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.

Shelby County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Londo, and his staff have been working with Local officials to determine the Damage to Public Infrastructure.  The preliminary information has been provided to the State of Iowa, indicating $1,151,831.32 in documented damage and response expenses.

Under the Public Assistance program, FEMA awards grants to assist state and local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations with the response to and recovery from disasters. The program provides funding for debris removal, implementation of emergency protective measures and permanent restoration of infrastructure. The program also encourages protection from future damage by providing assistance for hazard mitigation measures during the recovery process. The state works with FEMA to manage the program and administer the funding.

For individual households the Iowa Individual Disaster Assistance Grant Program Application is available for those individuals that were affected by the flood.  $5,000 in assistance is available if you meet identified criteria and income limits.  You can go to https://dhs.iowa.gov/disaster-assistance-programs and print off the application and follow the instructions to turn it in.

Shelby County Emergency Management, 1106 9^th Street in Harlan, will offer a printed copy of the application.  The location to turn in the application is just a block away from the Emergency Management Office at West Central Community Action 1017 7^th St Harlan, IA 51537.