A one-million dollar state program that seeks to place interns in Iowa businesses so they can get experience in the science, technology, engineering and math or STEM fields got off the ground this fall. Mark Joyce is a lobbyist for the Technology Association of Iowa. “We have 216 interns across 26 Iowa companies,” Joyce says. “We know there’s appetite for more.”

The Technology Association of Iowa is asking the governor and legislators to set aside another one-million dollars for the program next year. This year’s funding was released in September. “And the million dollars was fully subscribed five weeks later,” Joyce says. The STEM Internship Program is run by the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Businesses that participate get one dollar from the state for every one dollar they pay the student intern, up to a maximum of five-thousand dollars.

State officials say the program’s goal is to get college students the internship experience they need to secure permanent employment once they graduate.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Republican Party of Iowa says it has confirmed all of its precinct locations for next year’s presidential caucuses. The party announced Thursday that caucuses will take place in 1,681 locations throughout the state on February 1st.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A petition signed by hundreds of people could spur Davenport’s outgoing mayor to veto an overhaul of the city’s bus service. The Quad-City Times reports Mayor Bill Gluba says the petition with 410 signatures indicates that “low-income riders are being ignored.” Gluba, who lost re-election and is in his last month as mayor, says he’ll decide this week whether to veto the plan.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A gas main break clogged streets in downtown Des Moines Thursday afternoon as police and firefighters block traffic while utility workers scramble to fix the problem. KCCI-TV reports the break made firefighters close stretches of Grand and Locust streets between Third and Fifth avenues about 4 p.m.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) — The leader of a national Muslim-American organization has invited Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to come to Jersey City and meet with Muslims there. Last month Trump claimed he saw television reports of “thousands of people” in Jersey City cheering as the Twin Towers fell on September 11th, 2001. The city has a significant population of Muslim immigrants. Governor Chris Christie and other New Jersey officials say the celebrations described by Trump never happened in their state.

Police in Council Bluffs Thursday night reported their officers were involved in another pursuit this week, the third so far. Officials say at around 4:53-p.m., Omaha Police reported that the Nebraska State Patrol was in pursuit of a black Honda Civic. The vehicle was eastbound on I-480 approaching the state line. The vehicle was being followed by Omaha Police helicopter, Able 1.

The chopper continued to give updates on the vehicles location and reported that there were no active ground units behind the vehicle.

Joshua L. Long

Bluffs Police dispatched two units to the area to assist. Able 1 followed the vehicle to the area of 16th Street and Ave. “A”, where the driver, identified as 29-year old Joshua L. Long, of Council Bluffs, exited the vehicle and fled on foot eastbound.

Officers were in the area and were quickly able to apprehend Long, after a brief foot chase. The vehicle he was driving had been reported stolen out of Council Bluffs and it was recovered. Long was charged with Theft 2nd and was served a warrant for
Parole Violation. He is being held without bond in the Pottawattamie County Jail.

The Nebraska State Patrol also was on scene and will have additional charges in the State of Nebraska. Council Bluffs Police say the incident should serve as a reminder to the public that you should not to leave your vehicle running unattended.

One person was seriously injured during a single-vehicle accident Thursday night near the southwest side of Atlantic. Police Chief Steve Green says the driver of the vehicle lost control for reasons unknown just after 10-p.m, near 22nd and Palm Streets. His vehicle crashed into a power pole owned by the Atlantic Municipal Utilities. Green said the man, who was conscious and breathing when police arrived on the scene, was not wearing a seat belt.

He was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital before being transported to a separate trauma facility. The accident remains under investigation. No other details are available at this time.

The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office reports the arrest of 62-year-old John Morgan Rush of Council Bluffs on Thursday.  Rush was arrested on a valid Montgomery County Warrant for Failure to Appear on an original charge of Indecent Exposure.  Rush was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $5,000 cash bond.

Officials with the Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, Thursday, announced Ted Robinson was named the 2015 Scrooge for the City of Atlantic. Ted will serve as Grand Marshal in the Lighted Christmas Parade on Saturday evening. Robinson earned his title by collecting the largest amount of donations for the Atlantic Area Chamber’s 15th Annual Scrooge Contest.

All contributions are donated to the Atlantic Food Pantry. The 2015 candidates included: Ali Buckner, Cass County Health System, Rich and Nedra Perry, Geis Perry Jewelry, Ted Robinson, First Whitney Bank and Tony Schmidtke, Fareway. Collectively the scrooges earned 10,607 points. One point is received for every dollar donated and one point for every two cans.

Ted Robinson, winner of the 2015 Scrooge title, along with all the candidates will be recognized at the Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 6th at 3-pm.  The Chamber says recognizing all the candidates at the Holiday Concert is something new in 2015.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Prairie City was arrested Wednesday on an Atlantic Police Department warrant. 30-year old Benjamin John James Grulke, was arrested by deputies on the warrant charging Grulke with Theft in the 5th Degree.

Grulke was taken to the Cass County Jail and later released on his own recognizance.