IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in eastern Iowa have arrested a western Iowa woman they say intentionally set a fire that injured a firefighter more than two years ago. Iowa City police arrested 25-year-old Nicole Kramer, of Carter Lake, on Wednesday. She is charged with first-degree arson.

A structure fire in January 2011 burned the hands of a firefighter trying to contain the damage. Authorities later determined that the fire was intentionally set with gasoline. Officials did not release details about the investigation, or how they linked Kramer.

Kramer was taken to the Johnson County Jail.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s unemployment rate in June remained unchanged from the previous month at 4.6 percent. A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report shows the rate remained the same despite the state adding 6,500 jobs. It’s still an improvement from the same period last year, when Iowa’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.3 percent and the state had 24,800 less jobs.

The Des Moines Register reports the industries of construction, leisure and hospitality added 2,600 jobs in June. Professional and business services also added 1,900 jobs in the same period. Education, health services and government each lost 1,700 jobs in June.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa State Patrol is praising a trooper who responded to a house fire while he was driving Governor Terry Branstad. The patrol said yesterday that trooper Greg Steffen was driving Branstad to Des Moines after an event Wednesday in Eddyville, when they passed through Monroe on Highway 163. Steffen noticed black smoke, couldn’t tell where it was coming from and decided to investigate, eventually finding a house engulfed in flames. An elderly resident had escaped the fire with multiple burns.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Governor Terry Branstad is seeking a presidential disaster declaration for 10 Iowa counties that were hit by severe storms and flooding in June. Branstad says he signed a letter yesterday for President Barack Obama seeking the declaration for the counties of Allamakee, Benton, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Clayton, Delaware, Howard, Jones and Winneshiek.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Senators and potential presidential candidates Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ted Cruz of Texas are set to address evangelical pastors today in Des Moines. The 50-year-old Paul is the son of retired Texas Congressman Ron Paul who finished third in Iowa’s 2012 caucuses.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Matt Chapman had an RBI single in the bottom of the 11th inning to give Team USA a 2-1 victory over Cuba last night in an international exhibition. The matchup in Des Moines was the opener of a five-game series between Cuba and a team of American college stars.

Authorities in Pottawattamie County say a Council Bluffs woman who allegedly abused her special needs stepson and deprived him of food and bathroom facilities, has posted bond and was released from jail.  46-year old Rebecca S. Beyer posted 10-percent (or ($10,000) of her $100,000 bond. Her trial is set for Sept. 17th.

The woman was placed on pre-trial release, and was ordered to have no contact with the victim, Joshua Gorda, whose father, 41-year old James Beyer Jr., and Beyer’s son, 23-year old Ryan Matthew Smith, are also accused in the case.

Beyer, Jr., posted bond on July 3rd, and has entered a written plea of not guilty to charges of kidnapping in the 1st degree, and felony willful injury. Smith also posted bond on Thursday, and has plead not guilty to a charge of kidnapping in the 1st degree.

A teenager from Hancock was crowned Queen of the East Pottawattamie County Fair, Thursday evening, in Avoca. 17-year old Sophie Kock moves on to represent East Pott. at the Iowa State Fair, which runs from August 8th through the 18th, in Des Moines.

18-year old Breanna Kixmiller, of Walnut, earned the first runner-up honors, with 17-year old Hannah Constable, of Shelby, being named second runner-up. 17-year old Brittany Kay won the title of Miss Congeniality, while 16-year old Jessica Butcher won the Miss Leadership award. Both Constable and Kay are from Avoca.

And, with the exception of Kixmiller, who will be a senior this fall at the Atlantic High School, each of the other girls attend the AHST High School in Avoca,

In an update to our earlier story about a car-versus-pedestrian accident in Atlantic, Thursday, the Iowa State Patrol early this (Friday) morning, revealed additional information about the incident. Officials say 34-year old Jennifer Kay Lower, of Atlantic, was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital by Medivac Ambulance, before being flown by medical helicopter to Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha.

An investigation determined a 2006 Ford Mustang, driven by 52-year old Clark Alvin Carns, of Fontanelle, was traveling east in the left lane of Highway 6 just after 2:20-p.m., when Lower attempted to cross the Highway, at the intersection with Whitney Street (Highway 71).

The Patrol says charges resulting from the accident, are pending completion of an investigation.

