IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A University of Iowa team has won a $115 million grant to develop satellites for studying a system of radiation created by the sun — “space weather.” The NASA grant will underwrite development of satellites expected to be launched within the next three years with more satellites developed by Southwest Research Institute scientists.

The Iowa City Press-Enterprise reports that the satellites are designed to gather data on how the sun creates solar wind and how Earth responds to the solar wind. NASA scientists say goal is to understand what drives space weather so humans can mitigate any harmful effects.

NASA official Nicky Fox says solar particles generated by the sun can interfere with undersea cables, power grids, radio communications and other electronic equipment.

ELKADER, Iowa (AP) — Officials say no one was injured in the crash of a small plane in northeast Iowa. The crash occurred Thursday morning while the pilot was attempting to land at Elkader Airport. The pilot of the single-engine Cessna has been identified as 62-year-old Mark Koehn, who lives in Elkader. He was alone in the plane. The crash is being investigated.

(Radio Iowa) — The naval warship christened with the name of a northwest Iowa city continues to undergo testing. Kevin O’Brien is in command of the U.S.S. Sioux City, a combat ship designed for deployment near shorelines. “Putting the ship through its paces is fun,” O’Brien says. “It’s a fun ship to drive. It goes really fast. We can shoot while we’re going fast.” Testing of the vessel will continue through the end of October.

USS Sioux City

“If you ask any one of the crew members…there are absolute challenges,” O’Brien says. “…We bring it through its paces, we document, we pull it into the dock and then we’ll fix everything that we need and then we’ll be ready to go.” O’Brien says after this testing period, the U.S.S. Sioux City will undergo what’s considered a short “maintenance phase” and be ready for general naval operations in early 2020.

O’Brien and three of his crew members were in Sioux City last week. He says the link to the citizens of Sioux City is important. “We could not be more proud every day when we put on our hats that say: ‘USS Sioux City,'” O’Brien says. “This is a community that has welcomed us, that has supported us when we’re here and, more importantly, it supports us when we’re at sea. We receive countless letters, care packages from the folks of this region and this region is absolutely steeped in service.”

City officials presented Commander O’Brien with a Sioux City flag to fly on the vessel while it is at sea. O’Brien has presented Sioux City with an American flag that was flown on the U.S.S. Sioux City during its trip to Norfolk, Virginia.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Heavy rains caused flash flooding in the Des Moines area Saturday night, and the forecast calls for more rain Sunday. The National Weather Service says 2.5 inches of rain fell at the Des Moines airport, but more than 4 inches of rain fell on parts of the Des Moines area Saturday night.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa City is turning to bow hunters to help manage the deer population within the city. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports the City Council reluctantly approved adding winter bow hunts beginning in 2020 and continuing through 2024.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former Pennsylvania congressman Joe Sestak has become the latest Democrat to enter the presidential race. The retired Navy admiral who calls himself “Admiral Joe” on his campaign website joins a crowded Democratic field seeking the nomination to challenge President Donald Trump. He was launching his longshot candidacy Sunday afternoon at a veterans’ museum in Waterloo, Iowa.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University has sanctioned one of its sororities for hazing, but few details were disclosed. The Des Moines Register reports the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority has been given a deferred suspension through May 2021 because of the hazing reported by two of its members.

An accident on Highway 6 at 360th Street near Oakland, Sunday afternoon, resulted in two people being transported to the hospital. The accident happened a around 3:10-p.m. Oakland Fire and Rescue was assisted at the scene by Minden Fire & Rescue.

A social media post by the Minden Fire and Rescue Department said the “first arriving deputy reported that the vehicle was about 60-70 yards off the roadway in a creek and was going to need heavy manpower for extrication of the two patients.

Images from the Minden Fire & Rescue Dept. Facebook page.

Midwest Medical Helicopter was requested due to severity of the passengers injuries with prolonged extrication. Minden Rescue Transported one patient from the scene.

One person was transported from the scene by helicopter. KETV reports a woman suffered broken bones in the crash, and a man was also hurt. Deputies say both are expected to survive. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The accident brought traffic on Highway 6 to a halt for more than two-hours.

Sheriff’s officials in Ringgold County report a man from Creston was arrested Sunday on Ringgold County warrants for failure to appear on original charges of Burglary in the 3rd degree, and Driving while revoked. 36-year old Wesley Allan Gregg was arrested in Union County, and held in the Ringgold County Jail on a $5,000 cash only bond.

(UPDATE as of 5:30-p.m. from social media viewers: HWY 6 is open again)

(Original post): Reports are coming about a crash that has temporarily closed Highway 6 in Pottawattamie County, between Oakland and Council Bluffs. The crash happened sometime before 4:45-p.m. No further information is currently available.

Police in Red Oak made a traffic stop at around 2:10-p.m. Sunday, and upon further investigation, arrested 36-year old Kyle Anthony Zeigler, of Red Oak. Zeigler was taken into custody at 4th and Corning Streets, for Driving While Barred. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $2,000 bond.

Strong storms that made their way from southern through central Iowa Saturday, brought heavy rain and hail. Heavy rain fell in Greenfield during the eight o’clock hour, causing some temporary street flooding and resulting in at least one-stalled vehicle that drove into the flood waters about two-feet deep. The Greenfield Police Department’s automated weather system recorded at least 1.75 inches of rain as of last report. Pea-size hail and winds gusted up to an estimated 60-mph, as well.

Flooding on SE Kent Street in Greenfield, Saturday night. (Greenfield P-D social media post)

Nickel-size hail fell in the Ringgold County town of Diagonal at around 6:35-p.m., Saturday. Dime-size hail fell about two-miles northeast of Kent in Union County at around 7-p.m. Two-inches of rain fell in the Union County town of Cromwell in under 30-minutes, beginning at around 7-p.m.  Winds gusting up to 50 mph were reported a little after 9-p.m. in the Des Moines suburb of Windsor Heights. Just before 10-p.m. the Des Moines International airport had recorded 2.5-inches of rainfall, but more than 4-inches fell on other parts of Des Moines, Saturday night.

Authorities said that between 9-p.m. Saturday and 6-a.m. Sunday, the Des Moines Police and Fire Departments had responded to over 100 reports of cars/people stranded on flooded roadways.

Image from the Dsm PD social media page: Flooding 6/22-23/19

There were no reports of injuries or serious property damage.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University has sanctioned one of its sororities for hazing, but few details were disclosed. The Des Moines Register reports the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority has been given a deferred suspension through May 2021 because of the hazing reported by two of its members.

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn University says its president, Steven Leath, is leaving after two years on the job. The university said in a statement Friday that Leath and the Board of Trustees’ presidential assessment working group mutually decided to part ways. Before going to Auburn in 2017, Leath was president of Iowa State University and vice president for research and sponsored programs for the University of North Carolina System.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The digital world’s data must be stored somewhere. Lawmakers want to give Illinois an even chance of ensuring it’s stored here. In its final weeks in May, the Legislature added a package of business-friendly initiatives to state budget legislation now awaiting action by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Chief among them are tax breaks for data centers, often-monstrous facilities that centralize an organization’s information technology operations equipment and store, manage and disseminate data.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A vote to fill a vacant Iowa House of Representatives seat for northwest Ames has been set for later this summer. Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday announced the special election will be held Aug. 6 to replace former state Rep. Lisa Heddens. Heddens, a nine-term Democrat, resigned from her seat earlier this week to serve on the Story County Board of Supervisors, leaving the House District 46 seat open.