COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — The leaders of several Midwest states hit recently by flooding along the Missouri River said Friday they’ve received assurances from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that the states will “have a seat at the table” when it comes to river management decisions.

Finally getting back from Council Bluffs, Iowa. Spent the afternoon meeting with @GovRicketts, @GovParsonMO, @IAGovernor and @USACEHQ to discuss our regional response to recent flooding. pic.twitter.com/Uw2CVrjFJo

— Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers (@LtGovRogers) April 27, 2019

“That was crystal clear when we left that table, that the states were going to have some say in how the river is managed,” said Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson immediately after leaving a meeting with Corps officials in the western Iowa city of Council Bluffs. Parson was joined by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, both Republicans, and Kansas Democratic Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers. It was the second such meeting since last month’s flooding that devastated farms and communities and ripped apart roads and bridges, causing more than an estimated $3 billion in damage.

Ricketts said the four states are considering pushing for formation of a Missouri River management group — similar to the Mississippi River Commission — that would include representatives from the states.

“We’re going to work together and pull together as four states … to be able to change the way the river is controlled,” he said.

The Mississippi River Commission was formed 140 years ago to recommend policy regarding flood control, navigation and environmental projects on the Mississippi River. Its membership consists of three Corps officers, a member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and three civilians, two of whom must be civil engineers. The U.S. president appoints the commission’s members.

“We along the Missouri River don’t have that,” Ricketts said. “I think it’s something we should look at.”

Today I joined Governors @IAGovernor, @GovRicketts, and KS LtGov @LtGovRogers in a follow up meeting with @fema & @USACEHQ regarding the historic flooding across the Midwest. We want states to have a seat at the table drafting short & long term flood control plans. #MOFlood pic.twitter.com/eGIhB7I3Hy

— Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) April 26, 2019

The state leaders also received an update Friday from the Corps on the progress of repairing the largest levee breaches along the river, most of which occurred in southwestern Iowa. Reynolds said repair contracts for three of the four largest breaches have already been awarded and that some of the repairs could be finished as early as July.

The Corps announced Friday that it awarded a $6 million contract to repair a 1,200-foot breach on the levee south of Highway 34 in Mills County, Iowa. The initial repair will provide flood protection to areas behind the levee, including work to repair Highway 34 and Interstate 29, both of which were heavily damaged by the flooding and remain closed.

The Corps expects that repair to be finished within 45 days of the work beginning.

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt wants Congress to tackle expanding broadband access, especially to rural America.

Blunt says high-speed Internet access can no longer be considered a luxury.

“High-speed broadband, I believe, is as important today as the telephone was seven decades ago and we need to make the same kind of commitment to be sure that everybody has a chance to have the information that comes with that high-speed broadband,” Blunt tells reporters during a recent visit to St. Joseph. “That’s everything from doing your homework; there’s no reason a kid who lives two miles from school should be disadvantaged from a kid who lives right next to the school.”

Blunt says broadband access is vital to tele-medicine, precision agriculture, and interacting with the world-wide economy.

Blunt says Missouri is behind the curve.

“And Missouri’s a little bit behind,” according to Blunt. “There aren’t many things like that that we’re behind on, but we are behind the average rural American in terms of access to rural broadband and it needs to be an absolute commitment, again, just like the telephone was seven decades ago.”

Blunt points out Congress imposed a universal service fee on telephones to ensure that everyone could have access to a phone.

The Delta Regional Authority recently announced it will invest $1 million to help build a fiber network in eight counties in southeastern Missouri to reach more than 11,000 residents as well as businesses and farms in the region.

Federal money also has been allocated to expand high-speed broadband in rural America. Congress has allocated $600 million for a new rural broadband pilot grant and loan program. The Federal Communications Commission has $2 billion available for rural broadband.

 

 

 

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

St. Joseph Habitat for Humanity’s latest house, its 73^rd, is different than nearly all its others.

The house built on Harvard Street for Kelly Derks is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

And he is thrilled.

“It was amazing. It was awesome. It was a good feeling,” Derks tells St. Joseph Post.

Derks was paralyzed in an accident and now is confined to a wheelchair.

He admits he never thought this would happen.

“It is the American dream. It’s the ultimate,” Derks says. “You always want to own your own home. You always think about owning your own home.”

St. Joseph Habitat Executive Director Cate Manley says it took three years and 760 hours of volunteer work to complete it.

“I think it’s an extraordinary home and we’ve been really blessed by over 100 volunteers that came out and helped us to build this home,” Manley tells us. “Tons of contractors and people from churches. Over 12 groups came out.”

Manley calls it a very special project for Habitat for Humanity. She says it has been a long time since Habitat tackled building an ADA compliant house.

Derks approves of the finished product.

“Well, I like the open floor plan and the fact that it’s all wheelchair accessible, handicapped accessible, for my needs,” Derks says. “That makes life a little easier and much better.”

Though it took three years to build when the normal construction timeline for a Habitat house is one year, the extra time was well worth it, according to Manley.

