LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – Airport officials in Lincoln, NE are working on a contingency plan just in case the airport in Omaha is flooded by the Missouri River. Lincoln Airport Executive Director John Wood said Thursday, that the airport is working on a worst-case scenario in case Eppley Airfield in Omaha has to close. Wood says if that happens, flights will likely be diverted to Lincoln and Des Moines. Omaha Airport Authority Director Steve Coufal says the airport is not considering closing.

Eppley is surrounded on three sides by the Missouri River and is protected by levees tall enough to withstand a flood stage of up to 42 feet. The river is expected to crest in Omaha at 36 feet and stay above flood stage for months.

Three non-injury accidents were investigated in Harlan over the past couple of weeks. Police in Harlan report the most recent accident happened June 10^th, at 6^th and Laurel Streets. Officials say Megan Behrendt was cited for failure to yield, after her vehicle struck a vehicle driven by Marcus Burmeister. Both drivers are from Harlan. The accident caused a total of $6,700 damage.

On June 5^th, Derek Monson, of Harlan, was cited for striking an unattended vehicle in the 500 block of Durant Street. The damage to Monson’s car, and a vehicle registered to Mark Greve, of Harlan, was estimated at $3,700 altogether.

And, on June 2^nd, Malerie Scheffler, of Harlan, was cited for failure to maintain control, after police investigated an accident at 4^th and Main Streets, where a bridge railing was destroyed.

A Red Oak woman was arrested Thursday evening following a traffic stop at 2^nd and Oak Streets, in Red Oak. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s office says 32-year old Becky Jo Hegarty faces charges of Littering, Driving While Barred, and Possession of Marijuana.

Hegarty was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $2,000 bond.

The Harlan Police Department reports a Kirkman man was arrested on a drug charge earlier this month. In their activities report issued Thursday, the H-PD says 19-year old Kolten Kobold, of Kirkman, was charged on June 3^rd, with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was cited and then released from custody.

The next day, 27-year old Carl Parkhurst and 55-year old Ricky Hansen, both of Harlan, were arrested on public intoxication and disorderly conduct charges, after officers were called to a possible fight in the 500 block of Market Street. And, 20-year old Laramey Arkland, of Harlan, was arrested on a 3^rd degree theft charge, after Arkland allegedly took two 12-inch speakers, an amplifier and a CD visor sleeve full of CD’s, from a vehicle belonging to Brandon Allen.

On June 8^th, officers arrested 25-year old Terra Smagacz, of Harlan, on a charges of OWI and failure to have a valid driver’s license. Her arrest took place following a traffic stop. That same day, 70-year old Gary Ross, of Harlan, was arrested for disorderly conduct, following an alleged altercation between Ross and Harlan resident Kevin Clark.

The next day, 46-year old Dennis Armstrong, of Harlan, was arrested after police investigated a report of persons drinking alcohol in public. Armstrong was charged with public intoxication and interference with official acts.

On June 10^th, 14-year olds Curtis Scheffler and Andrew Nippert, both of Harlan, were cited on trespassing charges, after they were allegedly found to be operating ATV’s at the fairgrounds. Officials say since it was not their first offense, the teens’ ATV’s were impounded.

Also on June 10^th, 56-year old Ronald Henriksen, of Harlan was arrested following a traffic stop on charges of OWI 2^nd offense, failure to have a valid driver’s license, and a moving violation related to the operation of his headlights.

The Harlan Police Department reports eight people were cited over the past week for Minor in Possession of Alcohol. Officials say an investigation into a noise complaint on June 9^th at 1803 Lincoln Avenue, resulted in the arrest of four male juveniles. 17-year olds Brian Schechinger, Brock Travis, John Prichard and Joshua Carlisle, all from Harlan, were brought to the Harlan Police Department, cited for Minor in Possession, and released to the custody of their parents.

And, on Sunday (June 12^th), 18-year olds Bailey McGrath and Jandy Johnston, and 19-year old Jill Haupts, all from Harlan, along with 19-year old Trisha Nowatzke, from Earling, were cited for Possession of Alcohol under the legal age, after a Harlan Police officer observed the teens allegedly in possession of booze when he pulled up next to their vehicle, in the parking lot of a business. All four were cited for the offense and released.

That same day, 21-year old Zachary Culp, from Harlan, was cited for selling alcohol to persons under the legal age, after officers observed him allegedly committing the act at the Harlan Kum and Go Store.

The flooding Missouri River is forcing the railroads to reroute their traffic and make the trains longer than normal. In Atlantic, City Administrator Doug Harris says that means Union Pacific rail traffic through the City will be on the increase, and could affect the length of time you spend waiting at railroad crossings.

Harris told the City Council during their meeting Wednesday night, he’s received word from the Union Pacific Railroad, that they will be routing 8-more trains than normal daily, through Atlantic, because of the Midwestern floods. The U-P says the trains will be more frequent, and longer than those that normally go through the City. 

Railroad officials are asking motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists to use extra caution, when approaching and crossing the tracks.

Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management officials have released their latest update on flood information pertaining to the Missouri River:

• Officials say technical assistance has been requested from the Army Corps of Engineers for all counties along the Missouri River from Woodbury County south. Staging areas for water, sandbags and pumps have been established in Avoca, Onawa, and Denison.
• A boil was reported Wednesday afternoon on a new levee near the Desoto Bend Wildlife Refuge. The Corps is providing Direct Assistance to address the issue. Should a breach occur, the highest impact would be to US Highway 30. The lowest section of Highway 30 is mile marker 2.1. The DOT will survey to confirm.
• Northbound I-29 is open between Rock Port, Missouri, and Iowa exit 10 (Iowa 2). However, the Iowa and Missouri departments of transportation are working closely to monitor this very volatile situation. Northbound I-29 will be kept open as long as possible for local and emergency traffic. Other traffic is urged to find an alternate route around the flooding in southwest Iowa and northwest Missouri.
• The Dept. of Human Services is working with care facilities to make contingency plans, should they have to evacuate.
• The DNR is providing technical assistance to waste water facilities, water supplies, industry, fuel stations, etc. Conservation officers in Hamburg and Missouri Valley are in place for rescue missions, if needed.
• The Iowa Department of Corrections has crews in Hamburg, Council Bluffs, and Onawa for helping out with sandbagging efforts.
• And, at their request, the Iowa Dept. of Public Health is working closely with Monona County Emergency Management and Burgess Medical Center for a potential patient evacuation plan.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – About 2,700 Omahans would have to evacuate if the Missouri River were to breach a levee on the city’s northeast side. City officials released details of the evacuation plan today (Thursday).

A new map from the U.S. Corps of Engineers shows that any massive levee breach would send water north of downtown, flooding the Qwest convention center and the city’s airport. Assistant Omaha Fire Chief Dan Stolinski says the city’s new home of the College World Series, TD Ameritrade Park, would be spared. Nearby Carter Lake, Iowa, would be underwater. That city has its own evacuation plan.

The river’s Omaha water level on Thursday morning was a little over 33 feet. Flood stage is 29 feet. The corps expects the river at Omaha to crest between 34 and 36 feet.

Officials with Atlantic Municipal Utilities say they’ve hired an electrical engineering student intern, Derek Schmitz, to help implement a new program to improve the efficiency of lighting in commercial locations. AMU General Manager Allen Bonderman say any commercial customer of AMU can sign up for a free lighting efficiency audit.

The utility has developed a number of rebates related to lighting, based upon the type of lighting being replaced, and the specific new lighting technology installed. The rebates will reduce the cost to the customer of investing in new and more efficient lighting.

AMU staff will come to the business location, and gather information about the existing lighting that is in use. An analysis will determine the most cost-effective lighting technologies to use as replacements. The analysis will also determine an estimated cost for upgrade kits or new fixtures, the cost of labor to install, and any and all AMU rebates that apply. A report will be prepared and delivered to the customer that shows how quickly savings related to each type of light will repay the costs.

Because the amount of time available to perform these audits is somewhat limited, AMU asks that any commercial customer interested in a free lighting audit send or drop off a completed participation form as soon as possible. The form is available at www.amu1.net/2degrees by clicking on “Lighting Audits”, then selecting “Signup Form”. AMU may limit free audits to those who sign up by no later than July 15. 

If commercial customers have questions about the program, call Derek Schmitz at 243-1395.

One of the more unusual stories of the Missouri River flooding is the effort to keep a sunken riverboat from being damaged by floodwaters. That’s what’s happening at the Desoto National Wildlife Refuge visitor center on the Iowa/Nebraska border north of Council Bluffs near Blair, Nebraska. Visitor center spokesperson, Ashley Berkler says the visitor center is home to a lot of wildlife exhibits, but they are really known for the Steamboat Bertrand collection, which is 500-thousand artifacts recovered the boat with sank 1865. The Bertrand sank after hitting a sunken log, and remained lost until it was discovered at the refuge and excavated in 1968. Now Berkler says they’re trying to protect the remains of the Bertrand from becoming a victim of the Missouri River a second time. Berkler says the exhibit includes a lot of different kinds of items like clothing, metal and wood and those items need very specific humidity and temperature controls to prevent them from rotting or getting moldy. She says they are concerned they may lose utilities to the visitor center from the flooding and don’t want to lose their ability to control the climate for the exhibit.

Berkler says lots of people have chipped in to help move the Bertrand items to a secure storage facility. She says they have staff and volunteers, other Fish and Wildlife Service workers from the region, as well as volunteers from Pottawattamie County, the Iowa D-N-R, the Washington County Historical Society, and Blair Nebraska teachers. Berkler says they aren’t sure what the water will do to the refuge at this point.

Berkler says they have a temporary levy that is providing some relief and extra time to evacuate to them as the waters of the Missouri River rises. She says a portion of their road has already been closed by flooding and they have closed the visitor center for any public use. There is a lot of wildlife in and around the refuge, but Berkler doesn’t anticipate any problems for the animals.

Berkler says the animals usually have a pretty good sense of what is going on and are able to move to higher ground, so they haven’t seen any impact on the animals from the flooding. She says the refuge is in a flood plain area, so the animals have adapted to handle such situations.

For more information and the latest updates on refuge operations you can check the DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge website at:

www.fws.gov/midwest/desoto(Dar Danielson/Radio Iowa)