DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Fair will feature a “Field of Dreams” butter sculpture this year along with its iconic butter cow. Fair officials say the sculpture will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Iowa-based movie filmed at the Lansing Family Farm in Dyersville. The molded butter sculpture will depict aspects of baseball and Iowa’s farmlands. It will join the butter cow in a 40-degree cooler.

The fair will also offer a new interactive exhibit called “Farm with Us.” It will include bushels of corn and soybeans for people to touch and an interactive digital screen. This year’s fair will be held Aug. 7-17.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Governor Terry Branstad has issued a disaster emergency proclamation for seven Iowa counties in response to recent storms and flooding. The counties covered are Audubon, Grundy, Ida, Jasper, Keokuk, Poweshiek and Washington. The governor is also asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assess 20 counties that were hit hard by storms last month.

WELLMAN, Iowa (AP) — A former business manager for an eastern Iowa school district has been accused of stealing about $8,00 through an employee credit card. The Mid-Prairie School District says Cindy Steege of North Liberty faces theft charges in connection to unauthorized charges on the card. School officials say they contacted authorities last month after finding possible financial irregularities.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A boy who ran away from a Dubuque juvenile facility has been hospitalized after he stole a county road department pickup truck and crashed it into a utility pole. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports the boy left Hillcrest Family Services and took the truck yesterday afternoon. Police say the boy suffered minor injuries in the crash.

FAIRFIELD, Iowa (AP) — Part of an old building in eastern Iowa has been torn down over concerns it might collapse. The Fairfield Fire Department says it responded to an emergency call Tuesday about the structural integrity of the building. Businesses and apartments near the building were temporarily evacuated. An excavating company came in and tore down some of the structure to avoid potential injuries.

Gov. Terry Branstad, Wednesday, issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for seven counties in response to the ongoing flooding and severe weather beginning June 26, 2014, temporarily lifted certain transportation weight restrictions and requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to conduct assessments in 20 counties impacted by the June 26 and continuing storms.

Counties included in this most recent disaster proclamation are Audubon, Grundy, Ida, Jasper, Keokuk, Poweshiek and Washington. The governor’s proclamation allows State resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of these storms.

In addition, the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) made a request Wednesday to FEMA, to conduct damage assessments in 20 counties impacted by the June 26 and continuing storms. The damage assessments, which will primarily cover public infrastructure, will be conducted jointly by FEMA, HSEMD and local officials. Results of the damage assessments could be used to determine if a request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration is warranted. Damage assessments will be conducted in the following counties: Audubon, Black Hawk, Butler, Cedar, Des
Moines, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Ida, Iowa, Jackson, Jasper, Johnson, Jones, Lee,
Linn, Louisa, Mahaska, Muscatine and Poweshiek.

This is the fourth such request that HSEMD has made to FEMA to conduct damage assessments as a result of June severe weather.

Emergency crews were called to the scene of a head-on collision Wednesday afternoon, southeast of Walnut. The accident happened at around 4:25-p.m. on 530th near the intersection with Sumac Road in Pottawattamie County. Multiple injuries were reported, along with victims trapped. LifeNet responded to the scene along with Walnut Rescue and Medivac Ambulance. Two people were in each vehicle.

Three of the victims were transported from the scene. Two of them went to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic. Another was flown to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha. Family members say two women were in one vehicle. One of the vehicles was driven by Leah Jenkins, of Atlantic. Her sister says Leah suffered from several broken bones and other, unspecified injuries, but was expected to make a full recovery. A passenger in the car suffered from scrapes and bruises. Both women were wearing their seat belts.

The status of a victim in the other vehicle is not available, while the fourth person was not injured. The names of the other accident victims have not officially been released.

The accident remains under investigation by the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Authorities have seized a computer and flash drives from the Iowa home of a woman whose daughter was convicted of a high-profile murder, based on a search warrant alleging the two worked together to harass prosecution witnesses by spreading defamatory information about them online.

Records obtained by The Associated Press show the items were seized Tuesday at the Urbandale condominium of 68-year-old Anna Richter. Her daughter, Tracey Richter, was convicted of the murder of a neighbor in what prosecutors said was a plot to frame her ex-husband. The incident happened at Richter’s home in the Sac County town of Early.

The warrant application says the Richters and their associates are targeting witnesses who testified against Tracey Richter. No one has been charged.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A new report from a nonpartisan state agency questions whether Gov. Terry Branstad is cutting the cost and size of state government as he claims. Branstad insists the state is on track to meet his promised 15 percent reduction in the cost of government. He says he’s cut more than 1,000 state jobs.

The Legislative Services Agency, responsible for providing financial reports for lawmakers, says state employment has increased and state expenditures have fallen only slightly since Branstad took office.
Branstad’s job cuts figure includes only the executive branch under his control. It doesn’t include state universities or the legislative and judicial branches of government.

He insists he’s on track to cut expenditures by 15 percent when compared to the projected spending of his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Chet Culver.

