COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – An attempted murder charge against an Iowa man has been dropped after witnesses could not identify a shooter. The Daily Nonpareil reports the Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office dismissed the attempted murder and intimidation with a dangerous weapon charges against 21-year-old Vaughn White. He is still charged with a felony count of escaping custody.

He was arrested in July in connection to a June shooting of a 16-year-old girl. Police say White briefly escaped from officers while handcuffed during his arrest. The county attorney’s office says neither the girl nor a witness could identify a suspect during a deposition.

White is being held at the Pottawattamie County Jail on $5,000 bond.

There’s no snow in the forecast, but motorists may be seeing some Iowa Department of Transportation snow plows on roadways this week. The Iowa D-O-T’s Craig Bargfrede says crews are simply testing and calibrating equipment in preparation for winter.  “And because of the large amount of new seasonal operators that we’re bringing on board, the district offices have various new operator training courses scheduled for the coming weeks,” Bargfrede says.

The DOT announced plans in September to hire nearly double the number of amount of temporary snow plow operators this year compared to the last winter season. The agency is in the process of hiring around 600 snow plow drivers. “We started an online application process this year for those seasonal employees and so far, the response has been very, very positive,” Bargfrede says. Pay for the work ranges from $11.39 to $16.13 per hour. Bargfrede says the boost in employment should not suggest that Iowa’s in for an especially harsh winter.

“It’s more to help us augment our full-time staff to make sure we have enough people on the roads and give us the level of service that the public is looking for,” Bargfrede says. The first snowfall in Iowa normally arrives in November, but it’s not unusual for snow to fly in October.

(Radio Iowa)

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A federal official says the pilot of a single-engine plane has died in a crash near Dubuque Regional Airport. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Lynn Lunsford says the Piper PA-46 crashed around 11 p.m. Monday on approach to the airport, about a mile north of the runway.

Lunsford says law enforcement told him the sole occupant of the aircraft was killed in the crash but he has no other information. The Dubuque Police Department declined to comment to The Associated Press early Tuesday.

Lunsford says the plane took off from Ankeny Regional Airport about an hour before the crash. He says the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating the discovery of an unloaded handgun and a box of ammunition inside the backpack of a high school student in Iowa City. Iowa City police say officers arrived Friday at West High School following a report that a student had carried a gun on school property. A teacher reported to school officials that a student was showing signs of emotional distress. The gun was found in a backpack inside his locker.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Officials from African nations are among international dignitaries gathering for the annual World Food Prize award ceremony to discuss the challenges of feeding a growing world population. Ebola was not initially scheduled to be part of a three-day symposium that accompanies the award ceremony, but the attendance of prominent West African government officials prompted the inclusion of Ebola’s impact on food security in the program.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa woman has been accused of stealing about $30,000 from a pharmacy company where she worked. Clear Lake police say 29-year-old Abigail Roberts was arrested Sunday. She is charged with ongoing criminal conduct and first-degree theft. Authorities say a lengthy investigation revealed Roberts stole about $30,000 from Clear Lake Pharmacy while she worked as a pharmacy technician between 2012 and July.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — An infectious disease consultant for a regional health system says the infection of a Dallas nurse caring for an Ebola patient was a wake-up call for hospitals to be more prepared. Dr. Wendall Hoffman says Sanford Health has improved its ability to respond to the virus over the past couple of weeks by asking questions about patient travel and educating staff on personal protective equipment. Training drills are also in the works.