The Montgomery County Emergency Management agency is reporting some good news this (Friday) morning. Officials say the East Nishnatbotna River continues to recede at Elliott and Red Oak. And, Coburg is starting to see levels drop slowly so some relief should be coming later this morning. Elliott is no longer using portable pumps and resuming normal operations.
Red Oak has opened all but 1 flood gate along the levee system and all flood pumps have been shut down at this time. Because the river levels continue to drop, it should start to pull a large amount of water back into the river from the city side of the levee system.

Some roadways are starting to open however several of them will remain closed until crews can get a better look at their condition and if any emergency repairs are needed.

CURRENT KNOWN ROAD CLOSURES: NUMEROUS CLOSURES around W Coolbaugh Street x G Ave south to 210th Street. AVOID THE AREA; J Ave between Highway 48 south past the Schildberg quarry drive near 144th street.; 250th Street between Evergreen and Railroad Tracks CLOSED.;145th Street at Stennett is CLOSED between 148th St x 150th.

The bad news comes from Mills County Emergency Management: There is an unconfirmed levee breach 2 to 3 miles North of the Mills / Fremont County Line. Anyone who has not already Evacuated that area West of I-29 needs to NOW. If you need Temporary Shelter there is an American Red Cross Shelter established in Council Bluffs at the Salem United Methodist Church off of Highway 92, 14955 Somerset Avenue.

The Atlantic Police Department reports four local streets have been temporarily closed due to severe damage from the flooding. The streets are primarily in the vicinity of the Schildberg Recreation Area, and include:

• Buck Creek Road, from the City Limits to 2nd Street.
• Iowa Avenue
• Clark Street (at State Street)
• and North Chestnut, from just south of Iowa Avenue.

The Schildberg Recreation Park, including the walking path, tree dump/yard waste site and dog park, will all be closed until further notice.

(9-a.m. News)

Officials with Cass County Public Health report the monthly Healthy Cass County meeting was held Monday, March 11 at Cass County Public Health. Healthy Cass County began working with Wellmark representatives to develop a countywide action plan to assist in our health/wellness journey in Cass County.

Healthy Hometown Planning Session

All are welcome to attend the Healthy Hometown Powered by Wellmark Community Planning meetings on April 8 and May 13 at Cass County Public Health from 12:00-1:30pm.

Additionally, Healthy Cass County was given their finalist plaque for the 2019 Healthy Hometown Community Award powered by Wellmark. Healthy Cass County members were unable to attend the Healthiest State Initiative’s Award Ceremony in February due to weather.

HealthyHometown Finalist Award

For more information on local health and wellness events or resources, follow our Healthy Cass County Facebook page.

Shelby County Emergency Management officials this (Friday) morning, say the City of Shelby 911 Outage which was reported early Thursday afternoon, is apparently no longer an issue. Emergency Management Director Alex Londo says “We have tested the 911 landline phones in Shelby and the issue has been resolved as of this morning.”

9-1-1 landline issues were also reported in the Minden and Elk Horn areas. It’s not clear if the issues have been resolved.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office said today (Friday), 27-year old Kyle Scott Sheppard, of Omaha, was transported from the Cass County Jail in Plattsmouth, NE, to the Pott. County Jail, Thursday morning. Sheppard was wanted on a Pott. County warrant for OWI/3rd or Subsequent Offense. His bond was set at $5,000. 30-year old Tierra Lee Parker, of Council Bluffs, who was in the Pott. County Jail, was presented with a Felony warrant out of Douglas County, NE., for being a Fugitive from Justice. She was being held without bond, pending extradition. And, 22-year old Kenneth Charles Kline was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, Thursday, for OWI/1st offense.

BROWNVILLE, Neb. (AP) — A utility has issued a required safety notification as it continues to add sandbags to the levee that protects its nuclear power plant along the swollen Missouri River in southeast Nebraska. The Nebraska Public Power District declared a “notification of unusual event” Friday at its Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville, about 59 miles (95.5 kilometers) south of Omaha. The notification was required because the river level reached 42.5 feet.

The notification is the lowest and least serious of four emergency classifications established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for nuclear power plants. The district says it means simply that: Conditions are not ordinary. The plant continues to generate power. The river’s rapid rise is fueled by snowmelt and storm runoff from a late-winter weather system that brought powerful winds and heavy rainfall to the eastern side of the state this week.

District spokesman Mark Becker told the Omaha World-Herald on Thursday that if the river hits the level of 45.5 feet projected by the National Weather Services this weekend, the plant would have to be shut down.

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

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MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — Marshalltown has begun a fundraising campaign to help renovate a 90-year-old community center damaged by a tornado last summer. City Administrator Jessica Kinser said Thursday that city leaders want to raise $1.35 million to supplement insurance money, grants and other funds being amassed for the $3.6 million project.

Renovations at Veterans Memorial Coliseum will include adding a second full-size gymnasium, adding rentable space for meetings and community events, and installing an elevator and restrooms.

Construction on the center started in 1928 with a $125,000 bond approved by Marshalltown voters. It was used as a gym for the high school until 1965 and as training quarters for the Iowa National Guard before World War II.

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

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(Radio Iowa) — A new survey of employers across Iowa offers an optimistic view of the upcoming second quarter for anyone who’s looking for a job. Kathy Joblinske, executive vice president of Central Iowa Manpower, says the results fell slightly in the hiring category, but remain very good overall. “We have a steady job market expected for Iowa for Q2,” Joblinske says. “It’s a little bit sluggish from last year but still, steady hiring intentions.” The agency’s employment outlook survey is billed as the most extensive, forward-looking employment survey of its kind in the country. “For Iowa, 21% of employers that were interviewed plan to hire more employees from April through June,” Joblinske says. “This number is offset by 5% that plan to reduce their payrolls and 73% of employers expect to maintain their current staff levels.”

In order to make comparisons, the net employment outlook is figured by subtracting the five-percent figure of expected firings statewide from the 21-percent of expected hirings. “This yields a net employment outlook of 16% for the state of Iowa,” Joblinske says. “When we compare that to Q1, that’s down slightly, we were at a 20% net employment outlook. Then, compared to Q2 of last year, we had a 24% net employment outlook.”

For the coming quarter, Manpower says job prospects appear best in industries including: construction, transportation & utilities, financial activities, education & health services, leisure & hospitality and government. Payrolls are expected to decrease in durable goods manufacturing, wholesale & retail trade and information. Iowa Workforce Development reported this week, Iowa’s unemployment rate was steady in January at two-point-four percent, where it’s been since October. Iowa is tied with New Hampshire for the lowest unemployment in the nation.