(Radio Iowa) — A new state program began Monday that supporters say will help families of fallen police and firefighters. Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens talked about the Public Safety Survivor Benefits Fund Tuesday, at the police officers memorial near the Iowa State Capitol. “You know in the days that follow, there’s always an outpour of emotion. There’s always an amazing response. There’s always constant people ready to provide aid and assistance to the families,” Bayens says. “But as those days and weeks go on — at times there’s a gap in that assistance.” He says most often the gap is the loss of health insurance for surviving family members.  “Either because the law enforcement agency is small and cannot bear that burden. Or there was just other limitations that prevented that family from continuing to experience insurance benefits,” Bayens says.

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayens

Bayens says the fund fills the gap by helping pay for the insurance.  “This fund jointly serves the interest of law enforcement and fire services. It is a fund solely dedicated to the surviving families. It is dedicated solely in the recognition of the sacrifice that the men and women of law enforcement and fire services made in protecting all Iowans,” according to Bayens. State Representative Mike Sexton of Rockwell City was one of the lawmakers who pushed for the program after hearing from the wife of slain Rockwell police officer Jamie Buenting in 2013. Sexton also knew slain Urbandale officer and Rockwell native Justin Martin. “I can still see Jamie coming into Casey’s when I was in there having coffee and we would talk about issues. Justin Martin, before I got elected to this position I was president of the school board and I was standing on the stage when he walked across the stage and got his diploma from high school,” Sexton says.

Sexton says it is most often an issue in small towns like his where the city budgets aren’t as big. “To be able to offer a small piece of security to the families of fallen firefighters and fallen police officers and peace officers — when that loved one is gone — if we can just step up and says ‘you don’t have to worry about insurance any more’, I feel good about that,” Sexton says. Representative Wes Breckenridge also help push the program through the legislature. He is a retired police officer from Newton. “We hope we never have to utilize this program, that is our goal, is never have to use it,” Breckenridge says. “But knowing that it is there and the comfort that it will give and ease some of the burdens of those families if they lose a loved one in the line of duty — it’s a small token that to be there for them.”

Sexton and Breckenridge credit the Iowa Lottery for coming up with the plan to provide 100-thousand dollars to fund the program. Lottery C-E-O Matt Strawn says the money will come straight out of lottery funds. “Historically what we’ve found over the years with the lottery, that just having a dedicated benefit works much better and more efficiently to provide resources rather than having a specifically themed ticket or game for a cause,” Strawn says.  He says tried the targeted approach for the Veterans Fund. “That had marginal success. So, it was much more efficient to get resources to those causes by a straight proceeds transfer of two-point-five million dollars a year to the Iowa Veterans Trust fund,” Strawn says. “So this is modeled along similar lines.”

The Iowa Lottery will make its first 100-thousand dollar transfer to the Survivor Fund in late October as part of its initial quarterly proceeds transfer to the state for the 2020 fiscal year. It will continue to transfer proceeds to the fund each October.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg) wants to increase opportunities for national service and build a network of 1 million service members by 2026. The South Bend, Indiana, mayor introduced his national service policy on Wednesday. He says the voluntary plan would help people of different backgrounds form connections like the ones he formed while serving with the Navy Reserve in Afghanistan.

Buttigieg’s plan would add funding for existing federal programs like AmeriCorps and increase the number of opportunities from 75,000 to 250,000, which would cost $20 billion over 10 years. It also would create new service organizations such as a Climate Corps. Buttigieg’s campaign hasn’t provided a cost for that part or said how it intends to pay for the plan.

The 2026 deadline coincides with the 250th anniversary of America’s independence.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Patrol is refusing to release the findings of its investigation into a supervisor whose residency and receipt of $40,000 in relocation benefits were challenged. Patrol spokesman Nathan Ludwig says the investigation into Lt. Joel Ehler is complete but that the findings are a confidential personnel record. Ehler declined comment when contacted in his office in Council Bluffs, where he remains the patrol’s district manager

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Florida man accused of operating a pyramid scheme that cost 17 Iowans about $51,000 has agreed to repay the money and is prohibited from participating in any business operation involving mail or phone solicitations in the state. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says he investigated Jhon Palacio, who also goes by the name Richard Diamond Sr., after receiving complaints.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The amount of water flowing into the lower Missouri River will remain high throughout the summer and fall, and that water will likely continue to exacerbate flooding downstream. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it plans to keep releases from Gavins Point Dam on the Nebraska-South Dakota border near current levels _ which are more than double what is typical _ throughout summer.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Democrat Theresa Greenfield has raised more than $625,000 for her campaign against Republican Sen. Joni Ernst in less than a month since launching her bid. Greenfield, a Des Moines-area businesswoman, announced her campaign for Senate on June 3. Her campaign emphasized its grassroots support in its first fundraising report, touting that 85% of her contributions were $100 or less and that she’s received contributions from 96 of Iowa’s 99 counties.

Red Oak Police, Tuesday afternoon, arrested 36-year old Joseph Aaron Nelson, of Red Oak, for Possession of drug paraphernalia. Nelson, who was also arrested Sunday afternoon for violating a no contact order, and Monday afternoon on two counts of child endangerment, was booked into the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.