(Radio Iowa) — U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan has campaigned this week with two of the three Iowa Republican congressmen seeking reelection this year. Ryan toured a West Des Moines plant with Republican Congressman David Young Tuesday morning, then spoke briefly to plant employees in their break-room.”The reason we’re here is we want to see if the policies that David and I have been working on in congress are working or not,” Ryan said, “and it’s spectacular to see that you’ve added 44 jobs in just the last year.”

The company — eye-2-tech (i2-tech) — melts plastic pellets into parts that other manufacturers use to make things like John Deere tractors or Kawasaki motorcycles. Young says new expensing rules in the federal tax code provided certainty and prompted the company to buy new equipment. “I was here three years ago. There wasn’t as much activity out there on the floor, not as many employees, and to see what’s happening today — it’s just like it’s a brand new business,” Young says. “There’s such a great economic renaissance going on all throughout the country and here in the third district especially.”

The House speaker did a private event Monday with Iowa’s FIRST district congressman, Republican Rod Blum. Monday morning, Ryan delivered this argument for re-electing Iowa’s THIRD district congressman:  “David Young has worked his tail off in congress for his constituents here in Iowa,” Ryan said. “David Young is an impact player who has done so much work on water issues, one on the things that has been a big issue, on agriculture issues, but on economic growth, on tax reform.”

Reporters were allowed to observe the tour and listen to Ryan and Young speak to employees, but questions from the media were not permitted. Later, Ryan did interviews with two Des Moines T-V stations. Cindy Axne, the Democrat who’s challenging Young’s bid for a third term in the U.S. House, is releasing a list of campaign finance reforms she’d vote for in congress.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — It isn’t immediately clear whether there’s at least one winning ticket in the $1.6 billion Mega Millions lottery jackpot. The numbers drawn Tuesday night are 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5. The estimated jackpot is the largest lottery prize ever. It’s been growing since July, when a group of California office workers won $543 million.

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa authorities say a body pulled from the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River last week has been identified as that of missing boater. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said in a written statement Tuesday that the body is that of 56-year-old John Roe, of Burlington, Wisconsin. An autopsy conducted at the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s office in Ankeny shows Roe drowned.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa real estate regulator is leaving her post weeks after an investigation ordered by Gov. Kim Reynolds faulted her for failing to report sexual misconduct by her powerful boss. The Iowa Finance Authority says Iowa Title Guaranty Director Tara Lawrence will leave the agency on Nov. 2. A press release says Lawrence “has played a critical role in the development and success of the organization” during her six years as an employee, including the last three as a director.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is betting that his ubiquitous role in the midterm elections _ all Trump, all the time _ will pay off for Republicans trying to hang onto their perilous majorities in Congress. Trump’s campaign says it will spend more than $20 million on the November elections, including $6 million in national TV and digital ads beginning Oct. 29, and the president will be holding at least 10 more of his signature rallies.

The Harlan Police Department has released a report on arrests that occurred over the past few days. On Tuesday (10/23), 62-year old Gary Lyn McCoy, of Harlan was arrested following a call for a disturbance in the 600 block of Cyclone Avenue.  McCoy was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and public intoxication. McCoy had previously been arrested last Saturday, on an active Shelby County warrant.

31-year old Mark Allen Kent, of Omaha, NE, was arrested Tuesday, on an active Shelby County warrant.  Kent was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with Theft 2^nd degree.

Last Friday, 48-year old Nyakaka Deng Joka, of Denison, was arrested on an active Crawford County warrant following a traffic stop in the 1000 block of Highway 59.  Joka was transported to the Shelby/Crawford County line and turned over to a Crawford County deputy.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A group of New Jersey construction workers noticed that the sixth member of their lottery pool had abruptly left work. Turns out, he had a lottery ticket worth $38.5 million and claimed he bought the winning ticket separately with his own money. With the record Mega Millions jackpot now at a record $1.6 billion, it may seem like perfect sense to pool money with co-workers or friends to increase the chance of winning a giant payday. But “with this many zeros attached to it, it is a recipe for disaster,” said Rubin Sinins, the attorney for the five jilted construction workers in that 2009 case.

Sinins said such plans can turn into a protracted legal fight, hard feelings and court orders — like in the case of his clients, who eventually won a jury verdict and split the lottery winnings . But if you do venture down that road, he and other experts have some advice: draw up an agreement. “Document precisely who is part of the lottery pool so that there’s no misunderstanding later,” he said.

Other attorneys and lottery officials agree, though they acknowledge it can seem silly to draw up agreements and copy ticket stubs given the dismal odds of actually winning . The odds for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million, while there’s a slightly better chance — 1 in 292.2 million — of winning the $620 million Powerball prize Wednesday night.

