SEATTLE (AP) — More states — including Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota — are suing the Trump administration to dissolve a settlement it reached with a company that wants to post instructions online for making 3D-printed firearms that are hard to trace and detect. Mostly Democratic attorneys general from 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, filed an amended complaint Friday asking a judge make it illegal to share plans on creating printable plastic weapons. One Republican — Colorado’s attorney general — joined the lawsuit.

It comes days after U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik blocked the plans from being released until Aug. 28. He has scheduled an Aug. 21 hearing on the states’ request to reverse the U.S. State Department’s agreement with Austin, Texas-based Defense Distributed.

The settlement jeopardizes states’ ability to enforce gun laws, including background checks, and puts public safety at risk, the complaint said. The availability of plastic guns threatens safety in prisons and jails and makes air travel more susceptible to terrorist attacks, the states said.

Defense Distributed owner Cody Wilson, a self-described “crypto-anarchist,” has said “governments should live in fear of their citizenry.” His company seeks to make guns accessible to everyone, making “meaningful gun regulation impossible,” according to the complaint.

A group of gun-rights advocates called the Firearms Policy Coalition responded to the judge’s order by creating a website with plans for various firearms, including “the Liberator,” a 3D-printable single-shot handgun. Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson urged the federal government to enforce the court order prohibiting distribution of downloadable gun files.

The states suing are: Washington, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. The expanded lawsuit comes as a group of congressional Democrats introduced legislation that would block online instructions for 3D-printed guns, which are largely undetectable at security checkpoints, according a statement released Friday by U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch and Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, Brad Schneider of Illinois and Carolyn Maloney of New York.

Another measure introduced this week requires plastic guns to have serial numbers and enough metal to make them visible on screening machines. President Donald Trump has questioned whether his administration should have agreed to allow the plans to be posted online, tweeting Tuesday that the idea “doesn’t seem to make much sense!” Since then, he has been largely silent on the issue.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Police in southeastern Iowa say one person is dead and another injured following a shootout with officers that sent a nearby elementary school into lockdown.

The Ottumwa Courier reports that the shootout happened after police received a report around 1:40 p.m. of people with guns outside near Liberty Elementary. Ottumwa Police Chief Tom McAndrew says that when officers arrived, the suspects and officers exchanged gunfire. The shooting left one suspect dead. McAndrew says another suspect was taken to a local hospital with “very serious injuries.”

He says another person was arrested and a fourth suspect is still on the run and being sought. Police believe that person is armed and dangerous and urged residents in the area to stay inside their homes.

Police say no one else was injured. Students and staff at Liberty Elementary were taken to a shelter inside the school guarded by police and remained there until late Friday afternoon.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say they’ve found a sport utility vehicle believed to have been involved in a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed 56-year-old bicyclist.

Police say the red SUV was found Wednesday abandoned and hidden in a rural area east of Mitchellville. It has been impounded by Des Moines police. An arrest warrant has been issued charging Anthony McGilvrey with leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death.

Police believe McGilvrey was driving the SUV rental the morning of July 28 in Des Moines when it hit the bicyclist, identified as Darrel Ford. Investigators say Ford crossed into an intersection against a red light when he was hit.

(Radio Iowa) — The cost Iowans pay for an annual hunting or fishing license would rise from $17 to $20 under a proposal from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Joe Larscheid, chief of the Iowa DNR’s Fisheries Bureau, believes the fee increases are long overdue.

“It’s been 14 years for most licenses and some licenses, it’s been over 20 years since they’ve been raised,” Larscheid said. Revenue from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses is deposited into the Fish and Wildlife Trust Fund, which receives no tax payer money from the state general fund. This would be the first increase in the price of a hunting license since 2002 and the first increase of a fishing license since 2004.

“Really, the modest increase we’re talking about – which is about a 17-percent increase – doesn’t even keep up with the cost of inflation since the last time the fees were raised,” Larscheid said. “What we’re going to be able to do with this increase is keep the programs we have going now and hopefully add back some programs that were reduced or actually cut in recent years.” According to Larscheid, even with the proposed increase, Iowa’s hunting and fishing license fees would remain lower than most other Midwest states.

