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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Cities, counties and the state of Iowa are less liable for injuries caused by road maintenance issues after a recent Iowa Supreme Court ruling that upheld a longstanding but controversial legal doctrine. The court in a June 8 ruling said a northern Iowa woman cannot sue Humboldt County for failing to remove a concrete wall a farmer had installed in a roadside ditch to keep cows from escaping.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa county gave $844,000 in grants to ten private, religious schools despite a state law prohibiting public funding for such schools. The Des Moines Register reports that Polk County gave the money in 2012 and 2013 to nine local Catholic schools and one Christian school by giving the grants to a corporation that passed the money to the schools.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Residents have begun moving into Des Moines’ newest neighborhood as work continues on apartments and townhomes in the area. The Des Moines Register reports that downtown’s East Village is being transformed by Hubbell Realty Co.’s 16-acre development known as the Bridge District. Developers hope the district will attract homeowners and renters to the city’s core. The neighborhood is slated to have nearly 700 housing units in five years.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republicans have picked a state agriculture secretary nominee, but it didn’t come easy. The Des Moines Register reports that incumbent Mike Naig was selected Saturday at the Iowa GOP state convention after four rounds of voting. After each round, the bottom candidate was dropped from the ballot. In the last round, Naig topped Corning farmer Ray Gaesser. Naig faces Democrat Tim Gannon in the November general election.