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

INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (AP) — A judge has approved a plea deal that imposes two years’ probation and a suspended prison term for an Iowa farmer who appeared on “The Bachelor.” Court records say the judge accepted the plea agreement Monday between Chris Soules and prosecutors. Soules pleaded guilty in November to a reduced charge of leaving the scene of a serious injury accident for the April 2017 crash that killed 66-year-old Kenny Mosher.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Another Iowa Democrat has entered the primary race to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst. Mike Franken said in an introductory video Monday that he’s “not afraid to stand up for the proud progressive principles that Iowa Democrats share.” Franken retired from the U.S. Navy as a three-star admiral in October 2017. His career included ship commands and years in senior policymaking, strategy, and planning roles for the Defense Department. He was born and raised in rural northwest Iowa.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque man has pleaded guilty to taking estate money without permission and giving it to charities. The Telegraph Herald reports that 45-year-old Robert Young Jr. is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 21. Court documents say Young had been appointed personal administrator of the estate of Thomas Palmer, who died in 2017. The documents say Young paid off Palmer’s bills and then donated more than $31,500 to charities without a court’s permission.

A traffic stop at around 10:40-p.m. Monday, in Red Oak, resulted in the driver being arrested for OWI. Red Oak Police say officers on routine patrol stopped a vehicle driven by 46-year old Ronda Ruby Porter, of Stanton, and upon further investigation, arrested her for OWI/1st offense. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $1,000 bond.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports crews suspended a search at around 10:30-p.m. Monday for a boater reported missing shortly after 5-p.m. that day. Aistrope says the Sheriff’s Office was contacted about the boater missing at the Goldenrod Boat Access to the West Nishnabota River located near the intersection of Highway 275 and Hghway 333, east of Hamburg.

An unoccupied boat was located approximately 1 mile downstream from the boat access. Hamburg Fire and Rescue, Riverton Fire and Rescue, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Iowa State Patrol, Montgomery County Emergency Management, and the Midwest Regional Dive Team were all called to the scene for assistance.

A search was conducted and was called off late Monday night. As of the last report, the boater had not been located.  Their name will not be released, pending notification of family members.  More information will be released as it becomes available.

Police in Red Oak, Monday, arrested 29-year old Mark Lee Parkinson, Jr., of Red Oak. Parkinson was taken into custody at around 4:30-p.m. for Harassment in the 3rd Degree. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

DES MOINES, IA – The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports the sentencing on Aug. 22nd of 46-year old Robert Milton Kimber II, for Possession of Child Pornography. Kimber was sentenced to 189 months (Nearly 16-years) in prison, to be followed by a term of supervised release of seven years. Kimber was also ordered to pay $2,000 to each victim seeking restitution.

46-year old Robert Milton Kimber II

An investigation began in 2018 when multiple online service providers sent the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children multiple Cyber Tip Line reports indicating Kimber was sending child pornography to other persons using the internet. A subsequent law enforcement investigation showed in early 2018 Kimber sent and received child pornography on multiple internet platforms and engaged in a sexually explicit chat online with a person who indicated she was only 13 years old.

Kimber solicited and received a sexually explicit picture from that person. Later in 2018, police seized a cellular phone that stored videos and images of child pornography from the defendant. Kimber is a registered sex offender since his conviction in the Iowa District Court for Polk County in 1993 for assault with intent to commit sexual abuse.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Council Bluffs Police Department, Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office, West Des Moines Police Department, and the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force. This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

(Radio Iowa) — Twelve Iowa elementary schools with high poverty levels are preparing to heavily incorporate computer science into their curriculum. They’re each using a 50-thousand dollar grant through private or state funds to expand and incorporate computer science into everything from math to gym class. Staci Hupp, at the Iowa Department of Education, says computer science is seen as a basic skill in today’s economy.

Hupp says, “This is about preparing students, giving them the foundation so that if they’re interested in these types of jobs they can take advanced coursework and be prepared to really study this further.” Jobs that use computer science include programming, web development and information technology.

Carrie Rankin, with the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, visited Sioux City’s Loess Hills Elementary School, which is the blueprint for the effort. She says students seem to gain a lot of confidence from a computer science curriculum. “In the fifth grade, we saw with social studies and how they were animating stories about settlers in our country and using technology to do that,” Rankin says. “It’s just incredible what these students are learning and at the pace that they are.”

The advisory council says the schools can spend this year planning their programs or launch them right away. Schools will report to the council throughout the year on how their programs are working.

The 12 schools are: Denison Elementary in Denison; Lenihan Intermediate in Marshalltown; Cora B. Darling Elementary in Postville; East Union Elementary in East Union; Perry Elementary in Perry; Richardson Elementary in Fort Madison; Pocahontas Elementary in Pocahontas; Franklin Elementary in Boone; Hospers Elementary in the MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District; Storm Lake Elementary in Storm Lake; Kingsley-Pierson Elementary in the Kingsley-Pierson Community School District, and Whittier Elementary in the Clinton Community School District.

(Thanks to Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) — Two Iowa casinos will pay fines for violations of gambling regulations. Iowa Racing and Gaming Administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says William Hill — which runs the simulcast operations at Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs — had a violation. “There were two instances in the spring where commission staff had identified that America Wagering did not upload names from the statewide exclusion list into their list that they use to screen patrons,” Ohorilko explained.

He says the failure to keep an update list is considered the same as allowing someone to gamble who is on the list. “The rules require that that list is updated once every seven days. So, in this particular situation that did not happen on two occasions,” Ohorilko says. “William Hill agreed to a penalty in the amount of five-thousand dollars, and this was their first offense for this type of incident in the past year.”

Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino in Altoona was fined for an underage gambling violation. “There was a situation in April where a minor had entered the gaming floor unchallenged two times — was on the gaming floor for over an hour and gambled,” Ohorilko says. He says Praire Meadows was fined 20-thousand dollars.

“For Prairie Meadows, this was the second incident in the last 365 days. If there would happen to be a third, those fines would escalate,” Ohorilko says. A third violation before the 365 day period is up would lead to a 30-thousand dollar fine.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports 20-year old Chelsey Lane Blank, of Villisca, was arrested Sunday, on a Page County Warrant for Simple Assault. Blank was arrested at the Page County Sheriff’s Office. She later posted bond and was released pending further court proceedings.

And, on Saturday, Page County deputies arrested 34-year old Brenton Charles Gordon, of Randolph, on a Mills County Warrant for Criminal Mischief. Gordon was arrested at Rapp Park. Gordon was unable to post the $5000.00 bond. He was transported to the Page County Sheriff’s Office and later to the Mills County Sheriff’s Office for court proceedings.