DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is asking lawmakers for $15 million from the ending balance of the current year’s budget for immediate work on levees and repairs in flooded communities. She’s also seeking $10 million from next year’s budget to accelerate housing improvements. Reynolds announced her request Monday, saying federal money often takes months or years to arrive.

Reynolds also announced the creation of a Flood Recovery Advisory Board, which will coordinate state recovery efforts. Reynolds says she’ll lead the panel of up to 15 people. Flooding in March damaged more than 50 levees stretching about 250 miles along the Missouri River. Reynolds says 25,000 homes were destroyed or have major damage and more than 4,200 businesses were affected.

Early damage estimates provided to the federal government for a disaster declaration total $1.6 billion but Reynolds says that is likely to grow.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate has sent a bill legalizing the growing of industrial hemp to the House for consideration. The Iowa Hemp Act passed the Senate Monday 49-1. Sen. Kevin Kinney, a farmer from Oxford says he hopes to make hemp a third leading commodity in Iowa in addition to corn and soybeans.

The bill allows licensed growers to cultivate the crop on up to 40 acres. Industrial hemp can be used in food, fiber, paper and other products and Kinney says it’s been estimated it could grow to be a $1.9 billion market by 2022.

The National Conference of State Legislatures says at least 38 states considered legislation last year after the federal government eased restrictions in the Farm Bill on commercial production. Nebraska lawmakers gave a bill its first-round approval Monday but it must pass twice more before it goes to the governor.

(Radio Iowa) — Just when it appeared floodwaters were receding in parts of southwest Iowa’s Fremont County, the saturation returned over the weekend. Fremont County Emergency Management director Mike Crecelius says the water has crept back over roads in the Percival area and in the parking lots at a truck stop at the exit off Interstate 29 is back underwater.

“Everyone’s looking forward to these warmer temperatures. On the other side of that, these warmer temperatures mean all that snow these folks north of us got last week is going to be melting and that comes into the river below Gavin’s Point,” he says. The Gavin’s Point Dam on the Missouri River is located in South Dakota.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials announced over the weekend it had awarded the contract for repairs to the levee closest to Percival. Crecelius says it could be some time before those repairs take place, however. Meanwhile, Corps officials continue to work with city crews in Hamburg to fortify the levee southwest of Hamburg that breached last month.

Crecelius says roughly two feet of water is still covering the southern end of the community. Meanwhile, piles of flood-damaged materials discarded from homes have been placed curbside by local residents. “Nothing in there is really worth saving in most cases,” Crecelius says. “…DOT is providing eight trucks and three grapples starting today, to pick up all the debris that the folks have been dragging out to the edge of the streets and segregating it by the EPA requirements.”

Due to the ongoing flood conditions, the evacuation orders already in place in Fremont County will remain in place.  “We don’t want somebody being out there and then getting stranded and needing medical attention or the house catches fire and emergency services can’t get to them in any way, shape or form and the only way, then, would be to get a boat and go out there and get them,” Crecelius says. “We’re really not equipped to do that kind of stuff here.”

Crecelius says flood-damaged roads remained closed in the county. He says despite this, some vehicles–including trucks–are still ignoring the road closed barriers. “Three of them decided to go across Highway 2 and try to get to Nebraska City yesterday,” he says. “They have Jersey barriers on the Nebraska City side, so all three of them had to back their way down the bridge and one of the Fremont County deputies was sitting there when they came back through the water.”

The ticket for failing to obey a “road closed” sign is 195 dollars when court fines are included.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers, Monday, said two search warrants were executed Sunday afternoon at 901 W. Tarkio Street. During the investigation, Police seized approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine and several thousand dollars of cash.

Taken into custody was 35-year old Lacey Jo Smalley and 30-year old Vanessa Ranae Jones, both of Clarinda, along with 28-year old Thomas Jeffrey Engstrand, of Braddyville. All three were charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, gathering where illegal drugs are sold and used and failure to affix drug tax stamps. All three were being held at the Page County Jail on bail.

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.

Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Saturday, arrested 29-year old Samantha Danielle Hull, of Coin, on a Page County Warrant for Forgery. Hull was arrested at her residence in Coin. She was transported to the Page County Jail and was unable to post the $5,000 bond. Hull remained held in the Page County Jail on bond, pending further court appearances

Last Friday, Page County deputies arrested Gary Lynn Runyon, Jr., of Coin, following a traffic stop in Coin. Runyon was arrested for Driving while license is barred, an Aggravated misdemeanor. He was taken to the Page County Jail and held on $2,000 bond.

Officials with the Cass County Health System say this week’s “Healthy U” program has been cancelled. The program will resume Thursday, May 16th. Please call 712-243-7405 with any questions about Healthy U. And, the Cass County Soil and Water Conservation District’s regular meeting schedule for Today, April 15th at 7:00 pm has been cancelled and rescheduled to Thursday, April 18th at 7:00 pm due to lack of quorum.

(Updated w/name correction) — The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a large amount of Meth was seized following a traffic stop last Thursday in Cass County on Interstate 80, near the 70 mile marker. Authorities say the Cass County K9 was deployed and alerted to the odor of narcotics within the vehicle. Upon further investigation, 40-pounds of methamphetamine were found inside the vehicle. The driver, 26-year old Raymundo Yanez-Pacheco, of Laguna Hills, CA, was taken into custody and released to Drug Enforcement Agency.

Separately, 37-year old Kristina Marie Namanny, of Harlan, was arrested Thursday in Cass County, on a charge of Providing False ID to Law Enforcement. Namanny was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on her own recognizance. And, on April 8th, Cass County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 48-year old Mathew Clay Mitchell, of Anita, on a charge of Disorderly Conduct (Simple). Mitchell was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

(DES MOINES) –The Iowa Finance Authority today (Monday) announced a new down payment assistance program for first-time and repeat home buyers. The program offers a 0% loan for up to five percent of the sale price or $5,000, whichever is less and is repayable upon refinance or sale of the home. The new $5,000 second loan program requires no monthly payments and must be used in conjunction with one of the Iowa Finance Authority’s mortgage programs. Eligible home buyers may have a household income of up to $121,800 and may purchase a home for up to $331,000.

The Iowa Finance Authority also offers additional home buyer assistance programs, including a $2,500 nonrepayable down payment assistance grant as well as a mortgage credit certificate, which may provide up to a $2,000 federal tax credit every year for the life of the mortgage. Home buyers can apply for the homeownership programs by contacting one of more than 400 participating lenders throughout the state. Full program details and a listing of lenders offering the programs are available at IowaFinanceAuthority.gov.

The Iowa Finance Authority has assisted nearly 55,000 homeowners realize their dream of homeownership to date.

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds has issued an executive order that creates a 15-member Flood Recovery Advisory Board. She’ll be the board’s chairwoman, guiding the response to last month’s flooding. “This recovery will be difficult and it will be complex and it will require significant coordination at the local, state and federal levels,” Reynolds said during a news conference late this (Monday) morning in her statehouse office.

The governor is also asking legislators to set aside 25-million dollars in state funds to finance home-building tax credits and provide the local matching funds that will be required to quality for some federal disaster aid.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have released the name of a 17-year-old who was fatally shot in Des Moines. Officers were sent to a north Des Moines neighborhood around 8:40 p.m. Sunday to check on gunshots reported by several people. A few minutes later officers learned that a shooting victim believed to be from that neighborhood had been taken by private vehicle to MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center.

Police say the boy has since died. He’s been identified as Donzell Martin. Police say it’s the city’s third homicide of the year. No arrests have been reported.