The United States Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program has announced 7 fire departments including one in Crawford County, received grant monies totaling $292,675. Iowa Democratic Senator Tom Harkin announced the news in a press release today (Wednesday). The funds will be used to increase the effectiveness of fire operations and to support firefighter safety. The Manilla Fire Department received $22,474 in grant funds. The fire department will use the funding to replace old equipment, mainly hoses, with new.

The assistance to firefighters grant program places a particular emphasis on rural fire departments. At least 55 percent of the program’s funding must go to fire departments that use volunteer firefighters. This means that smaller towns are not competing against larger cities. Senator Harkin said in the press release, “This grant will allow these fire departments to improve and update operations and safety procedures to better assist Iowa’s citizens in need.”

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Police say one of three people shot on a pedestrian bridge that connects Omaha with Council Bluffs, Iowa, has died. Omaha police say 26-year-old Shamari Richards died Wednesday morning from injuries sustained on the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge. The other victims, 29-year-old Kevin Jenkins and 19-year-old Jeremy Fejeran, have non-life threatening injuries. The shootings were reported a little after 1:15 a.m. Wednesday. The bridge closes at 11 p.m. Police say there had been a disturbance at the bridge before the shots rang out.

Witnesses told officers that they heard gunshots and then saw a crowd of people scatter. Police didn’t report any arrests.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Wednesday, of Jacob Jones, from Corning. Jones was taken into custody on a warrant for Failure to Appear. He was being held in the Adams County Jail on $5,000 bond.

A woman who was sentenced Tuesday in Cass County District Court to a total of 20-years in prison on drug, conspiracy and criminal mischief charges, was arrested by authorities in Audubon County today (Wednesday), on drug and child endangerment charges. 46-year old Katrina Sue Bates, of Walnut, was taken into custody at around 1:30-p.m.  on charges that include: Possession of Methamphetamine/3rd offense; Possession of contraband in a Correctional Facility, and, Child Endangerment.

The charges were filed in Sept. 2010, following an investigation into a traffic stop on March 12th, 20120, in Audubon County. Bates is currently being held in the Audubon County Jail awaiting an appearance before the magistrate.

No injuries were reported following two separate accidents Tuesday, in Mills County. Authorities say at around 5-p.m., a vehicle driven by Jared Cook, of Glenwood, went out of control as Cook was turning west onto Lucas Road from Kidd Road. The vehicle was traveling on the gravel road at a high rate of speed when it entered the west ditch and rolled over before coming to rest in a field.

Earlier that same day, a vehicle driven by David Evans, of Glenwood, crashed near the intersection of Shelby Lane and 230th Street, when Evans failed to yield at the intersection. His vehicle was coming down a hill, and ended up in a yard against a tree, after striking some landscape block.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous individuals were arrested between last Friday and today (Wednesday), on a variety of charges. 19-year old Ozzy Ray Hunter, of Oakland, was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail, on a warrant for probation violation. His bond was set at $10,000. On Tuesday, 43-year old Tammy May Endres, of Pacific Junction was arrested on a charge of Criminal Mischief.

28-year old Brett Allen Coyle, of Glenwood, was arrested Monday in Mills County, on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault. Coyle was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. That same day, 40-year old James Shawn Allan, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on charges that include Possession with the intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. His bond was set at $16,000.

34-year old Joshua Robert Saunders, of Gray, was arrested Sunday, for driving while revoked. Bond was set at $2,000. On Saturday, 21-year old Rena Marie Arrick, of Glenwood, was arrested in Mills County on a Harrison County warrant for Violation of her probation. Her bond was set at $2,000. That same day, 31-year old Justin Raymond Wright, of Glenwood, was arrested on a domestic abuse charge, and he was being held without bond on the Mills County Jail.

And, on Friday, May 24th, 43-year old Jerry Dean Clark, of Council Bluffs, was arrested in Mills County on charges of OWI/1st Offense, Possession of a controlled substance, and for driving under suspension. His bond was set at $2,300.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report the arrested this (Wednesday) afternoon of a Red Oak woman on an assault charge. 18-year old Annajenifer Michael Schooling, of rural Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 1210-p.m. for Assault causing bodily injury, in connection with an incident that took place on May 26th in rural Stanton. Schooling was being held on $1,000 bond.

And, at around 10:10-a.m. Wednesday, 22-year old Brandon Michael Johnson, of Red Oak, was arrested on a warrant charging him with Contempt of Court. Johnson was being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING FOR MUCH OF THE STATE OF IOWA

WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL HAS IMPACTED THE STATE OVER THE  PAST 5 DAYS WITH CURRENT CONDITIONS INCLUDING SATURATED SOILS…SIGNIFICANT PONDING AND STREAMS RUNNING AT BANKFULL OR ARE CURRENTLY IN FLOOD. ONE TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN IS FORECAST FOR THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. LOCALIZED AMOUNTS OVER 5 INCHES MAY OCCUR.

SIGNIFICANT AND LIFE THREATENING FLASH FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE. PERSONS LIVING IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS! AS LITTLE AS 6 INCHES OF RUNNING WATER CAN SWEEP A VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. IN ADDITION…SIGNIFICANT RIVER FLOODING IS POSSIBLE AFTER THIS EVENT.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – This spring is now the wettest on record in Iowa. State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says statewide average rainfall of 16.4 inches as of Tuesday morning is the most rain in March, April and May in 141 years of records. The previous record was 15.5 inches in 1892 and normal is just over 10 inches.  That explains why Iowa rivers are overflowing shutting down roads, flooding basements, and sending emergency managers into flood planning mode.
 
The worry is another storm system is bearing down on Iowa bringing the potential for heavy rain. One factor that may have prevented a devastating flood so far is last year’s drought but that benefit has faded and Iowa is at a tipping point for major flooding if heavy rain comes in the wrong places.

Authorities in Montgomery County investigated a rollover accident that occurred this (Wednesday) morning, about 2.5-miles east of Red Oak. Officials say a 1993 Mercury Topaz driven by Samantha McCuen, of Villisca, was traveling west on 200th Street at around 7:10-a.m.  McCuen told authorities that as her car topped a small hill, it was met by a white vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, in her lane of travel. McCuen was unable to provide any other details about the oncoming vehicle.

She swerved to avoid a collision, and in the process lost control of the car, which slid about 219-feet sideways before hitting a culvert. The car then rolled three times before hitting a power pole and coming to rest. The vehicle was a total loss. Damage to the power pole was estimated at $500. A fence owned by John Henningsen also sustained damage, but a dollar amount was not available.

No injuries were reported, and no citations were issued.