(DES MOINES) – The Iowa Finance Authority announced today that the deadline for eligible homeowners to apply for up to $50,000 for the repair or rehabilitation of their disaster-impacted home through the Disaster Recovery Housing Assistance Program (DRHAP) is Nov. 20, 2024.

Governor Reynolds allocated $15 million to the program, which has already issued nearly 300 conditional approvals, enabling homeowners to start rebuilding or receive reimbursement for eligible expenses incurred. As the program approaches the total allocated funds, homeowners are encouraged to apply by the deadline to be considered for assistance. Applications will be reviewed and approved on a first submitted, first ready to proceed basis. Application submission is not a guarantee that assistance will be awarded.

The program addresses unmet housing recovery needs outside the scope of insurance coverage or FEMA Individual Assistance.  Applications are being reviewed as they are received and if deemed preliminarily eligible, are referred to a local administrative partner who will be the homeowner’s point of contact for inspections, feasibility for repair determination, scope of work and payment of eligible expenses.

Eligible homes must be located in a county approved for FEMA Individual Assistance following the three presidentially declared natural disasters this spring and summer. These counties currently include Adair, Adams, Buena Vista, Cedar, Cherokee, Clarke, Clay, Dickinson, Emmet, Harrison, Humboldt, Jasper, Lyon, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, O’Brien, Osceola, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Polk, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Shelby, Sioux, Story, Union and Woodbury.

Before applying for the state Disaster Recovery Housing Assistance Program, homeowners must have first registered for FEMA Individual Assistance and have been awarded some form of FEMA Housing Assistance, which may include home repairs or temporary housing. Homeowners must also have filed a claim with their insurance company, if they have coverage for disaster-related damages, and have received final approval or denial of their claim. Repair work must be completed by contractors who are registered to work in the state of Iowa to be eligible for payment under the program. Homes located in the Special Flood Hazard Area (100-year floodplain) and rental properties are ineligible.

More information about the DRHAP program, including an eligibility precheck is available at iowafinance.com/DRHAP. The full DRHAP application is available in IowaGrants.gov. For information on other disaster-related programs and resources, visit DisasterRecovery.iowa.gov.

(Radio Iowa) – Folks are positively buzzing at the Food Bank of Siouxland in Sioux City after getting a sweet donation. Food Bank executive director Jacob Wanderscheid says they received more than 6,000 bottles of honey from the Sioux Honey Association, the makers of Sue Bee Honey.

“This is the second donation that we’ve received in as many years, and the biggest thing for us and our partners is to get that product that is shelf-stable and it’s very nutritious,” Wanderscheid says. “This product will last a very long time for the people that receive it.”

Aimee Sandman, of the Sioux Honey Association, says it’s important for them to give back to the communities in and around where their employees, beekeepers, and families live. “It feels so great to be able to impact the people in need in the communities that we live in here, and lucky for us, it’s a shelf stable thing, so it’s not something that someone will just eat once. It’s something that they can continue to get that nourishment from,” Sandman says. “I think honey is a great thing to be donated, and it has a great taste. It’s very healthy for you, and it can last a long time.”

Three pallets holding a total of 6,480 12-ounces bottles of Sue Bee Honey were brought to the Food Bank on Thursday for distribution to partner agencies in the 11-county service area.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa D-N-R is in its second year of a pilot study on the gray fox. D-N-R wildlife biologist Vince Evelsizer says the animal’s numbers have been dropping.
“The reason for doing pilot gray fox research is because we’re concerned about their population decline statewide, and that is occurring in other Midwest states too,” he says. Evelsizer says they are asking trappers who catch a gray fox in a live trap to give the D-N-R a call. “We are hoping to catch live foxes and put collars on them for tracking purposes,” Evelsizer says.

He says they want to find out where the gray foxes are living and hunting. “The objective with that is to better understand the habitat use within the state and causes for their what’s causes of mortality, what’s leading to their decline population level wise,” Evelsizer says. Evelsizer says there is a 400-dollar reward provided by the Iowa Wildlife Federation for anyone who catches a gray fox that can be used for this study. He says the fox will be released on the site where it was caught.

Small Gray Fox

The D-N-R is also working with Iowa State University on a pilot project this winter in northeast Iowa, using cameras to track gray foxes to determine what areas these species occupy. He says other regions may be surveyed in the future, depending on how this study goes.

Page County Attorney, Carl M. Sonksen, reports the following activities in the Iowa District Court for Page County for the week of October 28, 2024. The Honorable Eric J. Nelson, District Court Judge of the Fourth Judicial District presided. All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

