DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Department of Transportation employees have started testing a mobile driver’s license app as part of a new pilot program.

MorphoTrust USA, the company providing the software for the app, announced the start of testing Wednesday. The pilot program involves state employees testing the app in various settings.

According to department director Paul Trombino, the agency is not ready to release the app for customer use. There is not set date for when the app could be released to the public.

The company says the Iowa department employees are the first in the nation to use its mobile driver’s license software.

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.