A District Court Judge in Council Bluffs, Thursday, sentenced a Fremont County man to 6 1/2-years in prison on drug distribution charges. 50-year old John Tracy Miller received his sentence for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Miller was sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by a term of supervised release of four years.

In August 2018, Miller was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by a Fremont County Deputy for speeding and a broken headlight. In a search subsequent to the stop, 59.2 grams of methamphetamine was located in Miller’s pocket.

The case was investigated by Fremont County Sheriff’s Department, Omaha Police Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

DES MOINES – Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation today for the State of Iowa in response to flooding and severe weather beginning March 13th and continuing. Earlier today, she activated Iowa’s State Emergency Operations Center to coordinate the response to Iowa’s flooding.

The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) along with several state and federal agencies, is monitoring rapidly-evolving conditions at locations throughout the state.

The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather across the entire state and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program for these 21 counties: Butler, Cerro Gordo, Clayton, Hancock, Harrison, Humboldt, Ida, Iowa, Kossuth, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, O’Brien, Pottawattamie, Sioux, Webster, Winnebago, Winneshiek, Woodbury, Worth, and Wright.

The Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $41,560 for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim (April 29, 2019).

Disaster Case Management is a program to address serious needs to overcome a disaster-related hardship, injury or adverse condition. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org.

Residents of counties impacted by the recent severe weather are asked to report damage to help local and state officials better understand the damage sustained. Damage to property, roads, utilities and other storm-related information may be reported. This information will be collected by the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and shared with local emergency management agencies.

The current flooding impacting parts of Iowa is also causing some closures at state parks and recreational areas throughout the state.

The rapidly rising flood waters have caused full or partial closings at the following state parks:

• Walnut Woods State Park, West Des Moines
• Dolliver Memorial State Park, Lehigh
• Wilson Island State Recreational Area, Missouri Valley
• Springbrook State Park, Guthrie Center
• Wapsipinicon State Park, Anamosa
• Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park, Indianola
• Brushy Creek State Recreational Area, Lehigh
• George Wyth State Park, Waterloo
• Ledges State Park, Madrid

The safety of park visitors is the number one priority for DNR. Some parks could be closed for several days to allow the water to recede and cleanup efforts to take place before any visitors will be allowed back into the impacted areas.

For the latest list of closures and any updates affecting state parks and recreational areas, visit: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks/Alerts-and-Closures.

The East Nishnabotna River continues to rise in Montgomery County. Flood control efforts are ongoing within the City of Red Oak and City of Elliott. The City of Red Oak has 3 large pumps working on the Red Oak creek, at this point it appears those pumping efforts are keeping up with the creek on the city side of the levee. The City of Elliott has trash pumps working and an additional larger pump has been requested by Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Travel is not advised on all secondary roads within Montgomery County due to current and deteriorating conditions. Highway 34 is being actively monitored west of Red Oak. Below is a list of closures that are known as of Thursday afternoon.

NEW – NUMEROUS CLOSURES around W Coolbaugh Street x G Ave south to 210th Street. AVOID THE AREA.

NEW – 100th Street CLOSED between Kirkwood & Lumber Ave north of Elliott due to a stuck semi.

EXPECTED CLOSURE – Kirkwood Ave north out of Elliott to be closed for flood control measures.

FULL HARD CLOSURE on Highway 48 west of Elliott. Detour being established by Iowa DOT. Please check www.511ia.org for more information once available. DO NOT TRAVEL NORTH ON KIRKWOOD AVE.

J Ave between Highway 48 south past the Schildberg quarry drive near 144th street.

250th Street between Evergreen and Railroad Tracks is now CLOSED.

145th Street at Stennett is CLOSED due to water over the roadway. The closure is between 148th St x 150th.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest Thursday of 36-year-old George Allen Alfred Wesbrook of Villisca. Wesbrook was arrested at 12:08pm in the 300 block of East Coolbaugh Street in Red Oak for Driving Under Suspension. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $566.25 bond.

COUNCIL BLUFFS – The Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency reports, the American Red Cross Shelter established in Avoca, has closed. The Nishnabotna River waters in the area are beginning to recede and officials have determined there is no longer an imminent threat that would require emergency sheltering.

The Shelby and Audubon County County Boards of Supervisors have placed a 10-ton load embargoes on all County Rock (gravel) roads. The embargo is in place until further notice. No vehicle heavier than 10-tons is allowed to traverse gravel roads.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reports officials with Windstream have notified the Shelby County EMA that there is a phone outage that is effecting landline 911 services in the city of Shelby. They do not have a time frame of when it will be fixed. The EMA is asking people to use cell phones if there is an emergency until landline services are restored.

Elk Horn Fire and Rescue reports also, landline 911 services are currently down in their area. If you need help, please call 911 on your cell phone or call 712-755-2121.

Windstream customers in the Minden prefix area of Pottawattamie County are also experiencing a phone outage that has disrupted 9-1-1 service to this area. If a cell phone is not available, you are asked to go to the Minden Fire Station for assistance. The station will be staffed until service is restored. This outage does not affect CenturyLink customers. To receive emergency weather warnings and community alerts such as evacuations, shelter locations, water/sewer system alerts and other emergency notices, sign up for free alerts from Pottawattamie Alert, part of the Alert Iowa Network, at www.pottcounty-ia.gov.

Several roads were closed, or remain closed today, due to flooding or flood debris.  Glacier Road, just east of the ethanol plant to Olive Street, was closed due to flooding.

In Pottawattamie County:

• Highway 6 near Oakland is closed in both directions from Hwy 59 west to County Road L-66, due to water over the road.
• I-680 east and westbound from the I-80 split to I-29 is closed in both directions.
• I-29 between N. 25th Street in Council Bluffs and U-S Hwy 30 in Missouri Valley is closed in both directions
• I-680 from I-29 west to the Mormon Bridge at Omaha is closed in both directions.

In Montgomery County:

• Highway 48 west of Elliott is closed. A detour was established by Iowa DOT.
• J Ave between Highway 48 south past the Schildberg quarry drive near 144th street is closed.
• 250th Street between Evergreen and Railroad Tracks was expected to have been closed today.
• 145th Street at Stennett is CLOSED due to water over the roadway. The closure is between 148th St x 150th.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency reported the following roads are closed:

• Nishna Ave from 1st St to Oak Road (Harlan)
• Utility Ave between Chatburn and Industrial (Harlan)
• F-58 from Maple Road to Highway 59.
• Highway 59 is closed at the Corley Bridge (south of the Harlan Airport).
• Highway 30 from Hwy 44 to Denison: Alternate route – Hwy 44 to Hwy 59 and back north of Hwy 30.
• Hwy 30 is closed at I-29, the Missouri Valley exit to eastbound traffic.

In Page County:  The Page County Secondary roads has made the decision to close County Road J-53 east of Shambaugh, between Timber and 265th, for water on the road. Page County Road Teak Avenue between County Road J-53 and 290th is also being closed for the same reason. In Dallas County: Hwy 44 between County Road P46 and County Road P30 (near Linden), look out for flooding

For the latest road closures and other road information, go to 511ia.org

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports 42-year old Jeffrey Wade Bartles, of rural College Springs, was arrested Wednesday, at his residence. Bartles was arrested on a Page County Warrant for Theft. The warrant stemmed from a theft investigation conducted by the Page County Sheriff’s Office. Bartles was transported to the Page County Jail where he is being held on $300 bond.