CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)- Officials say British-based BAE Systems will maintain a presence in the Cedar Rapids area after it completes a deal to acquire Collins Aerospace’s military GPS business. BAE announced Monday that United Technologies Corp. had agreed to sell the GPS business for $1.925 billion. The Gazette reported that a BAE spokeswoman says plans are for the GPS business’s 675 employees to stay in their Collins facilities until the deal closes. Those workers then would become employees of BAE Systems and transition to a new facility in the Cedar Rapids area. The spokeswoman says it’s not clear where and when that would occur.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests over the past week. On Jan. 13th, 29-year old Alex Ryan Hollingsworth, of Cedar Falls, was arrested on a Adair County warrant for Domestic Abuse Assault w/injury or mental illness/1st offense. He was released later that same day on his Own Recognizance/Signature bond. 44-year old Matthew Dwaine Seymour, of Omaha, was arrested Jan. 16th after he turned himself-in to the Adair County Jail. Seymour was wanted on Adair County warrants for OWI/1st offense and Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense. He being held in the Adair County Jail on a $2,000 cash or surety bond.

And, on Jan. 16th, 28-year old E-Clifton Ezell, of Wyoming, MI., was arrested by Adair Police at the eastbound I-80 rest area, for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Carrying a concealed Weapon (A large machete, over 5-inches in length), and a felony Forgery charge. His arrest followed a call to authorities from the manager of the Casey’s Store in Adair, with regard to a counterfeit $50 bill she had just received, allegedly from Ezell. He was filling up his vehicle but left by the time police arrived at the store. The Adair Police Officer caught up with Ezell’s 2010 Ford F-150 pickup at the rest area.

A passenger in the vehicle was detained at the scene. Both subjects reportedly had a large amount of currency on them, which was checked for being counterfeit. Clifton Ezell also claimed possession of a substance identified as marijuana. He was being held in the Adair County Jail on a $4,000 cash or surety bond.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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Officials with the Creston Police Department report 25-year old Shawn Shimer, of Greenfield, was arrested at around 1:15-this (Tuesday) morning. Shimer was taken into custody at the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a Union County warrant for OWI/1st offense. Shimer was later released on a $1,000 bond.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — A new study of direct care workers in Iowa shows a continued problem with finding enough people to fill the jobs. The Executive Director of Iowa Care Givers, Di Findley says low wages are one factor. “The good news is — yeah their wages have gone up a little bit — but the median wage is still only 13 dollars and 80 cents an hour,” Findley says.  She says the United Way of Iowa’s poverty report shows that wage is below the poverty level for a family of four. “And one of the other findings in the survey is that 28 percent were working more than one job. And 22 percent said they were seeking work outside of direct care — 78 percent of them said because of the low wages,” according to Findley. “And so, that certainly compounds the shortages and some of the issues that we are facing.”

Findley says it’s a key segment of the workforce when it comes to care. “They’re high demand, but they are also a very high-impact workforce….about 95 percent of the people who work in the field are women. They are home care aides, nurse aides, direct support professionals, and they serve Iowans of all ages and abilities,” Findley says. She says there is still a misconception that these jobs are at the bottom rung of health care. “We have people who have worked in this field for 30, 40 years and they are still viewed societally as entry level workers. And it is also often times viewed as womens’ work,” Findley says, “so that contributes, I think, to our challenges of trying to elevate the compensation levels for these individuals.”

Findley says the new Speaker of the Iowa House talked about focusing on the workforce, and that could be good news. “We hope that our elected officials will place a higher priority on this workforce and try to come up with some strategies to enhance the wages and benefits of this workforce,” she says.  Findley says these workers also face what is called the “cliff effect.”  “They get a little bit of a wage increase and it’s just enough that it compromises some of these worker supports. They end up being worse off,” Findley says.

She says things like the child care credit and supplemental food program are still needed by many of the direct care workers even if they get a wage increase. Findley says they hope to work with lawmakers this session to address some of these issues.

BRANDON, Iowa (AP) – A man whose elderly mother was found in a feces-filled house with 18 dogs in northeast Iowa has been given jail time and probation. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that David Rogers was sentenced last week to a year in jail with all but 60 days suspended. Authorities say Rogers and his mother lived in a Brandon home. Authorities say that last August he went to a hospital for a lengthy stay without making arrangements for care of his mother or the dogs. Officers called to the home later in the month found the dogs, four dog carcasses and the filth.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – (Updated) Police have arrested a 28-year-old man suspected of killing his girlfriend’s mother in Fort Dodge. Police say Mark Russell, of Fort Dodge, is charged with first-degree murder. He was arrested after police were called to a home around 9:15 a.m. Monday. Officers dispatched to check on a domestic dispute there found the 45-year-old woman unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police identified her Tuesday as Angela McLeod. Investigators think Russell grabbed an object inside the home and struck McLeod with it.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Leaders in Davenport, Iowa, are condemning a snow display depicting a figure gunning down a snowman wearing a Bernie Sanders shirt and another adorned with a Democratic Party hat. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said Monday he’s asked the police chief to investigate the display, noting “all hate speech is wrong.” Homeowner Donald Hesseltine laughed off such concerns. He says he created the display over the weekend to “mess with” friends who support Sanders, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president. The display includes a mannequin topped with a military helmet that is holding a rifle and chainsaw. The rifle is pointed toward the Sanders snowman, which has red-dyed snow near its head.

BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — A high school science teacher in Davenport has been accused of secretly recording nude videos of two females who’d stayed at his Bettendorf home. Clinton Van Fossen is charged with five misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy and with other crimes. It’s unclear whether he has an attorney. Associated Press attempts to reach him Monday were unsuccessful. Davenport Community School District officials say Van Fossen had been placed on administrative leave with pay. He is listed as a science teacher at Davenport West High School. He’s denied knowing about two spy cameras police say they found in his Bettendorf home.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a collision between a semitrailer and a car left two people dead in Sioux City. The crash occurred around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Police say the northbound semi collided with the eastbound car at an intersection. The 19-year-old man and 18-year-old woman in the car were pronounced dead at the scene. Police say the truck driver wasn’t injured. The names of those involved and other details about the crash haven’t been released.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democratic White House hopefuls are deploying surrogates across the early primary states and beyond as they try to make up for their limited time on the trail. Candidates have deployed their spouses, their children and celebrities to make their case to undecided voters and help them raise money in unorthodox ways. The surrogates will become even more important this week as four senators running for president will be stuck in Washington to serve as jurors for President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial. The proxies can help fill in the gap as the senators are sidelined from campaigning in the critical final stretch before voting.

The Iowa State Patrol, Monday evening, released additional information on an accident involving two teens who had absconded from the Clarinda Academy Monday afternoon. Authorities say the accident happened as Clarinda Police were chasing a 2018 Chevy passenger car that had been reported stolen. The vehicle was occupied by the driver, 16-year old Isaiah Mikah Fontana, and his passenger, 16-year old Chris Nathaniel Sullivan, both of Clarinda.

Authorities say at around 2:26-p.m., the car, which was traveling at a high rate of speed on Highway 2 near mile marker 37, topped the crest of a hill and went out of control before entering the north ditch and vaulting over a field drive. The vehicle rolled twice before coming to rest on its top. The teens were transported by Shenandoah and Clarinda Rescue squads to the Clarinda Regional Hospital.

Authorities had been looking for the teens since they absconded from the Clarinda Academy earlier in the afternoon, on Monday.