• Heather Trena James, age 50, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Possession of a Controlled Substance. The Defendant was sentenced to 5 days in jail and ordered to pay a fine of $840, court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.
• Christian Lyle Lauritsen, age 28, New Market, Iowa, appeared by counsel and entered a plea of guilty to Operating While Intoxicated-1st Offense. The Defendant was sentenced to 2 days in jail. The Defendant was ordered to pay a fine of $1,250, court costs and surcharges.
• Dustin Perry, age 26, Shenandoah, Iowa, appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Counts I- Child Endangerment, Count II- Child Endangerment, Count III- Child Endangerment and Count IV- Child Endangerment. The Defendant was sentenced to 180 days in jail on each count, suspended. The Defendant was placed on probation for 2 years. The Defendant was ordered to pay court costs, surcharges and court-appointed attorney fees.
• David Lowell Steeve, age 71, Clarinda, Iowa, appeared by counsel and entered a plea of guilty to Operating While Intoxicated-1st Offense. Defendant was granted a deferred judgment for 9 months and was placed on probation for 9 months. The Defendant was ordered to pay a civil penalty of $1,250, court costs and surcharges.
• Edward Paul Swanson, age 63, Braddyville, Iowa appeared by counsel and pled guilty to Possession of a Controlled Substance-2nd Offense. The Defendant was sentenced to 2 years in prison, suspended. The Defendant was placed on probation for 2 years. The Defendant was ordered to pay a fine of $855, surcharges and attorney fees.
• Kegan Lee Morris, age 35, Clarinda, Iowa, appeared with counsel for sentencing after previously being found guilty by a jury of Count I- Assault Causing Bodily Injury on Persons Engaged in Certain Occupations and Count II- Assault Causing Bodily Injury on Persons Engaged in Certain Occupations. On Count I- the Defendant was sentenced to 2 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of $855, suspended. On Count II- the Defendant was sentenced to 1 year in prison, to run consecutive to Count I and ordered to pay a fine of $430. The Defendant was ordered to pay court costs and court-appointed attorney fees.
• Terry Jay Warner, age 59, Clarinda, Iowa, appeared by counsel and entered a plea of guilty to Reckless Use of Fire/Explosives/Destructive Devices. The Defendant was sentenced to 30 days in jail, suspended. Defendant was placed on probation for 9 months and was ordered to pay a fine of $430. The Defendant was ordered to pay victim restitution, court costs and surcharges.
• Kelli Jo Wiederholt, age 35, Braddyville, Iowa, appeared by counsel and entered a plea of guilty to Criminal Mischief – Fourth Degree. The Defendant was sentenced to 30 days in jail, suspended and was placed on probation for 9 months. The Defendant was ordered to pay court costs.

(Radio Iowa) – The first phase of a plan to modernize the 48-year-old UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls was completed last month and the board that governs the University of Northern Iowa has approved moving ahead with the second phase of the project.

“A project that will significantly transform the look and experience of one of the most iconic buildings in the state,” Michael Hager, University of Northern Iowa senior vice president for finance and operations, told the Iowa Board of Regents Property and Facilities Committee this week.

The UNI-Dome hosts the high school football championships and hosts UNI football games. The dome has been updated, with a new Teflon-coated fiberglass roof. “Everything is tight and dry now,” Hager said, “and we can move on to Phase II.”

Upgrades to the UNI-Dome will include wider seats. (UNI photo)

UNI officials say the $16 million dollar for the second phase of the project is focused on the fan experience. “Phase II will be one of the more visible phases, one of the more exciting phases. It will include restroom additions and for the record, we are adding two women’s restrooms for every male restroom,” Hager said. “…I have personal experience living with one of those women that will be very pleased to see more restrooms in that facility.”

The aisles in seating areas will be widened and handrails will be added. Seating capacity will drop from about 16,000 to around 12,000 for sporting events Hager said that’s due to wider aisles and the removal of some seating to expand loge boxes, plus each seat will be wider.

“All the seats are currently 18 inches in there. They will move up to at least 20 inches. Apparently over the last few decades people have gotten a little wider,” Hager said. “And then in the loge boxes, the seats will be closer to 22 or 24 inches then as well.”

The upgrades to seating will have a positive financial impact, according to Hager. “By having a lack of premium seating, we’ve missed out on a revenue stream there and then just having the outdated facilities we haven’t sold as many tickets as what we think we will sell,” Hager said. “We’re more likely to have events that are closer to capacity and that just makes for a more robust event than one that has a lot of empty seats.”

There were 25,000 people at the Fleetwood Mac concert in the UNI-Dome back in 1989, but Hager said given changes in the music industry the UNI-Dome is likely not a big enough arena to attract major acts.

(Radio Iowa) – A southeast Iowa man faces more than one-thousand charges after investigators allegedly found a large amount of child pornography in his possession.

Hunter Bresch (Wapello County Jail photo)

Court records say 22-year-old Hunter Bresch of Ottumwa submitted a tip to the FBI in November 2022 that someone sent him child sexual abuse materials over the internet.

A subsequent investigation unveiled a file share account allegedly owned by Bresch that contained 16,000 files of different children involved in sexual acts.

Bresch later told investigators he tipped off the FBI because another user did not send him the illicit materials he paid for.

He’s been charged with 1,000 counts of possession of depictions of a minor engaged in a sex act and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Bresch is currently in the Wapello County Jail where his bond has been set at $100,000 dollars.

