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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Climate change is often seen as posing the greatest risk to coastal areas. But the nation’s inland cities face perils of their own, including more intense storms and more frequent flooding. As a result, many river communities are raising or replacing bridges that suddenly seem too low to stay safely above water. The reconstructed bridges range from multi-lane structures that handle heavy traffic loads to small rural spans traversed by school buses and farmers.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Human Services said Monday it is seeking help from a nonprofit group to review the state’s child welfare system following the death of two teenage girls. The review by the Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group follows the October death of Natalie Finn of West Des Moines and the May death of Sabrina Ray of Perry. The 16-year-old girls, who were both adopted from state care, were found dead in their homes.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is defending her use of a jet owned by a wealthy businessman who is lobbying the state for approval to build a casino. Reynolds said Monday that asking businessman Gary Kirke for use of his private airplane was legal under Iowa ethics rules. The new Republican governor said she’d seek such travel arrangements on a case-by-case basis.

ELK POINT, S.D. (AP) — Opening statements in a more than $1 billion defamation case over ABC news reports on a South Dakota meat producer’s lean, finely textured beef product laid out different versions of the company’s decline. Beef Products Inc. sued ABC in 2012. The company says the television network’s coverage misled consumers into believing the product is unsafe, isn’t beef and isn’t nutritious. Critics dubbed the product “pink slime.”