(Radio Iowa) — A special investigation by the state auditor’s office has identified nearly 75-thousand dollars worth of improper transactions by the former city clerk in the small northwest Iowa town of Westfield. The investigation was sparked by concerns about former Westfield City Clerk Angela Sorensen. Sorensen claimed the city’s financial records were destroyed in a fire at city hall that started on the edge of her desk and more recent records were lost due to a computer virus. Auditors, though, were able to review about four-and-a-half years worth of records and identified nearly 40-thousand dollars of utility payments to the city that were never deposited.

Sorenson was overpaid by more than 13-thousand dollars during the four-and-a-half year period and Sorenson wrote herself about 43-hundred dollars worth of unauthorized checks, plus another three-thousand dollars worth of checks were redeemed for cash.  Copies of the auditor’s report have been forwarded to the Plymouth County Sheriff and County Attorney as well as the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the state attorney general. Westfield is a community of about 130 residents. No other city in the state is located further west than Westfield.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Communities that were flooded when levees failed along the Missouri River earlier this spring will likely remain exposed to high water for months to come, leaving displaced residents wondering when — or if — they will be able to return and rebuild their homes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — the federal agency that regulates flood control along the waterway — has been assessing the levees that were crippled in March when heavy rain and snow melt caused the river and its tributaries to overflow in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. But repairs have been hindered by the extent of the damage and lingering floodwaters.

In this May 10, 2019 photo, flood waters from the Missouri River cover fields north of Hamburg, Iowa. The communities that flooded this spring after levees failed along the Missouri River will likely remain exposed to flooding for at least several more months. More than 40 levees were damaged but only a handful of construction contracts to fix them have been issued. Two of those are for repairs to levees near Hamburg, Iowa, but even the initial repairs won’t be done until after the spring rainy season. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

The flooding that caused an estimated $3 billion in damage in the Midwest forced 94-year-old Ardis Rogers from her farm near the small community of Percival in southwest Iowa. She said she’s heard from people who flew over her home that it appears dry but that the roads leading to the property remain flooded. “I haven’t a clue of when I can go home, and there’s no place like home,” said Rogers, who has been staying with friends in Hamburg. “We’re dependent on the levees, and we’re dependent on the Corps of Engineers.”

Only a handful of the more than 40 construction contracts needed to fix the damaged Missouri River levees have been issued. Sherri Bowen, spokeswoman for Mills County, whose hometown of Glenwood sits behind a broken levee, said “Until those levees get back up to regular height, we won’t feel secure. It’s very stressful.” Even the quickest repairs — plugging holes in two levees near Hamburg and Percival, Iowa — won’t be completed until the spring rainy season is over. Lowell Blankers, who oversees levee repairs in Iowa and Nebraska for the Corps, said
“We’re working hard to get that initial level of protection in place.” But completing the repairs will be difficult.

Jud Kneuvean, emergency manager with the Kansas City district of the Army Corps of Engineers, said “We have been hampered by poor conditions.” Often after floods, officials are able to drive along the levees to assess the damage, but that hasn’t been an option this spring in many places where floodwaters surged over the top. The Corps is relying more heavily than ever on watercrafts and helicopters to find out what is going on. Even in Hamburg, where repair work is underway, some of the still-flooded job sites can’t be accessed without a boat.

Once the damage surveys are completed, the Corps will review which levees were the most effective in protecting populations and the most critical infrastructure. That helps determine which repair projects come first. The federal government will pay for all of the repairs to levees in the federal system and 80% of the cost to repair levees owned by cities or agricultural groups. Mike Crecelius, emergency manager for Fremont County, which includes Hamburg, said “Until the levees are repaired, any heavy rain will threaten Missouri River communities with more flooding. It’s going to be a long, treacherous summer for us.”

The dragging levee repairs make it hard for people to decide when or if to rebuild their homes and businesses. Only six of the 32 businesses in Hamburg have reopened since the floods, and residents are still boiling water. Hamburg Mayor Cathy Crain said “Right now we’re not alarmed. But we have to get through May and June.”

(Radio Iowa) — Entries for this year’s Iowa Century and Iowa Heritage Farms are due soon. Becky Lorenz (lore-ENZ) coordinates the program at the Iowa Department of Agriculture, which singles out the state’s long-time family farms. “A Heritage Farm has 150 years of continuous ownership in the same family, while a Century Farm has 100 years of continuous ownership,” Lorenz says. “You need to have at least 40 acres of your original piece of property to qualify.”

There are more than 19-thousand Century Farms in Iowa and just over 12-hundred Heritage Farms. A ceremony is held each year during the Iowa State Fair that recognizes each of the farms as they reach the landmark — and the 2018 event was unusual. “We had 359 Century Farm award winners and 148 Heritage Farms,” Lorenz says. “This will be my 9th show this year and last year was the most combined numbers that we’d ever had.”

