GRINNELL, Iowa (AP) – A jury has awarded $4.5 million to a former employee who sued an Iowa hospital for age bias and retaliation. The Des Moines Register reports that the jury’s decision Monday came after a 10-day trial of Grinnell Regional Medical Center and two administrators. The lawsuit brought by Gregory Hawkins said the hospital fired him in June 2015 from his post as lab director while in remission from breast cancer and hired a younger replacement.

His attorney alleged that Hawkins was targeted because he’d declined an order to retire following his initial diagnosis in November 2013. The hospital’s attorneys deny the firing and subsequent hiring of a new director had anything to do with Hawkins’ age or cancer diagnosis. A hospital spokeswoman says the hospital intends to appeal.

Creston Police report the arrest Tuesday evening of a man on an OWI charge. 41-year old Tommy Watters, of Creston, was taken into custody for OWI/1st offense at around 6:30-p.m. Watters was later released from the Union County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

Red Oak Police, Tuesday evening, arrested a man for Criminal Mischief in the 3rd degree. 43-year old James Reed Mitroff II, of Red Oak, was also charged with Public Intoxication. Mitroff was arrested at around 6:15-p.m. in the 400 block of E. Washington Avenue and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where his cash bond was set at $2,000.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation for four counties in northern and eastern Iowa ravaged by severe weather, heavy rains and flash flooding. The governor’s office said Tuesday that the proclamation covers Chickasaw, Dubuque, Floyd and Kossuth counties affected by weather Friday and Saturday.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The head of Iowa’s largest public pension system says the trust fund that pays out retirement benefits is “sound,” but at least one GOP lawmaker thinks changes might be needed. Donna Mueller, chief executive officer for the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System, says her assessment is based on industry standards. She spoke Tuesday to lawmakers at the Capitol. Sen. Charles Schneider says he’s exploring whether to hold legislative meetings to discuss possible changes to the system.

NORTH ENGLISH, Iowa (AP) — A prosecutor has declined to charge a southeastern Iowa police officer in the shooting death last month of a North English man. Iowa County Attorney Tim McMeen said in a written statement Tuesday that an investigation showed Police Officer Blake Heller was justified in shooting 53-year-old Robin Blaylock on June 10. McMeen says Blaylock pointing a gun twice at officers and refused to obey officer commands.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A national report has found that Iowa is lagging behind much of the U.S. in foreign language instruction for K-12 students. The Des Moines Register reports the study was conducted by the American Councils for International Education and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. It says slightly more than 15 percent of Iowa’s K-12 students were enrolled in a foreign language course in 2014-15. Iowa ranked 35th out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., for such instruction.

The Cass County Public Safety Commission Board, Tuesday evening, accepted the resignation of 911 Director Rob Koppert. Cass County Attorney David Wiederstein said he and Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren had met with Koppert Monday morning at his request. At that time, he submitted his letter of resignation to them. Wiederstein said there was some brief discussion, but nothing further.

Koppert has been the 911 Director for Cass County since the mid-1990’s. He has been experiencing health issues lately, but it’s not clear if that was the reason behind his resignation. McLaren and Wiederstein would only go on record as saying Koppert resigned at his request, and was NOT asked to do so.  Both Wiederstein and McLaren stated that there is no investigation underway by their respective offices. That does NOT rule out the possibility however, that state or federal agency is conducting an investigation.

The Board appointed Cass County Emergency Management Director Mike Kennon as Interim 911 Director. The process will now begin to revise the position’s job description and then seeking applicants.