DES MOINES–Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation in response to a severe weather system that moved across Iowa and caused widespread damage August 10th. The proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather in Benton, Cedar, Clarke, Greene, Hardin, Iowa, Jasper, Linn, Muscatine, Polk, Poweshiek, Scott, Tama, and Washington counties. The proclamation also activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program, for all these counties as well as Boone and Clinton counties, which were previously declared to be in a state of disaster emergency.

Governor Reynolds also previously declared a disaster and activated the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and the Disaster Case Management Program, for Dallas, Johnson, Marshall, and Story counties. Proclamations may be issued for additional counties. The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $43,440 for a family of three. Disaster Case Management is a program to address serious needs to overcome a disaster-related hardship, injury or adverse condition.

The suspension of regulatory provisions pertaining to weight limits and hours of service for disaster repair crews and drivers delivering goods and services and the movement of loads related to responding to the severe storm system throughout the state of Iowa remains in effect.

Iowa residents of counties impacted by the recent severe weather are asked to report damage to help local and state officials better understand the damage sustained. Damage to property, roads, utilities and other storm-related information may be reported. This information will be collected by the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and shared with local emergency management agencies.

Police in Creston says an accident Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of Lincoln, Kirby and Russell Streets resulted in charges against 53-year old Joel Allen Weeks, from Creston. Weeks was driving a 1993 Ford Ranger pickup southbound on Lincoln at around 1:10-p.m., and was turning left onto Russell Street, when he failed to complete the turn and struck a telephone pole. Weeks got out of the vehicle and walked away from the scene.

After witnesses gave police a description of the pickup’s driver, Weeks was found about two blocks east of the scene. Weeks showed symptoms of intoxication but refused all sobriety tests. He was subsequently charged with OWI/3rd offense, Driving While Barred, a Registration Violation, and Failure to Maintain Control. Damage to the pickup was estimated at $3,000.

Sheriff’s officials in Montgomery County report a woman was arrested for OWI/1st offense, following an investigation into an accident that took place at around 1:30 this (Wednesday) morning. The crash happened in the area of Highway 34 and 200th Street. Authorities say Ashley Gossett-Nye, of Villisca, also faces a charge of Interference with official acts. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond. Red Oak Fire and Rescue and Red Oak Police assisted at the scene.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who are collecting unemployment will see federal benefits extended under President Trump’s executive order, which he signed as the U-S House and Senate still disagree over a new COVID-19 relief package. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says the president’s plan is for Uncle Sam to pick up 75-percent of the cost of those updated jobless benefits, leaving states to pay the remaining 25-percent. “It would go $300 of enhanced federal money,” Grassley says, “and out of the $150-billion that went to states or their own money, they have to put up $100.”

The added federal jobless benefits ran out July 31st and while they lasted, were providing many unemployed people an additional 600-dollars a week. Grassley says the new 400-dollars-a-week plan is the result of compromise. Grassley says, “That $400, I think, was probably selected because it was halfway between the $200 figure that was in the Senate bill and the $600 that we have right now.”

The 400-dollar payments are on top of the regular state unemployment benefits, so some people are able to make more money by not returning to work. Grassley says 600-dollars was way too much and hurt businesses of all sizes as they couldn’t get people to come back to their jobs.”Maybe the $400 is still a disincentive for people to go back to work, but obviously it wouldn’t be as much of a disincentive as the $600,” Grassley says, “and I think it runs for two months.”

Negotiations over the new COVID relief package fell apart late last week. Democrats propose spending some three-trillion dollars through their plan, the HEROES Act, while Republicans favor a one-trillion dollar rescue effort called the HEALS Act.