(Radio Iowa) — A statewide association that provides technical assistance to Iowa cities, counties and businesses is backing an idea that could address the state’s housing shortage and provide prisoners who’ll be paroled some marketable job skills. The Iowa Association of Councils of Governments is offering to create a non-profit called Homes for Iowa to operate the Rural Homes Initiative. Rick Hunsaker, executive director of Region Seven of the Iowa Council of Governments, says the initiative would be modeled after a successful program in a neighboring state.

“What they do in South Dakota, have been doing for 20 years, is having prisoners construct stick-built houses that are then transported anywhere in the state of South Dakota and it is for workforce housing, essentially low- and moderate-income housing,” he says, “new houses that can be placed anywhere.” Hunsaker and others who are urging legislators to try the same program here suggest it could be called the Rural Housing Initiative. They envision having prisoners at the Newton Correctional facility build homes that would then be shipped to areas in need of affordable housing.

Advocates for this initiative are asking legislators to commit about four-million state tax dollars to cover start-up costs. “It requires a new fence to be built. It requires the site work to be done and the platforms and pylons to be constructed and installed so that we can build houses on that. It requires us to have a large warehouse so that we’re able to bulk-buy supplies,” Hunsaker says. “…It requires the trucks which are specialized, that they have jacks that can lower them down, get underneath the houses and bring them out.”

Advocates on this program envision paying the prisoners for their work, most of which would be used to cover fines, restitution, court costs and room and board. According to Hunsaker, it will also cut back on crime. Inmates involved in South Dakota’s home construction program have a 35 percent lower rate of committing another crime compared to the general prison population.

Hunsaker is among those hoping to build a coalition of groups to lobby legislators to authorize this program. The idea won initial committee approval in the state senate this past year, but did not wind up in the legislature’s final budget plan.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Federal Emergency Management Agency has again denied Gov. Kim Reynolds’ request for disaster assistance to flood victims in four Iowa counties. Reynolds announced Monday that FEMA had denied her appeal of the agency’s earlier denial of help to victims in Buchanan, Dickinson, Polk and Winnebago counties. The request followed severe storms and flooding from June 6 to July 2. FEMA notified the governor in August that the impact wasn’t severe enough to merit individual assistance.

President Donald Trump declared the four counties presidential disaster areas, making them available for other assistance. Reynolds also issued a disaster proclamation for the counties and has worked to provide more than $2.8 million in aid. Last week, FEMA denied individual disaster aid to victims of July tornadoes that hit Marshall and Polk counties.

(Updated 12/11) — Atlantic Fire and Medivac Ambulance were called to the scene of a residential fire Monday afternoon. A call about smoke coming from the attic at 709 Cedar Street was called-in at around 1:30-p.m. A young female and her grandmother were able to escape the home as crews were arriving. Smoke was visible from the northwest corner of the home as fire crews worked to get to the source of the flames and ventilate the structure.

Ric Hanson (photos)

Fire Chief Mark McNees said the residents smelled smoke earlier in the day, but were not able to determine where it was coming from. Crews remained on the scene until about 3:25-p.m. The cause remains under investigation as of today (Tuesday, 12/11).

Atlantic Police, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies and Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon assisted at the scene.

Officials with the City of Atlantic have announced Chestnut Street between 7th and 8th Street will be blocked-off Tuesday through Thursday, of this week. Work being done in the area will limit access to the 1st Whitney Bank at 7th and Chestnut, to traffic from the north, only.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A woman accused of stealing narcotic pain pills while working for a Council Bluffs assisted living facility has taken a plea deal. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 31-year-old Mandi Newsom was given two years of probation and fined $1,000 Friday. She also was granted a deferred judgment. That means Newsom’s conviction in the case can be removed from court records if she fulfills her probation terms.

She pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge, and prosecutors dropped two related charges in return. Her trial was scheduled to begin Jan. 15. Newsom was accused of stealing nearly 1,900 oxycodone and hydrocodone pills from January 2017 to August 2017 while working at Bethany Heights Assisted Living.

(Radio Iowa) — The leader of the Food Bank of Iowa says they saw an increased demand in November and she doesn’t expect that to drop off. Food Bank C-E-O, Michelle Book, says they had been distributing an average of one million pounds of food each month to their 55 counties. “We saw our distribution spike dramatically to a million and-half pounds of food for the month of November. That’s a first time for us to distribute at that level,” Book says.

Iowa’s unemployment level has dropped to its lowest in decades and Book says she’s often asked why there is still such a need with the level so low. She says while people are employed, productivity hasn’t gone up, and that means wages haven’t risen much. “For ten years wages in Iowa have been stagnant,” Book says. “At the same time the cost of living continues to increase. “For many of us when the recession cured, things improved for many of us.But for the folks who’re on that lower rung of the ladder — things did not improve for them.”  Book says cold weather puts an added strain on people’s budgets. “You can choose not to run your air conditioner in the summer — and most folks when they are in that situation make that choice. But in the winter time, you can’t make the choice to not run your furnace. Especially when you are elderly or you have children in the household. Difficult decisions are made every day,” according to Book.