If there’s no winner tonight (Tuesday night), lottery officials said the estimated jackpot would jump again for Friday night’s drawing, to $2 billion. Mary Neubauer, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Lottery, said the key is to put a few rules into writing. That includes details about how any prize would be divvied up, members of the group, and what should happen if a regular player is away and didn’t chip in for a specific drawing.

And always make copies of group tickets — including identifying numbers on the back of tickets — before the drawing so everyone is aware of the potential winnings numbers. “You’re thinking about a best case scenario of winning, but you’re taking precautions about a worst case of fighting over the winnings,” Neubauer said.

The Missouri Lottery recommends people also have a plan for notifying group members if they win, figuring out who would be the group spokesperson and maybe even decide what outsider would serve as financial planner. Despite its importance, it’s understandable that such planning can seem unnecessary, acknowledged Christopher Burns, a tax and estate attorney in Minneapolis.

“Laying the groundwork is important, but most people would not bother to fully lay the groundwork because the odds are so small,” Burns said. “People aren’t going to typically expend the time or the effort to have anything in writing or take other steps because the odds are so remote.” Jennifer Volpert is among those going with the pool idea, but noted she and her co-workers in the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration would be prepared if they won the record jackpot .

Volpert bought seven Mega Millions tickets during her lunchtime Tuesday at a Little Rock convenience store. She planned to draw up a contract and have everyone sign when she returned, specifying the prize would be split seven ways. “We all said we’d turn in our resignation at the same time,” she said, laughing.

About 20 people at Todd Murphy’s media monitoring company in Omaha, Nebraska, also formed an office pool to buy Mega Millions tickets, but first they had to sign a contract that included a stipulation: “If we win, you’ll work 60 days after winning so we can replace you.” Murphy, the company’s CEO, said no one objected.

Of course, group lottery purchases aren’t for everyone. Mark Maddy, who works in a machine shop in Champlain, New York, said the nine people who work at the company love betting: “We’ll bet on anything,” he said, “even the first snow flake.” But not lottery jackpots. “We’re all too greedy,” Maddy said. “We buy our own tickets.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa real estate regulator said Tuesday she will step down weeks after an investigation ordered by Gov. Kim Reynolds faulted her for failing to report sexual misconduct by her powerful boss. Iowa Title Guaranty Director Tara Lawrence will resign Nov. 2 after six years with the program, including serving as director since 2015, the Iowa Finance Authority announced.

The authority said in a press release that Lawrence “has played a critical role in the development and success of the organization,” which sells title insurance to property owners and lenders. The statement thanked Lawrence for her service and wished her well in future endeavors. It made no mention of a report released last month that faulted Lawrence and agency lobbyist Wes Peterson for failing to report “egregious” sexual harassment that they witnessed by former authority director Dave Jamison.

Lawrence had taken issue with the report in meetings with state officials, saying it unfairly painted her as an enabler of Jamison when she was actually another one of his victims. In an interview Tuesday, she said the decided to resign after learning that Reynolds’ administration will not make any changes to the report or public statements exonerating her.

“It’s hard to work for an organization that treats its staff that way,” she said. “Because of the report and the conditions that have come about at work after the report, it’s impossible to continue working there.” Lawrence said she was saddened to leave and that she was unsure whether she would pursue legal action against the state.

The report said Jamison grabbed a colleague’s breasts at a bar in December 2016 in front of them during a work trip to northwest Iowa and they kept the incident quiet. A witness told investigators that Lawrence was drinking so heavily that night that she had trouble walking. Lawrence and Peterson were also aware of other inappropriate sexual comments and actions by Jamison, including that he showed a pornographic video on his phone to the groping victim during another trip, the report said. The two remained a part of Jamison’s inner circle, traveling and socializing with him at bars.

Peterson’s lawyer has said that his client was fired last month over the report’s findings, which he said contained unspecified inaccuracies. Lawrence, 34, said in an interview last month that the report gave an unfair portrayal of her role as well but that she was expecting to keep her job, which paid $122,000 last year and is responsible for managing 20 employees.

Iowa Finance Authority interim director Carolann Jensen appointed Lawrence’s deputy, Matt Rousseau, to serve as the program’s interim director. Reynolds ordered the independent investigation by the Weinhardt Law Firm in Des Moines amid questions about her handling of allegations against Jamison, who had been a close friend and colleague for 20 years. She terminated Jamison in March the day after two women contacted her staff to complain about his long-running sexual harassment.

The report found that employees may have not come forward sooner because Jamison bragged about his close relationship with Reynolds, which included giving input on her major speeches and frequently promising to go directly to Reynolds to get priorities accomplished. Lawrence had said that she didn’t report Jamison’s misconduct because she feared retaliation if she complained and that she had been sexually harassed by him, too. She told The Associated Press that Jamison showed her photographs of nude women, commented on her body and quizzed her about her sex life during meetings and work trips.

