MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say one person was hospitalized after an apartment fire in Muscatine. The Muscatine Fire Department says firefighters dispatched late Thursday night could see flames through a second-story window on the rear of the building when they arrived. There was fire damage throughout one apartment and some water and smoke damage to other apartments. The apartment occupant was taken in stable condition to a Muscatine hospital for treatment of what was described as a minor injury. The person’s name hasn’t been released.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A series of infrastructure failures in a crumbling state dormitory caused a toxic gas leak at an Iowa police academy that sickened dozens of recruits and could have killed some of them, a workplace safety investigation concluded. At least three recruits were poisoned by potentially lethal levels of carbon monoxide after an air handling unit and a heating boiler simultaneously malfunctioned on Nov. 15 inside a three-story residence hall at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in Johnston, according to records obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request. One officer suffered exposure levels that were more than eight times the amount deemed unsafe.

As dozens of recruits slept, ventilation system failures caused carbon monoxide fumes released by the boiler to build up and spread through large holes in an exhaust pipe. The 48-year-old building did not have carbon monoxide detectors and, even before the incident, had been scheduled to be demolished this June. The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the academy in February for exposing 77 recruits to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide and for not having an effective ventilation system, records show. The agency determined the violations were serious, noting they could have resulted in disability and death, and proposed a $9,700 penalty.

The agencies reached a settlement last month in which the academy fixed the ventilation system and paid a $5,500 fine but did not admit to wrongdoing. Iowa OSHA Administrator Luther Peddy said its safety rules do not require buildings to have carbon monoxide alarms and that the settlement eliminated the hazard. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas found in fumes produced by heating sources. It kills at least 430 people in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Iowa is facing requests to reimburse medical costs related to hospital visits of four poisoned officers from West Des Moines and Iowa City. Additional claims are expected that could run into the tens of thousands of dollars. In all, 86 cadets were taken by bus to six different Des Moines area hospitals for evaluation, OSHA records show. Most were showing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, including headaches, dizziness and nausea.

The problems started two days before the emergency, when a coiler on an air handler unit on the roof of the building froze and broke. The unit was responsible for pulling outside air into the building and its failure contributed to a lack of fresh air inside, the investigation found. Meanwhile, two 9-inch (23-centimeter) holes in an exhaust pipe next to the boiler on the first-floor caused fumes to escape and spread. The boiler, which was shut off after the emergency, produced unsafe levels of gas when it was turned on in a test the next day. The building was closed and classes resumed elsewhere. Academy director Judy Bradshaw recently told the council that oversees her agency that the new building will have carbon monoxide detectors.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s unemployment rate remained at 2.4 percent in March, a rate that hasn’t changed for five months. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday that the jobless rate held steady, where it has been since October 2018. The rate is the third-lowest in the country, tied with New Hampshire and behind Vermont and North Dakota.

The number of residents with jobs rose by about 5,400 from the February figure, but the number of unemployed people also rose slightly. Iowa’s rate compares to a national unemployment rate of 3.8 percent in March.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – U-S Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon reminds certain non-profit organizations in Adair, Cass, Crawford, Dallas, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Monona, Pottawattamie, Shelby, Union and Woodbury counties, that low-interest federal disaster loans are now available for damages sustained during severe storms and flooding that began March 12, 2019. Private nonprofits that provide essential services of a governmental nature are eligible for assistance.

Director Tanya N. Garfield of SBA’s Disaster Field Operations Center-West, says “Private nonprofit organizations should contact Public Assistance Bureau Chief Katie Waters of the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department by calling (515) 725-3231 to obtain information about applicant briefings. At the briefings, private nonprofit representatives will need to provide information about their organization,” said . The Federal Emergency Management Agency will use that information to determine if the private nonprofit provides an “essential governmental service” and is a “critical facility” as defined by law. If so, FEMA may provide the private nonprofit with a Public Assistance grant for their eligible costs. If not, FEMA may refer the private nonprofit to SBA for disaster loan assistance.

