(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds says it is too early to assess how much more state money may be needed for flood recovery. “We’re going to continue to work with the federal government, work the Corps, work with FEMA, work with HUD to see what the total cost is,” Reynolds says. “What’s the federal share? What’s the state’s share?”

An initial estimate of flood damage released by state officials this spring topped one-point-six BILLION. Reynolds said late last month there had not been an updated estimate. The governor does not believe it’s necessary to hold a special legislative session this fall so the Iowa House and Senate can vote to appropriate more state tax dollars for flood-related projects. The governor says those decisions can wait until the Iowa legislature reconvenes in 2020.

“It’s a fine line because if you rush in and pay too much of it, then the federal government doesn’t think that they have a role in it and they do,” Reynolds says. “, so we have to balance all aspects moving forward and taking advantage of the dollars they have available for the levees or for the buy-out.”

This spring, the Iowa legislature set aside 15 million dollars in state funds for flood-related projects that are getting federal money, but which require local matching funds, too. Earlier this week, a state board distributed that 15-million dollars to the communities of Hamburg, Hornick, Pacific Junction and Freedonia as well as Mills County.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

UNDATED (AP) — The state of Iowa has released documents that appear to support the claims of two men who said they were just doing their job testing security when they were arrested on suspicion of breaking into a courthouse. The men were working for Colorado-based cybersecurity company Coalfire when they were arrested inside the Dallas County Courthouse on Sept. 10. The state has said it hired Coalfire to test only the security of electronic access to court records, not to force “entry into a building.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — More than 200 Iowa scientists from 38 Iowa colleges and universities have signed on to a climate change statement that warns of “sobering extreme heat projections” for the Midwest that will put people, livestock and pets at risk. The statement released Wednesday says he World Meteorological Association identified July as the hottest month in more than 140 years of record-keeping.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A prosecutor says an Iowa man accused of using a corn rake to kill his wife was irate over her affair and fearful he’d lose their farm if she divorced him. Testimony resumed Wednesday after opening statements for the trial of 43-year-old Todd Mullis. He’s charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of 39-year-old Amy Mullis on Nov. 10 at the farm west of Dubuque. He claimed she accidentally fell on a corn rake, but prosecutors say evidence showed she’d been stabbed in the back with it.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Bernie Sanders’ Iowa political director has departed his 2020presidential campaign, leaving him without a key staffer in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Jess Mazour was announced as Sanders’ Iowa political director in March and was let go from the team in recent weeks. A Sanders aide on Wednesday confirmed Mazour’s departure on condition of anonymity. The aide wasn’t authorized to discuss personnel matters.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Bernie Sanders’ Iowa political director has departed his 2020presidential campaign, leaving him without a key staffer in the first-in-the-nation caucus state. Jess Mazour was announced as Sanders’ Iowa political director in March and was let go from the team in recent weeks. She previously worked as an organizer for the progressive group Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement.

A Sanders aide on Wednesday confirmed Mazour’s departure on condition of anonymity. The aide wasn’t authorized to discuss personnel matters. The news of her departure was first reported by The Washington Post.

While the team still has a number of original top-level staffers in place in Iowa, the news of Mazour’s departure comes as Sanders has also drawn headlines for staff troubles in New Hampshire, where his state director has been replaced.

The state of Iowa has released documents that appear to support the claims of two men who said they were just doing their job testing security when they were arrested on suspicion of breaking into a courthouse this month. The men were working for Colorado-based cybersecurity company Coalfire when they were arrested after being found on the third floor of the Dallas County Courthouse just after midnight Sept. 10.

The state has said it hired Coalfire to test only the security of electronic access to court records and not to force “entry into a building.” The two workers still face criminal charges. Yet the contract between Coalfire and the state says that a “physical penetration test targets your facilities/buildings/locations” and notes that the company planned to “attempt to collect physical documentation” at the courthouse where the men were arrested.

Members of the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, passed a Resolution committing financial support to the non-profit “Shift ATL” organization, with regard to their plans for a future Housing Rehabiliation Project. Shift ATL spokesperson Alexis Fleener, said they’re not asking for a specific amount of funds at this time.

Councilman Gerald Brink asked Fleener how the money would be used, if it were to be granted at some point in time. She said it would go toward the purchase of a home to rehabilitated. Once completed, the home would be sold at a price more than the cost of the purchase price and rehab costs combined. Funds from the sale of the home would be returned to Shift ATL for future rehab projects, and the title to the property would be transferred to the new owner.

Brink said he’s fielded questions and concerns from the public about how much Shift ATL is taking on, with regard to the purchase and rehabilitation of the old Downtowner Restaurant on 4th Street. Fleener said grants are being applied for to help to pay for work on the old building located across from City Hall.

Fleener said the housing rehab project will be done in cooperation with other groups and partners, the Chamber, CADCO, the City and local contractors, which stand to benefit from tax deductions for their in-kind services. She said they would be purchasing, in a targeted neighborhood, a home under $100,000, with the idea to flip it for anywhere from $120,000 to $150,000 range. The home would be one with “Good bones” and “Curb appeal,” that, once finished would attract potential buyers to Atlantic. She said also, the home would be thoroughly inspected before a decision is made to purchase it for rehabilitation.

Councilman Pat McCurdy said he would like to see “Some fill-in housing,” by means of modular homes, with the City footing the bill. That idea didn’t sit well with some of the other Council members. Alexis Fleener suggested a representative with “Housing 360” from Lenox speak with the Council about other ways to find ways identify open lots and homes that can be acquired through employer participation.

In other business, following a Public Hearing, the Council authorized Mayor Dave Jones (Who was not present Wednesday evening), to make an application to the Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Water/Sewer Program for Water Improvements, on behalf of Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU). SWIPCO’s Alexis Fleener said AMU hired Snyder & Associates Engineers to complete a preliminary Engineering report and cost estimate.

Snyder’s proposes to rehab a water filtration system at the water treatment plant, and a second water main crossing over the Nishnabotna River, to create a looping system and redundancy, which will also serve the City of Marne. The costs of the project are anticipated to be $1.097-million. The City will apply for a $493,997 CDBG, with AMU matching $603,773. The CDBG application must be submitted on or before Oct. 1st.

City Administrator John Lund says the project completes will benefit low-to-moderate income residents. The City will work with SWIPCO (Southwest Iowa Planning Council), to complete and

Sheriff’s officials in Adams County report deputies were called a little before 3-p.m. today (Wednesday), to 2918 Highway 34, for a report of an intoxicated person who was damaging property and causing a scene. Deputies arrested 44-year old Matthew Rayhons, of Lenox, for Public Intoxication, Disorderly Conduct, and Criminal Mischief.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The rising Missouri River broke through two levees northeast of Omaha, but the flooding affected rural areas that have been flooded twice before this year.

Interstate 29 remained open near Omaha Wednesday afternoon, but transportation officials warned that parts of the highway will likely have to close overnight. Several on-ramps were closed Wednesday. The lower Missouri River is flooding in Nebraska and Iowa this week because exceptionally heavy rains fell last week in Montana, North and South Dakota and Nebraska.

Officials don’t expect the floodwaters to cause significant damage to communities. But many levees remain damaged from severe flooding in the spring, allowing the floodwaters to flow into many farm fields and rural areas.