Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

BOONE, Iowa (AP) — Months of tension over the potential construction of an oil pipeline across Iowa has come to a head at a public hearing in Boone, where people who both oppose and support the project testified about their opinions. Dozens of people crammed into a building Thursday at the Boone County Fairgrounds to speak to the Iowa Utilities Board. Some expressed reservations about the project’s environmental impact, while others spoke of the financial boost.

SHELL ROCK, Iowa (AP) — A farm equipment manufacturer has confirmed layoffs at its Shell Rock plant in northeastern Iowa. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that a spokesman for Kalida, Ohio-based Unverferth Manufacturing Co. says the layoffs will begin November 30th. Jerry Ecklund would not say Wednesday how many people are being laid off nor how many people work at the plant, which makes grain wagons and crop sprayers.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) — Carly Fiorina says she bears no “ill will” to Hillary Rodham Clinton for not saying more to a man who told her he wants to strangle the Republican presidential candidate. During an event for the Democratic presidential front runner Tuesday, Clinton laughed along with the audience and said, “I wouldn’t mess with you.”

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush says Democrats aren’t the enemy, and he’s focused on fixing a broken Washington. The former Florida governor campaigned in Michigan on Thursday, telling Republican activists in Grand Rapids that he’s a conservative with a “servant’s heart.”

Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle said Thursday night, Tim Ennis, of Corning, was unanimously nominated to challenge Republican Tom Moore, of Griswold, during a Special Election set for Dec. 8th, to determine who will replace Representative Jack Drake, in House District 21.

Tim Ennis (Dem.) candidate for House District 21.

A special convention was held in Massena Thursday to determine the Democratic nominee. Ennis was the only candidate to announce his intentions to run for the seat. Republicans held their nominating convention Tuesday night.

The special election for House District 21 was called after Drake, a Republican from Griswold, died in October. Drake had served in the Iowa House for 22-years.
The District includes all of Adams and Union Counties as well as parts of Cass and Pottawattamie Counties.

The Cass County Health System invites the public to attend “Healthy U” on Thursday, November 19th at noon, to learn about “Diabetes & Your Holiday Plate.” November is American Diabetes Month, a time to call attention to this serious health condition that affects so many people. In 2012, 29.1 million Americans had diabetes and approximately 86 million Americans over the age of 20 had pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but are not yet high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.

“Diabetes & Your Holiday Plate” will be presented by Barb Petersen, RN, CDE and Emily Krengel, RD, LD. A variety of material will be covered to help prepare people to make healthy choices during the holidays. Krengel says “Diabetic or not – these suggestions are good for all of us. Two of the things we’ll talk about in particular are carbohydrates and over-eating.”

The session will be on Thursday, November 19th at noon in Conference Room 2 at Cass County Memorial Hospital. Healthy U is a free educational series offered by Cass County Health System that focuses on a different health topic each month. Attendees receive a healthy sack lunch in addition to an educational program presented by medical professionals.

For more information, or to make a reservation for Healthy U, call 712-243-7479.

U-S District Court Judge John Jarvey, Tuesday, sentenced an Audubon County man to nearly six-years in prison on a drug charge. 50-year old Randy Mark Heinrichs, of Exira, was required to serve 70 months in prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Heinrichs also will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release following his release from imprisonment.

On August 6th, 2015, Heinrichs pleaded guilty to the charge and admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Southern District of Iowa beginning as early as June 2004 and continuing through August 2004. The charge was the result of an investigation by law enforcement of drug trafficking that occurred in both Omaha, Nebraska, and Exira, Iowa.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.