SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The interim leader of Briar Cliff University in Sioux City has been named the new president. The university trustees announced their choice of Rachelle Karstens on Tuesday. She’s been leading the campus since last summer, following the resignation of President Hamid Shirvani. He quit after 14 months on the job.

Karstens was among three finalists for the job and was named interim president in February after a person who was offered the job withdrew from consideration because of family obligations. Briar Cliff is a private, Franciscan, Roman Catholic university that has an enrollment of about 1,200 students.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa has launched a new program that offers temporary housing for students who have lease gaps. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports that the university’s lease-gap program provides students with rooms at a rate of $35 per night from July 20 to Aug. 4. Forty students are currently living at Burge Hall through the program.

Charles Tassell of the National Real Estate Investors Association says Iowa City’s gaps between leases ending this month and beginning Aug. 1 is common in college towns nationwide. Landlords use the time for maintenance repairs and to clean. Members of student government proposed the idea for temporary housing to the University Housing and Dining and Student Life in November. It’s based on a program that launched at Iowa State University last year.

MONTEZUMA, Iowa (AP) — Investigators are planning to give an update on the search for a missing 20-year-old Iowa college student who vanished nearly two weeks ago. A news conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office in Montezuma, a community between Des Moines and Iowa City. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has said that Mollie Tibbetts was last seen jogging in her nearby hometown of Brooklyn on the evening of July 18. Her family reported her missing the next day after she didn’t show up to work. Since then, local, state and federal investigators have tried to determine what happened.

Thousands of volunteers have aided in the search for Tibbetts, a University of Iowa student who was home for the summer. Family members have said she was dog-sitting at a home where her longtime boyfriend, his brother and the brother’s fiancee live.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines officials say nearly 8,000 tickets have been issued to speeders in the first month of renewed operation of an Interstate 235 traffic camera. The Des Moines Register reports that the camera monitors eastbound lanes near Waveland Golf Course and was turned back on June 25. Citations hadn’t been issued since April 26 last year, upon an order from the Polk County District Court. Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Muscatine took action to keep the cameras operating after the Iowa Transportation Department ordered some speed cameras turned off, saying the cameras didn’t make interstates safer.

This past April 27, however, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled the department didn’t have authority over speed cameras. The Des Moines Police Department had reported an increase in speeding after the ticketing halted.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A man who operated a western Iowa kennel and training facility where dog carcasses and dozens of malnourished dogs and puppies were found has pleaded not guilty. Pottawattamie County records say 35-year-old Dustin Young entered the written pleas Monday to four counts of serious misdemeanor animal neglect resulting in death. His trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 18. He also remains charged with 36 simple misdemeanor counts of animal neglect.

The dogs and carcasses were discovered in May at Young Gunz Kennel, about 2 miles southeast of Hancock. Officials said the inside of the business was covered in animal urine and feces, and there was no food or water for the dogs.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday), gave County Engineer Charles Bechtold the authority to send a letter to the Chairperson of the Iowa Department of Transportation. In the letter, the Board states that it is unanimously opposed to the DOT’s proposal to move the District 4 Construction Office in Atlantic, to Council Bluffs. The proposed change would require legislative approval, and even then, wouldn’t result in the consolidation of offices until mid-2020, according to a DOT official. Bechtold said the letter, along with those from Regional Planning Authority 13, which covers Cass, Fremont, Montgomery and Page Counties, and ATURA Transportation Planning Affiliation (Covering Adair-Taylor-Union-Ringgold and Adams Counties, will be sent to DOT Chairperson Kathy Fehrman, in Des Moines. The current draft of the letter states, in-part:

“We (The Board of Supervisors) do not believe that such a move is truly in the best interests of the people in District 4 or the State of Iowa.” It also emphasized their “Serious concerns regarding the potential negative impacts of this change long before the legislature is asked to make an appropriation to accomplish this very expensive consolidation.”

The Board wants to point out also, that “Consolidating the current Atlantic offices with the Council Bluffs offices could make sense, if the new location were centrally located within the region it serves. However, Council Bluffs is on the most western edge of the District 4 region which includes a total of 17 counties in southwestern Iowa.” Atlantic is the central point for all those counties. Moving the office to Council Bluffs, officials say, would result in longer driving times and increased costs for those counties that utilize the services, and who are farther away. It would also have a negative economic impact in the Atlantic area.

Bechtold said about 40 families would be impacted by the move if it comes to fruition, and his office would face additional costs. Supervisors Steve Green and Steve Baier were in support of letting other State government officials know of the County’s displeasure in the potential move. Green said “I say send it, but c.c. The Governor and lets get that conversation started, because that’s where the power is ultimately gonna lie.” Baier agreed, and said the letter should also be sent to any state senators or representatives who reside in the District 4 region. He said he’s spoke with Representative Tom Moore, of Griswold, and Senator Tom Shipley, of Nodaway, both of whom are opposed to the move and understand the impact it would have.

Green pointed out that four of the DOT’s District Engineers are living in Nebraska now, and working in Council Bluffs. He says those engineers don’t have to pay Iowa taxes, and decision maker is living in Omaha. He said “He doesn’t mind building a multi-million dollar building for an office space, because his taxes aren’t paying for it.” And, Green said the Engineers, should be centrally located. The DOT, Bechtold said, would be renting the Omni-Center for $50,000 per year until a permanent building can be built.