DES MOINES, IA – Following the release of Internal Revenue Service news release IA-2019-02 on March 25, 2019, providing federal tax relief for Iowans in five counties damaged by flooding, the Iowa Department of Revenue is providing similar relief at the state level.

Taxpayers whose primary residence or business is in Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, and Woodbury counties will have until July 31, 2019 to file and pay state individual income taxes and business income taxes due between March 12, 2019 and July 31, 2019. The extension requires no action by residents and businesses in these five counties. The extension includes filing of quarterly withholding tax returns but does not apply to withholding tax payment deposits.

This extension is in addition to an earlier report from the Department that provides taxpayers in counties declared disaster areas by the Governor an extension until April 30, 2019, for state taxes due between March 18, 2019, but no later than March 31, 2019.

More information about state tax relief due to flooding will be available on the Department’s website at tax.iowa.gov/2019-flooding on April 15, 2019.

AMES, Iowa – April 2, 2019 – Progress is being made, but several roads remain closed due to flooding in western Iowa. The Iowa Department of Transportation has completed testing, assessed damages, and is now in the process of repairing roadways in the flood-stricken area.

As of today (April 2nd):

• 6.5 miles of roadway were severely damaged
• 6.1 miles of roadway remain underwater
• 17.2 miles of roadway have severe shoulder damage
• 6.6 miles of roadway sustained minor shoulder damage
• 12.0 miles of shoulder remain underwater
  * Note: Severe damage includes removing and replacing pavement or shoulder. Minor damage repairs include filling embankments and patching pavement and/or shoulders. These numbers reflect state-owned highways and interstates only. County and city roads are not included in this summary. In addition, some areas along Iowa 2 and U.S. 275 are still under water and have not yet been assessed for damage.

Current stage of flood recovery on other roads:

• I-29 in both directions MILE MARKER 0-10 Between the Missouri State Line (near Hamburg) and the Iowa 2 Interchange (south of Percival) and I-29 in both directions MILE MARKER 10-35 Between the Iowa 2 interchange (south of Percival) and the U.S. 34 interchange (near Glenwood): Roads remain closed and under inspection.
• I-29 in both directions MILE MARKER 55-61 Between N. 25th Street in Council Bluffs and the I-680 interchange (near Crescent); -29 in both directions MILE MARKER 61-71
  Between the I-680 interchange (near Crescent) and the I-6808 interchange (near Loveland); and I-680 in both directions MILE MARKER 0-3 Between the I-29 interchange (Old Mormon Bridge Road near Crescent) and I-680 in Nebraska (Mormon Bridge): Repairs are currently underway to fix flood damage.
• U.S. 34 in both directions MILE MARKER 0-4 Between the Nebraska state line and the I-29 interchange (near Pacific Junction), and U.S. 275 in both directions MILE MARKER 0-2
  Between the Missouri state line and Iowa 333 (near Hamburg): Roads remain closed and under inspection.
• Iowa 2 in both directions MILE MARKER 0-10 Between the Missouri River Bridge and the Nebraska state line and U.S. 275/Fremont County Road J-46 (near Sidney): Water remains on the roadway. Waiting for water to recede before the road is inspected.
• Iowa 333 in both directions Between I-29 and Fremont County Road J-64 and U.S. 275 (near Hamburg): Road closed for Inspection.

Barriers blocking access to roads will remain in place until the road has been deemed safe for traffic. If you see a barricade, don’t drive around it. Just because a road looks safe, doesn’t mean it is safe. While some structural damage to the road surface is very visible, damage to the ground underneath the road may be more difficult to see. Barricades are in place to protect you from hurting yourself, damaging your vehicle, and potentially causing further damage to the road. If you are a resident or property owner and need to get to your property, your county emergency management office can help coordinate safe access

DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts, and Missouri Governor Mike Parson will meet with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Wednesday, to get an updated assessment of flood damage, a look ahead on the Missouri River outflow, and identify regional solutions for flooding and levee repairs.

The meeting will be followed by a press conference at the Council Bluffs Police Department. Look for details about the meeting later in evening, Wednesday.

A Harlan man has been charged with third-degree burglary in connection with the theft of property from a residence in Harlan. 24-year old Matthew Strong is accused of trying to sell the property in Avoca.  A May 7th trial date has been set.  Strong faces five years in jail and fines of $5,000.

48 year old Terri Lynn McCord, of Harlan, has been charged with possession of contraband in a controlled facility, possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine – 3rd offense, prohibited acts, possession of a controlled substance marijuana 3rd offense, possession of a controlled substance THC, third offense and operating while intoxicated.  Her trial date is May 7th.  She faces 17 years in jail with fines of $19,000 if found guilty.

And 39-year old Jason Emery, of  Shelby, has been charged with second-degree theft, third-degree burglary and driving while barred.  He’s accused of taking a parked vehicle from Exchange Street in Harlan.  He also allegedly took items from the vehicle that belonged to it’s owner.  A May 7th trial date is set for Emery.  If he’s convicted of the charges, he faces 9 years in jail and a fine of $10,000.

MARQUETTE, Iowa (AP) — A 66-year-old eastern Iowa man says only Alaska’s Denali thwarted his efforts to scale the highest peaks in all 50 U.S. states. Don Smalley set himself the challenge to reach the highest point in every state in 2016. The Marquette resident high-pointed in 43 states between 2016 and 2017, including the peak of California’s Mount Whitney 14,495 feet above sea level.

