IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say firefighters rescued four people from an apartment building fire in Iowa City. The fire in the ground-floor apartment was reported just before 10 a.m. Thursday. Four people in the second-floor unit were blocked by heat and smoke from escaping on their own. Firefighters helped them out and down from a second-story window. No injuries have been reported.

May is School Board Recognition Month. On Wednesday night, the Atlantic Community School District celebrated their “superheroes” with the help of students. The students researched superheroes, created a superhero display, and made superhero cupcakes for the Board of Education and guests at the Wednesday meeting. A picture of the event was posted on the Iowa Association of School Boards’ Facebook page.

Atlantic Community School Board members (Left to right): VP – Kristy Pellett; Alison Bruckner; President – Josh McLaren; Jenny Williams; Dr. Keith Swanson.

Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman, Thursday, said in accordance with the CODE OF IOWA, a permit is required for display of fireworks. Sunderman said applications for display of fireworks in the rural portions of Cass County are available at the County Courthouse in the office of the Cass County Auditor and online on the Cass County Website. Those who plan to display fireworks within the city limits should apply to the city in which the fireworks will be displayed. A PDF copy of the Iowa Code pertaining to Fireworks can be found here: file:///C:/Users/KJAN/AppData/Local/Packages/microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_8wekyb3d8bbwe/LocalState/Files/S0/39083/Attachments/FIREWORKS%20727.2-2019[42670].pdf

Per the CODE OF IOWA       727.2  FIREWORKS.

1.  The term “fireworks” includes any explosive composition,

or combination of explosive substances, or article prepared for the

purpose of producing a visible or audible effect by combustion,

explosion, deflagration, or detonation, and includes blank

cartridges, firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, roman candles, or

other fireworks of like construction and fireworks containing any

explosive or flammable compound, or other device containing any

explosive substance.  The term “fireworks” does not include

goldstar-producing sparklers on wires which contain no magnesium or

chlorate or perchlorate, flitter sparklers in paper tubes that do not

exceed one-eighth of an inch in diameter, toy snakes which contain no

mercury, or caps used in cap pistols.

2.  A person, firm, partnership, or corporation who . . . uses or

explodes any fireworks, commits a simple misdemeanor.  In

addition to any other penalties, the punishment imposed for a

violation of this section shall include assessment of a fine of not less

than two hundred fifty dollars.  However, the council of a city or a

      county board of supervisors may, upon application in writing, grant a

      permit for the display of fireworks by municipalities, fair associations,

      amusement parks, and other organizations or groups of individuals

      approved by the city or the county board of supervisors when the

      fireworks display will be handled by a competent operator . . .

LE GRAND, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say man and wife were killed when their van collided with a semitrailer in central Iowa. The crash occurred around 2 p.m. Thursday on U.S. Highway 30 in Le Grand. The Iowa State Patrol says the van was struck as it crossed the eastbound highway lanes. The patrol identified the dead couple as 79-year-old Delbert Eakins and his wife, 77-year-old Geneva Eakins. They lived in Le Grand.

The truck driver was identified as 50-year-old Michael See, of Swisher. He was treated at a hospital and released. The accident is being investigated.

(Radio Iowa) — Boone police arrested two people Thursday night following a shooting near a park earlier in the day. One person was injured as a result. Schools near the park were on lockdown due to the incident. The names of those arrested and injured have not been released. Boone police stated that the two suspects will each be charged with attempted murder. The shooting victim suffered a single gunshot wound. He was flown to a Des Moines hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. As a precaution, the Boone Community School District ordered a lockdown yesterday afternoon to protect students and staff from the incident.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Department of Transportation has been trying some new things as it works to get flood-damaged roadways in southwest Iowa reopened. The efforts worked as they got Interstate 29 between U-S Highway 34 and the Missouri border open Wednesday morning. D-O-T transportation planner, Scott Suhr says they had less luck with a new system they tried on Highway 2. He says they set up barrier rails on both sides of the highway to serve as a dam and put down one foot of coarse aggregate, a lay of fabric and then another foot of road rock that would allow the water to flow through it and let cars travel over the roadway.

But this new method was thwarted by water that covered the highway in other areas. “We are going to continue to monitor the area, and once we are able to open up Iowa 2, we will do so,” Suhr says. Suhr says they’ve found constantly changing conditions that have made it tough to get the roads open and keep them open. “We had a situation two weeks ago where we were down at the interchange of Iowa 2 on the southbound exit ramp and it was completely dry — we hadn’t had any rain and the next week we go down there are we are diving through two or three inches of water, and a couple of days later there’s a foot under water. And here last we it went down and we thought there was a possibility we may be able to open this up,” Suhr says.