(Atlantic, Iowa) [updated 8:30-a.m.*]- Cass County Sheriff’s deputies were asked to search for a possible suspect in an aircraft laser targeting incident that reportedly took place Thursday night. The Cass County Communications Center was notified by Minneapolis Air Traffic Control (ATC) that an aircraft traveling at an altitude of about 3,600-feet reported to the ATC, the pilot had seen a blue laser light that they thought was pointed at their aircraft. Cass County deputies were asked to search the area of 770th and Tucson Road (Southeast of Massena) for a possible suspect.

A statement provided to KJAN by the FAA said: “The pilot of a single-engine Cessna 172 reported being illuminated by a blue laser approximately 40 miles southwest of Des Moines International Airport in Iowa around 8:15 p.m. local time on Thursday, Nov. 7. No injuries were reported. Local authorities were notified. The FAA will investigate.”

Image from FAA.gov

*In a text message, Cass County Chief Deputy Sheriff John Westering confirmed with KJAN “Deputies responded to the area. Aside from finding a residence in the area with blue lights on, nothing was found.”

The FAA says “Intentionally aiming lasers at aircraft[s] poses a safety threat to pilots and violates federal law. Many high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots flying aircraft that may be carrying hundreds of passengers.” U.S. law enforcement agencies and the Federal Aviation Administration may seek criminal and civil prosecution against violators. People who shine lasers at aircraft face FAA fines of up to $11,000 per violation and up to $30,800 for multiple laser incidents.

(Radio Iowa) – The approaching holiday season can be the hardest time of the year for many of the 100-thousand Iowans who are caring for a loved one with dementia. Megan Benzing, program manager for the Iowa Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, says they offer a wide array of resources, programs and support groups just for caregivers. “Alz Connected is an online messaging board where they can speak to other caregivers or family and friends who are also going through a similar situation,” Benzing says. “They can ask questions, get guidance and support as they’re going through this difficult time.”

The starting point is the website alz-dot-org-backslash-iowa, and all of the resources are free. There’s also a 24-7 helpline available at 800-272-3900. The cost of putting a loved one in a “memory care” facility can be several thousand dollars a month, so financial constraints can quickly become an issue for someone with dementia — and their family — making caregiving the best option.  “The goal is to try to keep them in their home as long as possible but because of the progression of the disease, they eventually get to a point where it’s nearly impossible for the caregiver to care for them on their own,” Benzing says. “They have to consider things such as in-home care, or putting their loved one into a care community.” The life expectancy after diagnosis often ranges from four to eight years, but she says it can be up to 20 years, based on conditions.

Being a caregiver can be particularly stressful and demanding. “Caregivers are often having to manage multiple conditions at a time,” Benzing says, “so not just memory loss, but long-term physical conditions, including gradual loss of mobility, emotional issues and behavioral and personality changes.” A survey found about a third of responding caregivers found themselves in declining health, while more than a quarter said they’d delayed or did not do things they should for their own health. More than six-million people nationwide are living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 62,000 in Iowa.

(More online at alz.org/iowa)

(Radio Iowa) – A update from the staff of the Board of Regents shows they are ahead of schedule in complying with a new law that requires cutting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (D-E-I) programs. Regent Christine Hensley says she is pleased with the work done on the issue and was pleased after a meeting with students on the issue.  “Because they are excited about this, and they feel that now it’s open to all the students on the campus. And I thought that was extremely positive,” Hensley says. Regent David Barker says the report presented Thursday shows things are off to a good start. “The law is designed to keep university administration out of politics. Professors can conduct research and take controversial ideas wherever they go, but the university itself should be neutral on politics and controversial issues,” Barker says.

Barker says the report only deals with university administrative offices. “So the next question is, are there still dei offices on our campuses? This report suggests not. It tells us that the remaining offices that were reviewed were not engaged in D-E-I activities,” he says. “This is where I believe we have more work to do. Just this semester, there were several examples of university administrative offices that are not being eliminated or restructured that promoted D-E-I.” He says D-E-I has been ingrained in the system.

“Promotion of these ideas has been so widespread in university administration that achieving compliance will take a great deal of effort. Strategic Plans still need to be changed, and our presidents need to strongly communicate that they expect our universities to follow the spirit of the law, not find ways around it,” he says. Regent Robert Crammer says the students might want to participate in developing a process to address issues that pop up. “What’s their process of, you know, saying, ‘Hey, turn this in, this isn’t quite complying with the deal,’ and just have an orderly process. And even as we get texts or whatever, I would assume we would probably phone to Mark and he would follow up with it to see that it gets addressed,” he says.

Regent Jim Lindemayer says inclusion is something that we all want, but he thinks some of the mistakes is when it is institutionalized. “That’s where the tussle has come in, is that we’ve institutionalized these things and maybe taking them too far in some instances, maybe not far enough in others. That’s my opinion,” Lindemayer says. The new law will not take effect until July 1st of 2025, and the Board of Regents staff say they will continue working on the compliance issues.

State Representative Taylor Collins led Republican efforts on the D-E-I bill. He released a statement following the Board of Regents meeting Thursday that says: “Iowa’s higher education system will no longer waste millions or be distracted by ideological agendas. These changes are a positive step forward, but the legislature shouldn’t have to continue to do the Board of Regents or our University President’s job for them – Iowans expect more.”