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Iowa early News Headlines: Friday, Oct. 21st 2016

News

October 21st, 2016 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 2:40 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Board of Regents has ordered an audit of every flight that Iowa State University President Steven Leath has taken on the school’s two airplanes, citing possible misuse. Board President Bruce Rastetter said Thursday that he’s extremely disappointed that Leath has used the planes on multiple occasions in ways that appear “questionable at best.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — International Automotive Components in Iowa City will lay off more than 400 workers because it will stop supplying parts used in the Dodge Dart and Jeep models. Company spokesman David Ladd told KCRG the job cuts were necessary because Fiat Chrysler was phasing out the Dodge Dart and moving the production of the Jeep Compass and Patriot out of Illinois, beyond the shipping radius for the Iowa City plant. The company will continue making parts for General Motors, Ford, Chevrolet and Hyundai.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Waterloo’s police chief is reaching out to convicted felons as part of an effort to rebuild community trust in the police department. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Safety Director and police chief Dan Trelka is putting together an advisory team of people who have been incarcerated to help him review police department policies, especially those involving use of force. Each person’s felony conviction must be at least two years old.

BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A Burlington man has surprised the elementary school he attended by writing a $700 check to pay for students’ overdue school lunch bills. Jerry Fenton says the money will be used to help children at Grimes Elementary School who haven’t been able to pay for lunch, but are fed anyway. The Des Moines Register reports that Fenton was inspired to make the donation after hearing about a boy who brought two lunches to school so he could give one to a friend.