The Atlantic City Council will hold a special meeting Monday beginning at 6:30-p.m. in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. On their brief agenda, is approving a Cigarette Permit for the “Fog Zone” in Atlantic, and an update from the Beautification Committee.

Strong thunderstorms packed heavy rain and wind Saturday evening and overnight. Here in Atlantic, we had received 1.88-inches of rain as of 9:50-p.m., Saturday. The gully washers came in two waves, the first of which began at around 6-p.m. The second produced some street flooding, the worst of which appeared to have been at Mulberry and East 3rd Street Place, where water was flowing down the street like a river for a time, and was easily two-feet deep.

Two-miles south of Creston, one-inch diameter hail was reported at around 7:30-p.m. Several tree branches, two- to four-inches in diameter were broken by the winds in Menlo, at around 8:30-p.m. In Winterset, a roof was blown off of a home and large trees fell around town at around 9-p.m. At about the same time, winds were gusting to near 60 mph in Panora.

In Central Iowa there were numerous reports of heavy rain and street flooding. KCCI reports a 65-year-old Des Moines man was swept away by floodwaters late Saturday near 50th Street and Twana Avenue. First responders found his body at around 12:40 a.m. today (Sunday).

As much as 10-inches of rain fell on the north side of Ankeny (as of 10:15-p.m.), 7.5-inches was reported in the Saylorville area, 7.2-inches was reported in the Urbandale area, 7.1-inches in Johnston, and 6.9-inches had fallen later Saturday night in the Alleman area.

Numerous reports of water rescues were underway across Ankeny, Johnston, Des Moines and Urbandale, where water was chest deep in some locations. The Iowa Department of Transportation reports some roads were partially closed due to flooding, including I-35 northbound between Ankeny and Alleman, where there were delays due to flooding across the Interstate. A portion of Highway 44 in Dallas County was also experiencing flooding, causing traffic delays.

And, the city of Ankeny was placed under a boil order after a water main broke Saturday night.

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

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will more than double the amount of water released into the Missouri River from the river’s lower-most dam over the coming weeks. Releases from Gavins Point Dam, between Nebraska and South Dakota, will be stepped up over the next several days, reaching approximately 50,000 cubic feet per second by early to mid-July. That’s up from the 24,000 cubic feet per second set in mid-June.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A Council Bluffs man who shot his own mother while showing her his shotgun has been charged with a felony in the case. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 20-year-old Seth Rennie has been charged with reckless use of a firearm resulting in serious injury. Rennie told police he thought the gun was unloaded when it fired May 20, hitting his mother in the torso. She was taken to an Omaha, Nebraska, hospital with injuries, including a damaged liver.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa father says he was inspired to organize a rally in support of immigrant families after seeing news on Father’s Day of children separated from their parents who had recently crossed the U.S. border. About 125 people turned out Saturday for the rally in Marshalltown organized by Steve Adelmund. Adelmund says the country should be able to come together on the idea that “kids shouldn’t be taken from their parents.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced the appointment of former Indian Hills Community College president Jim Lindenmayer to fill a vacant seat on the Iowa Board of Regents. Lindenmayer will serve in an interim role to finish out the final year of a six-year term for Subhash Sahai, who resigned last month. Lindenmayer was one of more than 150 appointments to Iowa’s boards and commissions Reynolds announced Friday.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will more than double the amount of water released into the Missouri River from the river’s lower-most dam over the coming weeks.

Releases from Gavins Point Dam, between Nebraska and South Dakota, were reduced to 24,000 cubic feet per second in mid-June due to high flows downstream of the Missouri River reservoir system.

The Corps said in a news release Friday that Gavins Point releases will be stepped up over the next several days, reaching approximately 50,000 cubic feet per second by early to mid-July, as downstream flows drop off. The Corps says releases from all Missouri River reservoir system dams will be maintained at higher-than-average rates over the next several months.

The announcement came as the river at Omaha crested at nearly 29 feet due to recent heavy rains, causing minor flooding of low-lying areas, mostly on the Iowa side.
Levels downriver, including in Kansas and Missouri, will also be affected.

One person is in custody while another person was being sought by police in Council Bluffs, following an incident Saturday afternoon. A Council Bluffs Police Officer tried to stop a 2008 Ford Fusion at around 1:23-p.m, in the area of 13th and 2nd Avenue, when a passenger got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. As the officer was dealing with the passenger, the car took off. After the car crashed into a tree in the 1200 block of 5th Ave., the driver fled on foot.