The deadline to enter is June 1st. The Heritage Farm program was started in 1976 while the Century Farm program began in 2006. Learn more about the program and find an application here:
https://www.iowaagriculture.gov/century/centuryApplicationProcess.asp

(ANAMOSA) – The Iowa Department of Corrections reports a man being incarcerated on robbery charges died Tuesday night, as the result of an apparent suicide. 52-year old Calvin Pearson was pronounced dead due at 8:03-p.m., at the Jones Regional Medical Center where he had been taken.

Pearson had been incarcerated at the Anamosa State Penitentiary for two convictions of Robbery- 2nd Degree from Johnson County. His incarceration began on November 2, 2010.

The department conducts an investigation into all inmate suicides, and an autopsy will be conducted.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests took place Tuesday night. At around 8-p.m., deputies arrested Erin Purcell, of Corning, for a Violation of a No Contact Order. Purcell posted bond and was released.

And, at around 10:50-p.m., Tuesday, Adams County Deputies arrested Delson Grantham, of Fontanelle, on an Adams County warrant for Probation Violation. Grantham was being held without bond until seen by the magistrate.

Officers with the Red Oak Police Department, Tuesday evening, were called to a residence in the 2400 block of N. 8th Street, for a reported domestic disturbance. After speaking to the victim, Police determined that while she was on the phone to 911 operators, 43-year old Jason Neal Beacham, of Red Oak, took her cell phone away and would not let her speak to operators.

Beacham was arrested for Obstruction of Emergency Communications and taken to the Montgomery County Jail. His bond was set at $300.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Communities that were flooded when levees failed along the Missouri River this spring will likely remain exposed to high water for months. Many displaced residents have been left wondering when, or if, they can return and rebuild their homes. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been assessing the levees that were crippled in March when the river and its tributaries to overflowed in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas. But repairs are hindered by the extensive damage and lingering floodwaters.

OSCEOLA, Iowa (AP) — An Osceola husband and wife accused of abusing two adopted children have pleaded guilty to two counts each of child endangerment. Television station KCCI reports that 42-year-old Kenneth Fry and 40-year-old Kelly Fry entered their pleas Monday in a deal with prosecutors that saw several other charges dropped. Prosecutors say the children, ages 8 and 9, were adopted from Ghana and that the Frys kept them in an unfurnished room with only a bucket for a toilet. The children were also malnourished.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sioux City officials have approved nearly $15 million for a new exposition center that they hope will attract events such as trade show and youth sports tournaments. The Sioux City Journal reports that the City Council awarded the contract to L&L Builders on Monday for the Siouxland Expo Center project. The contract bid was over $2 million higher than initial projections. The venue will be built between Interstate 29 and the Floyd River and is expected to start hosting events in 2020.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that allows Iowa farmers to legally grow industrial hemp. The Iowa Hemp Act passed the Legislature with overwhelming support last month. The bill Reynolds signed Monday allows licensed growers to cultivate the crop on up to 40 acres. First, however, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship must develop a plan and submit it for approval of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA must still release its own regulations this fall.

Three people from Harlan were injured in a three vehicle, chain-reaction collision just before 10-a.m. Tuesday, in Pottawattamie County. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2012 Chevy Cruze driven by 20-year old Jessica Throlson, of Harlan, was westbound on Interstate 80 near mile marker 19.

Due to an earlier crash near the 18 mile marker, traffic was merging to the right lane. 72-year old Marilyn Rosman and 61-year old Sharon Davidson, both of Harlan, were traveling in a 2019 Toyota Avalon in the right lane, when Throlson rear-ended the Toyota.

The collision cause the Toyota to collide with a 2018 Jeep Wrangler driven by 21-year old Taylor Axelson, of Loveland, CO. The Chevy and the Toyota came to rest in the right lane, while the Jeep came to rest in the median.

Throlson, Rosmann and Davidson were all transported to Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs, by rescue crews from Neola and Underwood.

On Monday, authorities in Pottawattamie County identified the victim of a fatal vehicle versus bicycle accident that took place Saturday. Tuesday evening,  investigators identified a black 2014 Ford F-150 as the vehicle that struck William Shepard on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at approximately 2:10-a.m., near Old Lincoln Highway and Northline Drive.  Shepard was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

56-year old Robert Christensen, of rural Council Bluffs, was identified Tuesday as the driver of the vehicle.  No charges have been filed at this time. The case remains under investigation.

OSCEOLA, Iowa (AP) — An Osceola husband and wife accused of abusing two adopted children have pleaded guilty to two counts each of child endangerment.
Television station KCCI reports that 42-year-old Kenneth Fry and 40-year-old Kelly Fry entered their pleas Monday in a deal with prosecutors that saw several other charges dropped.

Prosecutors say the children, ages 8 and 9, were adopted from Ghana and that the Frys kept them in an unfurnished room divided by a wooden wall. The divided room contained only a couple of blankets and buckets for use as toilets, and its door was equipped with an alarm that would sound if opened. Doctors say the children were also dangerously malnourished.

Prosecutors say the Frys’ five other children had typical age-appropriate bedrooms and did not have food restrictions. The Frys each face up to two years in prison when they’re sentenced May 23.