Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Orange City Democrat will run for a heavily Republican northwest Iowa House seat in January. John Buntsma, a former newspaper manager and editor at the Le Mars Daily, the Sioux County Capital-Democrat and the Dayton Review will be the Democrat on the ballot in House District 4, the most heavily populated Republican district in the state. Republicans have chosen John Kooiker, a retired postal service worker and a Sioux County farmer.

SCRANTON, Iowa (AP) — State environmental officials credit quick action by a farmer for preventing environmental damage from a manure spill three miles southwest of Scranton. About 2,000 gallons of manure flowed into a ditch. The driver, Joanne Hunter, and others from the Hunter hog farm quickly dammed the ditch on either side of the spill on Saturday and called a contractor to pump it onto a nearby farm field.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Republican lawmaker will renew an effort to require a waiting period for abortions in Iowa, but it is not clear that he’ll find support to pass a bill in the politically divided state Legislature. Sen. David Johnson, from Ocheyedan, says he has submitted a bill for the upcoming legislative session that would set counseling requirements followed by a 72-hour waiting period before a woman could receive an abortion. It is not clear Johnson will find support for the bill, since Democrats control the Senate and have opposed abortion restrictions in the past.

(Information in the following story is from: Globe Gazette, http://www.globegazette.com/)

CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Church youth members in northern Iowa have performed a living Nativity scene that featured live animals. Nearly a dozen people congregated Sunday night to watch the children and live animals re-enact the birth of Jesus Christ. They also sang hymns and enjoyed cookies and hot cider.