The Mills County Attorney’s Office reports that on Tuesday, October 15th, during the regularly scheduled public meeting, the Mills County Board of Supervisors agreed to proceed with FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program property buyouts for a large number of properties located in the flood-affected areas of unincorporated Mills County (Iowa). On a formal motion by Mills County Supervisor Richard Crouch, the Board unanimously voted to pursue residential property buyouts for those eligible landowners whose properties are located in the area West of 180th Street between the Pottawattamie-Mills County line to the North and Lambert Avenue to the South as well as the area West of Interstate 29 between Lambert Avenue to the North and the Mills-Fremont County line to the South.

The discussion and decision regarding this first phase of buyout decisions were focused largely on history of repetitive flooding and property loss and mitigation of future flood risk to life and property. For the second phase of buyout decisions, the Board of Supervisors agreed that all other flood-affected residential properties in unincorporated Mills County will be considered for buyout on a case-by-case basis using criteria determined by the Board. The list of eligible landowners and the criteria for these case-by-case considerations will be formalized during the next Board of Supervisors meeting on October 22, 2019.

To be eligible for consideration, flood-affected landowners were previously asked to sign-up to participate in the buyout program, by October 11, 2019 at 4:30 p.m., at the Mills County Auditor’s Office and complete a Statement of Voluntary Transaction.

(Radio Iowa) — Authorities are still trying to determine exactly what caused a fatal crash in central Iowa. The state patrol says a Jeep Wrangler was parked along the westbound shoulder of Interstate 80 on Tuesday night at mile marker 133 in Polk County, where construction work is being done on the highway. For reasons unknown, the vehicle rolled into the ditch. Troopers say the driver was partly ejected and killed. He’s identified as 64-year-old Paul Penegar, of Urbandale.

Officials with the Iowa DOT report Highway 6, just east of I-80 in northeast Council Bluffs, was blocked in both directions this morning, due to an accident involving a SWITA bus and a concrete mixer truck. The crash was reported around 7:30 a.m. near Sunnydale Road. First responders reported multiple injuries at the scene. Video from the scene showed the bus was upright in a ditch, while the cement mixed was on its passenger side, partially on the road. Motorists are asked to avoid the area and find another route.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) — A man about to be tried on a murder charge has opted for a non-jury trial in southeast Iowa. The Daily Gate City reports that Judge Mary Brown dismissed the prospective jurors Tuesday after learning that Adam McCain wanted her to oversee his trial and determine the verdict. He’s pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder, accused of killing his former girlfriend in Keokuk. Prosecutors have said McCain stabbed 27-year-old Calove Sackman once on Feb. 5, got into his vehicle and ran her over, and then got back out and stabbed her several more times.

Officers found Sackman lying on a sidewalk. The court records say she identified her attacker as McCain, who lives in Fort Madison. The trial is scheduled to begin today (Wednesday).