SBA may lend private nonprofits up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future. For certain private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA also offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid because of the disaster’s impact. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the private nonprofit suffered any property damage.

The interest rate is 2.75 percent with terms up to 30 years. The deadline to apply for property damage is June 4, 2019. The deadline to apply for economic injury is Jan. 6, 2020. Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. Individuals who are deaf or hard‑of‑hearing may call (800) 877-8339. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.

DES MOINES, Iowa – Scams seem to follow disasters. Don’t let your guard down and suffer another disaster such as identity theft or paying fees for services that are never provided. Remember, FEMA never charges for services nor does it endorse any commercial business, product or service. All federal employees have an official badge/ID. Ask to see it. The following are some common post-disaster fraud practices to avoid.

Fraudulent building contractors. When hiring a contractor, the Iowa Attorney General suggests:

1. Check out the contractor before you sign a contract or pay any money. Ask if the contractor is registered with the Iowa Workforce Development’s Division of Labor Services. You can check a contractor’s registration online through the Division of Labor Services website, or call 515-242-5871.;
2. Be sure to check local references and hire local contractors when possible. (If you do not know the contractor, consider taking photographs of license plates, vehicles, driver’s licenses, etc.)
3. Also, check Iowa Courts Online for past court cases, and see if there are complaints on file with the Better Business Bureau and the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.;
4. Get it in writing. Seek several written estimates for the job you want done.
5. Before any work begins, agree on a written contract detailing work to be done, type and quality of materials to be used, responsibility for permits, costs, and any other promises.;
6. Request a copy of the contractor’s liability insurance certificate.
7. Put start and completion dates in writing and consequences if the contractor fails to follow them (For example: The contract could be nullified if the contractor does not start on time or finish on time.);
8. Avoid paying large sums in advance to a contractor. If you have to make a partial advance payment for materials, make your check out to the supplier and the contractor.Avoid paying large sums in advance to a contractor. If you have to make a partial advance payment for materials, make your check out to the supplier and the contractor.
9. Insist on a “mechanic’s lien waiver” in case the contractor fails to pay others for materials or labor.
10. Do not make a rushed decision or agree to a contract that you do not want just because the contractor tells you that he is busy. In most cases, Iowa’s Door-to-Door Sales law gives you three business days to cancel a contract signed at your home if you change your mind or have another reason to cancel the contract.

Fake offers of state or federal aid:

1. Beware of visits, calls or emails from people claiming to be from FEMA or the State of Iowa asking for your Social Security number, bank account or other sensitive information. Giving out this type of information can help an unscrupulous person make a false claim for assistance or commit identify theft;
2. Don’t fall for scam artists who promise a disaster grant and ask for large cash deposits or advance payments in full.;
3. Federal and state workers do not solicit or accept money. FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) staff never charge applicants for disaster assistance, inspections or help in filling out applications. FEMA inspectors never require banking or other financial information. The job of FEMA housing inspectors is to verify damage. Inspectors do not hire or endorse specific contractors to fix homes or recommend repairs. They do not determine eligibility for assistance. FEMA inspectors will not condemn a property. Condemnation determinations are made by your local jurisdiction.

Recovery officials encourage Iowa residents to watch for and report any suspicious activity. If you suspect fraud, contact the Consumer Protection Division of the State Attorney General’s Office at: Email consumer@ag.iowa.gov; Call 515-281-5926; Toll-free number outside of the Des Moines area: 888-777-4590. For more information visit Attorney General consumer tips and information.

(Radio Iowa) — Dozen of miles of roads in southwest Iowa are closed because they’re still underwater or they’re badly damaged by recent flooding. The Iowa Department of Transportation is trying to make it easier for motorists to navigate in that corner of the state. D-O-T spokeswoman Andrea Henry says the website 5-1-1-i-a-dot-org and the 5-1-1 app are being constantly updated. “We have added the enhancement where we’ve actually painted the roadways that are closed in red,” Henry says, “so they’re easy to see at a glance what is closed and exactly the length of roadway that is closed.”

