(Radio Iowa) — The weather across the region lately has been warmer and wetter than normal and it has the U-S Army Corps of Engineers shifting gears to anticipate higher water on the Missouri River. John Remus, chief of the Corps’ Missouri River Basin Water Management Division, says they’re preparing for the season ahead. “Flood risk management remains our primary consideration as we move into 2019,” Remus says. “Runoff above Sioux City in 2018 was approximately 167% above average and floodwater stored in the annual flood control zones of the reservoirs is being evacuated in preparation for the 2019 runoff season.”

While the Corps is dedicated to preventing flooding, Remus says the results of Mother Nature’s actions often can’t be controlled. “It’s important to understand that floods can and will occur regardless of basin or system conditions,” Remus says, “including ice-induced flooding during the winter and flooding due to spring and summer thunderstorms, particularly along the lower Missouri River.”

Corps meteorologist Chuck McWilliams, from the Hydrologic Engineering Branch in Omaha, says the weather conditions at this early stage of the winter are atypical. “Bottom line, as anyone can attest who’s been outside anywhere in the Missouri River basin, it’s been a very mild last several weeks with temperatures well above average,” McWilliams says. “In many cases, when there has been precipitation, particularly in the lower part of the basin, we’ve been looking at rainfall as opposed to snow and in some of those places where they have seen snow, it hasn’t persisted for very long.”

Releases of water from Gavins Point Dam are being raised this week to 24-thousand cubic feet of per second (C-F-S). The average flow is between 12-and-17-thousand C-F-S. Remus says the higher releases will provide additional hydropower generation during the winter, which is one of the peak power demand periods. They’ll also benefit municipal and industrial water intakes below Gavins Point, which can be impacted by low water levels when there’s a lot of ice.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer is warning residents of the City of Audubon to lock their vehicles and residences/buildings, following several reports of illegal entry.  Starmer said Wednesday that he has “Taken multiple reports today of citizens finding that their vehicles have been entered overnight, as well as a few buildings.”

The Chief adds, “When you see something suspicious, please call APD as it is happening,” so authorities can respond immediately. That would greatly increase the police departments’ chances of locating the person or persons responsible.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — An Ottumwa man accused of murder and attempted murder plans to claim self-defense at his trial. Wapello County District Court records say the attorney for 19-year-old Jacob Heckethorn filed notices last week, as required by Iowa law whenever self-defense will be claimed. Heckethorn has pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder in the Aug. 23 slaying of William Shettlesworth. He’s also pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder. Police say he shot at but missed Dustin Greene on Aug. 23 in Ottumwa and shot Clifford Collett Sr. on Aug. 16 in Ottumwa.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Deter Motor Company, in Atlantic, have announced the recipient of the 2018 ATHENA Award. Dr. Elaine Berry, provider at Cass County Health System, was recently presented with the prestigious award that is given to leaders, women and men, across the professional sector.

Dr. Elaine Berry. 2018 ATHENA Award recipient

The ATHENA Leadership Award, developed through a grant from W.K. Kellogg Foundation, identifies eight distinct attributes that are reflective of women’s contributions to leadership: living authentically, learning constantly, advocating fiercely, acting courageously, fostering collaboration, building relationships, giving back and celebrating. These personal traits are more intuitive to women and combined with the strongest aspects of traditional leadership, prepare women to be successful leaders in the 21st century. Atlantic is one of the few communities in Iowa with an active ATHENA Leadership group, with 17 women currently making up the local group.

Pictured: Dr. Elaine Berry with past ATHENA Leadership Award Recipients Dolly Bergmann, Heather McKay, Kathie Hockenberry, Carole Schuler and Judy Marnin.

Dr. Berry, it was noted, has spent her entire professional career mentoring young people interested in the medical field. Whether it was a junior high, high school or college student, or someone who has already begun their medical training, she never misses an opportunity to encourage and teach. Most of her days off are spent at the health system, attending meetings, working to improve the EMR system, catching up on paperwork, checking patients’ test results and caring for patients who just can’t wait another day.

In addition to her formal mentoring, Dr. Berry has impacted young people, particularly young women she encounters every day. As a female physician who has successfully balanced a challenging, rewarding career while raising three children and being a supportive, involved farm wife, she sends the message that other women can achieve their dreams, too. In a society where young women are less likely than their male counterparts to pursue careers in the STEM fields, Dr. Elaine Berry sets a shining example of what is possible.

Over 7,000 recipients around the world have been honored with the ATHENA Leadership Award since the program launched in 1982. Nominees must meet each of the following three criteria:

• Demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in their business or profession
• Provide valuable service to improve the quality of life for others in their community
• Actively assist women in achieving their full leadership potential

Locally, past winners include: LaVon Eblen, Judy Marnin, Leanne Pellett, Denise O’Brien, Margaret Slepsky, Glenda Farrier, Carole Schuler, Jan Kinnison, Janell Hansen, Ann Pross, Wendy Richter, Dolly Bergmann, Pat Markham, Lanette Plambeck, Kathie Hockenberry, Dr. Tressa Wilcox and Heather McKay.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce began partnering in 2001 with Deter Motor Company, to provide the community with the prestigious Athena Award.

Officials with the Page County Sheriff’s Office today (Wednesday), said a woman was arrested at around 11:30-a.m. Friday, following the theft of a vehicle. Jasmine Jade Wilcoxen, of Clarinda, was arrested on a Class-D felony Possession of Stolen Property charge, soon after the Page County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a suspicious person / vehicle parked in a residential drive, northwest of Clarinda. Personnel from the Sheriff’s Office arrived and made contact with a woman, later identified as Wilcoxson.

Jasmine Jade Wilcoxen

During the investigation, Wilcoxson said she had stolen the vehicle from an apartment complex in Clarinda, and was on the way to a residence in the Tabor area, but stopped at the residence where she and the vehicle were located. Wilcoxson and the resident of the driveway had never met before. Wilcoxson was taken into custody and transported to the Page County Jail where she being held on a $5,000 cash-only bond.

(Radio Iowa) — Republican Congressman Steve King will face a primary challenge if he seeks a 10th term in the U.S. House next year. Republican State Senator Randy Feenstra of Hull announced this (Wednesday) morning he will run for congress in the fourth congressional district. Feenstra, who called King “caustic” in a written statement, was first elected to the state senate a decade ago. Feenstra says the fourth district “doesn’t have a voice” in Washington right now because of King’s “sideshows and distractions.” The district has a significant Republican voter registration edge, but Democrat J.D. Scholten came within about 11-thousand votes of defeating King in November.

Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, who won the district by 18 points, said after the election that King has to decide whether he wants to be in congress or do something else. Last week, King announced he’d hold town hall meetings in each of the district’s 39 counties — a practice King had suspended after complaining “paid protesters” were disrupting his events. King has drawn rebukes from fellow Republicans over the years. A key House Republican publicly condemned King’s behavior in late October, saying it’s important to “stand up against white supremacy and hate.”

Feenstra has been the Sioux County Treasurer and the city administrator in Hull. He’s currently teaching at Dordt College in Sioux Center.