Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man found dead in a Webster City home died of blunt force trauma during a fight with his son. The Iowa Department of Public Safety made the announcement Tuesday after authorities finished an autopsy on 61-year-old Steven James Graesch. Authorities have charged his son, 27-year-old Corbin James Graesch, with first-degree murder.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — An Ottumwa man has been sentenced to up to 50 years in prison for the beating death of a man in 2011. Bobby Snow was sentenced to at least 35 years in prison, with a maximum of 50 years, in the death of James McElroy. It took jurors only a couple hours to find Snow guilty of second-degree murder last March.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Waterloo officials are giving up on efforts to sell some blighted homes, and they’ll now be demolished. City Council cancelled plans to sell one house after no one submitted a bid to buy and renovate it. There also were no bids last week for a similar structure. Both houses will be demolished.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The airport board in Des Moines has approved a plan for a new and bigger terminal even though officials don’t yet know how they will pay for the $468 million project. Even with federal aviation grants, increased airline fees and other airport revenue, there is a $202 million funding gap. Construction is years away.

Authorities in Harlan say two people were arrested Monday on separate charges. According to Harlan Police, 47-year old Timothy Turner, of Harlan, was arrested on an OWI/2nd offense charge as well as for Driving Under Suspension. And, 26-year old Zane Szeliga, of Harlan, was charged with Public Intoxication, after officers responded to a reported disturbance in the 500 block of Market Street. Both men were booked into the Shelby County Jail.

And, last Friday, 24-year old Janice Massey, of Harlan, was cited for allowing a dog to run at large, after officers investigated a report of a dog allegedly attacking children in Little George Park. The aggressive dog, belonging to Shawn Schechinger, of Harlan, was surrendered to the animal shelter.

The H-PD said also, Kirk Petersen, of Harlan, suffered from shoulder pain and scrapes during a motorcycle accident last Friday. Authorities say the 1979 Honda motorcycle Petersen was riding went out of control as it came over a hill in the 1100 block of 1100th Street. The cycle went onto its right side and slid for several feet. The damage was estimated at $400. Petersen was thrown from the cycle and rolled down the ditch. He was transported to Myrtue Medical Center for Treatment.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest on Saturday of a Central Iowa man. 31-year old Andy Alden Hanson, of Grimes, was arrested on charges of OWI 1st Offense and Driving While Suspended. Hanson was taken to the Cass County Jail where he is being held on $1000 bond.

Two people were arrested after a search warrant executed this (Tuesday) morning at a residence in rural, southeastern Audubon County. The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office reports 47-year old Mark Wayne Rydl, of Exira, and 55-year old Pamela Jo Steele, of Council Bluffs were arrested during the execution of a warrant at 3312 Quail Avenue.

Officials say Rydl had outstanding warrants from Harrison and Pottawattamie Counties. Rydl has been charged with Felon in Possession of a Firerarm/Ammunition, Possession of Methamphetamine/3rd offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Unlawful Possession of Prescription Pills, and Possessing a Stolen Motor vehicle. The latter charge was assessed following the discovery on the property, of a vehicle reported stolen from Omaha.

Steele was charged with Possession of Meth with the intent to Deliver, Possession of Marijuana/2nd offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Both suspects were booked into the Audubon County Jail. The incident remains under investigation.

(12-p.m. News)

A whistleblower from western Iowa reported allegations of very expensive mistakes being made within the U-S Postal Service. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he talked with the whistleblower personally, then asked for an Inspector General’s investigation of how a contract was awarded for maintaining and changing the locks on P-O boxes in post offices across the region. “The contract was not awarded in accordance with Postal Service policies and procedures and it did not develop a purchase plan or conduct a price analysis before awarding the contract,” Grassley says, “and possibly $18-million was spent that didn’t need to be spent at a time when the Postal Service is bleeding billions of dollars.”

The investigation found the whistleblower was right, Grassley says, and calls it a “good example of why whistleblowers who identify waste, fraud and abuse deserve a Rose Garden ceremony.” Grassley says every federal agency that serves the public needs an independent watchdog to review issues of concern.  “I thanked the whistleblower for coming forward,” Grassley says. “Hopefully, this will put the Postal Service on the alert to follow their own rules and regulations.” It’s still unclear if one or more people are responsible for the problem and Grassley isn’t sure if there will be charges filed or firings because of the case.

“The Postal Service is kind of independent,” Grassley says. “They probably have some opportunity to have heads roll. I’ve always said, unless heads don’t roll, you aren’t going to change anything. I’m going to have to make further inquiries and follow up.” The 18-million dollar contract for the post office box work is with Diebold Incorporated. The inspector general’s report concluded the Postal Service overestimated the annual cost savings by six-point-eight million dollars per year and awarded the contract based on the inflated cost.

(Radio Iowa)