Lawrence said she didn’t cooperate with the investigation because she didn’t want to detail her harassment and wanted to protect her family and the agency from embarrassment. She said she was ashamed she drank too much on the night of the 2016 groping incident. Independent investigator Mark Weinhardt said he told Lawrence when they met for a voluntary interview that she could share details of any harassment confidentially, but that he also wanted to ask her about Jamison’s behavior toward the two complainants. Weinhardt said Lawrence declined to speak about any topic, saying she “anticipated litigation.”

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of two people from Creston on Tuesday morning following a traffic stop. The stop was conducted at 10:20am on a blue Jeep at the intersection of Highway 34 and Avenue of Industries. During the stop K9 Tracer was deployed and gave a positive response to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle. A marijuana pipe with marijuana inside of it was found in the vehicle. Deputies then arrested 56-year-old Julie Petro and 37-year-old Danny Petro of Creston for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Their bond was set at $1,300.

Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources said today (Tuesday), that on Thursday, October 18th at around 3-p.m., a 911 caller advised he located a body in the Mississippi River. The body was recovered from Sand Cut, just west of Jack Oak Road on the Wisconsin side of the river. The body was transported to the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny for an autopsy.

The autopsy confirmed the body is that of 56-year old John Roe, of Burlington, Wisconsin, and the cause of death to be drowning and manner classified as accidental. Searchers had begun to look for Roe on October 6th, after authorities received a report of a boat spinning in circles in the main channel north of the Cassville Ferry Landing.

Firefighters were able to ram the circling boat and pull the safety lanyard to stop the motor. Later, information was received that a 56 year old man from Burlington, Wisconsin was believed to be out boating by himself and went missing. Investigators believe the man likely fell out of the boat and was not wearing a personal floatation device.

In a delayed report, the Mills County Sheriff’s Office say a teenager was hurt in a collision that took place Saturday afternoon. Officials say at around 3:35-p.m., a 2004 Chevy driven by 30-year old Dylan Carter, of Silver City, was traveling north on U-S Highway 275, at about the same time a 1998 Ford driven by 17-year old Kaylee McGraw, of Tabor, was southbound.

When Carter became distracted, his vehicle crossed the center line of the road and struck the Ford. After the collision, Carter’s Chevy went out of control and crossed the center line, came back over and left the right side of the road. When McGraw’s car left the road, it struck a fence owned by Ron Dalton.

McGraw was injured and transported to the hospital by personal vehicle. Carter was subsequently arrested for OWI and Driving on the wrong side of a two-lane highway.

A traffic stop by the Mills County K9 Unit on a vehicle traveling on Interstate 29 in Mills County, late Monday night, resulted in the discovery of methamphetamine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a weapon. The driver of the vehicle, 33-year old Troy Grindle, of Glenwood, was arrested for two-counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and carrying weapons. His bond at the Mills County Jail was set at $3,300.

The Sheriff’s Office reports also:

• 18-year old Phoebe Sue England, of Malvern, was arrested Monday afternoon for Contributing to the delinquency of a minor, possession of drug paraphernalia and speeding. Bond $600.
• 31-year old Steven Royce Elliott, of Gillette, WY, was arrested Sunday morning for Public Intox. and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Bond $600.
• 30-year old Dylan Gerald Carter, of Silver City, was arrested Saturday evening for OWI/1st offense, and driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway. Bond $1,000.
• At around 12:50-a.m. Friday, 19-year old Sarah Jeanette Croson, of Council Bluffs, was arrested on a warrant out  of Page County for two counts of Forgery. She was also charged with Interference with official acts. Total bond amounts to $10,300.
• Thursday afternoon, Mills County deputies arrested 18-year old Seth Matthew Noel, of Council Bluffs, for Possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond $1,300.
• Ozzy Ray Hunter, of Red Oak, was arrested Thursday evening for Possession of a Controlled substance. Bond $1,000
• And, 23-year old Timothy James Black, of Emerson, was arrested Thursday afternoon in Mills County, for Driving While Barred. Bond amounted to $2,000.

A female on a bicycle suffered critical head injuries after being struck by a car late this (Tuesday) morning, in Council Bluffs. According to Bluffs Police, Emergency personnel were sent to Main and Kanesville at around 10:30-a.m. for a personal injury car vs. bicycle accident. An investigation determined the bicyclist was northbound on the sidewalk at the intersection.

North and southbound traffic had a green light. The driver of the vehicle, 19-year old Kathryn Anderson, of Council Bluffs, was southbound from West Washington turning east onto Kanesville Blvd.

As Anderson made her turn, she failed to see the bicyclist crossing the roadway. Anderson struck the bicycle, causing the bicyclist to strike the windshield of the vehicle. The bicyclist was transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for treatment of their critical injuries. As of early this afternoon, authorities had not positively identified the bicyclist. Her information will be released at a later time.

The incident remains under investigation by the Council Bluffs Police Department Traffic Unit.