“It’s a big blessing, but a lot of times there are obstacles with that type of blessing.” Manley says. “We feel blessed by the build of the home and really blessed by Kelly and the ability of finally turn the keys over to him.”

 

By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post

First floodwaters washed over Holt County. Now, tax dollars are drying up.

Floodwaters still cover large sections of farmland in northwest Missouri, more than a month after the Missouri River exceeded its banks and caused widespread flooding in northwest Missouri.

Holt County Commissioner Carla Markt says it will take a long time for the county to return to normal. She says farmers have begun to plant in the hilly part of the county, but floodwaters still cover a lot of bottom ground.

“And then the rest of it is saturated with water,” Markt tells St. Joseph Post. “So, until that all drains out of there and goes back into the river, that’s what our situation is and we’re looking at farmers not being able to farm in that bottom this year, at all.”

Lost tax revenue from empty farm fields would be bad enough, but Holt and Atchison Counties as well as Andrew County are suffering financially for something happening in Iowa. The Missouri Department of Transportation has closed Interstate 29 to through traffic, because the flood heavily damaged the interstate just across the state line, shutting it down.

Traffic might just pass through those counties to other destinations, but that traffic brings in needed sales tax revenue for rural counties which rely on it.

“It’s closed down, will be closed down for quite a while now, yet. And we’re losing out on those tax dollars,” Markt says about I-29’s closure. “It’s all very important to our schools and our roads and everything that we support as a county.”

A disaster aid package which could help offset some of the losses has stalled in Congress as Democrats press for more money to be allocated to Puerto Rico still trying to recover from Hurricane Maria which devastated the island in 2017.

Markt says those in the area cannot expect Congress to understand the devastation flooding has caused, without becoming advocates for recovery. She doesn’t hold out much hope that Congress understands the situation.

“No, I don’t think Congress will reach out to us at all about our situation,” Market says. “It will be our duty, as individuals, to reach out to them and educate them about our situation.”

Markt says she would like to host members of Congress and give them a tour of the flood damage. She has floated the idea of northwest Missouri officials compiling a small booklet to mail to members of Congress, explaining and illustrating the devastation left behind by the Missouri River flood.

 

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has requested President Donald Trump approve a major disaster declaration for the 13 Missouri counties devastated by flooding this year.

Parson expects the request to be expanded to include additional counties once floodwaters recede and damage can be fully calculated.

“Working in strong coordination, our local, state, and federal assessment teams have documented widespread and devastating damage as a result of the flooding. It has now been well over a month after the flooding began, and some areas still can’t be accessed,” Gov. Parson said in a written statement released by his office. “I am confident federal assistance will be forthcoming, and I greatly appreciate all the work that’s already being done by our faith-based and volunteer responders to help communities recover. Our state team and all our partners are committed to ensuring Missouri families, businesses, and communities rebuild.”

Flooding from a swollen Missouri River hit northwest Missouri March 11^th.

Parson said the joint Preliminary Damage Assessments, conducted by the State Emergency Management Agency, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and local officials, has given a preliminary estimate of $25 million in damage to infrastructure and emergency response costs eligible for federal assistance.

If approved, a federal emergency declaration would provide federal money of offset recovery costs borne by local governments and nonprofit agencies. Money would allow qualifying agencies to apply for reimbursement of emergency response and recovery costs, including repair and replacement costs for damaged roads, bridges, and other public infrastructure.

Most of the counties are along the Missouri River with some along the Mississippi River. Those counties are Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Carroll, Chariton, Holt, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Perry, Platte, Ray, and Ste. Genevieve.

Individual Assistance is being request for five northwest Missouri counties, so eligible residents can seek federal assistance with temporary housing, housing repairs, replacement of damaged belongings, vehicles, and other qualifying expenses as a result of the flooding. Those counties are Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Holt, and Platte.

Gov. Parson also is requesting that the U.S. Small Business Administration provide businesses, homeowners, and renters in these counties with low-interest loans. Those affected by the flooding are encouraged to continue documenting losses by photographing damage and retaining all receipts.

Parson declared a state of emergency March 21^st as flooding worsened.

Parson signed an executive order March 29^th, giving the Department of Natural Resources discretionary authority to temporarily waive or suspend rules or regulations in support of flooding response and recovery.

 

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Congressman Sam Graves expresses frustration with his meetings with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials in wake of historic flooding in northwest Missouri.

Graves says Corps officials stick to a familiar theme when explaining what went wrong that led to the widespread flooding which covered farmland, destroyed homes, and heavily damaged communities in his district.

“It’s like every flood. It’s the same thing, over and over and over again,” Graves tells reporters after hosting a roundtable discussion in St. Joseph. “It’s not having enough capacity above the dams to be able to hold that water back while if we have an incident like we had south of the dams, there’s not enough capacity to be able to keep that water up north or to being able to handle the snow melt that’s coming down.”

Graves faults how the Corps of Engineers managed the Missouri River during his discussion with officials from northwest Missouri. Graves contends the Corps should have better prepared for the heavy influx of excess water in March by releasing more water from the six upstream dams in December and January.

