Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — A judge has refused to delay sentencing for a northern Iowa farmer who appeared on ABC’s “The Bachelor” and who was involved in a fatal crash. Chris Soules has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of leaving the scene of a serious injury accident. His lawyers had sought the sentencing delay, citing the prosecution’s lack of response to a motion regarding a presentence investigation. The judge denied the request last week and said the sentencing will be held Tuesday as scheduled.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — Heavy rain has caused a gaping hole in the roof of a Mason City building that houses a number of government offices, forcing the structure to close. Mohawk Square closed after weekend thunderstorms dumped more than an inch of rain in the area and led to the corner of the downtown building’s roof to collapse. The building, which once was home to Mason City High School, now provides space for government offices. An official says an engineer planned to assess the damage.

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. His attorney said Monday that Sutko will plead not guilty. The documents say Sutko sometimes threw pizza parties at nursing homes, promising gifts as a way to obtain information for 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 that Cham Deng graduated Sunday from Storm Lake High School with a 3.4 grade point average, ranking the first generation Sudanese-American 28th in his class of 190 students. Storm Lake Superintendent Stacey Cole says that Deng has been a positive inspiration at the school.

(Update 3:45-a.m.) — A man and a woman were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital following a residential fire in Atlantic, Monday. Firefighters were called to 403 W. 14th Street at around 8:27-p.m.

Photos by KJAN News Director Ric Hanson (Click on images to enlarge)

Atlantic Fire Chief Mark McNees told KJAN News as crews were enroute, dispatch advised both residents – Mark and Claudia Eoff — were out of the house, but then Mark Eoff went back inside to try and rescue a cat and a bird, possibly a cockatiel. Both animals died. Eoff suffered from minor burns to his hands and arm, before he had to withdraw from the residence.

Firefighters were advised of a possible explosion in the residence just before they arrived. Upon arrival, there was smoke pouring from the eaves of the homes. Crews knocked down the flames within 15 minutes. McNees said there was a lot of fuel (Combustible) material inside the home.

The last crews were on the scene until about 10-p.m. McNees said an investigation determined the fire was caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette.

Atlantic Parks and Recreation Department Director Bryant Rasmussen reports the west side playground equipment and safety/fall material at the Schildberg Recreation Area (SRA) is ready to be installed, and he’s putting out a call for volunteers to help put everything together June 21^st and 22^nd. Lunch will be provided for volunteers who are willing to lend a hand. If you’re interested in turning some wrenches, tightening screws and leveling the rubberized fall material, call the Parks and Rec Department at 712-243-3542.

Rasmussen said he’s been in talks with the City Street Department about excavating the site and helping in other areas of preparation, such as setting the cement for support poles. The west restroom at the SRA, as you may have noticed, has already been installed. The next step is to pack down the backfill and lay concrete for an ADA accessible path from the walking path to the restroom facility. Work on the Campground bathhouse is also underway, with soil work preparation.

Rasmussen said work on the East Ridge Park washout is set to begin as soon as possible, weather permitting. At Mollett Park (located at the east end of E. 3^rd Street Place), a split rail fence has been installed. A more defined, blocked-off parking lot is in the works for this summer or fall. The fence was installed to try and prevent vehicle vandalism that’s taken place in the past few months. Parks Board member Charlene Beane was concerned about the lack of lighting for the park, especially with a raised bed community garden in the plans. She wanted to see better lighting and security cameras to help prevent vandalism.

Rasmussen said the Sunnyside Pool was up and running, but the pump fought them. A new pump would cost anywhere from $45,000-to $50,000. Assistant Parks Director Roger Herring said there needs to be a renewed conversation about sources of funding for future of the pool, including a possible pump replacement in a few years.

In other business, Bryant Rasmussen said lilacs were installed at Harl Holt park to create a natural barrier along the basketball court, as opposed to a fence. He said also, work on the docks at the SRA, which were damaged by the flood, will begin in earnest as soon as possible. Work on the SRA Dog Park is done, and the park is usable. Fencing was re-installed, and holes have been filled-in. The parking lot has also been patched.

And finally, Rasmussen invites the public to the 4^th Annual Block Party at Sunnyside Park, June 1^st from 4-until 6-p.m. Volunteers are need to help chaperone at the event, as well.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office report 47-year old Michael John Priest, of Afton, was arrested at around 1:40-a.m., Sunday. Priest was arrested at his home in Afton for domestic abuse assault.  He was later released from the Union County Jail on his own recognizance.

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.