He says they will continue trying new things to get the roads open. “We’re certainly thinking out of the box and doing everything we can to open the roadways as quickly and safely as we can,” Suhr says. “We realize that it’s a lot of extra cost for people who are traveling, and people who are commuting and people who are hauling freight — we understand that — and so we are doing everything that we can to open it up as quickly as we can.”  He says there are some things that they just can’t do until the water goes away. “This method seemed like it was going to work, but unfortunately we had water going over other spots that aren’t treated for that type of activities,” Suhr says.

Suhr says they still hope to get most of the roadways back to carrying traffic by Memorial Day.

(Radio Iowa/Brownfield Ag News) — An eastern Iowa farmer was in Washington this week to tell congress farmers need action from the federal government. Dave Walton of Wilton testified at a hearing in a U.S. House committee. “We’re suffering right now for a variety of reasons — the trade issue, some infrastructure issues and other government- controlled things are hitting us pretty hard right now and it’s kind of all at once,” Walton says. Walton says more farmers are finding it difficult to get credit.

“If this doesn’t turn around soon, those farmers may be done this year,” Walton says. The U.S. Commerce Department recently reported farm income fell 12 billion dollars in the first three months of this year. “Because of the government’s manipulation in our market, we need to have some sort of relief here,” Walton says. “Another round of Market Facilitation Payments would be well-received by farmers right now.”

Walton is secretary of the Iowa Soybean Association’s board of directors. His family started farming in Cedar County in 1835.

(Reporting by Ken Anderson of Brownfield Network)

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds has given the green light to a new “blackout” license plate design. “Evidently it’s popular,” Reynolds said. “I have not even seen one on a car.” The “blackout” design has been on the road for a few years. More than 800 Iowans have purchased the specialty license plate for the Dordt College Defenders. It has a black background. The letters and numbers are white.

Legislators tucked language creating a new “blackout” license plate — without the reference to Dordt College — in a “multi-subject” bill the governor approved this week. You may recall that in August of 2017, Reynolds spearheaded a public vote on three designs for NEW “standard-issue” state license plates. The chosen design and color scheme have sparked complaints.

“We’re so many limited in what we can do because there are so many requirements,” Reynolds says. “Sure, we’d like all sorts of different things on them. We just don’t have the luxury of doing that.” Iowans who don’t want the standard-issue license plate can pay extra for specialty plates for their vehicles.

The D-O-T plans to start taking orders for the new “blackout” plates on July 1st.

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A stretch of interstate highway in northwestern Missouri is open again for the first time since floodwaters shut it down in March. Interstate 29 reopened Wednesday to the Iowa state line. Historic flooding in March forced closure of the busy north-south roadway. I-29 also is open in Iowa, but with some restrictions. Many other roads and highways in northwestern Missouri and southwestern Iowa remain closed due to flood damage.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police say a suspect has been shot after officers responded to a report of a business burglary in Iowa City. The Press-Citizen reports that the shooting happened around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, when officers responded to a break-in alarm at a consignment store. Police say two officers fired their service weapons and injured a suspect, who remained hospitalized Thursday afternoon. Police have declined to say whether the injured suspect was armed when he was shot.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa wildlife officials have confirmed the sighting of a mountain lion near downtown Des Moines. Police said Thursday morning that they’re poring over video from the area near Interstate 235 and 31st Street. Snapshots taken from the video appear to show a mountain lion near some steps and a park bench. Police say they’re working with the Iowa Natural Resources Department, the Animal Rescue League and Blank Park Zoo to safely resolve the situation.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A downtown business group says the economic toll from Mississippi River flooding could run as high as $2.5 million a month. The Quad-City Times reports that the economic impact statement from the Downtown Davenport Partnership doesn’t include property damage. The statement is part of an application sent to state and federal officials for assistance. A temporary flood barrier failed April 30, allow floodwaters to cover several downtown blocks.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Thursday evening, updated a report about an incident that occurred February 2nd. On that date, Deputy Mather with the Mills County K9 Unit, conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Glenwood, for a traffic violation. During the stop, the K9 “Zehn” was deployed, and indicated on the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle.

During a search of the vehicle, nearly one-pound of meth was found, along with about $7,800 in U-S currency. The driver of the vehicle, 34-year old Chanel Traci Huff, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on numerous drug-related charges and transported to the Mills County Jail.

Upon further investigation, the Nodaway County (Missouri) Sheriff’s Office along with Maryville (MO.) Police, executed a narcotics search warrant at an apartment belonging to Huff. During the search, about $15,000 in U-S currency, meth, psyciliben mushrooms, LSD, drug paraphernalia and a loaded handgun were found.

Huff is currently awaiting a federal court hearing. The Mills County K9 Unit was assisted in the investigation by Glenwood Police, Nodaway County, MO., Sheriff’s Deputies, Maryville, MO. Police, SWINE (The Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force), and Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement (DNE).