(Radio Iowa) — People in nine Iowa counties hit hardest by spring flooding have just a few days to register for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Registering with FEMA helps the agency determine if people are eligible for grants to help repair their flood-damaged homes or pay for temporary housing. FEMA’s Deanna Frazier says many Iowans who are eligible still haven’t requested help. Frazier says, “They want to make sure that there is enough funding to go around to other survivors who were more highly impacted than they were.”

More than 24-hundred Iowa households and families have registered with FEMA so far, and the agency has already approved more than 13-million dollars for Iowans. Once a homeowner registers with FEMA, the agency works to get an inspector to their home to survey the damage.  “We are receiving more registrations that are kind of trickling in rather than busting down our doors right now, however, we do believe that there are people out there that have not registered with FEMA for assistance.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration also offers low-interest loans for homeowners. The deadline to register is July 1st — Monday. Seven of the eligible counties are in western Iowa: Woodbury, Monona, Harrison, Pottawattmie, Shelby, Fremont and Mills, while the remaining two are in eastern Iowa: Scott and Louisa. For information, call 800-621-FEMA or visit disasterassistance.gov.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest at around 12:55-a.m. today (Thursday), of 32-year old Benjamin William Hrabik. The Red Oak man was taken into custody for Public Intoxication, and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail, on a $300 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A retired farmer who applied to Gov. Kim Reynolds to have his gun rights restored has instead been arrested for illegally possessing firearms. Allan Phillips had been out of trouble for 40 years when he sent in his application to get his gun rights back, saying he wanted to move past a 1978 misdemeanor. But agents conducting a background check found that he owned multiple guns despite losing his firearm rights. The case illustrates how hard it is for ex-offenders to regain their gun rights.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand is accusing insurance companies providing Medicaid services to two disabled Iowans in wheelchairs of violating their contracts with the state. Sand has notified the Iowa Department of Human Services that Amerigroup and UnitedHealthcare have each notified a Medicaid recipient that their services will be terminated.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has been found guilty of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Federal prosecutors said in a news release that 38-year-old Jonas Ross III, of Davenport, was found guilty Wednesday in a federal court in Davenport. Investigators say the victim had traveled to Davenport from Ohio in November 2017, and checked into the Days Inn after contacting Ross to obtain heroin. He was found dead days later.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A lobbyist who advised Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on agriculture and natural resources has been named the director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Reynolds appointed Kayla Lyon to the post which has been vacant for about a year after the previous director retired. Lyon, who has represented farmers and agribusiness in previous government affairs jobs, begins July 8. She is the first woman to be named DNR director.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand says two insurance companies that provide Medicaid services to two disabled Iowans in wheelchairs are violating their contracts with the state. Sand said Wednesday he’s notified the Iowa Department of Human Services that Amerigroup and UnitedHealthcare are not abiding by contract requirements that ensure services are not disrupted for clients.

Sand says he was notified that home services are ending for two unnamed people in rural Iowa receiving in-home care who fear they may be placed in nursing homes.

As state auditor, he says he has a right under the contracts to seek information from the insurers to see if they’re following the law and contract language. Sand says the companies have not complied. A spokesman for Gov. Kim Reynolds declined to comment, and the DHS spokesman says the agency is reviewing the issues Sand is raising.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 50-year-old registered sex offender in Minnesota faces federal charges after being accused of traveling to Iowa to have sex with minors. Federal prosecutors for Iowa say Terrance Nordwall has been charged with attempted sex trafficking of children, attempted enticement of minors and traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct. He was charged in federal court in Cedar Rapids.

Prosecutors say Nordwall tried to solicit and entice two people he believed were under 18 to engage in prostitution and that he traveled across a state line in April to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

Nordwall was convicted in Minnesota in 2004 of three counts of child sexual conduct and one count of having child pornography. If convicted of the latest charges, Nordwall faces up to life in prison.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A lobbyist who advised Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on agriculture and natural resources has been named the director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Reynolds appointed Kayla Lyon on Wednesday to the post which has been vacant for about a year after the previous director retired.

