Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:40 a.m. CDT

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man granted a new trial after initially being convicted and sentenced to 50 years for the death of his infant daughter has now pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and been released from prison. Paul Hill, 26, was released from prison Friday after spending nearly six years behind bars. An appeals court had ruled that police obtained statements from Hill in violation of his right to remain silent.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The Cedar Rapids Community School District will cut teachers and programs before the next school year starts in the fall to deal with a budget shortfall. Television station KCRG reports that the district has announced it will eliminate 10 elementary school and 13 high school teaching positions. It’s also getting rid of the Foreign Language in Elementary Schools program.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A psychiatrist says he plans to continue working as an expert witness in Iowa trials even though he no longer has a medical license. The Des Moines Register reports that Michael Taylor, of Cumming, surrendered his state license on April 8. The Iowa Board of Medicine says Taylor failed to maintain proper medical records on 11 patients.

SHERRILL, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say fire has caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to a Canadian Pacific railroad bridge in eastern Iowa. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald reports that the fire occurred Friday afternoon. No one was injured. The Dubuque County Sheriff’s Department says the fire remains under investigation.

Firefighters in Atlantic were called to the scene of a house fire, Saturday afternoon. The call amount smoke coming from all sides of the home at 602 Spruce Street, came in at around 2:53-p.m.  Heavy, brown smoke was pouring from the structure when law enforcement and fire crews arrived on the scene. All the residents were out of the home and there was no report of injuries.

Discarded smoking materials may have caused the blaze, according to officials, but the exact cause remained under investigation. Firefighters were on the scene for just under two-hours.

Ric Hanson (Photos)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thousands of dollars donated to help an Iowa motorcyclist who lost a leg in a crash have been stolen. Now, the Des Moines motorcycle community is stepping up to help. Des Moines television station KCCI reports that thieves stole more than $2,000 collected since last month to help 33-year-old Matt Brooks, who remains hospitalized following his March 17 crash.

Brooks’ friend, Bruce Cronk, says the money was collected in jars and containers and taken to Brooks’ mother’s house, where she kept the money in a safe. Police say it was stolen by two people who kicked in the woman’s back door on Friday. Cronk and several friends are now selling T-shirts and preparing benefits to help raise more money for Brooks.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Sioux Gateway Airport board has approved an agreement with the 185th Refueling Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard for a proposed $4 million taxiway project. Airport director Mike Collett tells the Sioux City Journal that the project will replace a current taxiway connector on the far north end of the main runway. Collett says the Guard’s refueling tankers require a wider taxiway.

Under the agreement approved Thursday, the 185th would pay $1.8 million of the total cost. The Federal Aviation Administration would front $2 million, and the city of Sioux City would pitch in the remaining $200,000. The agreement is expected to be presented to the City Council later this month for final approval.

CHEROKEE, Iowa (AP) — Don’t tell Clark Voge, of Cherokee, Iowa, that lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice. The Sioux City Journal reports that the northwest Iowa man has hit two $30,000 lottery jackpots in as many months. Voge claimed a $30,000 prize Wednesday from a scratch-off ticket. He did the same thing just a month earlier. Both winning tickets were bought at Sparky’s, a convenience store in Cherokee.

The Iowa Lottery says the odds of winning the jackpot on that scratch game are 1 in 120,211. Voge says he plans to save most of his winnings.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.4MB)

Subscribe: RSS

The area’s top news at 7:06-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS

One person suffered what were described as minor injuries, during an accident late Friday night on Interstate 80, in Cass County. According to dispatch reports, a vehicle went into the median at about the 59.5 mile marker, at around 10:30-p.m.  A woman in the vehicle suffered from abdominal pain, possibly the result of a seat belt, according to authorities at the scene. She was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital.

No other details are currently available.

A traffic stop late Friday night in Montgomery County resulted in an arrest. Sheriff’s officials say 47-year old Lonnie Lee Votava, of Clearfield, was arrested at around 10:20-p.m. after he was pulled over on Highway 34, in Red Oak. Votava was charged with OWI/1st offense, and brought to the Montgomery County Jail where his bond was set at $1,000.

The Iowa State Patrol says a man and child from Dallas County were injured during an accident Friday night in south central Iowa’s Warren County. 38-year old Jason Edward Hopkins, and an unidentified 8-year old child, both from Waukee, were transported by ambulance to Methodist Hospital in Des Moines following the accident that happened at around 8:30-p.m. near the intersection of Highway 92 and northbound Interstate 35.

Officials say a 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by Jason Hopkins, was westbound on Highway 92 and approaching the northbound I-35 on-ramp in a construction zone. Hopkins slowed his motorcycle while waiting for eastbound traffic to pass before turning left onto I-35. As he was slowing down, his bike was hit from behind by a 1992 Chevy C-15 pickup, driven by an unidentified 16-year old from Prole, IA.

The accident remains under investigation.