Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some farm groups and farm-state lawmakers are expressing anger at the Trump administration over final ethanol rules that they say fail to uphold the president’s promises to the industry. The Environmental Protection Agency has released final renewable fuel standard rules for next year that do not include language President Donald Trump agreed to that would guarantee 15 billion gallons of ethanol is blended into the nation’s gasoline supply. The EPA contends it’s fulfilling the promises. Industry groups say the language in the final rule is too vague and could allow EPA to miss the mandated ethanol requirements.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Auditor Rob Sand says his office has uncovered misuse of at least $1.8 million by a former employee of the Metro Waste Authority. The organization is the trash collection and disposal agency for one county and 16 cities in central Iowa including Des Moines. Sand said the state auditor’s office was contacted in October 2018 by the MWA executive director who noticed financial irregularities. Sand says an audit has discovered former Director of Operations Jeff Dworek had set up his own company to provide services to MWA without a bidding process and paid it $1.1 million. Another $458,000 was paid other vendors who paid Dworek kickbacks. He resigned in March 2017. He has not been charged.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An election watchdog is filing a complaint alleging than an outside group founded by top political aides to Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst violated campaign finance law in its efforts improve the Republican’s chance of reelection next year. It comes after The Associated Press reported earlier this month that Ernst’s work with the political nonprofit Iowa Values to raise money and build an electoral “firewall” potentially violated campaign finance and tax law. The complaint by the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center requests that the Federal Election Commission launch an investigation. An attorney represent both Ernst and Iowa Values did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — A man has been sentenced to more than 15 years in prison for burning an LGBTQ flag that was flying at a church in central Iowa. Story County court records show 30-year-old Adolfo Martinez, of Ames, was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years for the hate crime of arson, as well as a year for the reckless use of explosives or fire, and 30 days for harassment. The sentences are to be served consecutively. A jury convicted Martinez in November. Martinez has said he burned the flag from the United Church of Christ in Ames because he opposes homosexuality.