Authorities in Montgomery County report the arrest early this (Tuesday) morning, of a Clarinda woman. 27-year old Megan Diana Reynolds was taken into custody at around 1:30-a.m. on a valid warrant for Driving While Suspended. She was brought to the Montgomery County Jail and later released on $300 bond.

The Iowa Board of Education has authorized a task force to study how to beef up standards in the state’s teacher preparation programs. The department’s Lawrence Bice says they’re looking at tougher standards for professors in the teacher prep programs, and clearer rules for what student teaching should look like. “We’ve been charged by the state board of education to update the standards, to make sure they are rigorous, and that’s what we’re doing,” Bice says. ” Beefing up teacher prep is a high priority of the state board. ” Bice says state law already mandates what tests prospective teachers have to pass:

“We don’t have the authority to change legislation certainly, that’s what our legislators do. So what we’re doing is we’re lookint at what do we have control over — and we’re trying to, frankly we’re trying to make the requirements more rigorous,” Bice explains. That includes requiring the teacher preparation programs to report on what they’re doing to improve based on their last accreditation review.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

WOODWARD, Iowa (AP) — Residents of Woodward in central Iowa were without water after a water main break. The water was shut off yesterday morning. KCCI-TV reports water was restored Monday afternoon, but officials are advising residents to boil their drinking water until testing shows it’s safe.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Judith Cabanillas was just 13 when a middle-of-the-night phone call conveyed the shattering news: Her older sister had been found murdered in an Iowa farmhouse. That was in 1974. The slaying went unsolved for years. Now, almost four decades later, her quest could be near an end as authorities put a suspect on trial today in the death of Mary Jayne Jones, a carefree 17-year-old wh worked at a drive-in restaurant. Cabanillas hopes the trial in Ottumwa provides some justice for her family and eases their grief.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A northeast Iowa man has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for possession of a homemade bomb. Federal prosecutors in Cedar Rapids say 34-year-old Bjorn Luster of Cresco pleaded guilty in September to one count of possession of a destructive device.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Naadir Tharpe scored a career-high 23 points, freshman Andrew Wiggins had 17 points and 19 rebounds and Number 15 Kansas beat 8th ranked Iowa State 77-70 last night for its third straight win to open Big 12 play. The Jayhawks handed the Cyclones their second consecutive loss after a 14-0 start.