(Des Moines, Iowa) –  As part of an ongoing effort to address the financial impact of COVID-19, Iowa has received over $10 million in federal aid to help households that have fallen behind in water bills and are facing disconnection of service or have already been disconnected. The new federal Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) will provide assistance in the form of benefit payments made directly to water vendors on behalf of households for past-due charges, fees, and taxes for drinking and wastewater services.  The program will be administered by the Iowa Department of Human Rights and locally through Iowa’s Community Action Agencies that serve all 99 counties.

Iowans may apply by contacting their local Community Action Agency starting October 8, 2021. To locate the agency nearest you, please visit https://humanrights.iowa.gov/dcaa/where-apply or call the Iowa Department of Human Rights at 515-242-3861. Program eligibility mirrors that of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), meaning applicants must qualify to receive federal LIHEAP benefits, total household income must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, and a current water crisis must be present.

The application period is open year-round.  LIHWAP will run through September 30, 2023, or until funds are exhausted. To learn more about LIHWAP, visit https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/lihwap or contact your local community action agency.

(Radio Iowa) – The Facebook whistleblower who will testify in congress this week was born and raised in Iowa City. Francis Hougen, a former data scientist at Facebook, kept her identity a secret when she filed a complaint with the Securities and Exchange Commission against Facebook and shared internal Facebook documents with The Wall Street Journal. Last night, Hougen was revealed as the whistleblower during a report on “60 Minutes” and Hougen said she’ll testify to congress that Facebook has deceived regulators and the public about its monitoring of hate speech and misinformation. She said on “60 Minutes” that Facebook is choosing profit over safety.

Hougen is a 2002 graduate of Iowa City West High School and her website says her parents are professors. Hougen has an electrical engineering degree from Olin College and an M-B-A from Harvard. She worked at Google and Yelp before she was hired at Facebook in 2019. She resigned from Facebook in May of this year.

A spokesman for Facebook told C-N-N that the social media platform reflects the good, the bad and the ugly of humanity and Facebook is trying to amplify the good and mitigate the bad.

(Radio Iowa) – An elderly man has died in a house fire in Marshalltown. Firefighters were called to the 800 block of North Center Street around 5:00 Sunday morning. Fire was visible in the living room area and neighbors told firefighters they heard knocks and screams for help. After getting into the house, firefighters found the body of a 71-year old male. No name has been released. The body was sent to the State Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy.

(Creston, Iowa) – The Creston Police Department reports five Creston residents were arrested on drug charges over the past couple of days. Early Saturday morning: 23-year-old Amber Renee Cox was arrested at Green Valley Lake Road and US Highway 25. Cox was charged with Possession of Precursor Substances-sale/receipt of precursor substance for manufacture of controlled substance. Cox was taken to Adams County Jail where she remains in custody on $10,000 cash or surety bond; 39-year old Jacob Jeffrey Fry was arrested at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center for Possession of Precursor Substances-sale/receipt of precursor substance for manufacture of controlled substance. Fry was being held in the Union Jail on $10,000 cash or surety bond; 36-year-old Brandon Charles Millsap was also arrested at the Creston/Union County Law Enforcement Center, for Possession of Controlled Substance 1st Offense and Possession of Cannabidiol 1st Offense. Millsap later posted a $2,000 cash or surety bond.

Friday afternoon, 41-year-old Chad Michael Mastin, of Creston, was arrested at his residence. Mastin was charged with Possession of Precursor Substances-Sale/Receipt of Precursor Substance for Manufacture of Controlled Substance and Possession of Controlled Substance 1st Offense. He was later released on $11,000 bond. And, 18-year-old Emily Rae Marie Dohrn, of Creston, was arrested on multiple Union County Warrants. Dohrn was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Interference with Official Acts, Provide False Identification Information, Forgery, and Possession of Controlled Substance-Marijuana 1st Offense. She was taken to Union County Jail and later bonded-out

Creston Police said also, on Friday afternoon, Central Iowa Ready Mix, in Creston, reported that a 2014 F-150 truck and trailer had been stolen during the previous weekend. The trailer was located in Cass County but the F-150 truck is still missing. The value of the truck was not available.