“With the caveat that some states, such as Missouri and Minnesota, receive a lot of general funding from different initiatives that have passed over the years and not just license revenues that run the state’s trust fund programs,” Larscheid said. Until recently, hunting and fishing license fees were controlled by state lawmakers. The Iowa Legislature and Governor Reynolds approved a bill last year that shifted the authority to the Iowa DNR and the Natural Resource Commission.

“It puts it on us, the DNR and the Natural Resource Commission, to adjust the fees more often – hopefully – than in the past,” Larscheid said. “So, instead of going for a 17-percent or 30-percent increase, maybe a two-to-five-percent increase every couple of years, which I think would be more acceptable to most people – because people understand, you know, inflation happens.”

Full details on the proposed license fee increases are on the DNR’s website ( www.iowadnr.gov/hunting ) and Iowans can provide feedback either online or at “listening sessions” scheduled for August 21 from Noon until 2-p.m. One of the sessions is in Lewis.

Harlan, Iowa – Four Shelby County residents have been appointed to the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach council nominating committee. The committee is charged with nominating candidates for the five vacancies on the council before Aug. 29, 2018. Committee members selected to nominate extension council candidates for the 2018 election are Darren Goshorn, Cindy Hanson, Klare Veath and Joel Wahling.

By law, the nominating committee must include two women and two men and cannot include any current member of the council. The committee is required to take county geography into consideration when nominating candidates. Terry Maloy, director for the Iowa Extension Council Association said “Serving as an extension council member is one way to give back to your community. If you believe local educational opportunities are vital to the community’s well-being, then you should consider running for council. It is rewarding to know that people are able to improve their lives, farms, businesses and communities because of ISU Extension and Outreach’s education and information.”

Candidates nominated by the committee must submit petitions containing the names of 25 qualified voters to the county election commissioner by 5 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2018. Additionally, individuals may petition to have their names placed on the ballot through a self-nominating process by submitting petitions with 25 names to the election commissioner. Petition forms are available from the election commissioner and at the county extension office.

Voters will cast ballots for the nominees in the Nov. 6, 2018, general election. Successful candidates will serve four-year terms beginning in January 2019.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today encouraged Iowans to take advantage of fresh fruits and vegetables available at the more than 200 farmers markets in Iowa as part of National Farmers Market Week, which runs from Aug. 5 to 11. “Farmers markets are a great place to find Iowa grown fruits, vegetables, meats and other products,” Naig said. “This is the time of year when our markets are packed with fresh, delicious, local foods. I encourage everyone to participate in National Farmers Market Week by visiting one of the markets in our state and supporting the farmers who are there.”

Donna Brahms, President of the Iowa Farmers Market Association also encourages everyone to visit their local farmers markets.  “Iowa’s farmers markets continue to have great success, and many local markets are holding special events during National Farmers Market Week.  The Iowa Farmers Market Association encourages everyone to visit and shop their local farmers markets,” she said. As part of National Farmers Market Week, Naig highlighted the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition and Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Programs.  These programs provide eligible low-income seniors as well as women and children in Iowa with checks that can be redeemed for fresh, locally grown produce at authorized farmers markets and farm stands from June 1 through October 31, 2018.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship administers the programs in partnership with the Iowa Department of Public Health and Iowa Department on Aging.  For more information contact Stephanie Groom, Program Administrator, at 515-725-1179 or at Stephanie.Groom@IowaAgriculture.gov. Naig also encouraged Iowans to take advantage of the Department’s online Iowa Farmers Market Directory and Iowa Farmstand Directory.  Both directories provide detailed information on market and farmstand locations, dates and hours open, links to websites, and details on FMNP check acceptance.  The directories can be found here.

General questions on farmers markets and farmstands can be directed to the State Horticulturist, Paul Ovrom at paul.ovrom@iowaagriculture.gov or 515-242-6239.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Elephant rides aren’t available as advertised as an attraction at the Mississippi Valley Fair in Davenport: State law won’t allow them. Shawn Loter is in his second year as general manager of the fair, and he told the Quad-City Times that he was unaware of the ban until this week. The elephants from Carson & Barnes Circus from Oklahoma are back this year, and Loter says they were used for rides at last year’s fair.

