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Iowa early News Headlines: Tuesday, June 27th 2017

News

June 27th, 2017 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CDT

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — A 35-year-old Iowa man who shouted “arrest me” to Illinois State Police during a traffic stop has been sentenced to nearly five years in prison on a federal gun charge. A Monday statement from the U.S. attorney’s office in Springfield says Terrail Draper Lavar Dixon told a trooper to “go ahead and arrest” him after he was stopped for speeding and driving erratically. When the officer asked why, Dixon said he had guns in the car. A search of the car turned up a two loaded handguns.

BETTENDORF, Iowa (AP) — Iowa and Illinois have partnered to build a bridge across the Mississippi River that will connect the neighboring states. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner attended a groundbreaking ceremony Monday in the Iowa city of Bettendorf to discuss the future Interstate 74 Mississippi River bridge. The $1.2 billion construction project is expected to begin this summer and be completed in 2021. The project will replace two aging bridges and include a new pedestrian and bike path.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The son of a Nigerian farm laborer who rose out of poverty to earn graduate degrees in agricultural economics and spent his career improving the availability of seed, fertilizer and financing for African farmers is the winner of this year’s World Food Prize. Akinwumi Adesina, president of African Development Bank, was named this year’s recipient Monday. He will receive the $250,000 prize Oct. 19 at the Iowa Capitol.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa judge has found a Texas woman competent to stand trial in a crash death case, but he’s also granted her request for another psychiatric evaluation. The Quad-City Times reports that the judge ruled Friday that Lauria Kelly, of Alvarado, Texas, is fit for trial. The judge also approved Kelly’s lawyer’s request for her to be evaluated again to determine whether there are grounds for either a defense of insanity or diminished responsibility.