KJAN’s sister station KNOD reports that on Monday, April 15th, Terry Cox, the former Harlan City Administrator, pleaded guilty to an amended felony charge of 2nd degree theft, and an aggravated misdemeanor charge for tampering with records.

According to court records, Cox pleaded guilty to theft in the second degree and Tampering with records. Due to a plea agreement, a charge of Felonious Misconduct in Office, will be dismissed at Coxs’ expense, once the time for appeal is over. Sentencing is scheduled for May 20th. The state will not request jail or prison time. Cox is required to pay restitution to the city of Harlan in the amount of $7,500. He says he plans to request a deferred judgement at the time of sentencing.

A report in Page County about a man and woman removing items from a residence without the owner’s permission, resulted in the arrest of a Shenandoah woman. Authorities say 38-year old Nicholle Marie Blane was arrested on Class-D felony charges of Burglary in the 3rd Degree and Theft in the 2nd degree, following an investigation Wednesday into the incident at 2149 Avenue A.  Blane was transported to the Page County Jail where she was being held on $10,000 bond, pending further court proceedings.

Nicholle Blane

SHELBY – The Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources reports a tanker carrying liquid fertilizer overturned one mile east of the Shelby exit on Interstate 80 Wednesday afternoon, causing an unknown amount of fertilizer to leak into a tributary of Silver Creek. DNR specialists investigated the spill of Ultramate liquid fertilizer, a humic-acid based soil conditioner. They took water samples for laboratory testing and checked for a fish kill. There was no sign of dead fish in the stream Wednesday.

DNR staff will check the stream again this (Thursday) afternoon. The accident occurred when a Fauth Trucking Company tanker/trailer approached stopped traffic along the interstate. The tanker was carrying about 5,500 gallons of fertilizer. The DNR will monitor cleanup activities and consider appropriate enforcement.

(KETV) — Pacific Junction Mayor Andy Young reports the mandatory evacuation for the City was lifted today (Thursday).  That includes the all of Pacific Junction, Iowa. Residents and owners in the above area may return to their property. Access to the city will continue to remain a single entry at the south entrance from 195th Street. Street lights are restored in most areas of the community. However, no electricity has been restored to homes. To assure security, entry to the city continues to be limited to the South side via 195th Street. The security checkpoint at the south entrance has been removed.

Law enforcement will be patrolling the area on a 24/7 basis. As cleanup begins in all areas of Pacific Junction, residents are reminded that safety is key. Please use caution when assessing and cleaning properties. Flood waters are dangerous, and personal protective equipment including water-tight boots, cut-proof gloves and N95 masks are required. No open burning is allowed.

Debris should be placed at curbside and separated into the following categories: Garbage – Household Waste – Appliances/Electronics/Tires – Scrap Metal – Tree Limbs and Trimmings (Vegetation). Anyone with questions or who may need assistance, contact the Mills County Communication Center at 712-527-4871 or contact a representative of the City of Pacific Junction.

AMES, Iowa – April 18, 2019 – Reconstruction of flood-damaged Interstate 29 from the U.S. 34 interchange south to the Missouri border began today (Thursday). The Iowa Department of Transportation hopes to reopen this portion of I-29 to traffic in June, weather permitting. Officials say this is an important step forward to restoring mobility to those traveling in Southwest Iowa. Flood recovery involves several steps to make sure roadways are safe for you to travel. The recovery process continues on other roads impacted by flooding and may take anywhere from a few days to several months. For the latest status update on impacted roadways visit https://floods2019.iowa.gov/Repair-status.pdf.

The portion of I-29 from the U.S. 34 interchange to the Missouri border is closed to traffic while it is being reconstructed. Accessing closed portions of the roadway is illegal and dangerous for motorists. Roadway conditions within the construction area will change frequently making it dangerous or impossible for traffic to move through. In addition, traffic in the closed portion of the roadway endangers the safety of the workers trying to clear debris, assess damage, and complete restoration work. Respect all barricades and barriers indicating that the road is closed.

For the latest in flooding information and recovery resources, as well as an image gallery showing the flood damage and recovery efforts go to https://floods2019.iowa.gov/.