Last summer, he failed in his attempt to summit Denali , the highest peak in North America. The Telegraph Herald reports that Smalley concluded his effort this February by driving to the top of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea, achieving his 49th completed summit. Smalley says he is looking for a new challenge and that he and his wife “have no shortage of things” that they want to do.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa House and Senate have approved changes in the threshold for passing the exam college graduates must take before they may be hired as a teacher. The bill gives state education officials authority to lower what constitutes a passing grade to match surrounding states. Senator Amy Sinclair, a Republican from Allerton, says that’s important to schools in border areas trying to hire new teachers. “It’s great that they do know their content, but we shouldn’t make it so unattainable that they choose to leave our state,” Sinclair says.

The current cut-line for test results screens out far more teachers in science, for example, because fewer prospective teachers are taking that part of the test. Republican Representative Tom Moore of Griswold was a teacher for 33 years, and he says passing a test doesn’t mean you have the skills to motivate students. “Iowa was number one in education for many, many years and we didn’t have this false standard that was placed in front of us,” Moore says. “I didn’t have to take the test and I believe I became a quality teacher.”

Moore had hoped to eliminate the test altogether, but he supports this compromise. It will let college graduates who fail the test take it again. School districts would also be able to hire someone to teach in their first year out of college if they’re planning to take the test again. The bill passed the Senate unanimously last week and it passed the House last (Monday) night on a 71 to 28 vote. It’s now headed to Governor Reynolds who has not commented publicly on the concept.

The Atlantic Police Department reports two accidents occurred last week, and one arrest took place Sunday.  35-year old Matthew J. Bruns, of Atlantic, was arrested Sunday on a Cass County warrant for Violation of a No Contact Order. Bruns was being held in the Cass County Jail.

On March 28th, vehicles driven by Laurie Parrott, of Marne, and Shelby Franken, of Atlantic, collided at the intersection of 6th and Cedar Streets at around 12:05-p.m.   Officials say Parrott was traveling west on 6th and approaching Cedar, at the same time Franken was northbound on Cedar. Franken’s vehicle struck the Parrott vehicle in the intersection, causing $7,000 damage altogether. Parrott was transported to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Police cited Franken for Failure to stop or yield at the intersection.

And, on March 29th, vehicles driven by Christine Chamberlain, of Atlantic, and Audra Honeyman, of Villisca, collided at around 6:50-a.m., at 11th and Chestnut Street. The accident happened when Honeyman failed to yield. Damage amounted to $16,000. Honeyman was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop Sign.

Police in Harlan report 23-year old Emily Emealia Watts, of Harlan, was arrested March 28th, following the execution of a search warrant. Watts was transported to the Shelby County Jail where she was charged with prohibited acts penalties, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. And, on March 24th, 29-year old Chelsea Rae Hill, of Harlan, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia. She was released on the citation.

Voters in the Atlantic Community School District will head to the polls today (Tuesday), to decide the fate of a $9.5-million bond referendum for school improvements and safety upgrades. The polls will be open from Noon until 8:00 p.m. The Polling places for Wards two and three and all remaining school district residents will vote at the Atlantic Public Library. Wards one, four and five will vote at the Heritage House.

If approved, the bond issue would provide for improvements to the Trojan Bowl, plus the district’s baseball and softball complex and tennis courts. Also proposed is a renovation of a roadway for smoother access to the elementary building, and connection to the high school. The bond issues require a 60% supermajority in order to pass. If the measure passes, the indebtedness of the district will be in excess of 1.25-percent of the assessed valuation of taxable property in the School District.

The Resolution on the ballot asks: “Shall the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Community School District, in the Counties of Cass, Audubon and Pottawattamie, State of Iowa, be authorized to contract indebtedness ans issue general obligation bonds in an amount not exceeding $9,500,000 for the purpose of furnishing, equipping, constructing, improving, repairing, and renovating school buildings and improving the sites thereof at the school district’s existing school buildings located in Atlantic, Iowa, including without limitation: (a) renovating, equipping and improving the football field/track/stadium, team building, concession and related buildings/site improvements, (b) renovating, equipping and improving  the softball/baseball fields and related buildings/site improvements, (c) constructing, relocating, equipping and improving tennis courts and related buildings/site improvements, and (d) improving and realigning a roadway for smoother access to the elementary school and connection to the middle school?”

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say more than 40 Dubuque jobs will be lost after MidWestOne’s purchase of ATBancorp is completed. The two banking companies announced the agreement last August. Dubuque-based ATBancorp operates 12 Iowa branches of American Trust & Savings Bank and five American Bank & Trust branches in Wisconsin. Iowa City-based MidWestOne has 24 branches in Iowa, 13 in Minnesota, four in Wisconsin, two branches in Florida and one branch in Colorado.

MidWestOne’s senior vice president of communications, Greg Turner, said Tuesday that the deal is expected to close May 1. The transaction was valued at around $170.3 million, based on MidWestOne’s stock price last August. Turner says some of the 44 ATBancorp employees whose jobs will be eliminated because of duplication are retiring or already have found new positions.