DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A 37-year-old Muscatine woman has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for wire and mail fraud. Federal prosecutors for Iowa say that Ashley Erin Murphy Schneider was sentenced Thursday in Davenport’s federal courthouse after pleading guilty to five counts last year.

Investigators say Schneider was a licenced insurance agent who, among other things, established fraudulent insurance policies for businesses that did not exist. Investigators say she also in 2015 set up a supplemental cancer policy for a child that paid out more than $192,000 for cancer treatment claims. Prosecutors say the child did not have cancer.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Two of the first three states to vote in the Democratic presidential race will use new mobile apps to gather results from thousands of caucus sites. The technology is intended to make counting easier but raises concerns of hacking or glitches. Democratic Party activists in Iowa and Nevada will use programs downloaded to their personal phones to report the results of neighborhood caucus gatherings to the state headquarters.

The party is moving ahead with the technology amid warnings that foreign hackers could target the 2020 presidential campaign to try to sow chaos. They say they are taking numerous security precautions.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:20 a.m. CST

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Two of the first three states to vote in the Democratic presidential race will use new mobile apps to gather results from thousands of caucus sites. The technology is intended to make counting easier but raises concerns of hacking or glitches. Democratic Party activists in Iowa and Nevada will use programs downloaded to their personal phones to report the results of neighborhood caucus gatherings to the state headquarters. The party is moving ahead with the technology amid warnings that foreign hackers could target the 2020 presidential campaign to try to sow chaos. They say they are taking numerous security precautions.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A dispute between Democratic presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders has caused days of hand-wringing among activists about how it might change the race. But it seems to have landed with a thud among Iowa progressives. In interviews across the state, Democrats wearily described it as somewhere between “not a big deal” and “a contrived kerfuffle.” Few said it would stick with them come caucus day. The response, or lack of, echoes an undercurrent that has run throughout the race, perhaps especially in earnest Iowa: Democrats aren’t in the mood for a throw-down intraparty fight.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A 37-year-old Muscatine woman has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for wire and mail fraud. Federal prosecutors for Iowa say that Ashley Erin Murphy Schneider was sentenced Thursday in Davenport’s federal courthouse after pleading guilty to five counts last year. Investigators say Schneider was a licenced insurance agent who, among other things, established fraudulent insurance policies for businesses that did not exist. Investigators say she also in 2015 set up a supplemental cancer policy for a child that paid out more than $192,000 for cancer treatment claims. Prosecutors say the child did not have cancer.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A winter storm dropping several inches of snow and sleet and also bringing in high winds lead to cancellations of classes, activities and services across Iowa on Friday. About half of flights from the Des Moines International Airport, where more than 4 inches of snow fell by midday Friday, were canceled or delayed. More cancellations were likely as the National Weather Service issued winter weather and storm advisories for most of the state. The northwestern corner of Iowa, including Sioux City and Storm Lake, was under a blizzard warning through Saturday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – More than 100 piglets died, Thursday, when a semi-trailer carrying about 1,700 of the animals overturned on a freeway just north of Des Moines. Tom Colvin, chief executive officer of the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, says about 100 piglets were found dead at the crash site.

Crews had to euthanize another 17 that were injured. Colvin told The Des Moines Register “they were suffering.” The crash happened Thursday afternoon when a livestock trailer overturned on a ramp to Interstate 35. The surviving animals were loaded onto other trucks and driven to a livestock operation.

Atlantic High School Principal Heather McKay, Friday, released photos of students in grades nine through 12 who earned a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4.0 or greater. (See their group photo’s below). [Click on a photo to enlarge the image]

Seniors:
(Back row) Evalyn Perez, Connor Church, Ethan Pross, Tyler Moen, Evan Brummer, Max Bateman, Savannah Cameron; (Middle row) Hana Holtz, Grace Bruckner, Kylie Neal, Corrinne Pelzer, Annamaria Lowary, Katie Saluk, Tayler Burg; (Front row) Tyler Atkinson, Erin Barrick, Chloe Davis, Reagan Pellett, McKenzie Waters and Zachary McKay.

