Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

UNDATED (AP) — Another 16 people in Iowa have died of the coronavirus as the number of confirmed infections continues to soar. Iowa reported the 16 deaths in the past 24 hours Thursday as well as 1,057 new confirmed coronavirus cases. There now have been 1,358 deaths and 89,612 confirmed positive cases. The state reported 18 deaths Wednesday. The high numbers come as hospitalizations surged past 400, a number not reached in Iowa since May. More than 50 patients a day have been admitted for treatment of COVID-19 in each of the past nine days, the most consecutive days of that level of hospitalizations.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Relatives of four people people killed in a 2018 plane crash in central Iowa allege in new lawsuits that a maintenance error caused carbon monoxide to enter the plane’s cabin, causing the crash. The lawsuits, announced Thursday, name Ultra Flight LLC, an aviation maintenance facility in Le Mars, and its owner, Tomas Mullally. The single-engine Piper took off from the airport in Le Mars on Nov. 9, 2018, and crashed into a cow pasture near Guthrie Center, about 115 miles (185 kilometers) away. Autopsies determined that all four victims suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld has announced plans to retire after the school’s board finds his successor. Harreld, a former corporate executive and Harvard Business School instructor, has led the Big Ten university since 2015. His tenure has been difficult in recent months as the school has faced a coronavirus outbreak, deep budget cuts and heavy turnover in key administrative positions. Harreld said that he has asked the Iowa Board of Regents to begin the search for his replacement, saying he believes it could take longer than usual given the pandemic. He says he’ll stay on until his successor begins.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines school board approved a plan to return to in-classroom learning, but it included metrics for allowable coronavirus infection rates that the district doesn’t currently meet. That makes it unclear if students will actually return to school as planned. The board voted 6-1 on Wednesday night to gradually implement a hybrid learning plan, starting with prekindergarten on Oct. 12. Students can choose to remain in all remote learning or opt for 50% instruction in classrooms. Despite approving a plan to return to classrooms, the board set several metrics for coronavirus infection rates as well as student and staff absences. If school were to begin immediately, the district would not be in compliance with at least one of those standards.