AMES, Iowa (AP) – Officials say the fourth finalist in the search for the next Iowa State University president is already on campus. Dean Wendy Wintersteen of Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is scheduled to meet Thursday with staff, students and community members. Her curriculum vitae and interview schedule are available on Iowa State’s presidential search website, presidentsearch.iastate.edu.

The first finalist, Sonny Ramaswamy, visited Ames on Monday. He’s director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in Washington, D.C. The second finalist, Pamela Whitten, was on campus Tuesday. She’s senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Georgia, Athens. The third finalist, Dale Whittaker, is scheduled to visit the Ames campus Wednesday. He’s executive vice president at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

Two central Iowa men were arrested early this (Wednesday) morning on Theft and Interference with Official Acts charges, in Creston. Authorities say 19-year old’s Nate Lee and Gatdoar Kueth, both of Des Moines, were taken into custody at around 1:16-a.m. at Highway 34 and Industrial Parkway. Both men were being held in the Union County Jail on $1,000 bond, each.

And, 37-year old Dustin Kilgore, of Creston, was arrested at around 11-p.m. Tuesday, for Public Intoxication. Kilgore was later released on a $300 bond.

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

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Law Enforcement and Rescue personnel are on the scene of a semi tractor-trailer rollover accident off Interstate 80 westbound, near Stuart. According to dispatch reports, a semi left the road and went airborne, ending up off the traveled portion of the road. The driver was ejected and was missing at first, but was located and said to have been injured. The extent of injuries and other details about the crash are currently unavailable. Westbound traffic is delayed this morning between Exits 97 and 93 while emergency crews are on the scene.

Iowa Congressman David Young continues his schedule of hosting open meeting events with his constituents, with two more Open Office Hours events this month. Open Office Hours are a resource for Iowans who reside in the Third Congressional District to meet one-on-one with the Congressman to discuss opinions, concerns, and ideas about the issues being discussed in Congress or to get casework assistance with problems they may be having with a federal agency or program.

Young’s Scheduled Open Office Hours include:

Wednesday October 18, 2017:

10-a.m until Noon at the Lied Public Library – 100 East Garfield Street, in Clarinda.

1:30-p.m. to 3:30-p.m. — Tabor City Hall – 626 Main Street, in Tabor.

Residents of Iowa’s Third District who are interested in meeting with Congressman Young are encouraged to attend any of the Open Office Hours events. Individual, ten-minute meetings to discuss personal concerns, opinions and possible casework needs will take place with constituents in attendance on a first-come, first-serve basis. Participants must be residents of one of the 16 counties of Iowa’s Third Congressional District, which is comprised locally, of Adair, Adams, Cass, Dallas, Fremont, Guthrie, Madison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, Taylor, and Union Counties. .

Constituents with further questions regarding Congressman Young’s Open Office Hours events should contact Congressman Young’s Des Moines Constituent Services Office by telephone at (515) 282-1909.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Des Moines airport board has approved a plan to create a premium parking option at its parking garage that will cost travelers $20 a day. The Des Moines Register reports that the figure is four times the $5 charge for a day at an airport economy lot. The board’s meeting agenda item for Tuesday’s meeting said the new option is “expected to draw those travelers willing to pay a little more for convenient parking very close to the terminal.”

Airport officials say spots in the garage’s short-term parking area often go unused, while long-term parking spaces regularly are filled. The premium spots will be on the garage’s first floor, directly across from the terminal building entrance. Long-term parking in the garage runs $14 per day.

A state agency estimates it will collect more than one-and-a-half MILLION dollars in new fees from procrastinators or from people trying to avoid paying the taxes to pay unemployment benefits.

Iowa Workforce Development will levy a 500-dollar fine to Iowa businesses that fail to properly register as an employer. Officials estimate 32-hundred business owners will try to skip registering, to avoid paying unemployment taxes, or they’ll fail to meet the quarterly registration deadlines. In addition, the agency has the go-ahead from lawmakers to assess a 200-dollar fine to businesses that send in their registration paperwork through the mail. The legislative committee that reviews state government rules was briefed on these new fees yesterday (Tuesday).

