Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:10 a.m. CDT

WEST UNION, Iowa (AP) — A northeastern Iowa man has been arrested for having no license and driving to a court hearing _ on his tractor. Television station KCRG reports that 54-year-old Jeffery Johanningmeier, of Wadena, was stopped Wednesday by deputies when he pulled up to the Fayette County Courthouse on his John Deere tractor. Deputies say he had made the nearly 15-mile trip for a court appearance, but did not have a valid driver’s license, which has been suspended for nonpayment of child support.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a new state law that changed the way Supreme Court justices are selected in Iowa. The lawsuit filed in May by a group of Democratic lawmakers and lawyers against Gov. Kim Reynolds was dismissed Thursday by a judge who says they don’t have legal standing to sue. Judge Sarah Crane, appointed to the bench by Reynolds last year, dismissed the case. Nate Willems, an attorney for the plaintiffs says it will be appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court.

DUNKERTON, Iowa (AP) — The police chief of a small eastern Iowa town has been placed on paid leave while facing accusations that she misreported the hours she’d been working. Black Hawk County court records say Katherine Krieger, of Jesup, is charged with theft, felonious misconduct in office and four counts of records tampering. Her attorney said Thursday that Krieger intends to plead not guilty.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The Army Corps of Engineers has partially opened the Mississippi River to barge traffic, but farmers in Iowa are still worried about the financial impact of the slow recovery of shipping on the waterway. Dozens of barges have been at a standstill during this devastating flood season. Robb Ewoldt tells the Quad-City Times that he has around $80,000 worth of soybeans in storage at his farm in Scott County, waiting to be shipped down the river.

Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies were called Thursday to the vicinity of 2405 Broadway Street in Red Oak, for a reported suspicious female. Deputies arrived on the scene and made contact with 28-year old Jaimee Renea Miner, of Red Oak.

Upon further investigation, Miner was taken into custody for Possession of Unlawful Prescription drugs. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $1,000 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a new state law that changed the way some judges are selected in Iowa. The lawsuit filed in May by a group of Democratic lawmakers and lawyers against Gov. Kim Reynolds was dismissed Thursday by a state court judge who said they don’t have legal standing to challenge the law.

The new law passed by Republicans and signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds gave the governor an additional appointment to the 17-member state judicial nominating commission resulting in the governor having a majority of nine appointees. Lawyers continue to elect eight members to the group.

The lawsuit alleged that the vote of the lawyer members of the commission has been diluted and that the law is an unconstitutional overreach by the legislative branch of government into the judicial branch. The commission nominates justices for the Iowa Supreme Court and the Iowa Court of Appeals and sends finalists to the governor.

Judge Sarah Crane, who was appointed to the court by Reynolds last year, dismissed the case. Attorneys for the plaintiffs say the decision will be appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court.

WEST UNION, Iowa (AP) — A northeastern Iowa man has been arrested for having no license and driving to a court hearing — on his tractor. Television station KCRG reports that 54-year-old Jeffery Johanningmeier, of Wadena, was stopped Wednesday by deputies when he pulled up to the Fayette County Courthouse on his John Deere tractor.

Deputies say he had made the nearly 15-mile trip for a court appearance, but did not have a valid driver’s license, which has been suspended for nonpayment of child support. Johanningmeier was arrested and later released.

(Radio Iowa) — Sioux City Police officer was injured Wednesday morning as he was assisting at the scene of a traffic accident on the Highway 20 bypass. Police Lieutenant Chris Groves says the officer was seated in his S-U-V around 6:45am helping to direct traffic when the S-U-V was struck by a passing car.

He says the officer saw the car in the rear view mirror and observed it starting to fishtail as it tried to slow to avoid the patrol car, but ended up hitting it in the rear. Groves says the side airbags deployed and the officer sustained minor injuries. He says it’s not known yet why the driver didn’t see the patrol vehicle and its flashing lights.

“I don’t know what the person was doing, but the reminder is: make sure you are paying attention to the road, make sure you pay attention to what is ahead of you. There is a law that requires drivers to move over,” Groves says. The driver of the car will be cited and was taken to the hospital by ambulance with non-life threatening injuries.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The Army Corps of Engineers has partially opened the Mississippi River to barge traffic, but farmers in Iowa are still worried about the financial impact of the slow recovery of shipping on the waterway. Dozens of barges have been at a standstill during this devastating flood season .

Robb Ewoldt tells the Quad-City Times that he has around $80,000 worth of soybeans in storage at his farm in Scott County, waiting to be shipped down the river. The halt to barge traffic is delaying farmers’ income and has prevented some from planting crops because fertilizer arrives by barge.

Doug Weber, a manager at shipping company Alter River Terminal Rock Island, says they usually ship one or two barges per day. But only a dozen barges have moved since traffic closed mid-March.

The Council Bluffs Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 38-year old Justin Messmore (Hgt, 6’1” Wgt, 170, DOB 5-4-81, brown hair, blue eyes). He was last seen in Council Bluffs on June 25th, 2019 at 11:30pm. Justin left his residence on foot and he does not have his cell phone with him. If located please contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712-328-5737.

Justin Messmore

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports on Tuesday, June 25th, a recent burglary in Pacific Junction was being investigated. During the investigation, deputies were able to identify multiple suspects involved in several other burglaries in Pacific Junction. On Wednesday, with assistance from Glenwood Police, search warrants were executed at 23998 Ives Avenue, just outside of Glenwood, and at an apartment located at 101 S. Hazel Street, in Glenwood.

Five people were arrested, and more than $10,000 in stolen property was seized, along with about 724.6-grams of marijuana, and firearms. Arrested on 15 felony counts and several other charges, was: 39-year old Daniel Lee Walling, II, 32-year old Danielle Jean Frazier, 32-year old Shaw Aaron Peterson, and 36-year old Misty Bea Petterson, all of Glenwood, along with 23-year old Gregory Jacob Jamison, of Pacific Junction.

DUNKERTON, Iowa (AP) — The police chief of a small eastern Iowa town has been placed on paid leave while facing accusations that she misreported the hours she’d been working. Black Hawk County court records say Katherine “Kate” Krieger, of Jesup, is charged with theft, felonious misconduct in office and four counts of records tampering. It’s unclear whether she has an attorney.

City clerk Sheila Steffen says a special City Council meeting scheduled for Thursday evening has but one item on the agenda: the potential termination of Krieger. Steffen says Krieger has been chief since August 2018. The Black Hawk County town of about 830 residents employs a full-time chief and two part-time officers.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa administrator is planning to retire after a state investigation blamed her for creating a hostile work environment for judges who rule on unemployment benefits disputes. Newly filed records show that Emily Chafa, chief of the unemployment insurance appeals bureau at Iowa Workforce Development, was abruptly removed from the building March 8 and kept on paid leave for one month.

In April, the investigation concluded that Chafa had treated subordinates “disrespectfully and discourteously which has created an uncomfortable, unprofessional work environment.” She was given the equivalent of a three-day suspension and ordered to make changes. Chafa disputes the finding and is appealing her discipline, saying the state hasn’t given specifics of her alleged inappropriate behavior. Earlier this month, her attorney complained that Chafa has been locked out of her email and office while on vacation ahead of a July 11 retirement date.

For months, Iowa Workforce Development Director Beth Townsend and her staff had refused to confirm the removal, leave and investigation of Chafa.