SHELDON, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified a man whose body was found on a shore of the Floyd River near a college campus in northwest Iowa.

The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office said Friday in a news release that the Iowa State Medical Examiner has identified the victim as 27-year-old Cory Allen Wright, of Sheldon. Officials say a fingerprint and tattoos on the body were used to confirm Wright’s identity.

Wright’s body was found the morning of March 26 near the southeast portion of Northwest Iowa Community College property in Sheldon. Authorities said it appeared Wright’s body had been underwater.

Officials say the cause of death has not yet been determined.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa’s third district Congresswoman Cindy Axne has sent a letter to congressional leaders, urging “immediate action” on disaster relief. “There’s a lot of concern that towns might not come back from this,” Axne says. “…We’ve got a lot to manage here.” Axne’s letter went to Democratic and Republicans leaders in both the House and Senate.

She wrote that now is NOT the time for political games and congress should not turn its back on Americans recovering from the devastating damage of natural disasters. Earlier this week, Democrats in the U.S. Senate blocked a vote on a disaster aid package as they seek more money for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico.

Axne, a Democrat from West Des Moines, says congress must respond to the requests from local and state officials who are directly dealing with this spring’s flooding. “Certainly, as the governor, indicated it is like an ocean out there,” Axne said. “There were white caps on some of the fields. That’s how deep the water is.” Axne will be in three western Iowa counties tomorrow (Saturday).

“We’ll be working with emergency management again, local election officials, stopping by shelters and visiting farms that have been under water,” Axne says. Axne has joined the effort trying to expand U-S-D-A crop insurance for crops damaged in the field to also cover grain that’s been harvested and sitting in storage bins. Much of that grain in Mills and Fremont Counties has been spoiled by the flooding.

“There’s some outlay for our farmers that they’re not going to be able to get back unless we can get some specific language that would fit in with one of the programs that USDA offers,” Axne said. “I’m working on that and then, of course, working with Senators Grassley and Ernst. They’re trying to get things through the Senate. I’m coordinating here at the House, so that we can move this forward.”

Axne says during her trip to the flood zone last week she spent time with a 17-year-old in a shelter who fled his home with nothing more than the clothes he was wearing.

Officials with FEMA say a toll-free disaster hotline is available to survivors of the recent Iowa floods who may need legal assistance. The hotline allows callers to request the assistance of a lawyer to aid in disaster-related matters, and is a partnership between Legal Aid of Iowa, The Iowa State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division and the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.

Flood victims facing legal issues may call 833-885-9876 toll-free, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday to request assistance. When connected to the hotline voicemail, callers should leave their name, phone number, brief details of the assistance needed and in which county they are located. Individuals who qualify for assistance will be matched with Iowa lawyers who have volunteered to provide free legal assistance. The types of legal assistance available include:

• Assistance with securing FEMA and other government benefits available to disaster survivors;
• Assistance with life, medical and property insurance claims;
• Help with home repair contracts and contractors;
• Replacement of wills and other important legal documents destroyed in the disaster;
• Assistance in consumer protection matters, remedies and procedures; Counseling on mortgage-foreclosure problems; and
• Counseling on landlord-tenant problems.

(Des Moines, Iowa) – The Presidential Disaster Declaration issued on March 23, 2019, allows the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) to offer the Disaster Food Assistance Program for some Iowans impacted by high water and power outages due to the recent floods in western Iowa. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and DHS have approved the Disaster Food Assistance Program for affected, qualified individuals in the following counties: Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Monona, and Woodbury.

Disaster Food Assistance uses different qualifying rules than regular Food Assistance. If you would not normally qualify for Food Assistance, based on income, you may qualify for Disaster Food Assistance.

“This will help Iowans get their household back on track following this historic flooding,” said Jerry R. Foxhoven, director of DHS. “It can make a big difference for families who may be experiencing food insecurity during this difficult time.”

For more information visit: https://dhs.iowa.gov/.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has been calling for new approaches to deal with persistent flooding, and now she’s also seeking prayers to deal with the problem.

On Monday, Reynolds was surrounded by evangelical Christians as she signed a proclamation declaring Sunday a statewide day of prayer for flood recovery. Reynolds and the group then bowed their heads together in prayer.

Earlier in the week, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts signed a similar proclamation.
In response to questions from reporters, Reynolds repeated her call for new approaches to reduce immediate and long-term flood risks along the Missouri River, saying companies and residents will leave if flood threats remain high.