All Iowa businesses are required to pay unemployment taxes electronically.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police say a Des Moines mother has been arrested after officers found her three children alone outside their home, including one naked and covered in feces, and another with a full diaper. TV station KCCI reports that a 4-year-old boy was left in charge Monday of his 2-year-old and 1-year-old siblings. County records say Destinee Miller remains jailed Tuesday on child endangerment charges.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Animal rights and free speech organizations have sued the state of Iowa challenging a 2012 law that made it illegal to get a job or gain access to a livestock farm through misrepresentation to conduct an undercover investigation. Animal rights activists often get a job to secretly videotape abusive behavior at chicken, pig and cattle farms and release it to the public. The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Des Moines.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s office has corrected multiple errors in its guidance on the number of signatures that some Congressional candidates must gather to get on the ballot. For months, the office’s website misinformed potential candidates in Districts 2 and 3 about minimum signature requirements. A spokesman says the errors were corrected last week after they were pointed out by The Associated Press.

DANVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Crews are ready to begin an extensive $3 million restoration of Lake Geode in southeast Iowa. But the first task of opening pipes to drain the popular lake is proving to be a challenge. The Hawk Eye reports the plate covering the pipe may be stuck because of pressure, friction or being tied down. Divers may try to cut a hole in the plate or the reinforced concrete pipe. Once the plate is removed, water will flow to the other side of the dam and into Cedar Creek.

The board that governs the three state universities is delaying a decision on tuition increases. Board of Regents president Michael Richards released a statement today (Tuesday) that the board will not do its tradition first reading of a proposed tuition increase at its meeting next week in Cedar Falls. He says the board needs additional time to consider the proper tuition increase, and that they don’t want multiple tuition increases during the year.

The Regents raised tuition two percent last December, and then had to raise it again by three percent after state budget cuts. The presidents of the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and Northern Iowa each recently recommended to the board’s tuition task force that tuition be raised seven percent.

The U-I and I-S-U want to keep that same increase each of the next four years, while U-N-I proposes gradually reducing the increase each year.

(Radio Iowa)

Specialists with Iowa Workforce Development have been helping the workers at the Ferrara Candy Company in Creston after the announcement last week that the plant would close later this year. I-W-D’s Elizabeth Waigand says the good news is they have some time before the more than 200 workers are out of a job.

She says Ferrara won’t be closing until December and that makes it easier than if the company would have closed immediately. “Even though it is an unfortunate situation — it does give us and our community leaders time to plan.” Waigand says another positive factor is the state unemployment rate is low and many companies have been looking for workers to fill jobs. She says Workforce Development got calls soon after the Ferrara announcement from some 40 businesses who are interested in the company’s workers.

“We know that they have skill sets that other business are eager to take these employees on. But there will be people that may want to change their careers at this time of life,” Waigand says. She says workers who want to move in a different direction can get help with training to learn new skills. Waigand says she did a quick online search and found some 664 jobs available in the eight-county area, which means there are many opportunities available.

She says that number is actually higher than the listings as one company many be looking for five positions with the one listing. While the prospect of finding a new job looks good for the Ferrara workers, she says they will still be dealing with the emotional loss of a job they may’ve had for many years.

“If I lose my job, it’s not just losing some of my income. It’s also losing friends that I worked with for 10-plus years, you’re losing the routine of getting up every day and going to my job. It’s losing what you know how to do best — so that takes time,” according to Waigand. She says Workforce Development also helps the workers cope with they psychological impact of losing their job. Waigand says it’s something they talk about in the community and remind everyone about.

“Don’t expect people just to be on their top of spirits — because it takes time,” Waigand says. “We know that we are going to support these employees and find the next career that is right for them. But, it’s going to take time to cope with this.” Waigand says they have been meeting with the employees and will continue meeting with them and others in the community to prepare them for the plant closing.

(Radio Iowa)