One person was flown to a hospital in Omaha following an accident this (Thursday) afternoon, on the east side of Atlantic. According to reports, a vehicle traveling east on 7th Street, when a female pedestrian ran across the road, just east of the intersection with Highway 71. The driver of vehicle which struck her tried to avoid the collision, but was unable to stop in-time.

The unidentified pedestrian was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital before being flown to Omaha. The accident remained under investigation late this afternoon, with traffic restricted through the area.

No other details are currently available.

Monroe, IOWA — An Iowa State Patrol Trooper assigned to Governor Branstad’s security detail discovered a house fire Wednesday afternoon while driving the Governor back to Des Moines from an event in Eddyville.

Trooper Greg Steffen and Governor Branstad were driving through Monroe, Iowa on Hwy 163 on Wednesday around 1:50 pm when Trooper Steffen notice black smoke coming from east of the highway.  Trooper Steffen could not tell what the source of the smoke was and decided to investigate the situation further.  Trooper Steffen turned onto County Road F62 and a short time later, located a house fully engulfed in flames.  Trooper Steffen stopped his vehicle a safe distance from the fire and went to check if anyone was in the burning house.

Emergency crews had not arrived, so Trooper Steffen located the occupant of the home, an elderly woman who had escaped the fire, but had suffered multiple burns.  Trooper Steffen confirmed there were no other individuals in the home and noticed a propane tank behind the house.  Trooper Steffen moved the elderly woman and other bystanders to a safe location away from the house and rendered first aid until emergency fire crews arrived.

“Serving on the Executive Protection Unit, our priority is the security of the Governor and his family,” stated Captain Mark Logsdon.  “And as a Trooper, our priority is the public safety of all Iowans. Trooper Steffen demonstrated a great example of public service by making sure the Governor was safe and also a citizen of Iowa.”

The Iowa State Patrol reports that Governor Branstad did not exit the vehicle during the incident and remained a safe distance from the fire at all times.

Sheriff’s Officials in Mills County report three recent arrests. On Wednesday (July 17th), 63-year old William Eugene Kelsay, of Glenwood, was arrested at a location on Devore Avenue, on two counts of Lascivious Acts and two counts of Indecent Exposure. Kelsay was being held in the Mills County Jail on $2,000 bond.

On Tuesday, 25-year old Jon Geoffrey Pitts, of Glenwood, was arrested on Interstate 29 for OWI/1st offense. He was being held in the Mills County Jail on $1,000 bond.

And, on Monday, a homeless man, 20-year old Robert Eugene Cabello, was arrested at Folsom Lake for Violating his probation. Cabello was being held in the Mills County Jail on $10,000 bond.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) said today (Thursday), they continue to receive reports of confirmed cases of Cyclospora infection and interview those who are ill, but numbers are decreasing. Officials say the investigation will now focus primarily on determining the source of the contamination. The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) is leading the Iowa investigation. IDPH and DIA will continue to update their federal partners as the Iowa epidemiologic investigation continues. Daily case counts will continue to be posted to the IDPH web site.

DPH Medical Director, Dr. Patricia Quinlisk says “Through interviews with those who have been ill and by mapping the onset of illness (mid-June), we have a very good indication the source of contamination was most likely a vegetable that has probably already been consumed or discarded (because of the limited shelf life of fresh produce).”  She says at no time was an Iowa-grown fruit or vegetable suspected to be the cause of the outbreak and IDPH continues to encourage Iowans to include fresh fruits and vegetables as part of their daily diet.

As of today (July 18th), 102 cases of Cyclospora infections have been reported to IDPH; almost all have been identified through testing at the State Hygienic Lab (SHL), including:

• Linn County – 34 cases (the most in Iowa)
• Pottawattamie County – 8 cases (2 more than reported Wednesday)
• Dallas County – 5 cases
• Woodbury County – 4 cases
• Mills County – 2 cases
• Monona County – 1 case
• Montgomery County – 1 case

At least six people have been hospitalized. Many people report still being ill with diarrhea and some have had relapses. Specific treatment is available (but it is not typically used for more common diarrheal illnesses). Also, very specific laboratory testing (not commonly ordered) must be done to detect Cyclospora.

People become infected with Cyclospora by consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite, which causes a watery diarrhea that lasts an average of 57 days if untreated.