DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa-based Meredith Corp. is laying off 80 workers, including 25 in Des Moines. Spokesman Art Slusark says the layoffs are part of a larger effort to “dedicate resources” to meet demands and operate as efficiently as possible. The company employs 3,400 people.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — First lady Michelle Obama toured the Des Moines area, rallying supporters of President Barack Obama and helping raise money for the Democrat’s re-election bid. Michelle Obama spoke yesterday at a Windsor Heights community center, thanking volunteers at a public event after greeting donors at a private reception.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a police officer has been arrested in a hit-and-run involving a squad car. Police say Officer Brandon Singleton was arrested yesterday after an internal investigation that began with his request for a service truck to change a tire. Singleton is charged with hitting an unoccupied vehicle and three drug charges.

CHICAGO (AP) — A federal prosecutor says a former Iowa letter carrier accused of mailing dud pipe bombs and letters to investment firms gathered information about those he threatened and shared it to demonstrate he was capable of finding and killing them. Opening statements began yesterday in John Tomkins’ trial in Chicago.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The National Transportation Safety Board says crew fatigue is the probable cause of a deadly train collision in southwest Iowa. A Burlington Northern Santa Fe coal train slammed into a standing BNSF train near Red Oak on April 17, 2011. The coal trains’ conductor Patricia “Trish” Hyatt and Engineer Tom Anderson, both of Creston, died in the crash. The NTSB says Tuesday that both crewmembers had fallen asleep.

Officials say Hyatt and Anderson also failed to comply with a signal requiring them to operate at a restricted speed and stop short of the standing train. NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman says the investigation draws attention to the dangers of human fatigue. The board says other factors contributed to the accident, including the absence of a system that identifies the rear of a train and stops the approaching train if a safe breaking profile is exceeded.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa House has voted to overhaul the state’s mental health system, setting up a regional network designed to ensure the quality of services is consistent statewide. The House approved the measure Tuesday on a 65-32 vote, returning it to the Senate where a similar version has been approved. Cedar Rapids Republican Rep. Renee Schulte says relatively minor differences have been worked out and she anticipates quick Senate approval. Schulte says the current county-based system leads to wide variation in the quality of services offered. She says the state will spend about $52 million in taking over some of the services now being provided by counties. Supporters of the change have been working to reshape Iowa’s public mental health system for years.