Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is defending her relaxation of mask wearing and other coronavirus reduction measures, even as public health officials warn against ending the measures when a new more contagious variant of the virus is spreading in the U.S. Reynolds says lower hospitalizations and other measures prompted her to lift the partial mask mandate and limits on crowd sizes. She says she trusts Iowans to do the right thing. Iowa reported 1,035 new confirmed cases on Wednesday and 29 additional deaths, increasing the state’s death toll to 5,174. Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, says opening up now gives the U.K. variant a chance to spread quickly in the U.S.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A 37-year-old man has been charged in a shooting in Marshalltown that left a man dead and another injured. Robert Thomas was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the March 2020 death of 22-year-old Johnqwez Deanthony Lewis. Another man, 27-year-old Devonte Allen Brooks, was injured. Thomas was charged with attempted murder in Brooks’ shooting. Police said Thomas was already being held in the Marshall County Jail on unrelated charges. He remains in custody pending an initial court appearance. Police said the investigation into the shooting is continuing.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Authorities say three people – including a woman from Iowa – died in a vehicle crash northwest of Portland, Oregon. Oregon State Police say authorities responded to a crash involving two vehicles just after 10 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. Highway 26. Police say 21-year-old Walter Smith of Pendleton, Oregon was driving a Mercedes station wagon west when he lost control, slid sideways into the eastbound lanes and collided with a Toyota Tacoma. Police say Smith and his passengers, 20-year-old Erick Fadness of Decorah, Iowa and a 16-year-old Portland girl, died. Toyota driver, Natalie Swauger of Seaside, Oregon, was flown to a Portland hospital. Police say speed is believed to have been a contributing factor.

RYAN, Iowa (AP) — Prosecutors in eastern Iowa have charged a woman with first-degree murder in the shooting death earlier this week of her boyfriend. Television station KWWL reports that 33-year-old Danielle Weiner, of Ryan, is accused in the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Devon Hierrezuelo, of Oak Law, Illinois. Delaware County Sheriff’s officials say the shooting happened around 1 a.m. Monday at the Shady Acres Apartments in Ryan, where arriving deputies found Hierrezuelo dead inside an apartment. Investigators say Weiner told them a man entered the apartment and argued with Hierrezuelo before shooting him in the living room. But investigators say evidence shows Hierrezuelo was shot in the bedroom, then moved to the living area.