LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — A man has been burned while working at a hog confinement in northwest Iowa. Firefighters were sent a little after 5 p.m. Monday to the hog operation, which sits about 5 miles northwest of Le Mars. Officials say two people had been inside a building, using a power washer to clean it. One left the building to refuel the power washer engine, and he spilled gas on himself and the machine. Fire officials say the vapors ignited, burning the man.

Le Mars Fire Chief Dave Schipper says the man was initially taken by private vehicle to Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars. He then was flown to a burn center in Lincoln, Nebraska. The man’s name hasn’t been released.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa’s attorney general is going to court, asking that the Iowa Insurance Division be allowed to step in and try to recoup the money for people who paid in advance for their funerals at two northwest Iowa funeral homes. State officials say their investigation shows Andrew Joyce no longer has a license to sell “pre-need” contracts for funerals and burials handled by the Joyce Funeral Home in Emmetsburg and the Joyce-Alesch Funeral Home in Graettinger. Dennis Britson is assistant chief of the securities bureau in the Iowa Insurance Division.

“Mr. Joyce had not notified us that he was ceasing to continue business as a pre-needs seller, did not renew his license and did not take the steps of giving the money back to those customers of his,” he says, “and that’s what led up to the action and why we’re trying to make sure that those funds get returned to consumers.”

According to the Iowa Insurance Division, a bank account for the Graettinger funeral home was closed in mid-July “due to a lack of funds” and accounts for the funeral home in Emmetsburg and a monument company “maintained negative balances.” State officials already have contacted 56 customers, but Iowans who may have signed a contract with one of the two funeral homes, but haven’t gotten a letter yet are advised to contact the Iowa Insurance Division in Des Moines. “This is about safeguarding consumer funds and getting them back to those individuals that those accounts are for,” Britson says, “and Mr. Joyce hasn’t done that.”

Radio Iowa was unable to reach anyone at the two funeral homes on Wednesday. The office lines in Emmetsburg and Graettinger rang, but no one answered and neither accepted recorded messages.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) has created two new competitive funds to help with community development. I-E-D-A spokesperson, Kanan Kappelman says the two funds are targeted at specific types of buildings. She says they are for dilapidated state-owned properties, and both cities and counties can apply for the funds.

Kappelman says there are many communities which might have a vacant state building. “State-owned properties might have been vacated due to lack of use…so this is our way of supporting cities or counties wishing to utilize such properties for perhaps economic or revitalization purposes,” Kappelman says.

The state legislature appropriated six million dollars to be used for the program. “There are two separate funds. The vacant state building demolition fund and the rehabilitation fund,” according to Kappelman. “Each of these funds provides up to one million dollars in either grants or loans per year for the next three years.”

Kappelman is not sure how many empty state buildings there may be across Iowa.Applications for the 2020 fiscal year are currently being accepted via iowagrants.gov. Applications are due by November 27th and will be scored by I-E-D-A based on criteria that includes evidence of project readiness and the redevelopment plan. The awards will be announced in December.

(Radio Iowa) — Heavy rains swept through parts of southwest Iowa Tuesday that are still recovering from flooding in March and May — and a more recent spate of high water last week. Mills County Emergency Management Coordinator Larry Hurst says it’s not just the Missouri River. Other waterways are raising concerns. “The Nishnabotna and three other stream beds that we’ll be watching very closely,” Hurst says. “…Those waters could surge to a flood stage very rapidly, possibly with increased rainfall to the north and we could see those waters get out into local areas. Now, a lot of that sometimes gets out into agricultural areas, but that would have an effect on, you know, harvesting for the farmers…Probably the towns of the Village of Mineola, Silver City, Malvern, Emerson — towns such as that — and Hastings need to be vigilant.”

Unlike previous incidents this year, Hurst says Pacific Junction is not at risk for flooding. Late Tuesday morning, Fremont County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Crecelius met with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials to discuss the status of levee repairs along the MIssouri River, including a repaired levee near Hamburg “They’re confident that the repairs will hold, but they do have surveillance out there to keep an eye on them in case there is a failure, just like before,” he says, “and then if they see an issue, then they will work quickly with their contractors to get it repaired so that nothing happens.”

The most recent National Weather Service forecasts indicate the Missouri River will crest at 22-point-six feet at Nebraska City on Friday before falling. Additionally, the Nishnabotna River above Hamburg could rise to 26 feet by this (Wednesday) evening–roughly eight feet above flood stage. Crecelius says Hamburg and other parts of the county should be fine IF the levees hold. However, both the Weather Service and the Iowa Department of Transportation are expressing concerns about additional flooding on Highway 2 and Interstate 29 in Fremont County. Both were closed because of floodwaters in March and May.

“Part of the problem over around there is the amount of rain we’ve had for the last week…we can’t drain anything out because the river’s too high, so the water’s stuck right there,” Crecelius says. “That’s the biggest problem we have right now is no drainage for rainfall that is right on top of us.”

Several secondary roads in Fremont County remain closed because of the previous rounds of flooding.
e flood stage. However, he says Hamburg and other parts of the county should be fine IF the levees hold. However, both the weather service and the Iowa Department of Transportation are expressing concerns about additional flooding on Highway 2 and Interstate 29 in the county. Both were closed because of floodwaters in March and May.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:15 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two women accused of damaging valves and setting fire to construction equipment along the Dakota Access oil pipeline that crosses Iowa and three other states have been indicted on federal charges in the case. Federal prosecutors for Iowa said Tuesday that a grand jury on Sept. 19 indicted Jessica Reznicek and Ruby Montoya on nine counts each, including conspiracy, use of fire in the commission of a felony and malicious use of fire.