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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge has approved a payment of $3.1 million for lawyers representing a former state official that a jury found was discriminated against by former Gov. Terry Branstad. The judge approved the amount in an order filed Friday for Roxanne Conlin and her team who won former Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey a $1.5 million verdict. Branstad, now U.S. ambassador to China, was found to have discriminated and retaliated against Godfrey in 2011 because he’s gay. Taxpayers have paid $2.9 million for Branstad’s attorneys and will pay Conlin’s fees if the state loses a pending Iowa Supreme Court appeal.

FORT MADISON, Iowa (AP) — The frenetic chase for momentum in Iowa is underway among Democrats seeking the 2020 presidential nomination. Candidates such as Pete Buttigieg point to large crowds showing up for his campaign events in small towns. Others note late spikes in fundraising as proof they are gathering enthusiasm less than a month before the leadoff nominating contest. Energy could allow one of a cluster at the top in Iowa to break away in the final month or help another work his or her way into the pack. Just as easily, the look of momentum can paint a target on a candidate’s back and send him or her limping out of Iowa next month.

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have concluded a Clive police officer was legally justified in shooting a man last month after a chase that ended in a Des Moines neighborhood. Police said Monday an investigation by Des Moines police of Clive officer Nicholas Anderson found he was justified in his actions. Anderson took part in an incident that started as a car chase in the suburb of Clive. It ended after two men in the car crashed on an interstate off-ramp in Des Moines and ran into a neighborhood. Anderson shot one of the men after the suspect pulled out a pistol. The officer wasn’t hurt. The suspect remains in the hospital. The other man was charged on an existing warrant.

Two people were injured during a collision Monday evening in western Iowa’s Monona County. The Iowa State Patrol reports 93-year old Lawrence Nelson and 26-year old Tari Miller, both of Mapleton, were transported to Mercy Hospital in Sioux City, after their vehicles collided head-on along Highway 141, just west of Plum Avenue, before before 6-p.m.

The accident remains under investigation. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. The Patrol says Nelson was flown by helicopter to the hospital, while Miller was taken by Mapleton Rescue.

The Adair County Sheriff’s Office reports one arrest over the past week. 42-year old John Michael Burgoyne, of Des Moines, was arrested Jan. 3rd at the Polk County Jail, and transported to Adair County. Burgoyne was wanted on an Adair County warrant for Violation of Probation.

He was released Monday morning on his own recognizance, but arrested a short time later by Union County authorities. The Union County Sheriff’s Office says Burgoyne was wanted on two Union County warrants for violation of probation. Burgoyne was being held in the Union County Jail, on $8,000 bond.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa announced on January 3rd, 2020, that 34-year old Chanel Traci Huff, of Maryville, Missouri, was sentenced in Council Bluffs U-S District Court to 120 months in prison, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Huff must also serve 5-year term of supervised release upon completion of her prison sentence.

On February 2, 2019, Mills County law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Huff’s vehicle and officers located 381 grams of methamphetamine and $7,000 in drug proceeds in her car. A search warrant was executed at Huff’s residence and officers seized $15,000 in drug proceeds and a pistol.

The matter was investigated by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Nodaway County (Missouri) Sheriff’s Office, and the Maryville (Missouri) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.

KELLOG, Iowa (AP) — A Newton bicyclist died early Monday after being hit by a truck in Jasper County. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office says the crash happened about 4:30 a.m. on U.S. Highway 6 near Kellogg. The bicyclist died at the scene of the crash. He was later identified as 43-year-old Jermey Ray Williams. The truck driving stayed at the crash site and was cooperating with authorities.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge has approved a payment of $3.1 million for lawyers representing a former state official that a jury found was discriminated against by former Gov. Terry Branstad. The judge approved the amount in an order filed Friday for Roxanne Conlin and her team who won former Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey a $1.5 million verdict. Branstad, now U.S. ambassador to China, was found to have discriminated and retaliated against Godfrey in 2011 because he’s gay. Taxpayers have paid $2.9 million for Branstad’s attorneys and will pay Conlin’s fees if the state loses a pending Iowa Supreme Court appeal.

(Atlantic, IA) — A report of an aircraft with smoke in the cockpit resulted in emergency crews being dispatched to the Atlantic Airport, this (Monday) afternoon. The Atlantic Police Department received a call from Minneapolis ATC (Air Traffic Control) at around 2:50-p.m. about the incident. The P-D relayed that information to the Cass County Communications Center. The Tower said the plane would be landing within five-minutes, but it ended up being sooner. KJAN News spoke with the Pilot, Nick Lambert, of Perry, about what he, and a male passenger, experienced.

