DES MOINES (AP) — Des Moines Superintendent Nancy Sebring, who’s taking over the top school job in Omaha, has resigned earlier than anticipated. The Des Moines school board accepted Sebring’s resignation after a closed-door meeting on Thursday. Her resignation is effective immediately. School Board Chairwoman Teree Caldwell-Johnson says in a statement that Sebring informed the board that she wanted to change her resignation date. Sebring, who led the Des Moines district for six years, was named Omaha’s superintendent in April. She’s to start that job on July 1st. Sebring had originally said that June 30th would be her last day in Des Moines.

IOWA CITY (AP) — The director of an Iowa City neighborhood center on trial for failing to report allegations of child sexual abuse says she didn’t believe the allegations. Susan Freeman-Murdah told the Johnson County jury yesterday that there was no child abuse and she’s confident she never violated the law.

HAMPTON, (AP) — Five teenagers face charges in an incident involving a homemade bomb that exploded near some children, injuring one child, in Hampton earlier this month. Police received a report on May 4th about a plastic bottle exploding on a city street. The bottle was allegedly tossed from a car. One child was treated for injuries as a result of the explosion. Police haven’t released the teens’ names.

WATERLOO (AP) — Authorities say a California man who’s confessed to killing an Iowa couple more than 30 years ago was one of several persons of interest in the case. Sixty-six-year-old Jack Pursel, of South Gate in southern California, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of Robert and Goldie Huntbach of Waterloo, on January 12th, 1981. Pursel showed up at the Waterloo Police Department on Tuesday and confessed.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A three-service Public Service Commission approved plans yesterday for a power line that will cross the Mississippi River between Alma and Holmen in western Wisconsin. The line will link to a larger transmission project dubbed CapX2020 to serve Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and the Dakotas.