And she says when schools close for the holidays, there is another resource not available. “The kids are not in school and they are not getting two key meals a day from the school system,” she says. Book says they have been able to handle the increase need for food after expanding their warehouse. One thing she says they do need more of is volunteers. “Of the food that we distribute every month — 55 percent of it is donated — and almost all of that has to be touched in one way or another,” Book says. “So, we’d love to have people come in an volunteer at Food Bank of Iowa.

She says if you can’t get into their facility in Des Moines, you can offer to help and volunteer at your local food pantry. Book says donations of money also help. “We’re always looking for additional funds. We prefer to get the food donated, but when we can’t we do buy food to make sure that we have a full and complete inventory,” Book explains. “And one dollar donated to the Food Bank of Iowa can be turned into four meals for hungry Iowans.”  You can make a donation at: www.foodbankiowa.org.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrests on Sunday, of two men from Glenwood. 30-year old Brian Mitchell Adams was arrested for Possession of Controlled Substance. And, 45-year old David Monroe Reeves was arrested for Failure to Maintain Control, and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability. Bond for both men was set at $1,000 each.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports numerous recent arrests. Early this (Monday) morning, a Deputy patrolling on Interstate 80 near the 22 mile marker, observed a vehicle ahead of him with no lights on the entire rear end of the vehicle. The vehicle was also displaying paper registration plates. During the course of a traffic stop, the 24-year old female driver was identified as having a protection order in place with a passenger of the vehicle. After confirmation of the order, the passenger, 24-year old Albert Finley, of Omaha, was arrested for violation of a protection order.

At around 11:30-p.m. Sunday, a Pott. County Deputy dispatched to the 20 mile marker of I-80 for an unknown injury accident involving a 2011 Dodge Caliber, arrested 39 year old Edgar Gerardo Badillo, of Council Bluffs, for OWI/1st offense. Earlier that same evening, a Deputy on patrol was dispatched to the area of Highway 59 and Cottonwood Road for a check location call. Dispatch advised Mills County took a report of stolen license plates on a vehicle and the vehicle was in the area. Upon arrival, the vehicle was on location and was unoccupied. The license plates, which had come from a vehicle in Macedonia, were removed from the vehicle and placed into evidence. 33-year old Nicholas John Horgdal, of Emerson, was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree.

On December 8th, Pott. County Deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 21,000 block of Greenview Road for a disturbance. Upon arrival and further investigation it was determined that an assault had occurred and the offender, 25-year old Philip Michael Richard Moffat, of Council Bluffs, was placed under arrest for the incident involving his 25-year old girlfriend, from Council Bluffs. Moffatt was transported to Pott. County Corrections.

At around 11:10-p.m. Friday, 21-year old Austin Daniel Malloy, of Walnut, was operating a motor vehicle at Highway 92 and 480th Street and was stopped for failing to dim his bright lights and littering. Malloy showed signs of being impaired and had a barred driving status at the time of contact and was placed under arrest for OWI 2nd, and driving while barred. At around 8:50-p.m., Friday, a traffic stop at Highway 59 and Cottonwood Road resulted in the arrest for Driving While Barred, of  33-year old Nicholas John Horgdal, from Emerson. At around Noon, Friday, 29-year old Phillip Michael Manriquez,  of Omaha, turned himself-in to the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant for Violation of Probation. Manriquez was turned over to Corrections staff and booked into the jail without incident.

At around 7:15-a.m. Friday, a Deputy was dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of Eagle Circle, in Underwood for a verbal disturbance. When authorities arrived on location, they found 63-year old Michael James Hunter, of Underwood, at the residence. Hunter was found to be the suspect in a Domestic Assault that occurred Dec. 6th. He was arrested on the charge of Simple Domestic Assault, and taken to the Pott. County Jail. A couple of hours later, an inventory of Hunter’s property at the jail, revealed there were two small bags with 1.1-grams of a white substance, that was found in the zippered part of his wallet. The substance was believed to be methamphetamine. Hunter was subsequently charged with Possession of Contraband in a Jail Facility.

Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports that at a little before 9-p.m. Saturday, officers arrested on numerous charges, 45-year old Jess Scott Larson, of rural Clarinda. Larson faces charges that include: felony possession of methamphetamine; introduction of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) on the premises of a correctional facility (The Page County Jail), and theft in the fifth degree by exercising control over stolen property.

Larson was taken into custody at 16^th at Boundary Streets, following a shoplifting complaint officers were investigating, after being summoned to the Hy-Vee Food Store. He was arrested without incident and was  being held at the Page County Jail on $10,300 bond.

Reports concerning the incident have been submitted to the office of Page County Attorney Carl M. Sonksen for review regarding the filing of formal charges.