because of water on the ground and runoff into the Oahe and Fort Randall reservoirs in South Dakota from recent rains.

He said the releases would increase by 5,000 cubic feet per second, to 75,000 cfs. The Corps also increased releases Wednesday.

Remus said the Corps is keeping its releases at the Garrison Dam in North Dakota at 15,000 cfs to offset other water flowing into the Oahe and Fort Randall reservoirs. He said the melting of mountain snow also has slowed.

The river has been high for months, and increased releases could lead to more flooding.

Des Moines, Iowa — Officials with the Iowa Insurance Division said today (Thursday), that Scott Leininger, of Spencer, was recently convicted of 2nd Degree Theft (a Class C Felony) in Clay County Iowa District Court, for filing multiple fraudulent insurance claims with his insurance carrier.

Scott Leininger

The claims sought reimbursement for damages which he alleged to have occurred to a motorized wheelchair, a biometric hand device and an elliptical rehabilitation machine. The conviction is Leininger’s second conviction this year resulting from his schemes to obtain money by defrauding his insurance carrier.

On May 28, 2019, Leininger was convicted of 2nd Degree Theft (a Class C Felony) in Clay County District Court for the theft of insurance proceeds from his insurer. He was sentenced to a five year suspended prison sentence and ordered to serve five years of probation.

On February 25, 2019, Leininger was convicted of Forgery (a Class D Felony) in Plymouth County Iowa District Court for his role in altering business invoice receipts for the same repairs to a wheelchair, biometric hand device, and the elliptical rehabilitation machine. The conviction also led to a five year suspended prison sentence and court ordered probation for a term of five years.

Both sentences will be served concurrently. Leininger’s restitution assessment is still pending in Clay County. An investigation revealed that in each fraudulent insurance claim, Leininger alleged that this equipment sustained extensive electrical damage as a result of power surges during lightning storms. To facilitate his fraud scheme, Leininger supplied the insurance carrier fabricated repair quotes and invoices for which he received insurance proceeds totaling $57,471.00 through his insurance policy.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-242-5304.

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — A former nurse at a state mental health center is blaming changes to collective bargaining rules for a decision to fire her after a patient severely beat her last fall.

The Des Moines Register reports Tina Suckow was fired from her job at the Independence Mental Health Institute in March, days after her federally entitled medical leave expired. Her request for time off without pay was denied.

A patient apparently experiencing a manic episode beat Suckow with his fists last October, causing her to lose consciousness and require surgeries and neurological treatments.

Suckow and union leaders blame reduced staffing and more limited bargaining rights approved in 2017 for a climate that leaves workers vulnerable. The bargaining changes limit negotiations to salary issues. State spokespeople declined to comment on Suckow’s situation.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday), released a report on arrests/court cases and/or incidents taking place from May 12th through the 29th. Most recently:

On Wednesday (5/29) Authorities were called to the 1200 block of Cedar road for a vehicle in the ditch and occupant attempting to remove the vehicle.  Upon further investigation, 21-year-old Dustin Paul Updike, of Portsmouth, was arrested on charges of public intoxication, and cited for failure to maintain control and transported to the jail without incident.   Updike was released after posting the bond a short time later.

On May 24th, 54-year-old Richard Vernon Schiernbeck, of Harlan, was sentenced to 5 years in prison in the District Court of Shelby County.   Schiernbeck, originally arrested on charges in March 2018 for Delivery/Manufacture of controlled substance, felon in possession of a firearm, prohibited acts, and possession of drug paraphernalia, among multiple traffic tickets.  Schiernbeck was turned over to custody of the Sheriff to be transported to the Iowa Department of Corrections.

Also on May 24th, Shelby County authorities were dispatched to residence in Irwin around 8:30-a.m., for an assault that had taken place.  Upon arrival and further investigation, 29-year-old Rick Allen Gorka was arrested for domestic abuse assault and transported to the jail.

On May 23rd, 61-year-old David Lowell Harris, of Atlantic, was arrested and charged with operating while intoxicated – 1st offense, driving while license revoked, and no proof of insurance as a result of a traffic stop along highway 173 in Elk Horn.   Harris was transported to jail without incident and released a few hours later after posting the required bond.

On May 20th, in Shelby County District Court 28-year-old Khadijah Meeks, of Harlan, was sentenced to 28 days in the county jail for being found guilty of violation of probation from previous charges.  Meeks was turned over to custody of the Sheriff and transported to the jail where she will serve her sentence.

