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

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say inmates used hammers to attack prison staff members during a failed attempt to escape an Iowa prison, killing a nurse and correctional officer and severely injuring an inmate who intervened. The victims of the attack at the Anamosa State Penitentiary were identified as staff nurse Lorena Schulte, 50, of Cedar Rapids, and officer Robert McFarland, 46, of Ely. Both had worked at the prison in the city of Anamosa in eastern Iowa for more than a decade. An investigator says each died of blunt force trauma to the back of the head when they were attacked with hammers during Tuesday’s attack. Inmates Michael Dutcher, 28, and Thomas Woodard, 39, face murder and kidnapping charges.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says the state expects to allow any adult get a coronavirus vaccine as of April 5. Reynolds said Wednesday that Iowa expects to receive enough of vaccine to open eligibility to anyone in the state age 18 or older. Even though all adults will be eligible, it could be weeks before many people can book an appointment to get vaccinated. Iowa has no centralized vaccine registration or appointment system. Instead, people must must go online and attempt to find open appointments through providers’ websites. Reynolds urged people to have patience.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Illinois man out on bail for a murder charge was arrested by police in Iowa on charges related to a fatal crash on a freeway in Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids police issued warrants Wednesday afternoon for 34-year-old Tyler Lee, of Rockton, Illinois. He turned himself into authorities at the Linn County Jail less than two hours later. Lee was charged with homicide by vehicle-operating while intoxicated and homicide by vehicle-reckless driving as well as two counts of serious injury by motor vehicle. Lee was driving a pickup truck that crashed into a sport utility vehicle early on the morning of March 7 while he was out on $1 million bail for first-degree murder and 11 other counts. Those charges stemmed from a May 2017 shooting in Loves Park, Illinois.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An Iowa Democrat wants Congress to overturn her state-certified defeat for a House seat. But Rita Hart’s effort is prompting awkward divisions within her party. Democrats reacted with uniform fury at Donald Trump’s unfounded drive to reverse his own presidential election loss by throwing out state-certified returns he didn’t like. Hart says she’s found 22 uncounted ballots, which she says would make her the victor over Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Miller-Meeks defeated Hart by just six votes and took office in January. The dispute is being considered by the House Administration Committee. With both sides lawyered up, the dispute could smolder into summer.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — An Illinois man out on bail for a murder charge was arrested by police in Iowa on charges related to a fatal crash on a freeway in Cedar Rapids. Cedar Rapids police issued warrants Wednesday afternoon for 34-year-old Tyler Lee, of Rockton, Illinois. He turned himself into authorities at the Linn County Jail less than two hours later. Lee was charged with homicide by vehicle-operating while intoxicated and homicide by vehicle-reckless driving as well as two counts of serious injury by motor vehicle.

Lee was driving a pickup truck that crashed into a sport utility vehicle early on the morning of March 7 while he was out on $1 million bail for first-degree murder and 11 other counts. Those charges stemmed from a May 2017 shooting in Loves Park, Illinois.

The Atlantic School District’s Board of Education, Wednesday evening, unanimously approved Joe Brummer as Head Varsity Football Coach. Brummer succeeds Mike McDermott, who announced his resignation in January. Superintendent Steve Barber asked the Board to approve Brummer, based on the recommendations of Activities Director Andy Mitchell.

Joseph Brummer

Barber said they received 17 applications for the position, after Mitchell sent out advertisements highlighting the District’s new Athletic facilities and important demographics for applicants to consider. Barber said “Mr. Mitchell outlined the parameters, expectations and characteristics he was looking for in the next head football coach. He involved three different groups in the interview process.” Joe Brummer, Barber said,  “Rose above everybody else in that interview process.”

Brummer teaches 8th Grade Science for the Atlantic School District. He’s a graduate of the Harlan Community School District and Morningside College. Brummer was an assistant coach under McDermott.

Other contracts approved Wednesday evening included Tori Dolch as 4th Grade Teacher, replacing Mrs. Janet Hascall. The school board accepted the resignations of Ethan Pruisman, High School Vocal Music Teacher, and Heather Lundquist, Middle School Literacy Teacher & TLC Facilitator.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say inmates used hammers to attack prison staff members during a failed attempt to escape an Iowa prison, killing a nurse and correctional officer and severely injuring an inmate who intervened. The victims of the attack at the Anamosa State Penitentiary were identified as staff nurse Lorena Schulte, 50, of Cedar Rapids, and officer Robert McFarland, 46, of Ely.

