(Radio Iowa) — Advocates for Iowans with type-one diabetes are in Washington D-C this week, along with their counterparts from all 50 states, urging members of Congress to support continued research funding. Mary Horn, with J-D-R-F of Central Iowa, says they’re hoping to secure more dollars that will be dedicated to helping find a cure, as well as better ways to treat and prevent the auto-immune disease. “The Special Diabetes Program currently expires at the end of this fiscal year,” Horn says. “It is a mechanism to provide funding for research through (the National Institutes of Health), specific to type 1 diabetes. That’s our top priority. We’ll also be talking about insulin affordability issues while we’re here.”

Since 1970, the non-profit has invested more than two-billion dollars into research, which Horn says has brought a host of innovations. Horn, who lives in West Des Moines, says her daughter was diagnosed with type-one diabetes when she was six years old. She’s now 20 and is benefiting from the many years of research.”For instance, she has a hybrid closed loop system, which is a continuous glucose monitor that checks her blood sugar on a regular basis,” Horn says. “It’s attached to her insulin pump. The two devices speak to each other and help to regulate her blood sugar so she can live a better quality of life.”

Access to insulin is a matter of life and death for diabetics, yet insulin costs have soared several hundred percent in recent years. Horn says even with her family’s good insurance, they’ve seen insulin prices bound. “Our out-of-pocket has doubled over the past few years, however, I know people who pay well over $1,000 a month to get their insulin just to stay alive,” Horn says. “As you can imagine, for some people, that is not only exorbitant, but impossible.”

About seven-percent of Iowa’s population has type-one diabetes, or about one-point-two million Americans. Horn says people with type-one diabetes face almost three times the level of medical expenses compared to people without diabetes. Known as J-D-R-F, the former Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is the leading global organization funding research for type-one diabetes, which strikes an equal number of children and adults.

(Radio Iowa) — A Fort Dodge police officer may have been exposed to fentanyl while making an arrest during a traffic stop on Sunday afternoon. During the traffic stop, the responding officer handled an unknown substance and began feeling lightheaded. Medics were summoned to the Webster County Law Enforcement Center to examine him. Upon arrival, the medics and police officer discovered the officer to be lethargic and unresponsive in his patrol vehicle. The officer was transported to Unity Point Hospital and was given at least two doses of Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal drug.Additional doses were administered after arriving in the hospital emergency room. The officer quickly recovered and was released from the hospital on Monday.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A reward has been offered for information about whoever spray-painted Bible verses, racist language and swastikas on an Iowa City church. Police say the Greater Iowa City Church of the Nazarene building was defaced between 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 8:15 a.m. Sunday. Iowa City Area CrimeStoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information about the crime.

Two men were arrested on separate charges in Red Oak. At around 3:55-a.m. today (Tuesday), 47-year old Michael Vaughn Cox, of Red Oak, was arrested in the 600 block of N. 6th Street, after Red Oak Police were called to look for a man knocking on houses. Officers located a man later identified as Cox, and arrested him for Public Intoxication. Cox was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond. And, at around 7:15-p.m. Monday, Red Oak Police conducted  at traffic stop, and upon further investigation, arrested 25-year old Shilo J. Major, of Red Oak, for Driving Under Suspension with three withdrawals in effect. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $566 bond.

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

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Defense lawyers for a man jailed in the 1990 death of a 9-year-old girl are accusing Iowa prosecutors of letting a key witness give false testimony at three trials in the case. An attorney for Stanley Liggins says he has discovered records showing that prosecution witness Antonio Holmes was given a favorable plea agreement in exchange for his testimony against Liggins. Liggins is preparing to stand trial a fourth time in the death of 9-year-old Jennifer Lewis.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on a mission to discuss trade but it’s not to foreign customers it’s with Iowa farmers who are struggling to survive low commodity prices and tariffs that have hurt sales. Pompeo, flanked by U.S. Ambassador to China and former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad spoke to a group of young suburban Des Moines Future Farmers of America members Monday at a school. Pompeo also is touring a DowDuPont agricultural research facility and addressing Iowa Farm Bureau members.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a suspect in a carjacking shot at officers who fired back and killed him. Police say the carjacking victim called 911 early Monday to report he’d been shot when two people stole his vehicle. Police say they spotted the vehicle occupied by two men and a woman. A man and woman were detained, and another man was found later. Three officers ordered him to show his hands, and he fired several shots at them. They returned fire, killing a man identified as Luke Anthony Swann.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A utility is demanding that a Des Moines zoo start paying its water and sewer bill but the foundation that runs the zoo says that could jeopardize a free ticket program. The Des Moines Register reports that Des Moines Water Works is willing to forgive most of the $5 million that Blank Park Zoo hasn’t paid since 2003, but that it wants $74,000 for water used last year. Zoo president Mark Vukovich says the Blank Park Zoo Foundation was told it wouldn’t have to pay utilities.