Awards totaling $52 million were announced today for 19 communities across the state, including Council Bluffs and Missouri Valley. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) awarded the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to support 26 multi-family new production projects. The federally funded awards will assist communities to recover housing lost during the catastrophic flooding event of 2008.

In Council Bluffs, the Pottawattamie County Development Corporation received a little more than $2.35-million for the new construction of 36 housing units at 125 West Broadway. And, in Missouri Valley, Longview Townhomes, LLC, received $1.625-million for the construction of 10 new units.

The IEDA received 67 applications for these funds, totaling more than $112.2 million in funding requests. The grants are awarded based on the potential impact of the project, benefit to low- and moderate-income persons, and commitment of developer and local resources to moving the project forward in a timely manner. The Community Development Block Grant program is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). IEDA is responsible for administering the CDBG funds for disaster recovery.

No injuries were reported following a rollover accident Friday afternoon, northwest of Shenandoah. The Page County Sheriff’s Office says 20-year old Jennifer Lane, of Shenandoah, was traveling south on A Avenue near 170th Street at around 1:10-p.m.  As her 2004 Chevy pickup topped a hill, Lane noticed a legally parked semi truck at the bottom of the hill. The woman panicked, slammed on the brakes, and caused the pickup to skid off the east side of the road and into a ditch, where it rolled over. The vehicle sustained $15,000 damage and was declared a total loss. No citations were issued.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Friday of 37-year old Kevin Long. Long, who is from College Springs, was taken into custody for allegedly violating a Protective Order, while the protected parties were at a residence on Galesburg Street, in College Springs. Long was brought to the Page County Jail and held until making an appearance before a magistrate.

Two people were arrested Saturday following an investigation into contraband at a jail facility. According to the Page County Sheriff’s Office, an employee of the jail and Sheriff’s Office interrupted an attempt to introduce contraband into the facility. 30-year old Jason Latham, of Red Oak, an inmate at the jail, was charged with felony Possession of contraband. He remains in the jail on the drug charge, and original charges of Burglary in the 3rd degree and Theft in the 1st degree. Bond was set at $15,000.

A warrant was subsequently issued for 37-year old Rachel Hadden, of Red Oak, who was later arrested by Red Oak Police on a felony charge of Furnishing a controlled substance to an inmate. Hadden was being held in the Page County Jail on $5,000 bond.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports four people have been arrested on alcohol-related charges. 44-year old Rhonda Annette Loghry, of Atlantic, was arrested today (Monday), on a charge of OWI 3^rd Offense and Driving Under Suspension. Loghry was taken to the Cass County Jail where she was being held on $6000 bond.

Two people were arrested Saturday, on OWI charges. 34-year old Joseph Allen Hoegh, of Atlantic, and 51-year old Douglas Kent Borkowski, of Elliott, were both arrested on a charge of OWI 1^st Offense. Both men were brought to the Cass County Jail and released later that same day on their own recognizance.

And on July 4th, 44-year old Jeffrey Lyn Neighbors, of Anita, was arrested on a charge of Public Intoxication. Neighbors was taken to the Cass County Jail where he pled guilty before the magistrate and was released the following day.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new health care cooperative says it will offer Iowans two insurance plans that rely on a specific hospital network. CoOportunity Health says Monday that they have partnered with the University of Iowa Health Alliance to create the plans. The plans will be available to state residents shopping on the new online insurance exchanges, as well as those seeking insurance through other channels.

The Alliance includes over 50 hospitals and more than 160 clinics across the state. CoOportunity will market these two plans in more than 75 percent of the state’s counties. CoOportunity Health is a nonprofit established with federal loan money to provide health care in Iowa and Nebraska. CoOportunity CEO David Lyons says the cooperative will also offer other plans with wider coverage options.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former state Sen. Staci Appel is running for Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District seat. The Des Moines Register reports Appel, a Democrat from Ackworth, filed papers last week with the Federal Election Commission. The filing is a shift from April, when Appel said she wasn’t running for the job and cited family obligations.  Appel served in the state Senate for a single term but lost in 2010. Her husband, Brent Appel, sits on the Iowa Supreme Court.

The 3rd Congressional District stretches from Des Moines to Council Bluffs. It is currently represented by Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Latham.