He worries whether communities can recover and whether farmers can absorb the losses.

“Are those communities going to be able to come back? Again, are these farmers?” Graves asks. “We have a lot of farmers out there that plan for this, but we have a lot of farmers out there, too, particularly those who are just getting started that don’t have the capacity to be able to absorb an entire year with no income and they can’t put a crop in, because they’re still exposed as a result of the levee breaches.”

Whether compensation for the losses is coming their way remains up in the air.

A disaster aid package, which includes money to offset losses from the flood, has stalled in Congress. Graves is confident federal aid will be approved at some point, but Graves says the package will have to be handled differently than in the past.

“We’re waiting on the Senate. It has failed twice (in the Senate),” Graves says, “So, now the House, we’re going to do a package on our side. We’re going to basically take some of the Senate language and we’re going to send it back over to the Senate.”

Graves says the package will pass once Congress agrees on how much more money will be allocated to help Puerto Rico in its ongoing recovery efforts in wake of Hurricane Maria which struck  in 2017.

If approved, federal funds could be freed for farmers unable to plant this year as well as money to offset the loss of stored grain ruined by floodwaters. Money could also be made available for homeowners and communities impacted by the flood.

 

 

 

By SARAH THOMACK

St. Joseph Post

The St. Joseph City Council approved two items on the agenda at Monday night’s meeting regarding medical marijuana facilities in the city.

After a half hour of public comment, both for and against item three, which addressed the redistricting of a location, the council approved the ordinance 6-3. It addresses redistricting a portion of the property located at 2300 Mitchell Avenue from C-1, Neighborhood Shopping District to M-1, Light-Manufacturing District, as requested by the potential buyer of that building who wants to put a cultivation facility there. According to the council agenda, the request was made by John Spencer on behalf of Western Alternative, LLC.

As previously reported, St. Joseph City Manager Bruce Woody said putting in a cultivation facility still requires a license from the state. No licenses have been granted yet and will not be until later this year.

Item five on the agenda, which was approved 7-2, addressed planning and zoning regulations regarding medical marijuana facilities.

To view the full ordinance, click here and see video of the full city council meeting on the city’s website.

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt says the Air National Guard 139^th Airlift Wing at Rosecrans Airport remains a vital part of the national defense.

Congress last year approved a defense budget which contains money to modernize the Air Guard’s C-130s as well as improve the Advanced Airlift Tactical Training Unit at Rosecrans.

Blunt says the Pentagon has yet to get back to him about when the 8^th C-130 aircraft will return to the 139^th Airlift Wing. Blunt is pressing military officials to return the Air Guard in St. Joseph to its full strength.

“We are going to be working hard to be sure that we get that 8^th plane back here as we’re working to move forward with the training facility that’s being built so that the on the ground simulator also maximizes its purpose,” Blunt tells reporters during a visit to St. Joseph. “This is an important part of our national priority for defense.”

The defense bill passed by Congress last year provided money to modernize the Air Guard’s C-130 aircraft as well as make improvements to the Advanced Airlift Tactical Training unit at Rosecrans.

Potential flooding hasn’t seemed to undermine the faith the Pentagon has in basing the 139^th at Rosecrans Airport.

Blunt says changes made in wake of previous floods seemed to work when floodwaters threatened this year.

“Moving that water on through so that the water doesn’t come into the area in St. Joe that used to be flooded or doesn’t go across the river to Elwood, Kansas or Rosecrans, either one. I think we have enough information from what we’ve seen this year that the work that’s about to be completed on the east side of the river and the work that is now bid and about to be fully engaged on the other side of the river appear that that plan is going to do exactly what we want it to do,” according to Blunt

Blunt says the Pentagon demonstrated its faith in Rosecrans by investing $40 million in the military operations at the Air Guard base. Floodwaters this year threatened to top the levee protecting Elwood, Kansas, but sand-bagging efforts proved successful.

 

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

St. Jo Frontier Casino is set to re-open, after flooding closed the casino along the Missouri River for the past 31 days.

Frontier Casino Vice President Mike Tamburelli says the casino will open at eight o’clock tomorrow morning, after going through quite an ordeal.

“You know it has; the river, the water,” Tamburelli tells St. Joseph Post. “We were following it every day, took a while for the river to go down, to get access to the property. So, we had a restoration team come in and they started cleaning up our land-based facility, which was heavily damaged.”

The land-based portion of the casino remains under repair. It houses the bar, buffet, and ballroom. It might take another two months for repairs to be completed to that portion of St. Jo Frontier Casino.

Tamburelli says he knows the public has been waiting for the re-opening.

“I’ve been going out to eat locally and they’re asking me, when are you going to open, when are you going to open?” Tamburelli says.  “Yesterday, I was at a restaurant in town and four ladies came up (to me) and asked, ‘When you opening?’”

The casino, slots and tables, opens for regular business tomorrow morning at eight. Food and drink will be available through the bar and grill in the casino portion of the complex.