Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CST

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Democrat trailing by 47 votes in the nation’s tightest congressional race says her campaign will request a full recount in the southeastern Iowa district. Rita Hart’s campaign noted Thursday that her contest against Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks has been marked by two tabulation errors that, when discovered, flipped the lead between back and forth in recent days. Hart campaign manager Zach Meunier says voters “deserve to know categorically that their ballots have been accurately counted” and the campaign will request recounts in all 24 counties in the district. The candidates are vying to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Rep. David Loebsack.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Republican congresswoman-elect who flipped an Iowa seat in last week’s election says she has tested positive for the coronavirus. Ashley Hinson, a state representative and former television news anchor, said Thursday that she learned of her positive test Wednesday night. Her campaign says in a statement that the 37-year-old Hinson feels great and is quarantining at her home in Marion, near Cedar Rapids. It says Hinson plans to speak with reporters on a conference call Friday and will attend an orientation for incoming members of Congress virtually. Hinson unseated first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, which includes Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo and other cities and towns in the state’s northeast.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — The coronavirus continues to spread broadly across Iowa and state officials say nearly 10% of the state’s schools have sought a waiver to temporarily educate students remotely instead of in classrooms. Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo says 43 districts and nonpublic schools are operating with temporary waivers from the state requirement that they be in class at least 50% of the time. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports that the number of COVID-19 patients being treated in hospitals increased to 1,208 patients Thursday. Gov. Kim Reynolds says that’s 21% of all patients hospitalized in Iowa. The department reported 30 additional deaths.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Polk County jury has convicted a Des Moines man of first-degree murder in the killing of his mother. Station WHO-TV reports that 33-year-old Christopher Thompson was convicted last week in the death of 50-year-old Paula Thompson, whose body was found March 13 in her home. Officers were called to the Des Moines home for a welfare check and found the woman dead. Police later determined she had been beaten to death with a crowbar days earlier after arguing with her son. Christopher Thompson later turned himself in to police. He is being held in the Polk County Jail until his sentencing on Dec. 18, when he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison.

A traffic stop Tuesday afternoon near Essex resulted in the arrest of a man from Shenandoah. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Thursday night, reported that at around 4:05-p.m. Tuesday, Deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office stopped a vehicle for speeding near the intersection of 120th Street and Highway 59.

Walter Ragsdale

The driver, 29-year-old Walter Ragsdale, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Operating While Intoxicated 1st Offense, and Interference with Official Acts, causing bodily injury. Ragsdale was also cited for Speeding, Open Container, and No Valid DL. Items stolen from an incident in Shenandoah, Iowa were also recovered from the vehicle.

Ragsdale also has pending charges in Shenandoah, in connection with an incident that occurred prior to the Fremont County traffic stop. His cash bond was set at $1,000.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s longtime Democratic attorney general says that he has hired Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds’ senior legal counsel to work as one of his assistants. Attorney General Tom Miller said that Sam Langholz, a prominent conservative attorney in the state, will be an assistant attorney general focusing on civil litigation and appeals.

Langholz is 40 and a longtime member of the Federalist Society who has advised the governor on judicial appointments and other matters. Langholz applied for an opening on the Iowa Supreme Court earlier this year but was not among the finalists forwarded to the governor for consideration by a vetting committee.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Board of Health has voted to recommend that Governor Kim Reynolds issue a statewide mask mandate. The vote was seven-to-two among the board members — all of whom were appointed by Reynolds. Reynolds has repeatedly said mask mandates are unenforceble, although she did issue an order Tuesday requiring masks at hair salons, barber shops and in certain group settings.

Board member Jay Hansen, a Democrat from Mason City, says with Covid cases spiking, a statewide requirement might persuade people who have resisted wearing mask.

Board member Patti Brown, a Republican from Waukee, voted against the recommendation.

On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control issued a memo saying face coverings DO protect the person wearing one as well as others around them.

(Reporting by Iowa Public Radio’s Natalie Krebs)

SIOUX CITY, Iowa. (AP) — Morningside College in Sioux City will become Morningside University next year. The Sioux City Journal reports that the school announced the change Thursday in a news conference on the school’s campus. Morningside President John Reynders says the name change “has the potential to open new doors and new hearts within the global marketplace.”

Reynders says the main difference between a college and university is that a university generally offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees. He said Morningside has offered graduate degrees since the late 1960s and now serves more graduate students than undergraduates. Officials say the new name takes effect June 1.

DES MOINES, Iowa – State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald is spreading the news about College Savings Iowa across the entire state with a year-end giveaway. College Savings Iowa is giving away a $529 plan contribution to a family in each of Iowa’s 99 counties, and one grand prize winner, from all entrants, will win a $1,529 College Savings Iowa contribution. “As the end of the year approaches, many families start to think about gifts to give their children and grandchildren,” said Fitzgerald. “A College Savings Iowa account could be the perfect gift, and our giveaway is an opportunity to help boost your family’s education savings.” From now until the end of the year, families with children and grandchildren under the age of 18 can register to win. Those interested can visit Iowa529Contest.com to read the official rules and register for their chance to win before December 31, 2020.

College Savings Iowa offers families a tax-advantaged way to save money for their children’s higher education with tax-free withdrawals for qualified expenses. “No matter how young or old the children in your family are, starting an education savings account is an important step for setting up their future,” Fitzgerald said. “With so many different options for how to use your 529 account savings, we can help our future generations achieve their education and career dreams.” Investors can withdraw their investment federally tax-free to pay for qualified higher education expenses, which includes tuition, books, supplies and certain room and board costs at any eligible college, university, community college, technical training school or apprenticeship program in the United States or abroad.* Families can find great resources and answers about College Savings Iowa by visiting CollegeSavingsIowa.com today.

Iowa taxpayers have the additional benefit of being able to deduct contributions up to $3,439 per beneficiary account from their 2020 Iowa income taxes.** Since its launch in 1998, College Savings Iowa has grown to more than $5.5 billion in assets and more than $3.2 billion has been used for qualified educational expenses. The plan has over 254,000 active accounts with an average size of $20,659.

Visit Iowa529Contest.com to complete the registration for the giveaway. To learn more about College Savings Iowa, please visit CollegeSavingsIowa.com or call (888) 672-9116. For more information about future giveaways and events, find College Savings Iowa on Facebook and Twitter.

Montgomery County conducted its fourth post-election audit on Thursday, November 12th, under a new law designed to monitor and protect election processes. Auditor Stephanie Burke says the audit was successful. Iowa law allows the Secretary of State choose, at random, one precinct in each Iowa county to be audited. County auditors must then supervise a hand count of the ballots from that precinct and compare the results to the voting machine count from election night.

Julie Rubey, Will Lester, Bonnie Miller and Jeanice Lester conduct the audit of ballots

In Montgomery County, the Secretary of State chose Precinct 4, which votes at the Elliott Community Building. 259 ballots were cast on election night and the results matched perfectly to the hand count done on Thursday.

“The hand count shows that our machines are accurately counting ballots,”said Burke. “All voters deserve to have confidence that their vote has been counted properly.”Four precinct election officials, representing the two major political parties, conducted the count under the supervision of Auditor, Stephanie Burke.

As required in the law, the Auditor’s Office notified the county chairs of both of the two major political parties. Questions about the post-election audit and other election matters may be directed to the Montgomery County Auditor’s office at 712-623-5127.