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Iowa early News Headlines: Thursday, Feb. 15th 2018

News

February 15th, 2018 by Ric Hanson

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

IOWA CTY, Iowa (AP) — Latinos in Iowa City, Iowa, faced the nation’s most significant inequality when applying for conventional home loans in 2016, with an analysis showing they were nearly four times more likely to be denied than whites. The disparity appeared to be driven by a high rate of rejections for prospective Latino borrowers reported by a single financial institution, Hills Bank. That’s according to the analysis by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting.

STORM LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities in northwestern Iowa say seven students in the Storm Lake School District have been arrested on criminal charges for sharing nude photos on their phones. Assistant Storm Lake Police Chief Chris Cole tells the Sioux City Journal that the investigation began Feb. 6, when police were called to Storm Lake High School about multiple students sending nude photographs via text messages to other students.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — An eastern Iowa man has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for making a bomb threat against a Davenport community college. Federal prosecutors say 39-year-old America Yegile Haileselassie, of Bettendorf, was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to interstate communication of a bomb threat. Investigators say that on Nov. 4, 2015, papers found on a Scott Community College printer with the threat were traced back to Haileselassie’s email address.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A new trial date has been set for a Dubuque man accused of killing a woman who police say he met just hours earlier. Court records say Michael Piantieri had pleaded not guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and his trial was scheduled to begin next Tuesday. The records say the new starting date is Aug. 7. Police say he killed 42-year-old Beverly Puccio, who was found dead inside her home late Dec. 3.