Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Democratic congressional candidate in Iowa who trailed by six votes after a recount says she will forgo further legal challenges in the state and appeal directly to the U.S. House of Representatives for further review. Rita Hart’s campaign had until Wednesday to contest the election under Iowa law following Monday’s certification of results in which Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks was declared the winner of the closest House race in decades. Hart’s campaign said the quick timeline for a contest in Iowa would not allow enough time to review the ballots, including thousands of unexamined undervotes and overvotes. Instead, the campaign says Hart will file a challenge with the House under the Federal Contested Elections Act in coming weeks.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A prominent law enforcement training group is promoting a lengthy research document riddled with falsehoods and conspiracies that urges local police to treat Black Lives Matter activists as terrorists plotting a violent revolution. Critics say the document distributed by the International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association contains misinformation and harmful rhetoric that could incite officers against protesters and people of color. Yale University professor Phillip Atiba Goff, an expert on racial bias in policing, called the document dangerous, noting that the association is an important source of training materials for many small and midsize departments across the country.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa posted 22 additional deaths from the coronavirus, the third consecutive day of more than 20 deaths and raising the state’s death toll to 2,449. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Iowa has risen over the past two weeks from nearly 22 deaths per day on Nov. 17 to 29 deaths per day on Dec. 1. Johns Hopkins University data shows Iowa’s death count was the 21st highest per capita at 77.6 deaths per 100,000 people. More than 2,900 additional confirmed coronavirus cases were posted on Wednesday and hospitalizations remained high with 1,162 people in Iowa hospitals with COVID-19. State data shows 181 patients were admitted in the previous 24 hours, an increase from recent days.

UNDATED (AP) — U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley says he supports a federal funding package for coronavirus relief but clearly stated he doesn’t support large amounts of money to shore up state and local government budgets. The influential chair of the Senate Finance Committee talked to reporters Wednesday as negotiations picked up speed in Washington. Grassley said Congress must pass long overdue relief to help families, businesses, schools and communities. He says he could support a bill with items that have bipartisan support at around $500 billion and that he’d consider something less than $1 trillion. He resisted spending a massive amount of money for state and local government budget relief but said it likely wouldn’t cause him to reject a package including it.

The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday, approved two Mayoral appointments: Katherine Smith was appointed to the Utility Board of Trustees.  Smith succeeds Joyce Jensen, who resigned. Her appointment is in effect until April1, 2023. The second appointment was Adam Skog, to the Atlantic Library Board of Trustees. He succeeds Mark Johnson, who passed away in September. The appointment expires June 30, 2024.

The Council also approved an Order to close certain city streets for this Saturday’s Lighted Parade, which takes place beginning at 4:30-p.m. The streets to be closed include:

• 6th & Chestnut to 6th & Walnut
• 7th & Walnut
• 6th & Chestnut in front of Wells Fargo Bank
• 2nd & Walnut, at the corner of Deter Motor Company
• 2nd & Chestnut, corners of Cappel’s and W&S Appliance

The following rules are in-place for the event, with regard to COVID-19 safety:

• Spectators must park along Chestnut and Walnut Street, and remain in their vehicles at all times.
• Those participating in a float must wear a mask.
• Candy, promotional material and other items will not be permitted.
• There will be no fireworks this year.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council passed a Resolution approving the 2021 AMU Budget Report to City Council. AMU has its own Oversight Board, but according to City Code, the Council must approve their budget in order for it to go into effect, since the utility is an entity of the City. The City traditionally passes the AMU budget without issue, and acknowledges the AMU Board’s purpose and oversight.

The Council also passed: on the 3rd and final reading, an Ordinance vacating an alley located east of the intersection of E. 9th and Plum Streets; the 2nd reading of an Ordinance “Adopting the proposed Amendments to the City of Atlantic Zoning Code, 2018”; and, an Order to Approve Change Order #3 for the Atlantic Downtown Revitalization Project,” which will add $1,950 to the project cost, making for a total of $449,329.

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley says he supports a federal funding package for coronavirus relief but clearly stated he doesn’t support large amounts of money to shore up state and local government budgets. The influential chair of the Senate Finance Committee talked to reporters Wednesday as negotiations picked up speed in Washington. Grassley said Congress must pass long overdue relief to help families, businesses, schools and communities.

He says he could support a bill with items that have bipartisan support at around $500 billion and that he’d consider something less than $1 trillion. He resisted spending a massive amount of money for state and local government budget relief but said it likely wouldn’t cause him to reject a package including it.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa woman has been arrested for her alleged role in the robbery of a Waterloo man who was fatally shot in August. The Waterloo News-Leader reports 40-year-old Tonkeya Vaniece Jackson of Waterloo was arrested for one count of second-degree robbery. She is accused of helping plan an armed robbery that ended in the shooting death of 49-year-old Vincent Hemenway. She is the third suspect arrested in the case.

Court records say police found evidence that Jackson’s cell phone had been used to plan the robbery, sending a map of the target area and a message to bring guns.

(Radio Iowa) – It’s getting to be that time of the year when Iowans start thinking about booking a vacation to a warm destination during the cold winter months. Kyle Potter, executive editor at ThriftyTraveler-dot-com, says if you book flights now, there is very little risk as long as you make sure the flight qualifies for free changes or cancellations. “Almost every airline, especially the big airlines, Delta, American, United, any ticket purchased by the end of the year can be changed or canceled for free, and if you cancel, you get a voucher,” Potter says. “So that means if you buy before December 31st, you can get a good deal hopefully to each destination and then let things play out.”

Potter says the worst-case scenario would be that you get a voucher that you can use up to a year later. He says Mexico is the only international destination with no significant restrictions on Americans. “You have to fly, you can’t drive there right now, but flights have been going from the United States to Mexico and back pretty much undaunted for the last several months and there is no testing required to get in,” Potter says, “though for some people, that’s a bad thing.”

He also suggests when you’re booking things like hotels, rental cars, excursions, and other things that they also have a free cancellation policy.

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate releases the following statement regarding the Second Congressional District race. Iowa’s election results were officially certified by the State Canvassing Board on Monday:

“A bipartisan and transparent recount process in all 24 counties of the Second Congressional District confirmed Iowans elected Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Under Iowa law the deadline to contest the election is today. Iowans made their voices heard in record numbers, and in the event of a contested election they deserve to have the contest process decided by Iowa judges. The will of Iowa voters should not be overturned by partisan Washington, D.C. politicians.” – Paul Pate, Iowa Secretary of State