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Iowa News headlines: Wed., June 29th 2016

News

June 29th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

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

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A fourth-floor water fountain apparently ran nonstop over the weekend and damaged floors, walls and equipment in the Pottawattamie County Courthouse in Council Bluffs. The Daily Nonpareil reports the leaky fountain was discovered Sunday morning, but by that time water had seeped through much of the courthouse. On Monday, crews spread through the building, drying floors, tearing down parts of walls and cleaning up ceiling tiles that fell onto equipment. A damage estimate wasn’t available.

ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Environmental specialists in Iowa are determining the effects of a semitrailer crash in the northwestern corner of the state that spilled herbicide and soybean oil into a ditch. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the crash happened Tuesday morning near Highway 9 about six miles west of Rock Rapids. Officials say soybean herbicide, 150 gallons of soybean oil and 5,000 gallons of water reached the ditch and ran into an unnamed tributary of Mud Creek and Rock River.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Linn County Supervisors have appointed a group of business leaders and workers to study the pros and cons of increasing the minimum wage. KCRG-TV reports that supervisors had expected the group to take up to six months to conduct their analysis, but members voted last week after three meetings to recommend increasing the county’s minimum wage to $8.25 an hour. Supervisors discussed the proposal Monday.

MASON CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Mason City man has been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for third-degree sexual abuse involving a 14-year-old girl. The Globe Gazette reports that 30-year-old Brent Champney pleaded guilty in April to the charge. He was accused of having sex with an underage girl.