DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Mitt Romney is visiting Iowa for U.S. Senate candidate Joni Ernst as her battle with Democrat Bruce Braley enters its final three weeks. The 2012 Republican presidential nominee is to headline an event Sunday evening in West Des Moines with Ernst, a state senator running against the congressman for the seat held by retiring Democrat Tom Harkin.

A Des Moines Register/Bloomberg Politics Iowa Poll published Saturday showed the race a dead heat, with Ernst holding a 48 to 47 percent lead over Braley, marking improvements by both candidates though more by Braley.

Romney’s visit, which also includes a stop in Cedar Rapids Monday, comes on the heels of Braley and Ernst’s second debate Saturday. Their final debate is set for Thursday in Sioux City.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State Fair officials are defending the timing of the annual event against critics who say it may be time to set an earlier fair schedule to avoid conflicting with increasing numbers of school districts moving up the start of their academic year.

The Des Moines Register reports school districts will begin making decisions this month about their 2015 calendars. Some educators say starting school earlier improves student performance. Several districts already start school during the fair.

The 2015 fair is set for Aug. 13-23. Fair CEO Gary Slater says an early August or July fair could conflict with county fairs. State fair officials say many exhibits like agricultural and horticultural crops, livestock, 4-H and FFA projects are simply not ready to be exhibited.

A domestic disturbance in Red Oak early this (Sunday) morning, lead to two-hour stand-off that ended peacefully, and the arrest of 32-year old Tyler Geoffrey Jennings, of Red Oak. Jennings was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail on charges that include felony Burglary in the 1st degree, and an aggravated misdemeanor charge of Domestic Abuse causing injury.

The incident began at around 2:47-a.m., when officers with the Red Oak P-D were called to the 500 block of north 6th Street in Red Oak. Upon their arrival, officers learned Jennings had allegedly assaulted 28-year old Megan Ann Purcell, of Red Oak, and forced his way into her residence. Purcell was checked by Red Oak Fire and Rescue personnel and later examined at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries.

Following their initial contact with Purcell,  officers tried to make contact with Jennings. When they located him at his home in the 600 block of east Reed Street, Jennings told officers he would not leave the house and would defend his property from any unlawful entry by law enforcement. He said also he would not comply with officers until they obtained a search warrant. In addition, he informed officers that he had been the victim of a burglary where two unidentified assailants forced their way into his home and assaulted him.

Officers obtained a warrant issued by a judicial magistrate and began a dialogue that included Jennings and one of his relatives. Jennings left his home and was taken into custody without incident, at around 4:30-a.m. The allegedly burglary of the Jennings residence and assault of Jennings remains under investigation by the Red Oak P-D.

Red Oak Police were assisted at the scene by deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Red Oak Fire and Rescue.

A Red Oak man was arrested early this (Sunday) morning. Police say 29-year old David James Harman was taken into custody at around 1:20-a.m. in the 300 Block of east Reed Street, on a charge of Public Intoxication.

Harman was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 cash bond.

Police in Red Oak arrested a woman on a theft charge, Saturday. 20-year old Clara Jane Heitshusen, of Shenandoah, was arrested just after 6-p.m. for allegedly stealing merchandise from the Dollar General store in Red Oak. Heisthusen was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $300 bond Saturday night.

Sheriff’s officials in Fremont County report a Carter Lake man was arrested Saturday, in Sidney, IA. 24-year old Christopher Lee Minshall was arrested for Delivery of a Controlled Substance/Methamphetamine, following an investigation.

Minshall was being held in the Fremont County Jail on $50,000 bond.

A vehicle reported stolen Saturday in Red Oak, was recovered later that night. According to Red Oak Police, a green 2007 Ford Escape taken from the Bethlehem Lutheran Church parking lot in Red Oak, was found. Additional information about where the vehicle was located and its condition, was not released.

Earlier in the day, Saturday, James Peterson of Red Oak informed police that he went to the church at 2-pm that afternoon, and when he left at around 2:50-p.m,  his car was missing. Peterson told officers he left the vehicle unlocked and the keys were in the center console.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is investigating allegations an employee of the 21st Century Co-Op may have embezzled money. According to Sheriff Darby McLaren, the manager of the Co-Op asked for the investigation, which also includes a review of records by the Auditor’s Office. McLaren said because it is a complex, on-going investigation, additional details will not be released at this time. 21st Century Co-Op has locations in Cumberland, Massena, Atlantic, Fontanelle, and Greenfield.