Both had worked at the prison in the city of Anamosa in eastern Iowa for more than a decade. An investigator says each died of blunt force trauma to the back of the head when they were attacked with hammers during Tuesday’s attack. Inmates Michael Dutcher, 28, and Thomas Woodard, 39, face murder and kidnapping charges.

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Republicans are proposing a four MILLION dollar budget boost for the Iowa Department of Corrections, to hire more correctional officers. Senate Republican Leader Jack Whitver of Ankeny says Republican senators had settled on that increase before yesterday’s (Tuesday’s) attack by an inmate that killed a nurse and a prison guard.

“The incident in Anamosa is an unspeakable tragedy for Iowans and the two Iowa public servants that lost their life,” Whitver says. “Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to them and their families.” Whitver says he and his fellow Republicans in the Senate will work with the agency’s director to see if there are additional steps that should be taken, beyond more money to hire prison staff.

Whitver today (Wednesday) unveiled the overall spending plan Senate Republicans have drafted. It would be a nearly eight billion dollar state budget for the next fiscal year and includes about 100 MILLION dollars in new tax cuts. Whitver says it’s a starting point for negotiations with the governor and House Republicans.  “The sprint to the finish will start today with these budget targets coming out,” Whitver said.

There’s no agreement among legislators yet on one of Governor Kim Reynolds’ priorities — spending 150 million dollars in each of the next three years to expand broadband in Iowa. Whitver says the Senate G-O-P’s proposed budget is focused on ongoing state operations rather than one-time initiatives.

“We just wanted to keep broadband as a separate conversation that we’ll continue to work with the House and work with the governor to make a significant investment in broadband,” Whitver says, “and so this budget target should in no way reflect that we’re not going to make a significant investment into broadband.” Whitver indicated lawmakers could wrap up all their internal negotiations and conclude the 2021 legislative session in the next few weeks.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Supreme Court heard arguments today (Wednesday) in the appeal of the discrimination lawsuit verdict against former Governor Terry Branstad. The jury found Branstad pushed out Workers Compensation Commissioner Christopher Godfrey in violation of the Iowa Civil Rights Act because Godfrey was gay. The attorney for the state, Debra Hulett, says Branstad reduced Godfrey’s salary because of performance in the job and was in his right to do so.

“The Legislature didn’t prohibit a governor from reducing a political appointee’s salary within an authorized the governor’s salary establishing decision,” Hulett says. Hulett says there was no evidence that Branstad was not allowed to make the salary decision. “The plaintiff’s case at trial was focused on proving the governor’s rational wrong — as if there is a right or wrong answer to the governor’s salary establishing decisions,” Hulett says. Justice Appel asked, “Didn’t they attempt to show that it was based on sexual orientation. Hulett responded, “If you want to get to sexual orientation, there is no evidence in the record that the governor knew the plaintiff’s sexual orientation.”

Godfrey’s attorney, Roxanne Conlin, says the defense reading of the statute is too broad. “The governor of the state of Iowa could announce that all public officials — everybody that I appoint — is going to be a white male. There would be no legal remedy. That cannot be the law of the state of Iowa,” Conlin says. Conlin says Godfrey was in his position when Branstad was re-elected. “The governor did not lower his salary because of performance. The governor didn’t know a thing about his performance. All he knew is what some of his big contributors said about decisions that they lost,” according to Conlin “The governor lowered Chris Godfrey’s salary by one third in order to force him to bludgeon him, to make him leave.”

Justice Edward Mansfield asked Conlin — even if the governor was wrong about performance — isn’t it still his right to make the salary decision. “But counsel, doesn’t the salary act sort of set a collar on what the governor is permitted to do here? and didn’t he operate within that collar?” Mansfield says. “Yes he operated within that collar, but he operated for illegal reasons. He operated in violation of due process of law and in violation of the Civil Rights Act,” Conlin responded. Conlin also argued that Godfrey was operating in a quasi-judicial role that the governor should not be allowed to interfere with.

Hulett in her rebuttal, says the action was allowed by the law. “To establish retaliation under the Iowa Civil Rights Act, the plaintiff must establish that the decision-maker was motivated by the plaintiff’s protected activity under the Iowa Civil Rights Act,” Hulett says. “And here, the protected activity, in this case, occurred after the salary establishing decision was communicated to Commissioner Godfrey. That is when the plaintiff and his supporters objected to the decision and published his sexual orientation.”

