CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — A woman is accused of stealing more than $20,000 while working at a Nordstrom center in Cedar Rapids at which online orders were fulfilled. Linn County court records say 48-year-old Rhonda Kies is charged with theft. Kies’ preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 15.

Authorities say Kies was seen in security video stealing a bracelet. A criminal complaint says Kies later told investigators she’d stolen items on more than one occasion over the past couple of years. The Gazette reports that Kies is the third Nordstrom employee in the past 11 months to be arrested on accusations of stealing.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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NORTHWOOD, Iowa (AP) — The owner of a northern Iowa dog breeding operation who was convicted of animal neglect has been given two years of probation. Worth County court records say 66-year-old Barbara Kavars, of Manly, also was sentenced Tuesday to 420 days in jail, suspended, and fined $65 on each of 14 counts. She was found guilty Oct. 18. Kavars is prohibited from owning and breeding any dogs and can only own one cat during her probation.

Prosecutors say Kavars was holding Samoyed dogs in inhumane conditions when officials raided her operation on Nov. 12 and took about 150 dogs. Court records say 17 dogs had fur matted by feces, skin conditions leading to fur loss, painful wounds, intestinal parasites and other maladies. One dog had to be euthanized. Kavars denied wrongdoing and testified she fed and gave water to the dogs every day.

(Radio Iowa) — The U-S-D-A unveiled its rules for the production of industrial hemp Tuesday and now the state of Iowa can move forward with its plan. Robin Pruisner is putting together that state plan and says they now have the 161-page federal plan that has sections dictating the state plans. “We need to digest those. We had drafted up some rules that we thought was probably the direction that the U-S-D-A was gonna go,” Pruisner. She says the one key part of the plan is how to test the hemp to be sure it is legal. “What I’ve really been looking for is any protocols they have for sampling and testing. In an ideal world all the states would do it the same — instead of the situation we are in now where the states at times are at times wildly different from one another,” Pruisner says. So I am glad that they did lay down some sort of protocol that will help make the process uniform.”

The testing is one of the final steps in the hemp season. “Before a farmer can harvest the hemp, we need to officially sample it and test it and make sure that it is below that point-three percent T-H-C. And once that happens — the producers then can harvest it and process it,” she says. She says on her first look at the U-S-D-A plan, there don’t appear to be a lot of issues. “I think much of what is in that U-S-D-A document aligns with the stature that the governor signed in May here in Iowa,” according to Pruisner.

Pruisner says the prospect of growing hemp has piqued a lot of interest. “I speak to many people about hemp every day. My new hobby is talking on phone,” Pruisner says, “and I think we have a lot of people out there who are giving really serious thought to this. And then there are other people who have maybe read a short article on this or have seen something online, and they don’t have a lot of information.” She says she tells those considering hemp production one thing. Pruisner says the number one piece of advice is you should not plant hemp until you have a contract to sell it. “This isn’t like corn or soybeans where there is an open market and you can sell it to this grain elevator or that ethanol plan. You need to know what your final buyer wants and grow accordingly,” Pruisner says.

She says the release of information for the U-S-D-A now lets them get the Iowa plan completed. “I would say that we’re over halfway there, but there’s a lot of details in this plan from the U-S-D-A that we have to address,” Pruisner says. She says the U-S-D-A will have 60 days to review the plan and give their approval once they complete and submit it.

Police in Red Oak responded at around 7:30-p.m. Tuesday, to a reported Domestic Assault that allegedly took place in the 2400 block of N. 8th Street. When officers arrived, they were told the male party involved in the incident, 44-year old Jason Beacham, of Red Oak, had left the area on foot.

After a perimeter was set-up, officers made contact with Beacham nearly an hour later. He  was arrested for Domestic Abuse Assault by Impeding air/blood flow (an aggravated misdemeanor), and a Class-D felony charge of Domestic Abuse Assault 3rd or Subsequent Offense.

Beacham was being held in the Montgomery County Jail without bond. Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies, the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency and their drone, were utilized in the search for Beacham.

Police in Creston say a woman was injured during a collision that took place at around 12:50-p.m., Tuesday. Authorities say a 2016 VW Tiguan (SUV) driven by 61-year old Mark Miller, of Winterset, was traveling west in the left lane of Highway 34, when a 2007 Chevy Malibu driven by 84-year old Donna Thaden, of Creston, pulled out of a private driveway and turned right to head west on Highway 34.

When Thaden turned to the outside lane, her vehicle was hit on the left front side by the SUV, causing the airbags on the Chevy to be deployed. Thaden was extricated from her vehicle and transported by ambulance to the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston.

Damage from the accident amounted to $1,800. There was no citations issued.

(Radio Iowa) — A northwest Iowa ethanol plant that was idled in mid-September has resumed production, due to action in California. Kelly Nieuwenhuis, a farmer from Primghar, is president of farmer-owned Siouxland Energy in Sioux Center. “The State of California is using a significant amount of ethanol to meet its requirements under the low-carbon fuel standard and CARB lowered our plant’s carbon score by roughly 10%, giving us a new market opportunity,” Nieuwenhuis says. “As a result, now we’re back on line and operating at 50% capacity.”