Henry says you might need to zoom into an area to see the red lines indicating a closed road. “You need to make sure when you’re on the 511 map that you click on ‘Incidents’ on the left hand side,” Henry says, “and that will show you those roadways that are closed due to incidents such as flooding, or if we do have a crash that would close a roadway temporarily.” More than a dozen temporary cameras have also been secured in place in southwest Iowa — offering views that are visible using the 5-1-1 app and website — to help travelers keep tabs on the impacted roads. “We have them along Iowa 2, I-29 and US 34 as well, so that you can really see if there’s still water on the roadways in those areas,” Henry says. “You can see the debris removal activities as well as the construction activities that are going on along those roadways.”

Officials in Fremont County fear it could be as long as two years before all county roads are back in use. Henry says the D-O-T aims to have most of the major state-owned roads open by sometime well into fall.

Clarinda Police, Thursday evening, responded to the Dollar General Store at 200 East Glenn Miller Drive in Clarinda, to investigate an alleged shoplifting incident. Officers arrested 47-year old Wendy Sue Wood, of Clarinda, for theft by means of shoplifting, with additional charges possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia used to inject methamphetamine. Wood was being held on bond in the Page County jail.

Reports concerning the incident have been submitted to the office of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review regarding the filing of formal charges.

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Londo reports, personnel with FEMA will be out in the county going door-to-door, to get people who were affected by the floods to register to receive assistance. All of the people going around will have identification on them to show that they work for FEMA. The crews will be out over the next week to two weeks.

If you have questions, call Alex Londo at 712-755-5160.

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds says the flood damage estimate the State of Iowa submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency in March will be increased. The original one-point-six BILLION dollar estimate of damage in western Iowa was developed a month ago. “Then FEMA came in, with the National Guard and counted rooftops,” Reynolds says. “…I made it very clear in what I submitted that this was initial damage and there more than likely be additional damage and the dollars would increase moving forward.”

The Iowa Farm Bureau has estimated 127-thousand acres of Iowa cropland has been affected by the flooding and ag-related damage alone is two BILLION dollars. The governor says the repair costs for many of the busted levees along the Missouri River cannot be determined now because the water is still high in key areas. “That’s one of the things I talked to FEMA about when I met with acting director Gaynor, to just say: ‘Please don’t shut this incident down because we are still vulnerable right now. We don’t know the extent of the damage,'” Reynolds says. “We need some time to get those numbers to them.”

On Friday, March 22nd, state officials pegged major and minor damage to flooded homes at more than 400-MILLION dollars. Damages to businesses and commercial property was estimated in the range of 300 MILLION. The FINAL damage estimates are key for each county, as it determines whether federal disaster assistance will be made available to individuals — and whether federal money will help rebuild facilities owned by the state, city and county governments.

The SEVEN western Iowa counties of Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Pottawattamie, Shelby, and Woodbury already have been declared federal disaster areas. For individual residents, it means they may apply for federal grants and low-interest loans to cover home repairs or other disaster-related expenses. In addition, federal food assistance is available to residents in those seven counties who had high-water or lost power in their homes — or who had reduced work hours or lost their job because of the flooding.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Waterloo officials have identified parts of three city parks as potential candidates for sale. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that council members broached the idea of selling portions of parks for development. The thought is such sales could reduce maintenance costs, generate sales revenue and grow the tax base with new homes built on the land.

Neighboring property owners have resisted the idea in past discussions about selling park pieces. They feared losing direct sightlines and access to the parks or losing spots for recreation.
Leisure Services Director Paul Huting told the council earlier this week that if a portion of the sale proceeds were to be used for park improvements, the park neighbors might be happier with such sales.