Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The election of 2012 is well under way though election day is still more than a month away. Democrats have the absentee ballot lead, with voters already returning 8,800 ballots to Republicans’ 2,600 as of Friday. However, Republicans have a voter registration advantage and say they’ll have a strong turnout on Election Day. Early voting began Thursday.

GRUNDY CENTER, Iowa (AP) – A Iowa wood veneer company in Grundy Center has laid off more than half its workers because of slow sales. KWWL reports that the R.S. Bacon Veneer Company laid off almost 50 workers on Friday. The company has been one of Grundy Center’s largest employers for over 40-years.

KEOKUK, Iowa (AP) – An 18-year-old Keokuk man has been acquitted for shooting another man while trying to protect his mother during an argument this summer. Jurors found Colton Dobson not guilty on Thursday after a three-day trial. He had been charged with willfully injuring 27-year-old Tim Mondon with a shotgun on July 14th.

CHARITON, Iowa (AP) – Authorities are investigating a crash that killed three Ottumwa women when their vehicle collided with a pickup truck in south-central Iowa. The crash happened on Highway 34 west of Chariton around 9 p.m. Saturday, killing 56-year-old Olga Palencia, 66-year-old Dolores Rodas and 44-year-old Julieta Mendez. The truck’s driver, 19-year-old Garrett Hollinrake of Knoxville, was injured and taken to a Lucas County hospital.

The latest stretch of four-lane Highway 20 in northwest Iowa is expected to open this fall, likely in November. Shirley Phillips, president of the Highway 20 Corridor Association (www.4lane20.com), says it’s taken more than two decades to get the east-west thoroughfare to this stage. “We’re extremely pleased that this project is actually a year ahead of schedule because of the good weather and the bids that came in from the contractors,” Phillips says. “The advancement of four-lane Highway 20 has actually almost doubled in size.” Phillips said the latest 26-mile stretch of road should be open in time for Thanksgiving travelers.

“We’re looking at around Thanksgiving,” she says. “We don’t have an exact target date. The paving is actually completed but they do have to do shoulder work, painting and the signing has to go up before we can open the highway.” Phillips detailed how many miles will be needed to finish the four-lane project. “We have about 32 miles between Moville and Highway 71 that needs to be completed,” she says. “They will be working on a stretch between Moville and Correctionville. That’s the next segment to be done, then there will be a segment at Correctionville that will be five lanes through the heart of Correctionville.” Phillips said the goal is to have the entire four-lane project finished within five years. Phillips has been involved with the Highway 20 project for the past 24 years.

(Radio Iowa)

Congressman Leonard Boswell gave a five-word explanation Sunday afternoon when asked about the lawsuit he filed Friday against his 2008 Democratic primary opponent. Ed Fallon of Des Moines claims two Boswell staffers offered him an 80-thousand dollar job on Boswell’s congressional staff if he would drop his bid to run against Boswell. During a news conference in Des Moines, Boswell was asked why he filed the defamation suit against Fallon. “Because he told an untruth,” Boswell said. Boswell said nothing more about the lawsuit or Fallon’s statements. During an interview with Radio Iowa Friday night, Fallon said his former wife, who served as his 2008 campaign manager, was in the room when the job offer was made. Boswell is seeking damages from Fallon, alleging Fallon’s recent public statements have damaged his reputation.

(Radio Iowa)

October brings the start of National Bullying Prevention Month. July Hertzog, the director of the PACER National Bullying Prevention Center, says it’s a month to educate the public about this issue. Her organization, which is located in Minnesota, started addressing the issue in 2006.

Official T-shirt of National Bullying Prevention Month in support of PACER.

“We recognized at that time that bullying was going to be an issue that we wanted communities to get behind, so this is actually the seventh year of this event. And we have a message of ‘the end of bullying begins with me,’ and it’s about a time when communities can unite behind bullying prevention,” according toe Hertzog.

Hertzog says there will be activities across the state and nation addressing the problems of bullying in the classroom, and everyone is asked to wear orange on Unity Day on October 10. “It’s and activity that’s simple to do, we really encourage schools to take part in it,” Hertzog says. “Because what it does is just send that visible tangible message, that it is an issue that people care about and that they want to show support for those people who are being bullied.” Hertzog says the main way to end bullying is to work together and stand up to address this problem.

She said the message is to start addressing the problem right now to talk about it and take action. Hertzog says PACER offers help for those who want to address it with resources at www.PACER.org/bullying. There is also a national toll free phone number for more information on bullying prevention. It’s 1-888-248-0822.

(Radio Iowa)

Governor Branstad says recent changes in school lunch menus can help Iowa reach his goal of becoming the healthiest state in the country.”More home-grown fruits and vegetables and more whole grain items is clearly what is needed — along with good exercise,” Branstad says. But critics say the changes aren’t going over well with the students, and more food is being thrown away. Registered dietician Teresa Nece is teaching a class at Iowa State University about food service management. She says give these new menus “time” to work.

“In schools we have to teach habits,” she says. “…To make that type of a change — to increase fruits and vegetables to students — we really have to look at how long does it take a student to learn to like something and science tells us it can takes as many as a dozen times for children to learn to like a new food item.” The governor suggests kids can embrace changes in the school lunch menu — if it’s presented in the right way. “What I find is when you really get kids involved in this, they become enthusiastic about doing the right thing and recognizing that this is something that will help them throughout their lives.”

David Stark, president and chief operating officer of Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines, says the changes have been a topic in his home. “Ask my four kids about the fewer desserts in their school menu this year — they’re disappointed,” Stark says. “I’m thrilled, as their dad, that that’s happening and we’ve got to do more of that.” Stark says he and his wife haven’t been the most popular soccer league parents over the years because for treats they brought slices of fresh oranges. But Stark says his own children are starting to embrace the changes in their school lunch menu and recently raved about the fresh raspberries they were served.

Stark, Nece and Branstad made their comments during a news conference on a related topic — improving the equipment in school kitchens so staff can prepare food that’s more appetizing and attractive to students.

(Radio Iowa)

Sentencing is set to take place at 9-a.m. Monday in Cass County District Court, in the case of a former Anita Community School District teacher who pled guilty on September 4^th, to two-counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor by a School Employee, Counselor or Therapist, with the intent to arouse. 65-year old William Glenn Foulkes entered into voluntary plea agreement which stipulated he would plead guilty to the two Aggravated Misdemeanor counts in exchange for a felony charge of Sexual Exploitation, and the remaining 47 Aggravated Misdemeanor charges of Sexual Exploitation being dropped.

Foulkes admitted to kissing a juvenile female on numerous occasions while teaching the student in a math program, from August 2009 until November 11th, 2010. He resigned from his teaching position in November 2010.

Foulkes remains free on $50,000 bond pending sentencing. As part of his sentence, he will likely be required to register as a Sex Offender, and complete a Sex Offender Treatment Program in a residential correctional facility. He is also expected to pay restitution to the State and Victim, and have no contact with the victim.  In addition, it’s expected Foulkes will be required to serve two, two-year terms of supervised probation for the combined counts, with the time to be served consecutively, or back-to-back. He had faced a maximum of 103-years in prison and fines of more than $300,000.

He’ll also be required to pay fines for each count ranging from $625 to $6,250, plus court costs and surcharges.