Jordan Moore

Officers were searching the area when they located one of the male parties (another suspected passenger) who fled from them on foot. The male was apprehended in the area of the 1200 block of 5th Ave. He was identified as 29-year old Jordan Moore, of Council Bluffs, who was arrested on a Fugitive from Justice warrant out of California for Parole Violation and Robbery. Moore was also charged with eluding a police officer and possession of a controlled substance, after a small amount of drugs were also located.

During the foot pursuit and apprehension one of the officers involved sustained a knee injury. He was treated at the hospital and released. As of late Saturday afternoon, the driver of the car had not been located. Anyone with information in reference to this case is urged to contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at (712) 328-4716 or Crime Stoppers at (712) 328-STOP (7867).

A Iowa State Patrol pursuit in eastern Iowa’s Scott County resulted in a fiery crash Saturday morning. The Patrol reports a Trooper initiated contact with a reckless driver in a 2004 Ford Taurus. The driver refused to yield and crashed through the gates of the Davenport Municipal Airport.

The driver accelerated and crashed the vehicle into an aviation fuel container, which exploded into flames. The unidentified driver died in the crash and explosion that happened at around 7:20-a.m.

The incident remains under investigation.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A Council Bluffs man who shot his own mother while showing her his shotgun has been charged with a felony in the case. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 20-year-old Seth Rennie has been charged with reckless use of a firearm resulting in serious injury. He posted $10,000 bond Friday and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Police say Rennie’s mother was visiting him on May 20 when he showed her his .410 shotgun and how to use it. Rennie told police he thought it was unloaded when he fired a shot, hitting his mother in the torso. She was taken to an Omaha, Nebraska, hospital with injuries, including a damaged liver. She told police the shooting was an accident.

Rennie’s next court hearing is July 18.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines meatpacking plant Amend Packing Co. has shuttered, just shy of its 150th anniversary in business. The small family company closed its doors Friday, the Des Moines Register reported . Amend Packing was one of the city’s oldest businesses, having processed beef for farmers and customers in central Iowa since 1869, supporting five generations of the Amend family in Des Moines.

Owners Kent Wiese, 61, and Amy Amend Wiese, 59, said while business has been strong, they’re looking for new challenges. Amend Wiese said it’s an emotional decision to close the plant that her great-grandfather started and where she’s worked for 40 years. The couple’s grown sons also worked at the plant for many years.

Most of the 200 processors in Iowa are small operations, said Ken Richmann, co-executive director of the Iowa Meat Processors Association. The small companies generally consist of a husband and wife, while larger ones employ 15 to 18 people.
“And a good number of them could use help,” he said. “Because of that they are taking on only the business they can (handle).”

Amend Packing found a niche serving small producers across the state. At one time, Amend Packing processed 200 cattle a week, but that dropped to about 15 or 20 a week. Weise told the Register in 2013 that his cutting techniques were honed from years of daily butchering. “What I love is when a customer says, ‘Oh, my gosh! That’s the best steak I ever had,'” he said. “That’s what I love.”

You’re invited to help launch “Ag 4 All,” the new parent organization of both Ag Adventure and “Who’s Your Iowa Farmer?,” by stopping by “Ag Adventure,” at Fontanelle’s 4th of July Celebration. Learn how you can support these efforts by volunteering and/or providing financial support. Blake Anderson, chair of the new group, says “This is the first time we have asked individuals to contribute money to help sustain and expand program efforts.”  Anyone donating $25 or more to Ag 4 All during the Ag Adventure event on the 4th will receive a “Who’s Your Farmer?” t-shirt, as a thank you gift.

Ag Adventure Goes to School, Ag Adventure on the 4th, and Who’s Your Iowa Farmer? were originally initiatives of Ag Works, a loose coalition of Adair County Cattlemen, Adair County and Iowa Corn Growers, Adair County Extension and Outreach, Adair County Farm Bureau, and Adair County Pork Producers; all groups with a common interest in promoting agriculture. As program efforts have grown, the leadership of the coalition decided to create a formal and more permanent structure to raise dollars for and administer the programs. Thus Ag 4 All was officially created and registered with the State of Iowa.

Anderson says “The Ag 4 All moniker was selected to communicate the importance of agriculture as the source of food, fiber, and fuel for our entire society.” It also represents the organization’s desire and dedication to provide information about the many sectors of agriculture to all audiences regardless of age. More information about the work of Ag 4 All is available from any of the Board of Director members: Blake Anderson, Greenfield; Sara Shepherd, Stuart; Grace Evans, Bridgewater; Brian Rohrig, Orient; and Randy Caviness, Greenfield. Program coordinators: Deb Hall, Massena; Beth Baudler, Fontanelle; and Jeannette Jorgensen of Adair also can help individuals wishing to support the work of Ag 4 All by volunteering or through cash contributions.

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

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