DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa’s top insurance regulator has approved rate increases for several health providers in the state.

Insurance Commissioner Nick Gerhart announced Wednesday that he approved increases on individual insurance plans provided by Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Coventry Health Care and Gundersen Health Insurance. The changes go into effect in January.

The Des Moines Register reports the rate increases include between 17.6 percent and 28.7 percent on average for plans by Wellmark, 19.8 percent on average for plans by Coventry and 9.4 percent on average for plans by Gundersen.

The newspaper reports some residents who attended a hearing earlier this year on the proposed increases criticized it. Officials for at least two of the providers say the increases were needed because of unexpected health care costs.

On Monday, August 24th Stuart Police officers recovered approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine from a Creston man after he was arrested in the 700 block of S. Division St. He was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to Deliver. He was also found to be in possession of hundreds of illegal prescription pills which he was also charged with.

This drug seizure was one of several over the last 2 weeks by Stuart Officers. In the last 10 days alone Stuart Officers have seized approximately $6,000 worth of methamphetamine, approximately $1,500 of illegal prescription pills, and approximately $1,000 worth of marijuana.

The Red Oak Police released details on two arrests in the past 24 hours.

On Wednesday, August 26th officers arrested 21-year-old Jesse Dean Uhlmann of Red Oak on a Montgomery County Warrant for Revocation of Probation.  Uhlmann was taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on $10,000 cash bond.

Early this (Thursday) morning at 12:45am officers arrested 45-year-old Teri Ann Nelson of Red Oak for Domestic Abuse Assault Second Offense (An Aggravated Misdemeanor).  Nelson was taken to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center and held on no bond until seen by a Magistrate.

Clarinda Police report that on Monday, August 24th at approximately 8:30 p.m. officers arrested 44-year-old Julie Kay Hillhouse of Clarinda on a valid warrant. The warrant alleged that Hillhouse committed six felony counts of forgery and theft at various businesses in Clarinda during the early part of August.

The warrant was issued after an investigation into the fraudulent activities. Hillhouse was arrested at her apartment located at the Parkview Apartment Complex, 1001 E. Main Street in Clarinda without incident. Hillhouse was booked into the Page County Jail on $5,000 bail pending an initial appearance before a magistrate.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A 54-year-old Iowa man has been convicted in the April 2013 death of a woman he shot nearly two years earlier.

A Pottawattamie County jury found Craig Finney guilty on Tuesday of second-degree murder.

He was convicted of shooting 48-year-old Patricia Harker, his former girlfriend, on June 17, 2011, during an incident at Harker’s home in Minden. She survived, and Finney later pleaded guilty to attempted murder. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Harker died on April 25, 2013. Prosecutors then filed first-degree murder charges against Finney, saying Harker died from complications caused by the gunshot wound.

The jury convicted Finney on the lesser charge of second-degree murder. He faces up to 50 years in prison when he’s sentenced on Oct. 6.