Lyon, who has represented farmers and agribusiness in previous government affairs jobs, begins July 8. She is the first woman to be named DNR director.

The DNR carries out state and federal laws that protect air, land and water through technical assistance, permitting and compliance programs. The agency also manages fish, wildlife, forest and prairie programs and oversees state parks.

It has the challenge of managing water quality in a heavily farmed state where control of cornfield fertilizer runoff and manure from hog farms has become an increasingly difficult problem.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has been found guilty of distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death and faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison. Federal prosecutors said in a news release that 38-year-old Jonas Ross III, of Davenport, was found guilty Wednesday in a federal court in Davenport.

Investigators say the victim had traveled to Davenport from Ohio in November 2017, and checked into the Days Inn after contacting Ross to obtain heroin. On Dec. 2, 2017, the victim’s body was discovered in his motel room. Officials say he overdosed and died from ingesting fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid.

Ross is set to be sentenced Oct. 29.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that on Wednesday, June 26th, his deputies arrested 31-year old Austin James Haler, of Sidney, for the delivery of methamphetmine. Haler was arrested after an investigation was conducted in Sidney for narcotics delivery. Haler was transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and held on a $10,000 bond.

Haler

On Tuesday, Fremont County deputies arrested 31-year old James Hume, of Sidney. Hume was arrested at his residence in Sidney for a valid Fremont county warrant for Animal Neglect, after his dogs were taken from his residence. Hume was transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center where he bonded out.

Hume

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous arrests over the past week. At around 12:50-a.m. today (Wednesday), 39-year old Daniel Lee Walling, of Glenwood, was arrested for Burglary in the 3rd degree and Theft in the 4th degree. His bond was set at $6,000.

On Monday, 18-year old Brendan Henry Bruce, of Council Bluffs, and 18-year old Brayden Zavier Dietz, of Glenwood, were arrested for Criminal Trespass, Minor in Possession, Possession of a Controlled Substance (PCS), and Possession of drug paraphernalia. Their bonds were set at $1,900 each.

At around 12:20-a.m. Sunday, three people were arrested on in the vicinity of Ingrum Avenue and Highway 34 in Mills County: 62-year old Debra Lynn Pattman, of Omaha, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance, and two counts Unlawful possession of a prescription drug. Her bond was set at $4,000; 64-year old Robert Charles Carlson, of Omaha, was arrested on two counts of PCS and possession of paraphernalia. His bond was set at $7,000. And, 58-year old John Lee Carlson, of Omaha, was arrested for Driving Under Suspension, depositing or throwing trash on a highway, speeding and fraudulent use of registration. His bond was set at $300.

Arrested separately on June 23rd, was 20-year old Chase Zachery Stewart, of Glenwood, for Violation of a Protection Order, and 29-year old Colton Fred White, of Neola, for OWI/2nd offense, and carrying a weapon while intoxicated. Stewart was arrested at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, where he was being held without bond. White was arrested in Pacific Junction and was being held on a $3,000 bond.

On June 22nd, 21-year old Alexander Duane Von Seggerm, of Blair, NE., was arrested in Mills County for OWI/1st offense. And, 27-year old Bobbi Janette Flynn, of Glenwood, was arrested at the Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Failure to Appear.

And, finally, on June 21st there were two arrests: 53-year old Michael Scott Holtz, of Malvern, was arrested on I-29 for Driving While Barred, Possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to provide proof of insurance, operating a non-registered vehicle, and windshield/window requirement.; 42-year old Michael Leon Boren, Jr., of Pacific Junction, was arrested for Domestic Abuse, Obstruction of emergency communication, and Harassment. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The mother of a 4-year-old boy who shot himself after finding an unsecured gun in a car has been charged with a misdemeanor. Television station KCCI reportst Rachel Marie Rowe has been charged with making a firearm available to a minor. Police Sgt. Paul Parizek says Rowe was ticketed for the simple misdemeanor.

In May, police were called to the southeast end of the city for a report of a shooting. Investigators say the boy had been left unattended in a car when he found the handgun and began playing with it. The gun fired, hitting the child in the shoulder.