DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Governor Terry Branstad has declared a state of emergency due to a bird flu outbreak that’s forcing farms to kill more than 17 million chickens and turkeys. Branstad’s proclamation announced Friday will remain in effect until May 31st unless it’s terminated earlier.

The proclamation activates disaster response and recovery procedures for Iowa’s homeland security and emergency management programs. It authorizes use of state money, supplies and equipment to track and monitor bird flu, establish restrictions around affected farms and rapidly detect cases.

It also allows more time to dispose of poultry carcasses. Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says it’s important to step up the response as the disease spreads. Northey announced four more farms infected — three turkey operations and a 1 million-chicken egg-laying operation in Madison County.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have charged a second teenager with murder in the death of an Illinois man at a Des Moines home. Des Moines police yesterday charged a 16-year-old with first-degree murder and robbery in the November 2014 shooting death of 24-year-old Aaron Michael McHenry, a resident of Rockford, Illinois, who had been staying in Des Moines for several months. Police charged the 16-year-old, who lives in Des Moines, while he was in custody for a separate incident.

OTHO, Iowa (AP) — A Webster County man escaped a mobile home fire but was only able to carry out a hamper full of clothing. The Fort Dodge Messenger reports the Thursday afternoon fire in Otho spread from a debris pile to a mobile home where 56-year-old Jim Kikendall was inside paying video games. Besides the home, a vehicle also was destroyed.

SERGEANT BLUFF, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say flames from a northwest Iowa yard waste fire spread to a barn after the man tending the fire went inside for supper. Firefighters were sent to the Sergeant Bluff property a little before 7 p.m. Thursday.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Western Community College will offer lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students a new community housing option this fall. The Daily Nonpareil reports that the college has set aside a cluster of about 40 suite-style apartments to create an optional community-style living environment for LGBT students, with a focus on transgender and intersex individuals.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) – A judge ruled that statements made by a man charged with killing his mother can’t be used as evidence. The Sioux City Journal reports District Judge Steven Andreasen ruled Thursday that statements made by Jonathan Neunaber were inadmissible at trial.

Neunaber, of Akron, is charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of his 80-year-old mother, Esther Neunaber. Her body and the body of her husband Donald Neunaber were found in the home they shared with their son. Donald Neunaber died of natural causes.

Jonathan Neunaber has pleaded not guilty. The judge ruled that because Neunaber repeatedly declined to answer questions, the interview should have been stopped. Andreasen didn’t rule on a request that evidence collected after those statements not be allowed at trial. A trial date isn’t scheduled.

A five-day event is being planned for late August in north-central Iowa which aims to serve as a thank you to thousands of Vietnam veterans who will be coming in from across the country. Operation L-Z (or, Landing Zone) will take place in Forest City on August 26th through the 30th. One organizer, Jack Caputo, says he hopes this will give Vietnam veterans the welcome home they likely never got.

He says it’s truly going to be a welcome home in an attempt to give some closure to veterans, not only from Vietnam, but from Korea, Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. Any veteran is welcome to attend. Caputo says they are trying to make the event family-friendly so veterans can have the proper recognition and be more open with their families about their experiences.

He says they’ve tried to make it so they can bring their family and not re-live their experiences but re-invigorate them and allow them to open up to their family. Saturday August 29th will be the main day for the event and will feature the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall as well as Navy Lieutenant Commander Larry Spencer of Des Moines, who was a prisoner of war for seven years at the so-called Hanoi Hilton. Caputo says there will also be several demonstrations and a number of helicopters from the Vietnam War-era that people will be able to see and ride in.

There will be two Hueys, a Cobra, and hopefully a Chinook on site. He says those were the helicopters that soldiers rode in when going to their landing zones, whether it was going to be a “hot zone” where they expected to take fire or a “cold zone” where they didn’t. Caputo says students from area high school are being invited so they’ll have a chance to learn more about the Vietnam War on the Thursday and Friday of the event.

He says students will come in and see the wall and hear from veterans about their experiences. The final plans for the event were announced Thursday, which marked the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon to communist forces and an end to the Vietnam War. Caputo says the August event will draw several thousand veterans from all over the country.

He says they’ve had calls from a number of states about the event, with a number of platoon and squad reunions being planned for that weekend. They are guessing between five- and eight-thousand Vietnam veterans will be attending the event with about 25-thousand people in total attending on Saturday. For more details about the event, you can head to the website operationlz.com

(Radio Iowa)