Juniors:
(Back row) Molly McFadden, Gwen Irlmeier, Craig Alan Becker, Alyssa Derby, Madison Botos, Alexander Somers, Isabellah Peterson; (Middle row) Grant Sturm, Grace Barkley, Sydney Sanny, Caroline Pellett, Hannah Carlson, Lauren Nicholas, Nathaniel McLean;
(Front row) Shayla Luke, Haley Rasmussen, Olivia Engler, Genevieve Martinez and Kennedy Goergen.

Sophomores:
(Back row) Ethan Sturm, Brayden Atkinson, Alexander Sampson, Andrew Engler, Bryan York, Jacob Fulk; (Front row) Taliya James, Ava Bruckner, Mackenzie Hoffman, Addison DeArment and Jaci Smith.

Freshmen:
(Back row) Lindley Eblen, Jada Jensen, Keira Olson, Dayna Dreager, Rio Johnson, Alexes Reynolds; (Front row) Jadyn Reid, Nina Welter, Edria Brummer, Reese DeArment, Kylie Pulido and Alexis Noelck.

The Atlantic Police Department is warning area residents of a scam that continues to circulate around the area in which local church numbers are being used to text people, asking them for I-Tunes gift cards. We recently reported on a situation in Glenwood where the scammers were posing as a local Father and asking for gift cards to support a terminally ill parishioner.

The scammers ask you to scratch off the pin number on the cards once purchased and take a picture of the card number and pin and send it to them. Please do not respond to these requests.

If you have any questions you can contact the Atlantic Police Department at 712-243-3512.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A winter storm dropping several inches of snow and sleet and also bringing in high winds lead to cancellations of classes, activities and services across Iowa on Friday. About half of flights from the Des Moines International Airport, where more than 4 inches of snow fell by midday Friday, were canceled or delayed. More cancellations were likely as the National Weather Service issued winter weather and storm advisories for most of the state. The northwestern corner of Iowa, including Sioux City and Storm Lake, was under a blizzard warning through Saturday.

VERNAL, UT (AP) – Utah authorities say a 64-year old sex offender recently released from an Iowa prison has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a woman on a Greyhound bus. KUTV reported Thursday that Gregory Kehl was arrested in the small northeastern Utah city of Vernal after the driver stopped the bus at a restaurant and reported the alleged assault to a restaurant manager. The alleged victim told police she moved away from Kehl during the trip but he followed her inside the bus, exposed himself and sexually assaulted her.

Police say Kehl told an officer that he was on his way to Oakland California after his release from prison.

Gregory Kehl ( (Photo: Uintah County Jail, via KUTV)

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – Organizers of an emergency warming shelter in Waterloo say they will have to close because the space doesn’t meet fire code regulations. The Waterloo Warming Center opened Jan. 6 at Jubilee United Methodist Church’s Freedom resource center. But after an inspection, officials noted the space didn’t have a sprinkler system and ordered that the center close by Tuesday. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports organizers began searching for a new location and implored city officials not to force them out of the current site until a replacement can be found. Temperatures are supposed to remain below freezing until next week.

(Updated 12:40-p.m.) Nearly all the roads in western Iowa were completely covered with snow at mid-day today (Friday), with numerous accidents having taken place. An accident on I-80 eastbound at the 58 mile marker eastbound resulted in injuries at around Noon today. A separate accident on I-80 westbound at mile marker 72.5 (between the Anita and Adair exits) also resulted in injuries to the adult male driver of the vehicle.

The latest information from 511ia.org shows the left lane on Interstate 80 in both directions was blocked due to a crash between Exit 54: IA Hwy 173, and the Olive Street exit (Exit 57/County Road N16 (4 miles west of the Brayton area). Slow down and be prepared to stop when approaching the scene of an accident. Also remember to move over when law enforcement, rescue and road crews are assisting motorists at the scene of an accident.