Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

MOUNT VERNON, Iowa (AP) — Police say a 29-year-old man has died after falling from a water tower in Mount Vernon. Police say Winfred Davis of Clinton died when he fell just before 2 p.m. yesterday. He was working on the eastern Iowa town’s water tower on First Street. Davis was employed by Arndt Enterprises Incorporated of DeWitte. The company handles industrial coatings of water towers.

BLAKESBURG, Iowa (AP) — Police say three teenagers have been charged with placing explosives in the Blakesburg Public Library’s book drop. The Ottumwa Courier reports police charged one 17-year-old and two 16-year-olds with reckless use of fire or explosives. The charge is a serious misdemeanor. Chief Deputy Don Phillips says police filed the charges after getting a citizen tip about the explosion, which was reported on July 24th.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa tax preparer has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to filing a fraudulent tax return earlier this year. The U.S. attorney’s office says U.S. District Court Judge Linda Reade yesterday sentenced 52-year-old Keith Rath of Shellsburg to 21 months in prison.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Agriculture says the emerald ash borer has been found in a tree in the southeast Iowa city of Fairfield, making it the third spot where the destructive beetle has been found in the state. The Agriculture Department announced yesterday the bug was found in a residential tree in the Jefferson County city.

The Iowa Dept. of Public Safety said Thursday, that 11 State Police/Highway Patrol Agencies concluded the eight day effort to eliminate fatalities across the nation along the 2900 miles of Interstate 80 at midnight on July 31st.  The Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau has received information indicating two fatalities occurred during the eight day enforcement and education program.  These fatalities occurred in Nebraska and Ohio.  Officials say fortunately, Iowa did not experience a fatal collision during the I-80 Challenge.

Motorists surveyed in Iowa reported a noticeable increase in the law enforcement presence along I-80 and complimented the use of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s dynamic messages boards to stress safety.
Over the next several days, the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau will receive data from each of the participating agencies, covering more than a dozen categories.  Once the data is collected, a comprehensive report will be released, both to the public and to the state/federal partner agencies.

The report will include detailed information concerning the number/type of collisions, enforcement outcomes, criminal activity, and commercial vehicle involvement.

Officials with the Southwest Iowa Mental Health Center (SWIMHC) in Atlantic announced today (Thursday), Lila Stephens a provisionally Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), has been hired to provide services. Karen Gard, LMHC, will continue to provide services to the CAM school district. Other therapists/counselors will be utilized depending on the demand for services. SWIMHC has been providing school-based mental health services for a number of years to the CAM and Atlantic school districts. This past spring an opportunity to expand services to other area school districts was identified. Superintendents of Griswold, Audubon and Exira/EHK school districts were contacted ad agreed to participate.

School-based mental health services are very similar to the outpatient mental health services provided at SWIMHC’s main office. A therapist or counselor is assigned to the school district and will spend time on campus providing therapeutic services to children. Officials say a significant benefit, is that children who would typically miss more than an hour of the school day to attend a session at the main office will now miss less than an hour but receive the same service. Additionally, parents will not have to miss work to retrieve their child from school and take them to the main office. For parents of children in school districts outside of Atlantic, this could mean not missing two to three hours of work as well as saving in transportation costs.

Parents are interested in having their child participate are encouraged to contact SWIMHC at 712-243-2606 or 800-458-4403 to begin the enrollment process.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety said Thursday (Today), three men from Maryland have been charged in connection with the discovery Wednesday afternoon, of marijuana in a vehicle, following a traffic stop on Interstate 80 in Adair County. Officials say a State Trooper discovered more than 50 pounds of marijuana after he pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation,  just after 12-p.m., Wednesday.

After approaching the vehicle to address the traffic violation, the State Trooper smelled the odor of marijuana and asked the driver if he had marijuana in the vehicle.  The driver, 22-year old John Fell, from Quincy, MD, admitted to possessing marijuana. The Trooper discovered more than 50 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle.  The subsequent investigation resulted in the arrest of Fell on charges that include Possession of Marijuana with intent to Deliver, Failure to affix Drug Tax Stamp and Prohibited Acts.  His passengers, 22-year old Kevin Ciardi, and 23-year old Adam Salhaney, both of Weymouth, MD, were charged with Conspiracy to commit a felony by delivering more than 50 pounds of marijuana.

State Troopers continue to participate in the investigation with the assistance of the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.