DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Attendance at the Iowa State Fair was down but more people rode buses to reach the fairgrounds. The Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority says ridership between park-and-rides and the fairground was 221,188 during the 11-day fair. That an 8 percent increase over last year. The increased ridership came even as overall fair attendance dipped a bit to nearly 1,016,000 people. That is the smallest attendance since 2010.

Transit authority General Manager Elizabeth Presutti says the ridership figures show more people want to avoid the cost and hassle of parking near the fairgrounds. Fairgoers with prepaid fair tickets also were offered bus discounts.

The increase also may reflect a more accurate ticketing system used at some park and ride locations.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is returning to Iowa to announce federal grants designed to encourage development of new value-added farm products and to discuss other rural development funding programs. Vilsack, accompanied by U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, will travel to a dairy operation in Ely in eastern Iowa and a food cooperative in Marshalltown.

They’ll announce recipients of Value-Added Producer Grants for Iowa businesses. Money for the grants was increased in the 2014 Farm Bill. They also will discuss the Rural Economic Development Loans and Grants program which provides zero-interest loans and grants to utilities that lend funds to local businesses for projects to create and retain employment in rural areas.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

OELWEIN, Iowa (AP) – A northeast Iowa mayor accused of sexually abusing two girls has been released from jail. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports 36-year-old Jason Manus left the Fayette County Jail on Wednesday after a bail bonding company posted a reduced $65,000 bond. Manus, the mayor of Oelwein, is accused of sexually abusing two girls, ages 9 and 14, in 2010. He faces five counts of second-degree sexual abuse. He was arrested on August 11th.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – A Dubuque man faces federal charges for allegedly selling crack cocaine out of his candy store earlier this year. The Telegraph Herald reports 35-year-old Dwayne Howard is charged with four counts of distributing crack cocaine near a school or playground.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A northeast Iowa man sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison for fabricating grain elevator scale tickets and bankruptcy fraud has lost his sentence appeal. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says 48-year-old Michael Recker was properly sentenced last year to 46 months in prison. Recker admitted at sentencing that in 2008 and 2009 he bribed an elevator worker to create false grain tickets then lied to Internal Revenue Service investigators about it.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The University of Iowa marching band is trying out a new, $15-million indoor facility for the first time after stormy weather blew through Iowa City this week. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports the Hawkeye Marching Band was able to rehearse inside on Wednesday.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Thursday afternoon of a woman on an assault charge. 22-year old Danielle Lynette Archer, of Villisca, was taken into custody at around 3:15-p.m., on a warrant for Domestic Assault.

Archer was being held without bond in the Montgomery County Jail.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of bankers suggests the economy is slowing down in rural areas of 10 states in the Plains and the West. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss says falling crop prices have farmers spending less, and crop prices are expected to continue declining this fall. The overall economic index for the region fell into negative territory to 48.3 in August from July’s 51.8. The survey indexes range from 0 to 100. Any score below 50 suggests decline in the months ahead.

Goss said bankers are not very optimistic about the next few months. The survey’s confidence index dropped to 39.9 in August, from 42.9. Bankers from rural areas of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announced Thursday that Ouida Wymer has been hired as its new Executive Director, effective Monday, August 25th. Wymer has been working as the Chamber’s Program Director since March and had previously worked as the Executive Director of Adams Community Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Corning  before coming to Atlantic.

Board President Amy Jordahl, in a press release, states that her attitude and teamwork are outstanding and her commitment and passion to the Chamber is evident to all that know or have worked with her. Most recently she played a key role in working with committee members, volunteers and the public to make AtlanticFest a big success.

The interview process concluded Monday with board members interviewing three applicants.

Jordahl said the committee spent a lot of time discussing the applicants and it wasn’t an easy choice.  She believes Wymer will be a great fit as the organization moves forward.

The Atlantic Police Department investigated a two vehicle accident at the intersection of 7th Street and Olive Street Wednesday. Jared Smith of Atlantic was travelling west and was stopped behind a vehicle at the red light at the intersection. Diana Peterson also of Atlantic was travelling west and struck the Smith vehicle while he was stopped.  No injuries were reported and Peterson was cited for failure to stop in assured clear distance.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new name will be going on some hospitals in Nebraska and southwest Iowa. Alegent Creighton Health and the other Catholic Health Initiatives facilities are getting a new name, CHI Health. That name is being added as a prefix to the names of hospitals and clinics already well-known in the area. For example, Creighton University Medical Center will be called CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center and Mercy Hospital in Corning, Iowa, will be called CHI Health Mercy Corning.

Primary and specialty clinics will continue under the names of CHI Health Alegent Creighton Clinic and The Physician Network. CHI Health has nearly 15,900 employees, 15 acute-care hospitals, a medical school, two inpatient psychiatric facilities, a rehabilitation center, a burn center and two networks of multispecialty clinics with nearly 200 locations.

The Harlan Police Department reports a student at the Harlan Community School District has been charged with carrying weapons on school property, a class D felony. Authorities say at approximately 11:30am Wednesday, officers received an anonymous tip that a student had possibly brought a .357 caliber hand gun into the Harlan Community High School on Tuesday. The Harlan PD notified all appropriate local agencies, including the high school principal and administrative office. With the help of school officials, officers spoke to the 15 year old male who the allegation was made against.

He was found without any type of weapon in his possession and denied the accusations. In speaking with other students that may have been witnesses, two were located and gave statements that they did see a hand gun in the possession of the accused student. A third student stated he received verbal confirmation from the student that he did have a hand gun in his possession on the previous day. The parents of the accused student were notified, came to the school and advised the situation.

After collaboration between the school, local law enforcement and the county attorney’s office, it was determined there was enough evidence to file a charge against the 15 year old male and charged him with the carrying weapons felony. The student was transported by Harlan PD to the juvenile detention center in Council Bluffs. The investigation continues.

The Harlan Police Department says through the investigation process, there was never information that any threats were ever made towards any students or staff members.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Audubon Police Department reports the arrest of two Audubon residents on separate charges this week.

Arrested on second degree theft charges was Adam Graves who appeared before the magistrate and was released on a promise to appear.

Tracie Frolich was arrested on a warrant for two counts of forgery and one count of third degree burglary. Frolich appeared before the magistrate and was released on a promise to appear.