May 16th, 52-year-old Kristina Marie Merical, of Greenfield, was arrested in Shelby County, as a result of a traffic stop along the 300 block of Highway 173.   Merical was charged with possession of controlled substance (meth) 3rd or subsequent, possession of controlled substance (marijuana) 2nd offense, prohibited acts, along with traffic tickets.  Merical was transported to the jail where she was held until posting bond later that evening.

On May 15th, 52-year-old Sean Lee Zellers (homeless) was arrested at a county park and transported to jail being charged with possession of controlled substance (meth), prohibited acts, possession of drug paraphernalia, and multiple traffic tickets.   Zellers was transported to the jail and is currently being held under $5,000 cash/surety bond pending future court date.

May 14th, Shelby County authorities arrested 31-year-old Cory Robert Kyle, of Avoca, on drug charges.  Kyle was charged with Controlled substance violation (B Felony) and possession of drug paraphernalia.  Kyle was transported to the jail where he is being held under $50,000 cash/surety bond and awaiting a future court date.

On May 13th, 24-year-old Jonathan Lee Jay Behrens turned himself into authorities at the jail for an active warrant for violation of probation.   Behrens was processed into the facility without incident and held under bond pending future court date.  Behrens was later released to another agency for an outstanding warrant on May 20th, after pleading guilty on Shelby County charge and given credit for time served.

And finally, on May 12th, 21-year-old Preston Blakely Scott was arrested as a result of a traffic stop in Shelby County, by the Iowa State Patrol.   Scott was charged with driving while license suspended and transported to the jail without incident, and released the following morning pending appearance from the magistrate.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Between the country’s trade dispute with China and the seemingly endless storms that have drenched the central U.S., Iowa farmer Robb Ewoldt has had plenty of time to think about whether it’s too late to plant this season, how much federal aid he might get if he does or whether to skip it altogether and opt for an insurance payment. Instead of driving his tractor, he’s driving a truck these days to earn a living while wondering how long it will be before he can return to his fields. “Sometimes I think, what the heck am I doing farming?” he said recently by phone while returning home after hauling a shipment of dry ice to Chicago. “When you owe the bank money, you do some pretty crazy stuff.”

Ewoldt is one of thousands of Midwestern farmers facing such decisions as they endure a spring like no other. It started with poor corn and soybean prices falling even further as the U.S. and China imposed new tariffs, and was compounded by torrential rain and flooding that has made planting impossible and killed off crops that were just starting to emerge. Conscious that the trade dispute was devastating American farmers, President Donald Trump promised $16 billion in aid — an increase over last year’s $11 billion in aid — but the promise has only added to farmers’ confusion about how to approach this strange spring. That’s because details about how much money farmers would receive won’t be released until later, to avoid influencing what crops they decide to plant. While there’s a rationale behind keeping the aid details secret, it adds another layer of uncertainty for farmers already guessing about the weather, future crop prices and how much they would get in insurance payments if they don’t plant a crop.

“It’s a take what you can get and keep moving year,” said Todd Hubbs, an agricultural economist at the University of Illinois. “Depending on how the payments and everything break out, each farm is different.” In the 18 states that grow most of the nation’s corn, only 58% of the crop had been planted as of last week — a far cry from the 90% that would ordinarily be planted by that point. In states that grow nearly all of the soybeans, less than half of the normal crop had been planted. Farmers have even taken to Twitter — creating a #noplant19 hashtag — to commiserate and share photos of their swamped fields.

For Jeff Jorgenson, it’s an all-consuming question of how much of his roughly 3,000 acres of southwestern Iowa land he can profitably farm. About a quarter of it can’t be farmed due to Missouri River flooding, and much of his remaining property has been inundated with rain and water from the neighboring Nishnabotna River. Navigating muddy roads in his pickup truck this week, he tried to figure out whether it would be worth pumping water off his land or whether that would even be possible. Normally it wouldn’t be worth the effort, but with the prospect that the Midwest’s miserable weather will reduce the nation’s fall harvest, corn and soybean prices have started to rise and planting every acre possible has become more attractive than settling for insurance that would pay roughly half the revenue of a normal crop.