The law forbidding handlers from offering rides was enacted in 2007. Iowa Agriculture Department spokesman Dustin VandeHoef says the state veterinarian alerted Loter’s office of the law after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals notified the state Tuesday that elephant rides were being advertised in the fair’s brochure. Elephant handler Mychelle Omar says neither she nor her husband have offered rides this week. The fair opened Tuesday and is scheduled to close Sunday.

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) today (Friday) announced the first reported 2018 Iowa death associated with West Nile virus in an elderly adult (81+ years of age) from Central Iowa. A second case of human West Nile virus infection has also been reported in a Palo Alto County adult (61 to 80 years of age) male who has recovered. IDPH Deputy Epidemiologist, Dr. Ann Garvey said “West Nile virus is in Iowa. This death related to West Nile is tragic and reminds us to protect ourselves and our families from mosquitoes. Until the state’s first hard frost, whether it’s for work or play, being outside means there’s a risk for West Nile virus.”

Iowans should take the following steps to reduce the risk of exposure to West Nile virus:

• Use insect repellent with DEET, Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535. Always read the repellent label and consult with a health care provider if you have questions when using these types of products for children. For example, oil of lemon eucalyptus should not be used on children under 3 years of age and DEET should not be used on children less than 2 months of age.
• Avoid outdoor activities at dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, shoes and socks outdoors whenever possible.
• Eliminate standing water around the home because that’s where mosquitoes lay eggs. Empty water from buckets, cans, pool covers and pet water dishes. Change water in bird baths every three to four days.

In 2017, 12 Iowans were diagnosed with West Nile virus and two Iowans died. For more information on mosquito and tick transmitted diseases in Iowa visit https://www.idph.iowa.gov/cade/vectorborne-illness.

(Radio Iowa) — A judge is throwing out much of the evidence against the driver of an SUV who’s accused of killing four southwest Iowa motorcyclists in Nebraska, last year. Authorities say 23-year-old Jeser Cisneros-Hernandes of Liberal, Kansas, crossed the center line of a Keith County, Nebraska, highway in July of 2017 and hit two motorcycles head-on. It killed James and Sheila Matheny of Bedford, Iowa, and Michael and Jerolyn Weese of Council Bluffs. The judge ruled this week much of the state’s evidence against Cisneros-Hernades is inadmissable. The Ogallala police officer reportedly never read him his rights when arresting him for vehicular homicide and reckless driving. The officer’s body-cam footage reportedly shows Cisneros-Hernandes admitting he’d only had one hour of sleep before trying to drive from Montana back to Kansas.

(Radio Iowa) — It’s been cooler-than-normal for summertime in Iowa but today (Friday) and the next several days, the forecast is calling for hotter, steamier weather. Meteorologist Andrew Ansorge (AN-sore-ghee), at the National Weather Service, says cities from Shenandoah to Lamoni to Des Moines may see highs of 95-degrees this afternoon. “We’ll be flirting with mid-90s today in a few spots in Iowa but overall the next few days, we’re looking at high temperatures in the 80s to low 90s in general,” Ansorge says. “We’re also looking at dewpoints to increase into the 60s to near 70-degrees each day, so, it’ll feel a bit more humid than it has recently.”

These temperatures are relatively normal for early August, but it just seems hotter since we’ve had cooler weather for a while. “We had a cool spell there, relatively speaking, in the latter part of July, which was much needed,” Ansorge says. “We’ve not seen much rainfall in the state so the cooler temperatures helped to ease the stress on crops. It’s still dry, but it could’ve been worse if it had been scorching hot the latter part of July.”

Iowans who don’t use sprinklers or an irrigation system likely haven’t had to mow their lawns for a week or two and the grass is probably starting to get brown and crunchy. Relief may be coming soon. “We’re looking at storm chances returning this weekend, northern Iowa more-so on Saturday and on Sunday into Sunday night, we’re looking at more statewide having a chance of rainfall,” Ansorge says. “Looks like the heaviest rainfall will probably not be where the drought conditions are over southern Iowa, but there still looks to be some rainfall down there.”