Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa criminal investigator who was removed from duty after complaining about Governor Terry Branstad’s speeding SUV has paid the speeding ticket issued to a state trooper driving the vehicle. Larry Hedlund paid the $181.50 ticket issued to Steve Lawrence, the trooper who was driving Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds in the governor’s SUV on April 26th.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state’s largest gay advocacy group is accusing the Iowa Department of Public Health of needlessly delaying listing both partners in married lesbian couples on their children’s birth certificates. The group One Iowa tells the Des Moines Register that lesbian couples are being directed to follow an affidavit process and provide certified copies of their marriage license.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A 19-year-old Des Moines man has been charged with arson after hanging around the scene of a fire in an eastern section of the city and asking firefighters about the blaze. The Des Moines Register reports that Lequan Clark was arrested early Friday morning after firefighters were called to a fire at a vacant home shortly after 1:30 a.m. Clark is being held in the Polk County Jail on $10,000 bond.

ADEL, Iowa (AP) — State and local officials are investigating the death of an inmate at the Dallas County jail. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation says 42-year-old Leroy McKinney Junior was found unresponsive in his jail cell around 1 p.m. Friday. McKinney had been in custody since June 7th awaiting trial on a theft charge.

Police in Council Bluffs report a body found in the Missouri River Saturday afternoon had apparently been in the water for anywhere from 7-to 10-days. Police, fire and rescue personnel were called to the river’s edge near the Ameristar Casino at around 1-p.m. Saturday, after several witnesses boating in the area observed a body floating in the river.

The subject was described as being a white male, approximately 25-to 40-years of age. He had a stocky build, weighed about 220-pounds, had strawberry blonde hair, a scruffy beard and a mustache. The man also had tatoos on his left and right hand with names on each. He was wearing a St. Joseph’s University Alumni T-shirt, and a bag from an Omaha hotel was around his wrist.

A caller to 9-1-1 on July 21st reported that someone was in the river who appeared to be in distress, but rescue crews were unable to locate anyone. Officials say they don’t know if it could be the same person, or not. Authorities checked the missing persons database for the surrounding area and states, but were unable to find any match for the physical description given. While an autopsy is slated to take place Sunday, officials say early indications are circumstances surrounding the man’s death are not thought to be suspicious.

Anyone with any possible information about the case is being asked to contact their local law enforcement agency, or Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A health care organization is sponsoring a free camp that will let children with disabilities swim, play golf and join in other activities. Alegent Creighton Health has organized the Junior Wheelchair Sports and Recreation Camp at the Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs. The camp will run from Monday through Thursday.

About 40 children from five states are expected to attend the annual camp, which was first held in 1990. College and high school athletes will help the children in activities including football, basketball, archery, golf and swimming.

The goal is to build confidence in the children, and enhance their coordination skills and wheelchair maneuvers.

A woman suffered cuts and bruises on her back, and other, possible injuries, after she was stepped on by a cow multiple times early this (Saturday) afternoon in Pottawattamie County. According to the Omaha World Herald, the  50-year-old woman was taken to Mercy Hospital following the incident which occurred at Westfair, during West Pottawattamie County Fair.

Dispatchers say the cow stepped on the woman two or three times. The accident happened at around 12:15-p.m. Officials said the woman was up and walking around after the accident, but as a precaution, she was strapped to a backboard before being placed in an ambulance.

Authorities in Pottawattamie County have recovered a body from the Missouri River near Council Bluffs, this (Saturday) afternoon. The Daily NonPareil qoutes emergency dispatch reports as saying the body was discovered shortly before 1 p.m. floating near the Ameristar Casino.

A fire northwest of Oakland Friday afternoon totaled a home, but no injuries were reported. According to the Daily NonPareil, firefighters from Oakland, Carson and Macedonia and elsewhere, responded to the blaze at 22859 400th Street, at around 2:30-p.m., Friday. A passing motorist had reported smoke and flames coming from the home.

By the time the first fire crews arrived on the scene, the structure was fully engulfed. Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s officials said they believed the occupant was out of town at the time of the blaze. The cause of the fire was unknown Friday.

w/ Chris Parks

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.5MB)

Subscribe: RSS

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Many Midwest farmers are beginning to worry that last year’s drought could return. The concern is inching closer to reality for a large part of the corn growing region as many states have experienced only spotty rain, with some areas far too dry.

The National Drought Monitor released Thursday says abnormally dry conditions have spread eastward farther into southern Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Portions of Nebraska including the southeast that had May rain are now drying out again.

Rain also seems to have missed southeastern Indiana, which is now listed as abnormally dry after the state had been lifted out of drought. Corn is in the pollination stage, which determines how much grain it will produce, and needs moisture now to fully develop

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said Friday, that a man wanted in their county on a warrant for violation of his probation, in connection with an original charge of Burglary in the 3rd Degree, was arrested in Pottawattamie County, Thursday. 22-year old Michael Lee Chase, of Red Oak, was located by Pott. County authorities and held in the Pott. County Jail, until arrangements were made to transport him back to Montgomery County, where Chase was being held on $10,000 bond.

An autopsy will take place Saturday on the body of a man who died in the Dallas County Jail, Friday, in Adel. Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Safety report at around 1-p.m., the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office found inmate, 42 year old Leroy Mckinney, Jr., unresponsive in his jail cell.  All attempts to revive Mr. Mckinney were unsuccessful.

Mckinney was transported to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny for autopsy. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation, but officials say no foul play is suspected at this time.