The Harlan Police Department today (Wednesday) issued a report on their most recent arrests and investigations. Officials say two people were arrested Monday. 46-year old Kelly Robinson, of Harlan, was arrested after allegedly striking a 14-year old male. Robinson was brought to the Shelby County Jail and charged with Domestic Abuse Assault. And, 46-year old Patsy Nuzum, of Harlan, was arrested on a charge of Domestic Abuse Assault, after officers were called to a domestic disturbance Monday at Westridge Acres.  That same day, officers took a report of vandalism. A Wall Lake woman said someone broke out the driver’s side window on the 2013 Dodge Avenger, while the vehicle was parked in a lot at the corner of 7th and Baldwin Streets, in Harlan. The damage was estimated at $150. It’s not clear what hit the window, and the incident remains under investigation.

On Sunday, police in Harlan arrested 31-year old’s Michael Carrier and Stephanie Josits, both of Harlan. They were charged with Possession of Stolen Property and 4th degree theft. Both were brought to the Shelby County Jail. Josits cited and released, while Carrier remained in the jail. The pair were arrested after police received a call about someone removing merchandise from the Crees Garden Center. An investigation ensued and a search warrant executed, during which officers found the missing garden store items, in addition to several items believed to have been stolen during recent church burglaries.

On July 4th, 42-year old Frankie Jo Garren, of Harlan, was cited for leaving the scene of an accident, and failure to provide proof of insurance, after a vehicle belonging to Kirk and Erin Andersen, of Harlan, was struck. The driver of the other vehicle, identified as Garren, then fled the scene. And finally, on July 1st, 33-year old Ian Leib, of Harlan, was arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct, after authorities received a report of a man being inappropriate with the staff at the Norman Stamp Aquatic Center. Leib was also served with notice that he is no longer allowed on the pool property.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, approved a zoning classification change for an area in Lyman. The action came after a public hearing was held on changing a parcel of land (Parcel H of the northeast 1/4, northeast 1/4 of Section 9) in Noble Township from Rural Residential/General AG, to Light Industrial. Zoning Administrator Rich Hansen said on June 26th, the County Zoning Board approved the classification change, which needed final approval from the Supervisors. Hansen said Corey Sindt has purchased 1.29-acres of land in Lyman to be used for an expansion of his automotive repair business, and the sale of used cars. He’s planning on building a 120-foot by 70-foot structure with 5 service bays, an office and showroom. He would be moving to the town from the outlying, rural area.

Corey Sindt (left) listens as Rich Hansen speaks to the Supervisors about the zoning matter.

The Zoning Board approved the plans after hearing no objections during their hearing, and Supervisors, having received no written or spoken objections, followed suit.

In other business, Cass County Engineer Charles Marker said the Secondary Roads Dept. crews have started to shift to handling other duties because they’re running out of 1.5-inch diameter contract rock for filling in the rutted gravel roads caused by recent heavy rains.

Marker said the Atlantic quarry is out of rock and there’s no word on when a stripping crew might arrive to create a supply of rock that’s needed.

He said the Stennett Quarry south of Griswold and service the southern part of the County, has a stripping crew working, but they won’t have any rock available until around August 1st at the earliest. Marker says that leaves them no other option but to haul rock from quarries north of Greenfield or near Corning. Those quarries typically service other parts of the County.

Instead of burning the extra fuel to bring rock northward toward Atlantic, Marker has reassigned some crews to other duties until rock is available.

Two men on probation who failed to return to the Residential Corrections Facility in Council Bluffs last week were apprehended over the weekend. The Omaha World-Herald reports 25-year old Michael E. Hall, and 18-year old Phillip M. Moffatt, both of Council Bluffs, were arrested Saturday on suspicion of escape from authority.
Hall was originally arrested for possession of stolen property in Shelby County, and Moffatt was arrested in Pottawattamie County for trafficking of stolen weapons and attempted burglary.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Monday of a Glenwood woman on arson and child endangerment charges. 36-year old Angie Dabney was taken into custody at around 3:50-p.m. at the Mills County Sheriff’s Office, on charges of 1st degree arson and Child Endangerment. Her bond was set at $25,000. A preliminary hearing in her case was set for July 16th.

The Mills County Attorney’s office has said the charges stem from an incident whereby Dabney allegedly asked her children to light a trash can on fire at a relative’s home in Pacific Junction. After one of the children lit the fire, Dabney took off. The flames were quickly extinguished and no one was injured. Four children were in the home at the time, three were under the age of 12.

The Mills County Sheriff’s office also reports the arrest Tuesday afternoon of  29-year old Christopher Raul Raudales, of Bellevue, NE. The man was taken into custody on a warrant for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Driving Under Suspension. His bond was set at $1,000.

And, authorities in Mills County say no injuries were reported following a rollover accident early this (Wednesday) morning. Amy Parker, of Malvern, was driving a 2014 Ford eastbound on Cary Avenue at around 4:45-a.m., and failed to slow down enough as she approached the stop sign with 340th Street. Her car slid across the road and into a ditch before rolling over onto its top.