A letter from Board President Rick Wheatley to the Co-Op’s stockholders dated October 3rd, said:

“This letter is to inform you as a Member of the 21st Century Cooperative about criminal activity that was recently uncovered and is being addressed by the Cass County Sheriff, the board of directors, and Coop management.

Late last week, the Coop learned that an employee has embezzled funds from the Coop. The employee was discharged. The theft was immediately reported to law enforcement authorities and investigations by the Cass County Sheriff’s office and our auditors are ongoing.

We ask that you keep this information confidential and refer any inquiries you may receive to Randy Daugherty, General Manager of the Coop. We will keep you informed as more definitive information is available.

The audit has been completed and we are pleased to report another successful year. Dividend checks will be distributed at next month’s annual meeting. In addition to last year’s business, we will also be paying off past equity for the years 2004 and 2005.

The 21st Century Cooperative remains a financially strong organization. We will continue to provide the highest quality service to our members and customers.”

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Pork prices hit record highs this summer as farmers weren’t able to feed the demand — mostly because a virus had killed millions of their baby pigs. But there is good news for pork lovers in the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture production update, as it shows more piglets are surviving and producers are building up pork herds.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Motorists are being warned that part of Interstate 35 just south of Des Moines will be closing overnight for the next several days. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that the stretch will be closed starting at 6 p.m. today until 6 a.m. Monday. It’s expected to be closed again overnight Monday and Tuesday.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The former Argosy casino riverboat’s trip down the Missouri River has been hindered by electrical problems. The Sioux City Journal reports that the boat was forced to stop Friday just south of Nebraska City, Nebraska. The three-deck vessel, a replica of a 1920s-era paddlewheel boat, left its longtime dock in Sioux City on Tuesday.

BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — Scott Community College in eastern Iowa saw its Friday classes and activities canceled when a contractor accidentally cut through a power line and caused an outage. College spokesman Alan Campbell tells the Quad-City Times that a contractor was digging trenches outside the entrance of the college when the line was cut around 10 a.m. Friday.

With yet another poll showing Iowa’s U.S. Senate race a virtual dead heat, the two candidates squared off in a high-stakes television debate Saturday night in Davenport.  The Bloomberg Politics/Des Moines Register “Iowa Poll” released late Saturday afternoon found Republican Joni Ernst had the support of 47 percent of those surveyed and Democrat Bruce Braley was one-point behind, at 46 percent. At the end of Saturday’s debate, Ernst accused Braley of having a “failed record.”

“I disagree almost completely with Congressman Braley and President Barack Obama on just about everything,” Ernst said. Braley attacked Ernst for saying the E-P-A should be eliminated and for suggesting privatizing Social Security might be an option for younger workers. “Senator Ernst is fond of saying things that sound good, but when you look at what they mean to Iowans, they don’t make Iowans better off,” Braley said. Ernst shot back. “When you talk about your words, behind closed doors at a fundraiser in Texas, you poked fun at Senator Grassley for being just a farmer without a law degree,” Ernst said, getting cheers and applause from her supporters in the audience at St. Ambrose University.

Braley countered by bringing up the Oklahoma billionaires who made their money in the oil industry. “You attended two secret donor meetings in California that were hosted by the Koch brothers. You called them ‘wonderful’ at that meeting,” Braley said, as Ernst laughed softly into her microphone. “You credited them with launching your senate campaign and these are the same Koch brothers who have seven different organizations attacking me right now in Iowa.” The two candidates agreed on one issue during the hour-long forum.

Neither would support an effort in congress to undo President Obama’s executive order which has granted temporary legal status to young adults who were illegally brought into the country when they were under the age of 16. They both said the U.S. must do more to stop Islamic extremists in Iraq and Syria, but Ernst questioned Braley’s commitment to the effort.  “Just earlier this year in June after Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, was taken by ISIS he voted against funding any combat actions in Iraq and yet now he’s asking that congress come back to reconsider that. I’m not sure where to go with that and I know that he twice voted to defund our combat troops while they were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Ernst said.

Braley responded: “Senator Ernst knows that that’s just not true. What I voted for was to end a decade-long commitment of US troops and I made it very clear that I supported pay increases for those troops and was not going to de-fund them and Senator Ernst also knows that the vote she’s talking about was a bipartisan vote where Republicans and Democrats had concerns about who we were going to be helping and what threat we were going to be addressing.”

Saturday’s event was hosted by the Quad-City Times and K-W-Q-C T-V and held at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. The third and final debate between these two candidates is scheduled for Thursday in Sioux City.

(Radio Iowa)