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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge has upheld an Iowa elections panel’s conclusion that a former Cedar Rapids mayor fell eight signatures shy of the 4,005 needed to challenge Gov. Kim Reynolds in the Republican primary. Ron Corbett, who has also served as speaker of the Iowa House, said Thursday that he accepts the ruling and that it will always “haunt” him that he didn’t collect more signatures. Reynolds will be the only Republican on the ballot. Six Democrats and two Libertarians are also running for governor.

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — President Donald Trump’s faceoff with China over trade has exposed an unexpected political vulnerability in what was supposed to be Republicans’ strongest region: rural America. The clash with China poses a direct threat to the economies in both red and blue states, from California to Washington through Minnesota and across Missouri into Ohio. They are regions where the GOP’s quest to retain its congressional majorities is tied to voters’ views about their pocketbooks and Trump’s performance.

MAXWELL, Iowa (AP) — A pilot was injured when his small plane crashed in northeastern Polk County. The Des Moines Register reports the man, whose name wasn’t released, was hurt when the plane he was piloting crashed Thursday about five miles south of Maxwell. Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Nathan Ludwig says the crash happened about 4 p.m. The pilot was the only person on the plane. The pilot was taken by a helicopter to a hospital. Ludwig didn’t know the extent of his injuries.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa woman has been indicted on fraud charges for allegedly stealing $175,000 from her now-dead fiancee and his elderly mother. Robin Ann Bertelli has been arrested Thursday on a 35-count indictment and is expected to make an initial appearance Friday in Cedar Rapids. Bertelli is charged with stealing from accounts that belonged to her fiancee _ former Navy SEAL Ken Martin Jr. _ and Martin’s mother.

MAXWELL, Iowa (AP) — A pilot was injured when his small plane crashed in northeastern Polk County. The Des Moines Register reports the man, whose name wasn’t released, was hurt when the plane he was piloting crashed Thursday about five miles south of Maxwell.

Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Nathan Ludwig says the crash happened about 4 p.m. The pilot was the only person on the plane. The pilot was taken by a helicopter to a hospital. Ludwig didn’t know the extent of his injuries, but some reports say he suffered from a broken leg.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa woman has been indicted on fraud charges for allegedly stealing $175,000 from her now-dead fiancee and his elderly mother.
Robin Ann Bertelli was arrested Thursday on a 35-count indictment and expected to make an initial appearance Friday in Cedar Rapids.

Bertelli is charged with stealing from accounts that belonged to her fiancee — former Navy SEAL Ken Martin Jr. — and Martin’s mother. Bertelli allegedly started a relationship with Martin around 2013 after a prior husband died and lived with his family in Central City, Iowa.

Martin died in 2016 while on vacation with Bertelli in Puerto Rico from what Bertelli told others was an accidental drowning after hitting his head on a rock. He was 57. The indictment alleges that Bertelli stole checks that belonged to the Martins before and after his death and wrote them payable to herself, forging their signatures.

Officials with the Southwest Iowa Planning Council (SWIPCO) say the organization is preparing a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application on behalf of the City of Villisca, for a housing rehabilitation project with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA). If awarded, Villisca would receive grant funding to rehabilitate at least six (6) homes in the city over a three (3) year period.

Under the program, up to $24,999 in repairs can be made to each home. Additional funds are available for lead abatement. The City’s application is due to IEDA no later than May 4, 2018.

SWIPCO will hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Villisca City Community Building located at 207 South 3rd Avenue. The town hall meeting will start immediately after a special city council meeting that starts at 5:30 p.m. SWIPCO staff will present information on the CDBG housing rehabilitation program, answer questions, and assist home owners interested in participating in the project to complete pre-applications for submission with the City’s CDBG application to IEDA.

The pre-application is a one-page document asking for the individual’s name and address, whether they are the home owner, the household’s annual income, and a brief description of the home’s repair needs. All citizens are welcome to attend, especially those living in the designated target area. The target area includes all houses south of 4th Street.

SWIPCO Community Development Director Dan Lee says, “We’re excited that Villisca wants to pursue another CDBG housing grant. This program can have a tremendous impact on a City and greatly improve the lives of home owners. We have a relatively short amount of time to build a strong application, but I’m impressed with the City’s response and commitment to making this happen. I encourage everybody to attend the town hall meeting on the 24th. The more home owner pre-applications we can submit with our grant application, the better, to help show there’s an existing need for housing rehabilitation in Villisca.”

Community Development Block Grants are awarded annually by the Iowa Economic Development Authority with funding from the department of Housing and Urban Development with SWIPCO’s assistance. Villisca has received CDBG funds for housing in 2006 and for past water and sewer improvements.

SWIPCO is a council of government serving the eight counties of southwest Iowa with public transportation, community development, and housing. SWIPCO is an equal opportunity employer, provider, and lender.