She called on Congress to set aside politics and pass a disaster aid bill. A measure funding Midwest flood relief has been delayed in the U.S. Senate by calls from Democrats to spend more on Puerto Rico, which is still recovering from 2017 hurricane damage.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Missouri Valley man for Violation of Probation on Friday. At 2:45pm Deputies arrested 44-year-old Troy A. Myers of Missouri Valley after he was transported from Pottawattamie County to the Montgomery County Jail. He was booked in and held on $5,000 bond.

Genelle Deist, Chair of the Audubon County Community Foundation, is pleased to announce that grants totaling $116,841.19 were awarded to Audubon County nonprofit agencies. The following nonprofit organizations, which submitted applications to the Audubon County Community Foundation by the February 1st deadline, were awarded grants by the Audubon County Community Foundation Board of Directors:

• Audubon County Conservation Board – Littlefield Recreation Area Playground, $20,000.
• Audubon Recreation Foundation – Bowling Lanes, $30,000.
• Exira Community Club – Rec Reno Project, $25,000.
• Exira Parks Committee – Exira Legion Playground Project, $10,000.
• Friendship Home Foundation – Memory Support Unit Improvements, $19,091.19
• The Children’s Nest – Playground Renovation Project, $12,750.

Nonprofit representatives receiving grant awards (left to right): 1st row: Mary Wede, The Children’s Nest; Jess Nixon, Friendship Home Foundation; Lexi Christensen, Exira Parks Committee; Harper and Abby Rasmussen, Exira Community Club; 2nd row: Bruce Haag, Audubon County Conservation Board, Troy Wessel and Jenny Smith, Audubon Recreation Foundation; 3rd row: Audubon County Community Foundation Advisory Board Members Shelley Burr, Genelle Deist, and Bob Blomme.

All grantees met the criteria as Audubon County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions in the areas of civic, cultural, health, education and social services. Only organizations providing services in Audubon County were eligible. Audubon County agency representatives received their checks on April 5th. During brief check distribution activities, Deist commended the nonprofit agencies for their individual efforts to provide a better quality of life for the residents of Audubon County.

The Audubon County Community Foundation, as an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation and member of the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa, receives funds annually from the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program for endowment building and grant-making throughout the county. Created in 2004, the County Endowment Fund Program is funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue. These funds are distributed annually to participating community foundations and affiliate community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license.

Beyond the County Endowment Fund Program, the Audubon County Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses and organizations to create permanent funds that address changing, vital community needs and interests. Donating to a permanently endowed fund helps your neighbors today AND you help build a stronger community tomorrow. Not only that, you may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit for each donation, in addition to any Federal tax benefits for which you may qualify.

For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact any of the Board Members, or call Stacey Goodman, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458.

OSAGE, Iowa (AP) — A northern Iowa sheriff says a woman was fatally injured when a tree fell on her. The accident occurred around 3:10 p.m. Thursday in Osage. Mitchell County Sheriff Gregory Beaver says 52-year-old Jacqueline Kapustynski was clearing an area of trees when one that had gotten lodged against another fell, striking her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that police departments can keep investigative reports secret even after an inquiry has concluded. The finding is significant because it could be used by municipalities to justify withholding a range of documents, including video, from the public and media. The court ruled Friday that an exemption to the Iowa Open Records Act for police reports does not apply only to ongoing investigations. Instead, the ruling says lawmakers intended to treat those reports — which often include video from police cameras, audio of 911 calls and other records — as confidential indefinitely.

Justice Thomas Waterman says police only have to release the “immediate facts and circumstances” of a crime or incident under the law. The finding came in a dispute between the city of Cedar Rapids and a black motorist who was shot and paralyzed after a struggle with a white officer. The court says a judge didn’t err by ordering the city to turn over some records related to that shooting without a protective order barring their public release.

AMES, Iowa – When dealing with flooding or other natural disasters, Iowans can turn to Iowa Concern for help, says Tammy Jacobs, coordinator for the long-time service from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. With a toll-free phone number, live chat capabilities and a website, Iowa Concern services are available 24 hours a day, seven days per week at no charge. Iowa Concern provides access to stress counselors and an attorney for legal education, as well as information and referral services for a wide variety of topics.

“If you are dealing with stress, or if you have questions about your insurance coverage or your legal rights after a flood, or whether you qualify for state or federal disaster assistance, Iowa Concern can help, 24/7,” Jacobs said. To reach Iowa Concern, call 800-447-1985; language interpretation services are available. Or, visit the website, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/iowaconcern/, to live chat with a stress counselor one-on-one in a secure environment. Or email an expert regarding legal, finance, stress, or crisis and disaster issues.

“All personal information given to Iowa Concern, whether on the hotline or through e-mail or live chat, is kept confidential,” Jacobs said. She also suggests visiting Human Sciences Extension and Outreach’s “Finding Answers Now” website for additional information and resources on dealing with stress.