Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Senator Charles Grassley is defending his party’s refusal to consider a U.S. Supreme Court nominee. Grassley was defensive when peppered on a conference call with reporters Wednesday with questions about plans to block President Barack Obama’s nominee. Grassley says he and fellow Republicans believe voters deciding on a president this November should get a say in who replaces Justice Antonin Scalia who died unexpectedly on February 13th in Texas.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A legislative committee has launched an investigation into child abuse allegations at a former Iowa boarding school that had no state oversight. The House Government Oversight Committee says it will ask officials with the now-closed Midwest Academy in Keokuk to speak to lawmakers in the future. Representative Bobby Kaufmann, a Wilton Republican and committee chairman, said at a meeting Wednesday he intends to investigate how the school was able to operate without any state oversight.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Northern Iowa has hired David Harris as its new athletic director. Harris, who is currently a senior associate athletic director at Iowa State, will take over at the end of March.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Polk County jury awarded three women $422,784 after a Des Moines police officer drove his squad car through an intersection and struck their car. The Register reports the lawsuit, filed on behalf of Kaileigh Joiner, E’Shayla Kelson and Marshee Jones, went to trial February 15th, nearly three years after the April 2013 crash.