DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Four fallen Iowa officers, including two who were killed in a head-on crash in March, will be added to the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial. The Iowa Department of Public Safety announced a ceremony will be held 10 a.m. Friday at the Oran Pape State Office Building in Des Moines to honor the officers who dedicated their lives to protecting Iowa communities.

The ceremony will recognize Des Moines Officers Susan Farrell and Carlos Puente-Morales, who were killed in a March 26 crash while transporting a prisoner from Council Bluffs to Des Moines. Ames Police Sgt. Howard Snider, who died in 2012, and Iowa Parole Board Field Agent Albert Paul, who died in 1938, will also be added to the memorial. Gov. Terry Branstad and other state leaders are expected to attend.

On Wednesday, the Governor ordered all flags at the Capitol Complex to be flown at half-staff from 8-a.m. to 5-p.m., Friday, in observance of the Peace Officer Memorial Ceremony. Flags at the Iowa Peace Officer Memorial will be flown at half-staff the week of May 16th to 20th, as well, in honor of National Peace Officer Week.

The governor’s directive applies to all U-S and state flags on the State Capitol Building and displays on the Capitol Complex. Individuals, businesses, schools, municipalities, counties and other government subdivisions are encouraged to fly the flag at half-staff for the same length of time, as a sign of respect.

SIDNEY, Iowa (AP) – A southwest Iowa pastor has been given 25 years in prison for sexually abusing a 5-year-old girl. Roger Kissel was sentenced Wednesday in Sidney. In March a Fremont County jury convicted the 68-year-old of sex abuse and two counts of lascivious acts with a child.

When he was arrested, Kissel was a pastor at the nondenominational Sidney Cowboy Church. Police have said the allegations weren’t connected to the church. Prosecutors say the crimes occurred in 2013.

The top two leaders in the legislature reject the idea the “anti-establishment” fervor among the nation’s voters this year will trickle down and doom incumbents like them running for reelection to the Iowa House and Senate. Republican House Speaker Linda Upmeyer of Clear Lake and Senate Democratic Leader Mike Gronstal of Council Bluffs are predicting higher voter turn-out this November.

“I think there’s certainly a level of voters that are angry in general,” Gronstal says. Upmeyer says: “I think the senator’s right that there’s a certain level of anger or frustration all around, but I know this: nothing unites Republicans like Hillary.” Gronstal laughs and adds: “I think on that front we’re equal. There are certainly Democrats that react to Trump.”

Upmeyer says having Donald Trump as the G-O-P’s presumptive nominee presents a “great opportunity” for Republican candidates at the state level. “Donald Trump has got rather unconventional supporters in some areas and in fact people who may not have voted with great regularity, so I think this is a wonderful oportunity for us to reach out to even more Iowans who may be interested in what we’re doing,” Upmeyer says.

Gronstal endorsed Hillary Clinton the day before the Iowa Caucuses. He predicts voters energized by Bernie Sanders will stick with the Democratic Party. “Every Caucus season there are winners and losers during the Caucus and some of their supporter stay out of politics, but in most cases those folks then participate in the fall campaigns…and help turn-out the vote for whoever the nominee is,” Gronstal says.

The two legislative leaders made their comments Wednesday, during taping of the “Iowa Press” program that will air Friday night on Iowa Public Television.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot has grown even larger. There was no jackpot winner in Wednesday night’s drawing, increasing the prize from $348 million to an estimated $415 million. While that’s not chump change, it’s a far cry from the $1.6 billion Powerball prize shared by three winning lottery ticketholders in January, the largest ever jackpot draw in the world.

SPIRIT LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say about 15,000 gallons of untreated wastewater has reached one of Iowa’s Great Lakes. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the wastewater was discovered Wednesday morning in a lagoon on West Okoboji Lake, following an electrical failure at a Spirit Lake pumping station. Officials stopped the discharge but some wastewater overflowed through two manhole lids. The wastewater reached Lazy Lagoon, on the northwest shore of the lake.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s governor and two U.S. senators say they will support Donald Trump as the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee for president. Gov. Terry Branstad and Sens. Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst said Wednesday they will support whoever is the GOP nominee. The comments came after Trump became the last remaining presidential candidate for the party.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa City police are treating the assault of a black University of Iowa freshman as a possible hate crime. Investigators say 19-year-old Marcus Owens walked into a police station Monday night to report that three young white men had beaten him and called him racial slurs. The attack on the Naperville, Illinois, teen was first reported Tuesday night by WLS-TV in Chicago, and many Iowa students have publicly questioned why they didn’t first learn about the attack from the school.

The Atlantic City Council this (Wednesday) evening, passed three Resolutions dealing with a Vision Iowa grant, Ash Street Extension Infrastructure Improvements, and a loan agreement providing for the issuance of $4.66-million in General Obligation Corporate Purpose and Refunding Bonds.

City Administrator John Lund said the City’s Park and Recreation Board was notified by the State that the City could not spend money on the playground or ADA accessible fishing pier for the Schildberg Recreation Area. Accordingly, the City and County need to amend their resolutions committing matching funds for the Vision Iowa Grant.  The City’s portion of the matching funds amounts to $100,000. The County did its part, last Friday. Atlantic Parks & Rec Dept. Assistant Director Seth Staashelm said the grant application package was submitted on-time to Vision Iowa, and they have a presentation scheduled before the Board to explain the project, next Wednesday.

With regard to the Ash Street Improvement portion of the agenda, John Lund said that involves Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for private subdivision development. Marty Boose, of Boose Building Construction, L.C., authorized completion of the 2015 Ash Street Extension Subdivision, and the dedication of 66-feet platted Right-of-Way in front of Street Lots 65-68 and 109-110 in the Nishna Hills Addition. The City simply needed to accept the road work and utility extensions in order for them to officially being considered part of the public right-of-way.

And, the Resolution for issuance of bonds, is simply another legal step, and standard procedure the City must go through, according to Lund, in order to engage in the open market for the sale of bonds. Chip Schultz, Senior Vice President of Public Finance with UMB Bank, said the Resolution simply finances the interest rates and other issues. Funds from the bonds will be delivered to the City on May 19th. That will establish escrow for calling-in and refunding the Series 2011 bonds that are due in 2019 through 2026. It also funds the so-called “New money” projects, such as those involving library, street and storm water improvements, along with police and fire equipment. The City is taking advantage of historically low interest rates and borrowing now, to pay off a higher interest loan in 2019. The move should save the City about $80,000 in interest.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, set May 18th as the date for a Public Hearing on an Amendment to the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget. John Lund says in March 2015, the Council approved a budget for management of the cash the City received and spends for the period of July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. The City needs to reconcile any changes made where they stepped outside the budget boundaries, and must due so during the month of May, in order to comply with State law. Among the budget changes that have been made, is: The purchase of a fire truck; Approximately $4-million in revenue from increased sales and gas tax and new bond proceeds; New traffic signals; Higher library salaries and City Attorney fees.

The Council also approved the appointment of Judd Meneely to the Atlantic Municipal Utilities Board. He succeeds Larry Turner who has retired from the Board. They also approved an order for a Parade Permit in advance of the May 21st, for the Ba-da Ba-da Bing Bang Military Vehicle Rally.