Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:00 a.m. CST

BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — Bettendorf school district patrons are being asked to approve a $30 million bond issue to renovate several school buildings. The vote on Tuesday comes after the Bettendorf Community School District board approved the bond issue earlier this year. The Quad-City Times reports that the money will be used to remodel, renovate or improve the district’s high school and middle school, as well as three elementary schools.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Sen. Chuck Grassley says he will not support any Republican challenger to President Donald Trump in the primary ahead of the 2020 election. Grassley said Wednesday he will be supporting Trump. He says anyone is welcome to campaign in Iowa, which holds the first in the nation caucus, “but Chuck Grassley won’t be appearing with them.”

HONOLULU (AP) — More than 75 years after nearly 2,400 members of the U.S. military were killed in the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor some who died on Dec. 7, 1941, are finally being laid to rest in cemeteries across the United States. After DNA allowed the men to be identified and returned home, their remains are being buried in places such as Traer, Iowa and Ontonagon, Michigan. Some have been re-buried this year and others will be interred on the 77th anniversary of the attack.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The city of Des Moines is paying $800,000 to settle an excessive force lawsuit filed by a northeast Iowa man against two police officers and the city. The money was approved by the City Council on Monday to settle the civil lawsuit. A federal jury last month found officer Michael Fong and Sgt. Greg Wessels used excessive force and committed battery when they attacked Dustin Burnikel in downtown Des Moines in 2013.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, recognized the Atlantic High School Boys and Girls Cross Country Teams. Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Somers mentioned the boys and girls, like other AHS athletes, went to State this year. The Girls finished in 7th place, and Taylor McCreedy came in 6th out of the top 15 finishers. The Boys finished 15th. Team members present during the meeting included: Junior Katie Saluk; Freshmen Addie DeArment and Zane Berg, along with Senior Jalen Peterson and Assistant Coach Brad Rasmussen.

Some members of the AHS Cross Country team & Asst. Coach Brad Rasmussen.

Rasmussen said he was impressed by the fact the team bonded together. “They really became very close.” He said it was the first time both the boys and girls Cross Country teams went to State together, in 16-years. “It was fun for me to be a part of that,” Rasmussen said, “It was a great season.” In other business, the Council passed a Resolution approving the CY 2019 Budget for Atlantic Municipal Utilities. A public hearing on the Budget was held at AMU Monday afternoon.

AMU General Mgr. Steve Tjepkes

AMU General Manager Steve Tjepkes said after spending a significant amount of time on the ethanol plant project this past year, they plan on getting back to converting residential overhead electric lines located in difficult-to-access back lot areas, to underground service lines, which is better for reliability and easier access for maintenance. Tjepkes said also, there will be no changes in either the electrical of water rates for AMU customers next year, and no significant budget changes. Data from the utility shows the Budget amounts to $10.06-million, which amounts to a $1.16-million increase over the re-estimated 2018 budget.

The Council also heard from Kris Erickson, City Code Enforcement Officer, with regard to policies concerning dogs and cats. Erickson said there’s been some questions over the shelter’s policies, and complaints no one is ever there. She said staff are there in the morning to clean the shelter, let the animals out for a bit, feed them, and then go about their other responsibilities. Erickson said there is a sign clearly visible on the door that states if no one is there, and you are in need of assistance, you may call her cell phone – the number is on the door –  or press the door bell, which rings over at the adjacent water treatment plant. The bell can be heard in all areas of the treatment plant, so someone will assist you.

She said also thanks to donations of fencing, there is an outside animal meet and greet area, which also allows the dogs to run in a decent-size confined area. Erickson said (as of Wednesday), there were no dogs up for adoption, and three cats. She said they cannot take all the stray and feral cats they receive calls about, simply because there is not enough room. There are seven cat cages, including one that is big enough for a momma cat and her kittens. When an animal is brought-in, it is held for three-days before it is put up for adoption. Anyone missing an animal should check the Atlantic Animal Shelter’s Facebook page. Erickson said that has been a great resource for quickly reuniting pets and their owners.

