Local News

PACIFIC JUNCTION - With fears that rising water from the Missouri River could flood the city of Pacific Junction, many residents of this western Mills County community have started making evacuation plans for themselves and their families.

Some residents have already packed up their belongings and put them in storage and some have secured temporary living arrangements with relatives and friends in other communities.

    With the Missouri River expected to reach historic levels this week, Mills County officials are urging residents in the western part of the county to prepare for anticipated major flooding.    

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday it predicts the Missouri River will reach levels 5 - 7 feet above flood stages at most locations in Iowa and Nebraska by mid-June. The agency said some areas could remain inundated with water throughout July and August.

    There’s a new plan in place for Glenwood’s much-maligned corner nodes on Town Square.
    For 10 years, the nodes have been a source of frustration - mainly because of unsightly weed growth and a lack of maintenance. Now, a team of volunteers from the Glenwood Community Betterment - Beautification Committee believes they have developed a plan that will finally have Glenwood residents and visitors viewing the nodes in a positive light.

PACIFIC JUNCTION - High wind gusts are being blamed for a motorcycle accident Friday afternoon on U.S. Highway 34 near Pacific Junction that left a 45-year-old Omaha man with critical injuries.

An investigation by the Mills County Sheriff’s Office determined Christopher Cercena was driving a 2008 Kawasaki motorcycle westbound on Highway 34, less than one-half mile east of the Interstate 29 interchange, shortly after 3 p.m., when severe winds caused him to lose control of the bike.