(He said he was flying out of Omaha on the way back to Perry, when a vent motor “burned-up” on him. So he made an unscheduled landing in Atlantic.)

Beechcraft KingAir A90. (ric Hanson/photos)

Lambert said they had been out flying all day, and had no previous issues until they were underway on the final leg. Atlantic Fire personnel inspected the 1985 twin-engine Beechcraft King Air TurboProp A90. The smell was in the aircraft cabin, but the source could not immediately be identified. Lambert got on the phone to a mechanic, who suggested he fire-up the engines and see if the circumstances could be replicated. That’s when Lambert narrowed down the source to a vent motor in the cabin. Lambert and his passenger were expected to resume their flight. They were on the ground for about an hour.

FAA records indicate the aircraft is registered to Dutch Aviation, LLC., in Perry.

(Radio Iowa) — The ribbon was cut today (Monday) on the second Ronald McDonald House in central Iowa inside the MercyOne Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. MercyOne president, Karl Keeler, says it’s an important addition to the hospital. Starting my career, I started off at a children’s hospital in Colorado and the partnership between children’s hospitals and Ronald McDonald’s House are critical partnerships,” Keeler says. “And it’s amazing the difference it makes not only in the patients’ lives — but in family’s life — and the way you put the families at ease because they can be close to a loved one.”

The central Iowa executive director of the Ronald McDonald House, Brenda Miller, says it offers an important service. “The Ronald McDonald House houses families of ill or injured children. So ages newborn to 21 are able to use the house. Once they are here, they can stay as long as the need exists,” Miller explains. This new house allows families using the hospital to be much closer and not have to drive to get to the rooms at the other Ronald McDonald House.

Miller says hundreds of people will use the facility. “My guess will be we’ll have over 500 a year using this particular facility. We do what we call day guests as well as patients who have rooms here. Our day guests can come in and eat, have a shower, have a nap and just play, whatever they need, and then all of the 14 bedrooms. Some families may stay maybe one night for a procedure — some may stay a year — it just depends.”

She says they ask for a ten-dollar a night donation for the rooms– but that is not required. “I think one of the most important aspects of a Ronald McDonald House for families is the ability to have other families staying in the house that they can talk to and confide in — because they are all going through the same thing,” according to Miller. “And so, having that kind of support system and others who are going through what they are going through is a key part of their healing.”

Donations helped create the Ronald McDonald House and Miller says  ongoing donations will help keep it running. She says changes donations at the McDonald’s restaurants are part of that. Miller says the money collected in canisters at 61 McDonald’s around central is sent to the Ronald McDonald House. There are two more Ronald McDonald Houses in Iowa, one in Iowa City and one in Sioux City.

Officials with the Association of Iowa Fairs have announced the organization’s Board of Directors has chose the 2019 Cass County Fair as the recipient of a Blue Ribbon Award. The award was presented at the Association’s 2019 Conference and Annual meeting held Dec. 13-15 in Des Moines. The Cass County Fair was chosen to receive the award from all Fairs in the Association’s Southwest District. Thomas Barnes, Executive Director of the Iowa Fair Association, said “One member Fair in each of the Association’s six fair districts in Iowa is presented with this award each year. The Fair that receives this award must have shown progress in providing service to the youth programs in their community, plus show distinguished service to the community in both the Fair and interim events.”

2019 Blue Ribbon Fair, SW District – Cass County Fair, Atlantic (Via www.iowafairs.com)

Barnes said he and his wife Sue visited the Cass County Fair several times, and “Found that it does indeed serve very well the community as outlined in the guidelines of this award.” Cass County Fair President Curtis Bierbaum said “We are very excited to have received the 2019 Blue Ribbon Fair Award. Cass County being one of the few all-free fairs in Iowa is something to be proud of.” Bierbaum said also, “We could not have the successful fair that we do without the Superintendents, volunteers, parents, Extension staff, FFA Advisors and County support.”

The 2020 Cass County Fair will be held July 22nd through the 28th, in Atlantic.

Marne Fire, Atlantic Rescue and Medivac were dispatched to 580th and Marne Road, Monday, for a two-vehicle accident with apparent, non-life threatening injuries. Emergency units were dispatched at 11:54-a.m. A female subject complained of arm pain, while a man complained he wasn’t feeling well. According to reports, a semi was crossing the road at 580^th and Marne Road. When three vehicles reduced their speed as the semi was crossing, one of the vehicles rear-ended another vehicle.

Additional information is currently not available.