DES MOINES, Iowa – The floodwaters have receded from the severe storms and flooding beginning March 12 in western Iowa. And, flooding is easing in the Quad Cities area. However, prolonged effects are still being felt in homes and neighborhoods of Iowans. The repair work, financial burden, prolonged stress and ongoing red tape with agencies and insurance companies can leave feelings of depression, frustration, anger, anxiety and sadness.

FEMA says there is help and it is free. If a friend, family member, neighbor or you are feeling overwhelmed, please call the Iowa Concern 24-hour line at 1-800-447-1985. Iowa Concern staff can connect you with Project Recovery Iowa services or one of their stress counselors can talk with you any time of the day.

Common disaster reactions may include: • Feeling tense or nervous, angry or irritable. • Crying often or easily, feeling hopeless. • Feeling numb. • Sleep problems, constantly tired. • Stomach problems (such as nausea or cramps) and/or not feeling hungry.

It is common for people to experience a wide range of emotional reactions following a disaster. These are normal feelings that may last for many months after the flooding.
To help Iowans affected by the event, the Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program (CCP), funded by FEMA, is operating Project Recovery Iowa. The mission of Project Recovery Iowa is to assist individuals and communities in recovering from the challenging effects of natural and human caused disasters through the provision of community-based outreach and recovery-oriented services.

For more information on the Iowa disaster and a variety of recovery resources, log on to: www.floods2019.iowa.gov or call 2-1-1. Multilingual services are available. For more information on FEMA assistance, go to www.fema.gov/disaster/4421 or www.disasterassistance.gov.  Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has faced discrimination or needs help with accessible communication, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available.

(FEMA) DES MOINES, Iowa – If you’ve been affected by flooding, no doubt you’re eager to get back into your house and make it your home again. But before you pick up that nail gun or wield that sledge hammer, make sure you have all the permits you’ll need to begin work.  Officials with FEMA say permits may be required for every part of your home from roofs, walls and siding to plumbing, septic systems and heating/air conditioning systems.

The first thing you should do is to contact your local building official to determine whether there are special considerations for rebuilding. That official can work with you or your contractor to ensure that any permits you need are properly issued and filed, and the necessary inspections are completed.  Permits protect owners, residents, communities and buildings by making sure repairs and/or construction meet current building codes, standards, floodplain ordinances and construction techniques.

Permits also provide a permanent record of compliance with elevation and/or retrofitting requirements, which is useful information when selling the building or obtaining flood insurance coverage.

For more information on the Iowa disaster and a variety of recovery resources, log on to: www.floods2019.iowa.gov or call 2-1-1. Additional information can be found at www.fema.gov/disaster/4421.

Police in Glenwood report 18-year old Dillan Fisher, of Council Bluffs, was arrested today (Monday), for Possession of a controlled substance. His cash or surety bond was set at $1,000.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce reports T-shirts for Coca-Cola Days 2019 are now available. Shirts for the event set for September 27th and 28th in downtown Atlantic cost $16 and are available from the Chamber at 102 Chestnut Street (The Rock Island Depot), from 8-a.m. to 5-p.m., Monday through Friday. T-shirts can be shipped for an additional fee.

Coca-Cola Days in Atlantic is the second largest collectors’ show in the United States and includes a tailgate barbeque open to the public, a Show Swap & Sell, “Coca-Cola Makes Life Bearable” raffle and many more activities for all ages. This year’s feature theme is, “Coca-Cola Makes Life Bearable”.

For more information on Coca-Cola Days or a full list of activities, please visit www.cocacoladays.com, call the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce at 712-243-3017 or email chamber@atlanticiowa.com. 2019 Coca-Cola Days brochures are also available at the Chamber or local merchants.

2019 Coca-Cola Days Committee Members Pictured:
Front Row: Dolly Bergmann and Ellen Rutherford
Back Row: Kathie Hockenberry, Jolene Sisler and Ashley Hayes

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Authorities say an Omaha man defrauded Medicare and Medicaid in a scheme involving recipients in Nebraska, Iowa and other states. A U.S. District Court complaint filed earlier this month says Nereus Sutko committed health care fraud that began in November 2010 and continued into this month. Sutko’s attorney, Adam Sipple, said Monday that Sutko will plead not guilty. Sipple declined to comment further about the allegations.

The documents say Sutko sometimes visited homeless shelters and threw pizza parties at nursing homes, promising gifts as a way to obtain Social Security and health information for his scheme. The documents say Sutko would order health care items that would never be delivered to the recipients.

Sutko is alleged to have filed 1,666 Medicare claims through the company he managed, Better Lives, getting more than $674,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Norris says he can’t yet specify how much money Sutko is alleged to have fraudulently profited through his scheme.

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Five siblings gathered in Storm Lake this weekend to watch their youngest brother graduate from high school, decades after their parents emigrated from war-torn Sudan to the United States. The Sioux City Journal reports Cham Deng received his diploma Sunday from Storm Lake High School with a 3.4 grade point average, which ranks the first generation Sudanese-American 28th in his class of 190 students.

Deng also played basketball for the Tornadoes, averaging 17 points and nine rebounds per game during his senior season. He intends to further his basketball career next season at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. Deng plans to major in accounting. Storm Lake Superintendent Stacey Cole says that Deng is community-minded and has been a positive inspiration at the school.