(Radio Iowa) — Republican leaders in the Iowa legislature say they will meet with Governor Kim Reynolds to chart the state’s response to the catastrophic flooding that’s hit western Iowa, but House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake says she’s worried more flooding is on the way. “Certainly applications will go to FEMA, but there’s also a state role in that,” Upmeyer says. “We’ll take a look and see how we can insert best to fill the gaps where they exist.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency requires states and local governments to come up with “matching funds” when federal aide is distributed in disaster areas. “We’ll address it. I don’t know if it affects the current budget, the future or a special kind of budget,” Upmeyer says. “We’ll see.” After the massive flooding that struck Iowa in 2008, state officials dipped into the state’s economic emergency fund to pay for some of the response.

Upmeyer says legislators will first look for ways to find extra money within existing budget plans to respond to this year’s flooding, but that emergency fund is an option. “This genuinely, in my opinion, does classify as an emergency,” Upmeyer says, “so if we need to access those resources, we could.” Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says the governor has seen the flood damage firsthand and she’ll take the lead in determining the extent of the state’s response.

“It is a tough situation and a dire situation in southwest Iowa and we’re getting constant feedback from our senators that represent that area,” Whitver says. In 2009, Democrats who held majority control established new committees in both the House and Senate to address flood-related issues. Senator Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids was chairman of the Senate’s Rebuild Iowa Committee.

“I am all ears, waiting to hear what Governor Reynolds and Republican legislative leaders are going to do in response to this flood,” Hogg says. “This is absolutely devastating for thousands of people across the state.” Hogg says as chairman of the Rebuild Iowa Committee in 2010, he asked Kim Reynolds — who was a freshman state senator at the time — to manage a bill about disaster case management.

“We did a lot things to not just handle immediate recovery, but to create policy and set up things in place to try to prevent future flood damage,” Hogg says. “Well, we just still have never done enough on that.” Upmeyer — who was a member of the Iowa House after the floods of 2008 — cited creation of the Iowa Flood Center as one of the accomplishments of that time period.

“That still exists, so we have resources already in place that we can go to,” Upmeyer says. The center has developed flood-risk maps and has a website with a variety of flood-related data, including some flood depth analysis.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 4:00 a.m. CDT

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A Pottawattamie County jury has found a man not guilty of the 2015 killing his 68-year-old mother in her rural south-central Iowa home. Des Moines station KCCI reports that 46-year-old Jason Carter was found not guilty on Thursday. He had been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Shirley Carter, whose body was found in the kitchen of her Marion County home.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Weather Service says the flooding in Nebraska and Iowa is just a preview of widespread major flooding to hit much of the country this spring. More than 200 million Americans will be at risk for some kind of flooding _ with 13 million of them at risk of major flooding. The Mississippi, Missouri, Great Lakes, lower Ohio lower Cumberland and Tennessee rivers and their basins are at biggest risk.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) — The flooding in Nebraska provides a dramatic example of how climate change poses a national security threat, even as the Trump administration plays down the issue. High water didn’t damage the headquarters of the U.S. military’s Strategic Command, which plays a central role in detecting and striking at global threats, but muddy water was still lapping at almost 80 flooded buildings at Nebraska’s Offutt Air Force Base, some were inundated by up to 7 feet of water.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa House has passed two bills designed to address a lack of mental health services for Iowa children. The first bill established a state board to oversee the system. “A robust children’s mental health piece of legislation that lays the groundwork for what will come in the state of Iowa.” That’s Representative Joel Fry, a Republican from Osceola who guided the bill through the legislative process.

The second bill, which passed unanimously, gave counties more flexibility to build up cash reserves in order to finance expansion of mental health services. Representative Mary Mascher — a Democrat from Iowa City — says legislators need a better plan, particularly for kids who need long-term mental health care.

“Our suicide rates are increasing in Iowa, especially among our young people,” Mascher said. “We are failing them.” Mascher was among just 14 House members who opposed the bill establishing the framework for a children’s mental health system. Representative Mark Smith, a Democrat from Marshalltown, was another no.

