(Radio Iowa) – Updated results posted on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website show Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks leading Democrat Rita Hart by just 35 votes in Iowa’s still-undecided second congressional district race. More than 394-thousand votes were cast in the contest. Hart asked for a recount in all 24 counties in the second congressional district. Most counties have finished the process, but the final tally in the district’s largest county will not be certified today (Wednesday) as originally planned.

The Quad City Times cites a Scott County Supervisor as saying it appears there’s an error in the count of absentee ballots, suggesting the overall tally for Scott County could be off by more than 12 dozen votes. An attorney for the Miller-Meeks campaign issued a statement, saying the delay for a recheck of the recount is appropriate, to ensure results are properly verified.

Monday, November 30th is the day Iowa’s secretary of state is to certify statewide election results. However, this contest could continue after that if one or both campaigns ask a judge to review the recount process and rule on which ballots may be included in the final results.

FORT DODGE – A correctional officer was assaulted Tuesday afternoon, by an inmate at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility. The Iowa Dept. of Corrections says the incident happened at around 1:30-p.m.. While an officer was escorting an inmate to their cell, the inmate assaulted the officer by the use of closed fist strikes to the officer’s face. Additional staff arrived quickly to assist in securing the inmate, and during the scuffle, another officer suffered minor injuries as well.

The officer that was assaulted was taken to the local hospital for treatment of his injuries via state vehicle.  He has since been treated and released. The other officer that suffered minor injuries in the incident was seen by FDCF medical staff, and has also since been released. The inmate did not suffer any major injuries.

This incident remains under investigation.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:20 a.m. CST

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds is offering no new measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus in Iowa, even as a federal report warns of the unmitigated community spread that continues to claim lives, particularly in nursing homes. Iowa on Tuesday reported coronavirus outbreaks in 143 nursing homes. State data shows more than 4,500 care center residents are infected with the virus and 1,008 residents of long-term care facilities with COVID-19 have died in the past eight months. The deteriorating situation for nursing homes reflects overall trends in Iowa, which on Tuesday reported 18 additional deaths and 3,860 new confirmed cases.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Church officials say a Roman Catholic professor will return to teaching and the ministry, with restrictions, after an inquiry found he misbehaved sexually in the 1990s but not against minors. A Diocese of Des Moines investigation found that the allegations against the Rev. Robert “Bud” Grant did not involve a minor because the complainant was “above majority age” at the time. The diocese says Grant engaged in behavior in the early 1990s that violated the 6th Commandment ban on adultery and his priestly promises. Grant is expected to return to teaching at St. Ambrose University in Davenport in the spring.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A panel has determined that a white Iowa police officer who shot and paralyzed a Black man during a 2016 traffic stop will not get his job back. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the city’s Civil Service Commission on Monday voted not to reinstate Officer Lucas Jones. His attorney says an appeal is planned. Jones was fired in June, but not for the 2016 incident in which critics say he unfairly pulled over and needlessly shot a fleeing Jerime Mitchell. He was fired over his handling of a traffic stop two days before he shot Mitchell in which he gave a Black female motorist a major break.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A man has been arrested in connection with the September shooting at a private club in Iowa that left two people dead and several others injured. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 21-year-old Willie Edward Saffold Jr., 21, was booked Monday on a charge of intimidation with a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm., the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported. Police say in an affidavit he was observed shooting multiple times into a crowd of people. Deputies with the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office picked Saffold up Monday at the Cook County Jail in Chicago. He is the first person charged in connection with the Sept. 26 shooting.

IOWA CITY – Another prison inmate in Iowa has died from COVID-19. The Iowa Dept. of Corrections said Tuesday, 68-year old Frederick William Lewis was pronounced dead Monday afternoon, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Officials his his death was likely due to complications related to COVID-19 and other preexisting medical conditions. Lewis is the 10th prison inmate in the Iowa prison system to die from the virus.

Originally housed at the Anamosa State Penitentiary, Lewis  had been taken to the hospital several days earlier for more advanced care as his medical condition began to worsen. He was serving a life sentence for Sexual Abuse 1st Degree and other crimes from Dubuque County. His sentence began on July 18, 1997.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A man has been arrested in connection with the September shooting at a private club in Iowa that left two people dead and several others injured. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that 21-year-old Willie Edward Saffold Jr., 21, was booked Monday on a charge of intimidation with a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm., the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported. Police say in an affidavit he was observed shooting multiple times into a crowd of people.

Deputies with the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office picked Saffold up Monday at the Cook County Jail in Chicago. He is the first person charged in connection with the Sept. 26 shooting.

Officials with Fareway’s Corporate Headquarters said Tuesday (Today), beginning Friday, November 27th, and until further notice, all Fareway stores and meat markets will be open Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. The early closure will provide additional time for cleaning and sanitation and for restocking inventory. Closing earlier will also give their employees additional time off through the holiday season.

Police in Clarinda report a male 16-year old at the Clarinda High School is being referred to juvenile authorities after a gun and paraphernalia were found in his vehicle. Officer were summoned at around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday (Today) to the Clarinda High School, to assist school officials with the search of a vehicle.

During the search of the vehicle, a Ruger .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a glass pipe believed to be used for the ingestion of controlled substances and tobacco products were located. Authorities say “It is believed the items belong to a 16-year-old student who attends Clarinda High School. The student is being referred to juvenile court authorities for unlawful possession of firearm on school property, possession of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of tobacco products.”

The student was released to the custody of his parent pending additional court action.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Church officials say a Roman Catholic professor will return to teaching and the ministry, with restrictions, after an inquiry found he misbehaved sexually in the 1990s but not against minors. A Diocese of Des Moines investigation found that the allegations against the Rev. Robert “Bud” Grant did not involve a minor because the complainant was “above majority age” at the time. The diocese says Grant engaged in behavior in the early 1990s that violated the 6th Commandment ban on adultery and his priestly promises. Grant is expected to return to teaching at St. Ambrose University in Davenport in the spring.

(Radio Iowa) – The state now reports COVID-19 outbreaks in 143 long-term care facilities statewide. Governor Kim Reynolds acknowledges that’s up more than 50 nursing homes from a week ago, with more than 45-hundred residents testing positive — and more than a thousand have died.

The governor says the state’s overall positivity rate is falling, as are the number of hospitalizations due to COVID. At the moment, she says the 18-to-29 year old age group is seeing the most new cases.

(Radio Iowa) – A top official in the Iowa Department of Revenue confirms some Iowa communities are getting early holiday gifts from the state in the form of much larger checks than expected from local option sales taxes. State chief economist Robin Anderson says it’ll be a boom to the budgets in quite a few towns and counties. “Some of the increase does have to do with changes to how we collect sales tax revenue for internet sales,” Anderson says. Estimates are made by the state based on the first three quarters of the previous year, and changes to the economy and our buying habits during this year’s pandemic threw off those estimates. Some counties are now getting what are called “true up” checks in the mail from the state.

“So, if there’s an overshoot or undershoot, we true up those numbers,” Anderson says. “That’s likely what happened with these cities and counties and other local entities that are getting extra paychecks from the state.” Some communities were anticipating state checks of ten-thousand dollars, and they’re instead getting checks of between five and ten times that amount.  “The initial data that we had shows flat growth and then growth comes in better than expected throughout the year,” Anderson says. “So really, we’re limited in the data that we have when we develop the forecast. Sometimes, we’re a little bit off and we have to reconcile those numbers.”

The pendulum swings both ways though, as she says some communities are getting less than they originally expected.