In his report to the Council, City Administrator John Lund he is fully ensconced in the budget, but that his “Patience is wearing thin,” with some boards and commissions “Going nuts with spending.” Lund says he will be doing a “Direct reality check with the various elements of the City and remind them of a few facts.” Lund said right now, it appears there will be no increase in the tax asking next year, with the levy at $16.86 per thousand dollars taxable property valuation. The City Council praised Lund for keeping the budget tight and cracking down on any potential wasteful spending. Councilman Chris Jimerson told Lund, that if he gets any flack from those boards and commissions, he should let him (Jimerson) know.

Two workers installing non-charged electrical lines for a wind turbine project in Audubon County, were trapped for a time Wednesday morning in the basket of a 100-foot boom, which was mounted on a truck. The men became temporarily trapped after the truck caught fire. According to reports, the incident happened near Pheasant Avenue, just south of 200^th Street, at around 8:50-a.m. Audubon Fire responded to scene. Atlantic and Panora Fire were also requested for their ladder trucks, but it turns out their service was not needed.

Photo courtesy Brett Holtz (Camblin Plumbing & Htg.) – click on the image to enlarge

The same company handling the work on the electrical lines responded quickly by bringing another bucket truck located nearby, to secure the men’s tag lines, in case of a hydraulic failure on the main machine. They also used numerous fire extinguishers in an attempt to contain the flames until firefighters arrived. Fire crews extinguished the remaining flames, and the trapped crew members were lowered to the ground about 20 minutes later.  The cab of truck the sustained significant damage.

The male suspect wanted in connection to the vehicle theft has been detained and being held in the Audubon County Jail. The Sheriff’s Department expresses its thanks to all residents who called with information leading to his arrest. Also, thank you to all of the area Law Enforcement Agency’s who assisted with searching for him.

More information will be released at a later time. (Original Press Release follows):

“Law Enforcement Officers are in the Ross area searching for a male wanted in connection to a stolen vehicle that was located within Audubon County this morning. The male suspect is approximately 6′ tall and was last seen wearing a brown hooded coat with a stocking cap. He was last seen at approximately 10:45am today on the 1800 block of 170th St. If you have seen him or do see him please do not approach him and contact The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office at 712-563-2631.”

Law Enforcement Officers are in the Ross area searching for a male wanted in connection to a stolen vehicle that was located within Audubon County this morning. The male suspect is approximately 6′ tall and was last seen wearing a brown hooded coat with a stocking cap. He was last seen at approximately 10:45am today on the 1800 block of 170th St. If you have seen him or do see him please do not approach him and contact The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office at 712-563-2631.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowa again ranks among the best states in the country for motorists, according to a report from a personal finance website. Adrian Garcia, a data analyst for Bankrate-dot-com, says they compared things like annual insurance premiums, road conditions and commute times in all 50 states. “Bankrate looked at seven different measures related to cost as well as driving quality and safety,” Garcia says. “We used the most recent data we could find from government sources, research organizations and industry groups.” The reports are done every two years. In this latest report, Iowa placed 2nd in the national rankings, up from 3rd in 2016.

“Despite all the investment in public transportation as well as services like Uber and Lyft, a lot of us are still getting behind the wheel to drive,” Garcia says. “That’s the most popular way people are still commuting throughout the country. It really makes a difference if you are driving in an Iowa or Nebraska versus a California, Florida or New York.”  The average Iowa driver pays about a thousand dollars a year for car insurance, while the average California driver pays 17-hundred. Likewise, commute times in Iowa average 19 minutes versus 29 minutes in California, which ranked 50th on the list. “Living in Nebraska or Iowa, the states that rank near the top of the list, you can feel good about your commute,” Garcia says. “Although you may sometimes be frustrated, generally, it’s better than living in California or New Jersey when it comes to being on the roads.”

The report finds 11-percent of Iowa’s roads are of poor quality, compared to last-place California where 44-percent of the roads are in poor shape. The best state for drivers, according to the report, is North Dakota, followed by Iowa, Ohio, Minnesota and Nebraska. The worst state is California, followed by Hawaii, Connecticut, New Jersey and Washington.