CARB stands for the California Air Resources Board which regulates emissions to reduce pollution that causes smog and other air quality problems. Nieuwenhuis testified at a congressional hearing yesterday (Tuesday) about the Sioux Center plant’s temporary shutdown — and its recent re-start. “This small boost came directly from California, not the EPA,” Nieuwenhuis said. “The regulatory attempts by the EPA give us little confidence that we will see the relief that we need.”

This past spring, the ethanol industry urged California officials to approve sales of higher ethanol blends, to reduce carbon emissions. Distillation at the Sioux Center ethanol plant started this past Saturday and fermentation started on Monday.

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

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Police in Council Bluffs have identified a person whose body was found wrapped in a sheet near downtown. Police said in a news release Tuesday that an autopsy showed the body is that of 35-year-old William Josephtong Dut, of Council Bluffs. Police have not revealed how Dut died, but have said his death is suspicious and that police continue to investigate.

MARKHAM, Ill. (AP) — An Iowa man with Chicago-area ties has been charged with murder in the shooting death of two people at a suburban shopping mall earlier this month. Prosecutors say 18-year-old Dajon Lewis is was charged in the death of 17-year-old Tyrell Wade and 18-year-old Christin Ross. Prosecutors said Tuesday that Wade, Ross and three other people saw Lewis at River Oaks Center Mall in Calumet City on Oct. 10 and confronted him about robbing Ross’ sister. Lewis was ordered held without bond on Tuesday.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Federal antitrust regulators reviewing the proposed merger of defense contractors United Technologies Corp. and Raytheon have requested that United Technologies unit Collins Aerospace sell its Cedar Rapids-based military GPS business. The Gazette reports that the GPS business employs hundreds in Cedar Rapids. In a Monday email, employees were notified that regulatory agencies asked the company to explore the divestiture of the Rockwell Collins operation.

WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating another explosion at an Iowa gender reveal party that happened one day after a blast at a similar gathering killed a 56-year-old woman in a nearby community. Authorities say no one was injured in the explosion Sunday in rural Waukee, a Des Moines suburb, but they are looking into unconfirmed claims that the blast broke a neighbor’s windows.

DES MOINES – Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders were the top vote-getters among presidential candidates in Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s Iowa Youth Straw Poll. Thousands of students across the state voted in the poll on Tuesday.

As of 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, with more than 21,000 votes cast, Donald Trump leads all presidential candidates with 35% of the vote overall, and more than 90% among Republican candidates. Bernie Sanders is the runaway favorite among Democratic candidates and has picked up 15% of the overall total. Joe Biden stands a distant second among Democrats at 8%. Pete Buttigieg and Andrew Yang are third and fourth, at 7%.

Many Youth Straw Poll participants will be eligible to participate in next year Iowa Caucuses, June primaries and the November 2020 general election. A recent law change allows Iowa 17-year-olds to register to vote and cast ballots in primaries if they will be 18 by Election Day. “Young people are making their voices heard in record numbers and I think they will be a significant voting bloc in the 2020 elections,” Secretary Pate said. “I hope the candidates are paying attention.”

Among U.S. Senate candidates, Republican Joni Ernst was easily outdistancing the field, surpassing more than 51 percent of the overall vote. Kimberly Graham leads all Democrat candidates with 19% overall, followed by Eddie Mauro at 13% and Theresa Greenfield at 10%.

Iowa’s four U.S. Congressional races were also polled. Democrat Abby Finkenauer garnered 51% of the overall vote in the First District. Republican Bobby Schilling leads the way in the Second District, with 40%. Democrat Cindy Axne is the top choice in the Third District, at 45%, followed by David Young at 38%. Republican Steve King leads all candidates in the Fourth District, with 47% of the votes.

The Iowa Youth Straw Poll is open to students of every grade level and youth civic organizations. It is an unscientific poll and designed to be a hands-on learning experience that will hopefully inspire future civic engagement. Each candidate was asked to submit a short video message to students.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports a traffic stop at around 11:56-p.m. Friday, resulted in a pursuit and the eventual arrest of 53-year old Michael James Brown. The traffic stop was initiated on a 1990 GMC pickup as it was traveling on East Washington Street, in Clarinda.

As the pickup continued east on East Washington to Highway 71, the pursuing Deputy immediately activated his emergency lights and siren. At the intersection with Highway 71, the pickup turned south towards the intersection with Highway 2. At the intersection of Highway’s 71 & 2, the driver turned south and pulled into a business, in an attempt to hide his vehicle with the other, parked vehicles.

Brown, who was the only person in the vehicle, was arrested and transported to the Page County Jail on charges of Possession, receipt, transportation, or dominion and control of firearms, offensive weapons, and ammunition by felons and prohibited people (a class D Felony), Eluding (an Aggravated misdemeanor), and Driving while license is barred a habitual offender (an Aggravated misdemeanor).

He was being held in the Page County Jail on a $9,000 Cash-only bond, while awaiting further court proceedings.