“I think that there are way too many unanswered questions on this,” Smith said. While a few others expressed similar reservations, Democrats like Representative Lisa Heddens of Ames said it was worth supporting. “Families want something. We have absolutely nothing out there for them,” Heddens said. “They want some sort of structure in place. They want somewhere to go to find out: ‘How do I navigate this mental health system?’ They don’t know where to go.”

The bill sets a goal of developing and maintaining a children’s mental health system in Iowa to provide services regardless of where the child lives or whether the child’s parents can afford to pay for the care. Both bills now go to the Iowa Senate for consideration.

(Radio Iowa) — As so many Iowans are dealing with excess water lately due to flooding, we’re reminded the resource is precious and not to waste it. Residents in towns where water treatment plants have shut down already know the value of fresh, clean water. Don Tormey, spokesman for the Iowa Utilities Board, says we should all check our homes for sources of drips to save water — and money.

“Nearly one-trillion gallons of water is wasted each year in the U.S. through minor residential drips and leaks,” Tormey says. “That’s equal to the total water used by more than 11-million homes.” A federal report finds 10-percent of homes have leaks that drain more than 90 gallons a day, typically through worn toilet flappers, faulty valves and dripping faucets.

“According to the EPA, a faucet that drips once per second leaks 3,000 gallons a year and an average household leak can lead to 10,000 gallons of lost water annually,” Tormey says. “That’s a lot of water.” He suggests you check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water was used. A change in the meter reading indicates you could have a leak and there are a few ways you can check.

“You can place a drop of food coloring in a toilet tank to check for leaks. Without flushing, wait 10 minutes to see if any color appears in the bowl. If it does, you have a leak,” Tormey says. “You can check your faucet handles, gaskets and fittings for signs of water outside the pipe that could indicate a leak. Also, if you have an irrigation systems, you should check that each spring.”

Learn more about leaks and water conservation at the website: www.epa.gov/watersense.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A Pottawattamie County jury has found a man not guilty of the 2015 killing his 68-year-old mother in her rural south-central Iowa home. Des Moines station KCCI reports that 46-year-old Jason Carter was found not guilty on Thursday. He had been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Shirley Carter, whose body was found in the kitchen of her Marion County home. The trial was moved out of Marion County due to pretrial publicity.

The charges were filed two days after a jury found Carter civilly liable for his mother’s death and ordered him to pay $10 million to his mother’s estate. Bill Carter had sued his son for wrongful death. The elder man said his son was financially strapped and killed Shirley Carter to gain access to his parents’ $10 million in assets. Jason Carter has denied that.

Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued another disaster proclamation today (Thursday), in response to flooding and flash flooding beginning March 13th and continuing. The latest proclamation covers nine additional counties, including Cass, Madison and Union.

The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program for qualifying residents, along with the Disaster Case Management Program.

With the addition of these nine counties, the governor has issued proclamations for 52 counties impacted by the recent flooding. The other (local) counties include:  Adair, Audubon, Crawford, Dallas, Fremont, Guthrie, Harrison, Mills, Monona, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level or a maximum annual income of $41,560 for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

Disaster Case Management is a program to address serious needs to overcome a disaster-related hardship, injury or adverse condition. Disaster case managers work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice and referral to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Management Program, contact your local community action association or visit www.iowacommunityaction.org.

Police in Creston report an elderly female passenger in a car was injured when the vehicle was struck broadside Wednesday afternoon, in Creston. Authorities say vehicles driven by Todd Allen Dolphin, of Ames, and Shirley Jane Molt, of Blockton, collided at the intersection of W. Taylor and Laurel Streets at around 2-p.m.

The accident happened when Dolphin failed to yield. The unidentified injured passenger was transported to the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston. Police cited Todd Dolphin for Failure to Yield. Damage from the collision amounted to $6,500.