Jorgenson, 44, said it’s a puzzle trying to figure out how much land should remain unplanted and eligible for insurance payments, how much should be planted, how much money in federal aid will be available and whether those funding sources will be enough to cover his operating loan. “Honestly, 24 hours a day, this is all you can think about,” he said. Since Bob Worth started farming in 1970, this is the first year he’s opted not to plant on most of his 2,300 acres near the southwestern Minnesota community of Lake Benton. It was a difficult choice, but one Worth said he felt obligated to make given the ducks that are swimming where his corn and soybeans should be growing. “I’m not going to try to destroy my ground to get a crop in,” he said, noting that planting equipment would rut and compact his land.

Despite insurance payments he will receive, Worth, 66, said he’ll need to refinance loans and lose some of the equity has built up on land that has been in his family for generations.
The deadline for not planting and taking an insurance payment without a penalty varies depending on the state and crop, but the decision time has either passed or is approaching. Hubbs, the Illinois economist, said choosing to opt out, especially when prices are rising, is agonizing for farmers but may be the right choice because of the risk of a poor harvest when planting late in soggy ground and the possibility that the farmer won’t be able to harvest the crop before the weather turns cold.

Hubbs said planting late won’t work out for many farmers unless summer and fall weather conditions are nearly perfect — a scenario that he said seems hard to imagine, given that “storms just keep firing up and moving through.” Chad Hart, an agricultural economist at Iowa State University, said he worries that the federal aid Trump announced will encourage some farmers who would normally forgo a crop to instead risk planning on wet land. That’s a tough decision for individuals, but collectively it could reduce the supply of corn and soybeans and lead to higher prices. “We’ve been stuck in a pattern of overproduction, and this could change that,” Hart said.

Ewoldt, who farms on about 1,100 acres he rents from relatives near the Mississippi River outside Davenport, said he hopes he can figure out what’s best for his farm and his family. Ewoldt, 47, said he’s good at producing a crop but that figuring out what to do in the coming weeks seems like guesswork. “You’re trying to do the algebra equations and figure things out, but you have too many unknowns right now,” he said. “Nobody has a clue what we’re doing.”

(Radio Iowa) — A small group of rural residents in western Iowa’s Mills County have been warned they may have to evacuate due to recent heavy rains and increased flows on the Missouri River. Mills County Public Information Officer Sheri Bowen says “significant flooding” is occurring again west of Interstate 29. “We’ve just seen a large amount of water that has backfilled into that western edge of Mills County,” she says. The advisory about evacuation preparation covers a limited number of people because many homes in the area remain empty following the major flooding in March.

“The greatest percentage of families and businesses are not back and they’ve been working on their properties, but are not living there,” Bowen says, “so we just wanted to be sure the few families that are out there, the few businesses that have been back in are aware of the water situation and they can take steps to make sure they’re safe in the event that water does close more roads.”

The Iowa D-O-T closed Interstate 29 from Highway 34 south to the MISSOURI border yesterday (Wednesday). Highway 34 ALSO was closed west of the interstate to the NEBRASKA border. The closures come after the roads were briefly reopened following repairs. Bowen says the continuing problems have frustrated residents and commuters like.”This just makes us all aware that this is a long way from over,” Bowen says. The governors of Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas met with Army Corps of Engineers officials yesterday (Wednesday) to discuss management of the Missouri River.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office said today (Thursday), that a man from Shannon City reported to authorities the theft of his vehicle. The 2004 Mercury Marquis, with Iowa license plate EJW 621 has been missing since May 14th. The vehicle was valued at $5,000

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports 45-year old Rob Lee Bent, of Grant, was arrested today (Thursday), on a charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bent was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance. Last Sunday, 60-year old Robert John Rasmussen, who is currently incarcerated in the Cass County Jail, was assessed two additional felony charges of Controlled Substance Violations. Rasmussen was initially incarcerated on May 10th, 2019, on drug possession, drug paraphernalia and drug tax stamp violation charges. He remains held at the Cass County Jail on $75,000 bond.

And, there were two arrests in Cass County last Friday: (as previously reported) 30-year old April Lynn Medina, of Atlantic, was arrested by Cass County Deputies on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Failure to Appear for violation of Compulsory Education Mediation Agreement/1st offense. Medina was taken to the Cass County Jail where she later posted $300 bond and was released; 35-year old Matthew James Bruns, of Atlantic, was arrested by Cass County Deputies, on an Atlantic Police Department warrant for Violation of No Contact Order-Contempt. Bruns was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on without bond.