CHARLES CITY, Iowa (AP) — The development company behind an $8.6 million Charles City project has filed for bankruptcy protection. The Chapter 11 bankruptcy was filed last week by attorneys for McQuillen Place Co. LLC, listing more than $3.2 million in unsecured claims for the top 20 creditors. Project developer Charles Thomson has declined to comment about the filing, which effectively stopped foreclosure proceedings. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows the filer to restructure finances under bankruptcy court protection.

The project plans called for retail stores on the first floor, with 33 apartments on the second and third levels of the 50,000-square-foot complex.

(Radio Iowa) — The Board of Regents will hold a meeting today (Wednesday), to set the preliminary tuition rates for the three state schools. The Regents held off setting tuition at their meeting earlier this month so they would know how much money the Iowa Legislature was going to approve for the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. The board requested 18 million dollars — but the budget approved by lawmakers provides 12 million dollars.

Information from the board office proposes base undergraduate tuition increases of three-point-nine percent at the U-I and I-S-U, and no increase at U-N-I. There are some individual programs where the schools are proposing a slightly higher increase — for instance — the U-I is proposing an additional 200 dollar increase for students in the Business College and nursing.

ASBURY, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa library has reopened around three months after being flooded by water from a burst pipe. The pipe burst Feb. 1 inside the Dubuque County Library’s branch in Asbury. Water ruined carpet, the ceiling, computers and hundreds of books. It reopened Monday. The building repairs cost about $70,000.

Sheriff’s Officials in Montgomery County said a Red Oak woman was arrested Monday afternoon on a bench warrant for Probation Violation. 23-year-old Allison Nicole Aufdenberg was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond.

(Radio Iowa) — The 2019 Iowa legislature has voted to create a new specialty license plate and ironically, perhaps, the design is often called a reverse. The design is a black background, with white letters and numbers. The legislation refers to it as the “blackout” plate. It will be nearly identical to the specialty plate design available now for alums and fans of Dordt College in Sioux Center.

The new plates just won’t refer to the Dordt College Defenders. Daniel Yeh is manager for vehicle services at the Iowa Department of Transportation. “We’ve already started the design work and the initial samples for the ‘black out’ plate,” Yeh says.

There is an additional charge for all specialty plates, including this “blackout” version. “We are planning to take orders for the plate starting on July 1st,” Yeh says. “We are hopeful that the production and delivery would happen shortly thereafter.”

Posts on social media indicate a few Iowans have been buying the Dordt College plates, then buying a frame to cover up the reference to the Christian college in northwest Iowa. According to the D-O-T, about 800 Dordt College license plates had been issued by last March.

Officials from Dordt College have not responded to Radio Iowa’s request for comment about the new plates with a look that mimics the Dordt Defenders’ design.

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

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst says she’s “not enthused” about supporting Stephen Moore to join the Federal Reserve board. Ernst and other GOP senators are stopping short of saying they won’t back the conservative commentator, but their comments suggest Senate support for Moore may be shaky. Moore has written demeaning observations about women. Ernst says, “I’m a woman, right here, folks.” President Donald Trump has suggested Moore for the post but has not yet formally nominated him.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Iowa investigators hope tips from the public can help them determine who fatally shot a woman while she was driving. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports the victim in Sunday’s shooting was identified as 25-year-old Micalla Alexis Rettinger.

BELLEVUE, Iowa (AP) — Officials are trying to stop the spread of gypsy moths in eastern Iowa’s Jackson County. The Telegraph Herald reports that the state conducted aerial treatments of land west of Bellevue earlier this month. It’s an invasive species that can cause extensive deforestation as its larvae eat leaves, particularly oak leaves.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A Dubuque woman has been given probation for stealing from the same relative her mother is accused of victimizing. Dubuque County court records say 18-year-old Anna Billmeyer was sentenced last week to two to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution. Her mother, 54-year-old Kathryn Billmeyer, pleaded guilty April 15 to theft and dependent adult abuse. Her sentencing is scheduled for June 24.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst says she’s “not enthused” about supporting Stephen Moore to join the Federal Reserve board. Ernst and other GOP senators are stopping short of saying they won’t back the conservative commentator, but their comments suggest Senate support for Moore may be shaky.

Moore has written demeaning observations about women, commenting on their clothing and complaining about the suitability of female referees and commentators in basketball. President Donald Trump has suggested Moore for the post but not yet formally nominated him.

Ernst says she isn’t enthusiastic about Moore because of his writings. She says, “I’m a woman, right here folks.” Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney says he wants Fed nominees to be “economists and not partisan.” Some have criticized Moore as being too involved in partisan politics.