Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — No one was injured after a homeowner using a small excavator tore open a residential natural gas line in Dubuque. The Telegraph Herald reports that the accident and resulting gas leak occurred around 10 a.m. Saturday. Officials say the gas leak was contained within an hour.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Davenport residents upset over a cellphone tower placed in the middle of a city park say they believe city officials did not follow local laws and regulations in approving the structure. The Quad-City Times reports that 180-foot tower is being built by AT and T in Emeis Park. The newspaper says that despite a city ordinance requiring new cell towers to go through a zoning board for a special-use permit, the city legal department deemed the permitting unnecessary.

ATLANTIC, Iowa (AP) — A motorcyclist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania died in a freak accident on Interstate 80 near Atlantic in western Iowa. The Council Bluffs Nonpareil reports that a wheel from a trailer being pulled by a westbound pickup came loose and struck 39-year-old Andrew Engle Thursday afternoon.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A delegation from Sioux City’s Japanese sister city has arrived in the northwest Iowa city. The Sioux City Journal reports that local officials met with the delegation Thursday as the group arrived for a five-day visit to the United States. Over the rest of their stay, the Japanese group will tour local schools and take in a minor league baseball game.

A mechanical malfunction caused a property damage accident Saturday afternoon, near Villisca. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan driven by 49-year old Lisa Marie Hansen, of Atlantic, was traveling north on Highway 71 near the 26-mile marker just after 1-p.m. Saturday, when the left front wheel became detached from the vehicle.

The van continued northbound on the left rotor for about 165-yards before exiting the roadway to the right, hitting a guard rail post and coming to rest. No injuries were reported. Damage to the van amounted to $3,500. The guard rail post sustained about $200 damage. No citations were issued.

Sheriff’s deputies were assisted at the scene by members of the Villisca Fire Department.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Woodbury County will now charge outside entities more to house young offenders at its juvenile detention center. The Sioux City Journal reports that starting Aug. 24, the northwestern Iowa county will charge agencies $150 a day per young person, up from the current $100. The is move expected to generate an additional $100,000 a year for the county.

Officials say the new rate is in line with what other facilities charge. One in Cherokee charges $150 per juvenile a day, and the center at Council Bluffs charges $165.

With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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With KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A traffic stop early this (Saturday) morning in Red Oak resulted in an arrest. According to Red Oak Police, 18-year old Dallas Brady Meyers, of Emerson, was arrested for OWI/1st Offense. He was also cited for Driving with a restricted license. Meyers was pulled over near the intersection of south Broadway and Short Streets, at around 3-a.m.

He was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Agricultural equipment maker Deere is announcing it will indefinitely lay off more than 600 employees at four of its factories in the Midwest as demand slumps. The affected sites are in the cities of East Moline and Moline in Illinois, as well as Ankeny, Iowa and Coffeyville, Kansas. Deere is the world’s biggest farm equipment supplier.

EPWORTH, Iowa (AP) — The mayor of Epworth in northeast Iowa has cited personal health concerns for his resignation. City clerk Janet Berger says Tom Gassman submitted his resignation on Tuesday. The Dubuque Telegraph Herald says Gassman has been mayor since 2012 and a council member before that. Jacob Reuter will serve as acting mayor until the City Council fills the post of mayor. That’s expected to occur at the council’s September 9th meeting.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa man has pleaded guilty to charges in connection to threatening letters involving a major high school football program. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports 44-year-old Daniel Stone of Solon pleaded guilty Thursday to third-degree harassment and interference with official acts as part of plea deal.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City man has been sentenced to five years in prison for leading authorities on a high-speed car chase in May. The Sioux City Journal reports 25-year-old David Whitlock was sentenced Thursday in Woodbury County District Court after he pleaded guilty to eluding, possession of a controlled substance and second-offense operating while intoxicated.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A former Council Bluffs doctor has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison on a child pornography charge. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports 69-year old Dennis Seaborn Jones received the sentence Friday (Aug. 15th) in federal court in Council Bluffs on one count of possession of child pornography. Jones pleaded guilty to the charge in May as part of a deal. He also agreed to permanently surrender his medical license.

Authorities say they found about 1.2 million images and 9,300 videos of child pornography during a search of Jones’ home. Court documents say other images and videos showed patients at Jones’ medical clinic that were taken secretly with a pen camera.

Jones faces a separate sexual abuse charge involving a minor. He also faces lawsuits in connection to the patient images and videos.