Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate adjourned the 2013 legislative session late last night, but the House is set to return today for more votes. Lawmakers seemed to be moving to conclusion yesterday after reaching deals to cut property taxes, revise education policy and provide health care for low-income residents.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate has approved a deal to accept federal funding to provide health care coverage to low-income residents. The deal was included in the $1.7 billion state Health and Human Services budget, which includes funding for the departments of Public Health and Human Services. Senate lawmakers voted 26-24 in favor of the budget last night. The health agreement would cover an estimated 150,000 Iowans.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Senate has approved a compromise plan to cut commercial property taxes in the state. The plan was approved in a 43-6 vote yesterday. The deal limits the amount that residential property assessments can grow. It also includes small income tax credits and raises the state earned income tax credit for low-income workers.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — As the state Legislature was nearing approval of significant changes to Iowa’s public school system, the Iowa Department of Education director accepted a job as superintendent of a Colorado school district. Eagle County School District in Colorado announced yesterday that Iowa Education Department Director Jason Glass accepted the job. He starts July 1st.

DESOTO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 911 dispatcher used a cellphone signal to find a crash victim in central Iowa. The Madison County Sheriff’s Office says a man’s car went off a roadway Wednesday afternoon in DeSoto. The vehicle went into a ditch and hit a tree head-on. Television station KCCI-TV reports the man called 911 and told a dispatcher that he could see trees but he didn’t know where he was. So the dispatcher used the man’s cellphone signal to try to find the wreck.

Based on the general results, authorities headed toward the area and checked ditches before locating the man. The man has not been identified. His condition is not available.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Legislature has approved a bill that calls for nearly $6 billion in spending on a variety of programs and initiatives over the next two fiscal years. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate passed the bill Wednesday. It will next move to Gov. Terry Branstad. The bill spends $2.9 billion each fiscal year with $2.6 billion annually of that on basic school funding.

Other items include $29 million to help counties adapt to a regionalized mental health care system. It also establishes a new tax credit for farmers who donate excess produce to food banks. Along with budget items, the so-called standings legislation includes new policy items like more comprehensive background checks for school employees. Another provision requires hospitals to perform congenital heart disease screenings on newborns.

Two southwest Iowa women were injured during a head-on crash Wednesday afternoon, in Page County. The Iowa State Patrol says 86-year old Martha Bordner, of Clarinda, and 78-year old Nola Bloomfield, of Yorktown, were trapped in their vehicles and freed by mechanical means before being transported by Clarinda Rescue to the Clarinda Regional Hospital. The women were later flown to nearby trauma centers for treatment. Officials say Bordner’s 1999 Oldsmobile 88 was traveling west on Highway 2 at around 3:30-p.m., when for reasons unknown, it crossed the center line and struck Bloomfield’s 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. Both women were wearing their seat belts. The accident remains under investigation.

The Harlan Police Department reports the arrest on May 16th of two Walnut residents. Twenty-nine year old Gabriel Brown and 22-year old Rachel Long were arrested on active Shelby County warrants, and taken to the Shelby County Jail, where Brown was served with his warrant for Interference with Official Acts, Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver, and Prohibited Acts penalties. Long’s warrant was for joint criminal conduct.

On Monday, May 20th the Harlan P-D took 41-year old Jeffrey Ross of Portsmouth into custody when officers were called to a disturbance at the Big House bar. Following the investigation, Ross was arrested and transported to the Shelby County Jail and was charged with Assault Causing Bodily Injury, for allegedly striking Brent Knauss of Panama. Ross was also charged with Public Intoxication and Disorderly Conduct.

On that same day, 25-year old Jackie Thielen of Harlan was arrested on an active Shelby County warrant for violation of an order for compulsory education. She was transported to the Shelby County Jail.

On Tuesday, May 21st Officers were called to the Durant Street Country Store where clerks had observed a possible theft of liquor. Officers later located 32-year old Mariah Thuringer of Council Bluffs and 30-year old Jesse Davis, who were both arrested and transported to the Shelby County Jail. Thuringer was charged with Theft/5th degree and she and Davis were both charged with public intoxication.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Nearly a dozen more children at a Sioux City elementary school have called in sick due to symptoms from norovirus. The Sioux City Journal reports officials at Bryant Elementary School say 11 children said they would be out Wednesday.  The Siouxland District Health Department announced Tuesday that lab results confirmed an outbreak of norovirus was to blame for an illness that’s sickened dozens of students over several days.
 
Norovirus is a common food-borne pathogen with symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea.   The last day of school is Thursday.