Three employees of the Iowa Department of Revenue have filed a lawsuit accusing the agency’s managers of failing to protect them from harassment and abuse at work. The three men say they were stalked and harassed by another man who worked in the agency.

Kenneth Kerr was fired in November of 2015 and last year he pleaded guilty to one count of sexually motivated stalking and two counts of invasion of privacy. The three men who’ve filed a lawsuit against the state allege their bosses did little to address the situation and sometimes joined other agency employees in mocking them for being the subject of Kenneth Kerr’s stalking. A spokeswoman for the agency told The Des Moines Register action had been taken “immediately” when managers learned of Kerr’s activities. One of the men who is suing says the harassment began in 1997 — that’s 18 years before Kerr was fired.

The three men filed their lawsuit in July. It was in July that a jury who heard days of testimony about sexual harassment in the Iowa Senate awarded more than two-million dollars to a woman who used to work for Senate Republicans.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:20 a.m. CDT

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A 32-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder and other counts following a shooting that injured a man on a downtown Dubuque street. The Telegraph Herald reports that Jevonne Coleman was arrested late Wednesday night after police were called to the area on a report of shots fired. Police say they found 24-year-old Titus Jarmon suffering from two gunshot wounds. Jarmon is expected to recover.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — After nearly 20 years, Iowa’s standard license plate will get a new design, and residents can vote on which of three options they like best. Gov. Kim Reynolds unveiled three potential designs Thursday at the state fair. Department of Transportation graphic artists created the new designs, which are now up for a vote by fairgoers and others online. When a new design is selected, it will be available sometime in 2018.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A Davenport woman accused of stealing more than $150,000 from the School Nutrition Association of Iowa has pleaded not guilty to first-degree theft. The Quad-City Times reports that 74-year-old Norma Jean Adams was also charged Wednesday with commission of a specified unlawful activity. Prosecutors say Adams was using the name Norma LaMantia while serving as the executive director of the association, an Iowa nonprofit that promotes healthy, affordable school meals.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Workers are spending a hot summer on scaffolding that wraps around Iowa’s 131-year-old Capitol. It’s the most visible part of a $10 million, yearlong project to restore the building’s massive dome. The priority is replacing 15,000 bricks, but because that task required construction of scaffolding that climbs from the main structure, officials decided it was the perfect time for other repairs. Crews also will install a permanent platform in the dome so workers can monitor future deterioration.

For the second time in nearly two years, a bronze sculpture has been stolen for its pedestal in downtown Sioux City. “The Goddess of the Grapes” was taken in September of 2015, but less than a week later it was back in place. Todd Behrens, the curator of Sioux City’s Art Center, says the sculpture vanished again a couple of months ago.

“We held off making some kind of public announcement because the last time it happened, as mysteriously as ‘The Goddess’ was taken, she reappeared,” Behrens says. “And so, we thought: ‘Well, let’s just give it some time. Maybe the person who took this time will have the same change of heart as the person did two years ago.” The Art Center has now filed a police report on this latest theft.

“Two years ago, after it was returned, we worked with the artist to create something a little more secure, so there would have been a little more of an effort required to have taken her this time,” Behrens says. “Obviously, it’s still not as secure as it needs to be, so when she returns we’ll have to rethink both how she’s displayed and where she’s displayed.”

The sculpture depicts a woman who’s holding grapes and reaching to the sky. The statue, which is 18-inches tall, is worth about four-thousand dollars and was purchased seven years ago by a non-profit group that placed sculptures in Sioux City’s downtown area.

(Radio Iowa)

The Regional Autism Assistance Program is losing 70-percent of its funding from the Iowa Department of Public Health. Advocates worry it will impact services for families whose children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Kris Steinmetz, executive director of the Autism Society of Iowa, says not having a local point person to help families access services close to home could make things more challenging.

Steinmetz says, “A lot of families are really worried about the cut of losing their family navigator, which is just a lifeline to services and sometimes they’ll even go to the school to help.” She fears the slashed program budget will impact that important local resource for people with autism.

“When you have a family navigator that’s specific to your area, especially if you live in rural Iowa, it’s really really important to have that person,” she says. A spokesman for University of Iowa Health Care — which runs the program — says the details of dealing with this budget cut aren’t yet final and declined further comment.

(Radio Iowa, with reporting By Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)

An investigation into an accident Wednesday in Shenandoah led to the arrest of two men. The Shenandoah Police Department reports officers responded to a single-vehicle accident in front of the Eagles in the 700 block of West Thomas Avenue. The K9 Unit conducted an investigation, and K9 Officer Argo was deployed. A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded a controlled substance and paraphernalia equipment.

After further investigation by officers, the driver, 19-year old Max Mitchell, of Farragut, was arrested for OWI 1st offense, and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute. The passenger, 19-year old Zachary Higgins, of Shenandoah, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.

Mitchell and Higgins were taken to the Page County Jail where they are being held on $5,000 bond.

(Correction issued to victim’s name by C. Bluffs PD – name is Kadie Clark, NOT Kadie White) —  A shooting incident is under investigation in Council Bluffs. Authorities say 23-year old Kadie Clark, of Glenwood, was transported to Nebraska Medicine where she underwent emergency surgery for a gunshot wound. Her injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

According to Bluffs Police, officers responded to the American Inn (2717 South 24th Street) at around 3:33-a.m. today (Thursday) after receiving word a woman had been shot in the face. The incident remains under investigation by the Council Bluffs Police Department. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at (712) 328-4728 or Crime Stoppers (712) 328-7867.

Firefighters from Red Oak and five other communities responded to a residential fire at around 7:15-p.m., Wednesday. Fire Chief John Bruce told KJAN News the blaze appears to have started in a garage next to the home at 211 W. Reed Street, in Red Oak, which had been converted into three apartments.  The Chief says the first crews on the scene saw flames shooting out of the garage, which extended into the two-story residence. Two people resided in one of the apartments, but they were able to safely escape.

He said because the building had gone through numerous renovations, there were three voids, or spaces between the apartments, that made the fire hard to fight. The Chief said fighting that type of fire exhausts firefighters, which is why Red Oak Fire  requested assistance from other area departments.

That included Elliott, Villisca, Essex, Fire & EMS, Emerson and Stanton Fire, and assistance from several emergency agencies, such as the Red Oak Police, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County EMA, and the American Red Cross. The Chief wants to thank all the firefighters and others who assisted at the scene.

Crews were on the scene for five-hours. No injuries were reported. Bruce said unfortunately, it appears the home was a total loss. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.