DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Democratic challenger to a northeast Iowa House seat who lost the election by nine votes saying the appropriate challenge should be taken up by the House under Iowa law. Democrat Kayla Koether asked Judge Scott Beattie to order election officials to count 29 mailed absentee ballots that did not have postmarks but did have postal bar code markings that revealed they were mailed on time.

Incumbent Republican Michael Bergan leads Koether by nine votes in the northeast Iowa district and counting the absentee ballots could change the election outcome. Beattie says in a ruling today (Friday), that the appropriate election challenge under the Iowa Constitution and law to a legislative seat is to the lawmakers themselves and not the court. That means Koether may proceed by notifying Bergan and Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate she’s contesting the election. Then, the Iowa House, currently led by Republicans will act as a court to consider evidence and decide whether to count the ballots.

DES MOINES, IOWA – Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 2.4 percent in November. The rate tied Hawaii for the nation’s lowest preliminary state jobless rate, and was one-half percentage point lower than one year ago. The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 3.7 percent in November. The number of unemployed Iowans decreased to 40,600 in November from 41,200 in October. The current estimate is 8,600 lower than the year ago level of 49,200. The total number of working Iowans increased to 1,648,900 in November. The figure was 1,900 higher than October and 23,300 higher than one year ago.

Leisure and hospitality pared the most jobs this month (-1,400) with losses being heaviest in food services and drinking places. Accommodations and food services shed jobs in six of the last seven months in Iowa. All other sector losses were small in nature and included construction, which lost jobs for the first time since January (-600). Also declining this month were education and health care (-600) and information services (-500). Alternatively, no sector added more jobs this month than manufacturing (+1,100). Gains were strongest in durable goods factories, specifically agriculture, construction, and mining machinery manufacturing shops. Through 2018, manufacturing has overwhelmingly trended up; losses occurred in only two months of the year and accounted for just 200 jobs lost.

Despite continued weakness in retail, trade, transportation, and utilities gained 500 jobs in November. The advancement was mostly due to stronger than expected hiring in transportation industries. Smaller gains this month included professional and business services (+300) and financial activities (+200). Annually, total nonfarm remains 15,900 jobs beyond last November’s mark. At this point, most all of the annual increase stems from goods-producing sectors. Manufacturing is now 8,600 jobs higher than last November. Construction remains up 6,000 jobs. The professional and business services sector has added 2,100 jobs to lead all service sectors.

Visit www.iowalmi.gov for more information about current and historical data, labor force data, nonfarm employment, hours and earnings, and jobless benefits by county.

(Radio Iowa) — One person died following a crash Wednesday night in northwest Iowa’s Plymouth County.  90-year old Harold Binneboese, of Le Mars died as a result of injuries he suffered in a collision involving two vehicles near Le Mars. The accident took place at an intersection of Highway 75 and a county road. Binneboese was a passenger in the car that was crossing Highway 75 when it was struck by a pickup truck driven by 28 year old Stephan Goodvin of Whiting. Also injured was 86-year old Nadine Binneboese, the driver of the car. All three suffered injuries and were transported to a Sioux City hospital.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports two inmates at the Pott. County Jail in Council Bluffs, were served with separate warrants. 19-year old Joshua Bryan May, of Council Bluffs, was presented Wednesday with a warrant for Violation of Probation. May is being held in the jail on other charges that include: Felony 3rd degree Burglary; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana, and Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug.  And, on Thursday, 24-year old John M. McAllister, of Council Bluffs, was presented with a warrant out of Nebraska, for being a Fugitive from Justice. McAllister was being held also for Possession of Contraband in a Corrections Facility, and Interference with Official Acts.

After being read their warrants, both men were returned to the custody of jail staff.

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) — The parent company of Caribou Coffee and Bruegger’s Bagels says hackers gained access to customer information at 265 of its stores, including in Iowa, but mostly in Minnesota. The Minnesota-based company says the data breach occurred between Aug. 28 and Dec. 3. Caribou says it’s possible that customer name and credit card information may have been taken. The company didn’t say how many people may have been affected. But it says about 200 of the affected stores are in Minnesota, while the rest are in Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, North Carolina, Colorado, Florida, Georgia and Kansas.

The company says payments made through Caribou Coffee Perks accounts or other loyalty accounts weren’t affected, nor were orders placed online with associated bagel shops. Caribou says it believes the breach has been contained but advises customers to monitor their credit card statements and credit reports.

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

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ADEL, Iowa (AP) — A man charged with murder and other crimes in the starvation death of his 16-year-old adopted daughter has reached a plea deal with Iowa prosecutors. Dallas County District Court records say a plea hearing is scheduled Friday afternoon for 43-year-old Marc Ray. He and his wife, 40-year-old Misty Bousman-Ray, already have pleaded not guilty in the May 2017 death of Sabrina Ray in their Perry home. Authorities say the girl weighed just 56 pounds when she died.

The records don’t outline what his plea deal includes. The records don’t show that Misty Bousman-Ray has reached any deal. Her trial is still scheduled to start Feb. 4 in Sioux City. The trial was moved to Woodbury County because of pretrial publicity in Dallas County.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A monthly survey of rural bankers in parts of 10 Plains and Western states suggests the regional economy is growing. The overall index of the Creighton University Rural Mainstreet survey for December climbed back above growth neutral to hit 54.2, compared with 49.9 in November. Any score above 50 suggests a growing economy in the months ahead, while a score below 50 indicates a shrinking economy.

Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says the surveys over the past several months indicate the regional economy is expanding outside of agriculture. The survey’s confidence index slumped to 44.3 from November’s 47.0, and Goss says tariffs, trade tensions and weak agriculture commodity prices harmed the economic outlook of bank CEOs.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

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

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FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A man has been imprisoned for setting fire to a vehicle in the parking garage of Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. The Messenger reports that 22-year-old Terrell Adams had pleaded guilty to arson and criminal mischief. He was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison. Adams admitted at the sentencing hearing that he set fire to the vehicle of an acquaintance that was parked in the garage on Sept. 4. That fire led spread, damaging at least 10 vehicles and causing structural damage to the garage.