She also disputed the quasi-judicial argument — saying Godfrey’s position was not different than many others who face salary decisions. “That is a policy-making role. That is not the role of a deputy commissioner or an administrative law judge presiding over a hearing, taking in facts, and considering the facts, and applying the law in a written decision. Final agency decisions are different,” Hulett says. Hulett says the decision on whether Branstad made the right decision on the salary is up to the voters and this case was an election issue and Branstad was elected again.

The jury awarded Godfrey one-point-five million dollars in the 2019 ruling.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Attorneys gave opening statements Wednesday in the attempted murder trial of two men accused of a violent home-invasion robbery that led to the fatal shooting of a third suspect by police. The Ottumwa Courier reports that Wapello County prosecutors told the jury they will hear evidence showing 35-year-old Michael Bibby and 26-year-old Dalton Cook were among three men who broke into an Ottumwa home on Aug. 3, 2018, shot and injured a man in front of the home and later engaged police in a shootout that killed alleged accomplice David Roy White of Fairfield. But defense attorneys for the men said the state’s case lacks crucial evidence to prove all the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

(Radio Iowa) – The amount of COVID-19 vaccine the state of Iowa is being sent is expected to rise next week by perhaps 25-thousand doses compared to the past two weeks, according to Governor Kim Reynolds. The allotment coming next week should hit 128-thousand doses, including 18-thousand doses of the one-shot Johnson-and-Johnson version. Reynolds says even more of the J-and-J vaccine should arrive in early April.

“With this news, I am pleased to say that we remain on target to open vaccination to all Iowans beginning Monday, April 5th,” she says. It will mean a much higher demand than supply and the governor is encouraging Iowans to be patient, adding, “soon there will be enough vaccine for everyone.”

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Police in Cedar Rapids are investigating the spray painting of a racial slur on the front of a vacant rental house as a hate crime. Police received a call about the vandalism Tuesday morning, eliciting an angry reaction from Police Chief Wayne Jerman, who told The Gazette he was “disgusted and furious that someone would do this.” Local police are working with the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office to see whether federal hate crime laws apply to the case.

The house has been a source of neighborhood complaints over the last year, with reports of everything from disturbances and car thefts to drive-by shootings at the home. Last year, the city declared the home a nuisance property.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, voted to extend for another 90 days, an Engineering Agreement with Union County. The two counties will continue to share the services of Adair County Engineer Nick Kauffman, while Union County looks to get their own Engineer in-place. Kauffman has been serving as the Adair-Union County Engineer since mid-September, 2020, following the resignation of Union County Engineer Zack Gunsolley at the end of August, 2020. The original agreement was set to have expired March 3^rd.

Kauffman said also, he has received driveway applications from MidAmerican Energy for a Solar Farm. The driveway/culvert for the proposed farm would be at southeast of Stuart, near the intersection of Walnut and 130^th Street.

Discussion was once again held with regard to Solar Farms in Adair County. Supervisor Steve Shelley said he wanted to specifically learn about any health benefits the farms might cause, and not any gripes about MidAmerican Energy or questions regarding a perceived conflict of interest he may have. He gave each person who wanted to speak, five minutes – in order to say on time for the next agenda item.

As with their meeting on March 9^th, the Board heard from Adair County residents Curt Beane and Tammy Baier on the matter of Solar Farms. Tammy Baier sent each board member a copy of the Madison County Ordinance on those devices, prior to their meeting. She said her main concern goes back to the days when the Wind Turbines were introduced to Adair County.

She said the Supervisors should know and understand the extent of the project, the size and what kind of project it is.

Tammy Baier said also, Adair County was one of the largest producers of cattle in Iowa. The foot imprint for solar, she said, takes up a lot of land, and will affect ag farm production in the county. She said Solar will take away a lot of jobs if it becomes expansive, like the turbines.

She said concluded by saying she doesn’t want Adair County to become “A dumping ground” for Solar, farms, and she questioned if the County residents would realize a decrease in energy costs, as well as a reduction in taxes. Baier also doesn’t want Solar farms to get tax abatements, like the turbines did. They should have to start paying taxes, she said, just like any other big business coming into the county.

No action was taken. In other business, the Board voted to re-open the Adair County Courthouse to the public April 5^th, with the caveat that each department may set it own rules with regard to COVID-19 safety. The Supervisors will continue to hold their meetings by telephone conference call, until further notice.