Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST

DELHI, Iowa (AP) — A former town clerk in the small Iowa community of Delhi has been arrested and charged with theft after a state audit that found nearly $247,000 in improper and unsupported municipal spending. Delaware County Attorney John Bernau said Tuesday that the former clerk, Angie Billings, was arrested and charged with three counts of theft. Billings remains jailed.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s population exceeds 1.9 million for first time ever, and growth rate exceeds neighboring Iowa. New Census data shows the Nebraska population grew 0.7 percent to reach 1,907,116 on July 1. Iowa’s population grew 0.41 percent to hit 3,134,693. Nebraska’s growth rate matched the national rate between last July and this July.

BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — State authorities are helping Bettendorf police investigate an officer’s shooting of a 19-year-old man holding a toy gun. The authorities say Bettendorf officers who were sent to a Home Depot store around 11:30 p.m. Monday to check a disturbance confronted a man with what appeared to be a handgun. One of the officers shot the man, identified as Joshua Price, of Bettendorf, who remained hospitalized Tuesday.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A former Iowa State Patrol supervisor who pleaded guilty to stealing prescription painkillers seized during criminal investigations has been sentenced to a suspended two-year prison sentence. The Mason City Globe Gazette reports that 32-year-old Michael Haugen, of Forest City, was also fined $625, plus court costs, on Monday. Court records say Haugen acknowledged removing pills from evidence bags about 18 times in up to eight different cases between late 2014 and April.

A record number of travelers is expected to be on the roads in Iowa and nationwide over the upcoming year-end holidays and as demand for gasoline rises, so will the price. Gail Weinholzer, at Triple-A-Iowa, says gas prices in Iowa are averaging two-dollars 20-cents a gallon, an increase of six-cents in the past week and 16-cents in the past month. “That’s in large part due to OPEC deciding to reduce production, effective January 1st,” Weinholzer says. “It’s just a minor reduction, about 3%, but the intent, of course, is to push gas prices up a little bit so it’s more profitable.”

Iowa’s current average gas price is up 25-cents from a year ago. Despite the bump, Weinholzer says the current pump prices are significantly lower than they’ve been in years past and it won’t keep people from heading out for the holidays. Weinholzer says, “We expect just over 103-million Americans to travel at least 50 miles or more between this Friday, the 23rd, and Monday, January 2nd.”

That’s a one-and-a-half percent increase from a year ago, or about one-and-a-half million more travelers, and the highest total volume since Triple-A began tracking holiday travel data in 2001. “We’re seeing more people traveling. This is the 5th holiday this year that we’ve measured an increase over the previous holiday last year,” Weinholzer says. “Starting with Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and now Christmas/New Year’s, all five have shown an increase over the same holiday in 2015.”

The motor club’s daily survey shows Iowa’s cheapest gas is in Davenport at $2.09 a gallon while Des Moines has the most expensive average price at $2.33. The statewide average of $2.20 is four-cents cheaper than the national average.

(Radio Iowa)

The Harlan Police Department has released a report on arrested that have taken place over the past week. Last Friday, 27-year old Jacob Bernal, of Harlan, was arrested after officers were called to serve notification that he was trespassing on a property in the 900 block of Laurel Street.  Bernal was taken to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with providing false information to law enforcement when he signed a fictitious name on the no trespass order. And, 45-year old Frankie Jo Garren, of Irwin, was arrested Friday for public intoxication when she arrived at the Shelby County Jail to serve time.  Jailers suspected Garren was intoxicated and called officers to determine if she was indeed intoxicated. 18-year old Austin Foss, of Harlan, was taken into custody Friday also, following a traffic stop.  Foss was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and cited for failure to maintain control.

And, on Dec. 13th, Harlan Police arrested 18-year old Cameron Jacobsen, of Harlan,  following an investigation by Harlan officers who were called in reference to a missing juvenile.  Jacobsen was taken to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with interference with official acts.  The juvenile was located and cited for a curfew violation.

Harlan Police said also, no injuries were reported following two separate accidents, Friday. In one incident, Ann Hansen, of Harlan, was driving a 2013 Chevrolet and traveling in the west lane of the west driveway of the Harlan Hy-Vee. A 2007 Ford driven by Alan Schmitz, of Harlan, was in the east lane of the same entrance. Schmitz and Hansen were waiting to pull onto Chatburn Avenue, when a 1992 Jeep driven by Preston Russell, of Kirkman tried to turn into the west Hy-Vee driveway and lost control on the ice covered pavement. His Jeep hit the front passenger side of Hansen’s vehicle, bounced off it and into the front passenger side of Schmitz’ vehicle. Damage to all three vehicles amounted to $9,000.

In the second incident, a 2001 Chevy driven by Mark Bieler, of Manilla, was eastbound on Highway 44 in Harlan, Friday, and attempted to stop at the intersection with Highway 59. Due to the ice covered road, Bieler’s vehicle made contact with a 2010 Chevy, driven by Thomas Hosack, of West Des Moines, which was northbound on Highway 59. Damage from the collision amounted to $5,500. Bieler was cited for Failure to Obey a Stop or Yield sign.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) – A Davenport attorney has filed a lawsuit that alleges Iowa’s school funding system is unfair because some districts receive more money per student than others. The Quad-City Times reports Catherine Cartee filed the class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of two graduates of Davenport school district high schools. The lawsuit says 176 school districts in Iowa collect up to $175 more per student than the Davenport school district does when using the same funding formula.

The Iowa Department of Education recently filed an ethics complaint against Davenport schools superintendent Art Tate, saying the school district openly broke the law by using money in a reserve account to pay for ongoing programming. Tate has declined to comment on the complaint.

Tate and school board members have previously noted the funding inequity.

Cultural organizations and arts projects in 15 Iowa communities received a boost today (Tuesday), with $124,727 awarded in Cultural Trust Stability and Art Project grants from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. Among the communities awarded grant funds was Council Bluffs and Greenfield.

The Greenfield, Adair County Historical Society, Inc. was awarded $2,500 for Strategic Planning, so that The Adair County Historical Society will train its staff and board in developing new strategic and fundraising plans.

And, the City of Council Bluffs received $10,000 for The Council Bluffs Guild of the Omaha Symphony’s “Mission Imagination in Space,” an interactive music education program that introduces area youth to the orchestra through an engaging concert experience.

Cultural Trust Stability grants help non-profit arts and cultural organizations achieve fiscal stability through strategic planning and management, while Art Project grants create vitality in the arts and support job creation, arts learning and rural arts access. Administered by the Iowa Arts Council, Cultural Trust Stability grants are funded through the Iowa Cultural Trust, and Art Project grants are funded through the Iowa Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Iowa Arts Council is a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

More information is available at www.iowaculture.gov or by calling the Iowa Arts Council at 515-281-5111.