ADEL, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa man has pleaded guilty to four charges related to the starvation death of his 16-year-old adopted daughter. The Des Moines Register reported 43-year-old Marc Ray pleaded guilty Friday to child endangerment resulting in death and three counts of third-degree kidnapping. The kidnapping charges were for the three children in his care whom he illegally confined in their Perry home.

Ray reached the deal with prosecutors. He’d previously been charged with first-degree murder and other offenses. The charges stem from the May 2017 death of Sabrina Ray, who weighed only 56 pounds when she died. A trial for Ray’s wife, 40-year-old Misty Bousman-Ray, is scheduled for Feb. 4 in Sioux City. The trial was moved to Woodbury County because of pretrial publicity.

The Ringgold County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest Saturday evening, of 42-year old James Teague, Jr., of Benton. Teague was arrested at his home on a Dallas County warrant for two counts of Sexual Abuse in the 2nd degree/Forcible Rape – a Class B felony. He was being held without bond  in the Dallas County Jail.

James Teague, Jr. (Dallas County S/O photo)

Additional details concerning his arrest were not released.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota-based poultry producer is recalling more than 164,000 pounds of raw ground turkey products that may be contaminated with salmonella. The Jennie-O Turkey Store products have markings saying to use or freeze by Nov. 12 or 13. The recall includes plain ground turkey and turkey with taco or Italian seasonings. The products were shipped to 17 states, including Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin.

Food safety officials are worried that some contaminated turkey may be in people’s freezers. The recalled products have the tag P-579 marked on the lower left corner of the front of the package .
The USDA says the recall was part of an investigation into a November salmonella outbreak that involved 216 patients in 38 states.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — School districts throughout the U.S. are struggling to find school bus drivers, a challenge that has worsened with low unemployment and a strong economy. The problem has become so severe that some districts are offering sign-up bonuses for new drivers, while others rely on mechanics, custodians and other school employees to fill the gap. For parents and students, the shortage can mean longer waits for a ride to school and more crowded buses.

The shortage stems from a variety of factors, including limited work hours and high barriers to entry. Drivers generally need a commercial driver’s license, which requires training, sometimes without pay, said Mike Martin, executive director of the National Association of Pupil Transportation. “Unless you have something to fill in the gaps (between drives), you can’t make the money you need to support your family,” Martin said. “These days, most people are looking for some kind of regular, full-time hours.”  He said also, many districts require split morning and afternoon shifts for their drivers, which some consider a hassle. Keeping an eye on noisy children while facing away from them can be difficult as well.

In Iowa’s Southeast Polk Community School District, transportation director Daniel Schultz said the persistent shortage has grown worse in the suburban Des Moines district because there aren’t as many retired farmers, a group that commonly took the job for extra income. Now, the district relies on 51 drivers — mostly retirees and stay-at-home parents — to transport roughly 3,400 students to and from school each day. Even with administrators and bus mechanics filling in, the shortage has also resulted in fewer routes, more children waiting at each stop, and crowded buses. The district needs to hire six to eight more drivers, according to Schultz.

Pay starts at $19.10 an hour, followed by a $2-an-hour raise after six months, Schultz said, but the district struggles to fill open jobs. Schultz said he’s now considering a “monthly rodeo” where potential drivers could test-drive a bus in a school parking lot.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa inmate convicted of killing his infant daughter in 2010 has died in an apparent suicide. The Iowa Department of Corrections says 28-year-old Ryan Nicholas Trowbridge was pronounced dead Saturday afternoon at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinic. Officials didn’t provide specifics about Trowbridge’s death but say an autopsy is planned and the Department of Corrections will investigate the death.

Trowbridge was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder after the 2010 death of his 4-month-old daughter, Rylee. Trowbridge told authorities he put his daughter on a bed for a nap in a home in Ankeny and then discovered her trapped between the headboard and mattress. Prosecutors say her injuries were consistent with being grabbed and shaken.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A developer wants to convert a fire-damaged former school in Dubuque into apartments. The Telegraph Herald reports a Kansas City area developer is seeking tax credits from the Iowa Finance Authority to convert the former Holy Ghost school and a nearby convent into apartments.

Brian Sweeny, development director for the Cohen-Esrey Development Group, says the plan to convert the buildings into 28 residential units would cost about $6.5 million. The developer plans one- and two-bedroom units.

Five of the units would be market-rate and the others would be restricted to tenants earing 30 percent to 60 percent of the median income. A September fire damaged the former school but Sweeney says the structure remains sound.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a man driving a stolen car has died after crashing on the city’s southside. Police say an officer tried to stop a stolen car at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday but the vehicle sped away. The officers lost sight of the car but a short time later police received a report of a crash.

The driver was identified as 24-year-old Henry D. Dameron, of Des Moines. He was taken to a hospital, where he died. Dameron was the only person in the car.

Two women were injured during a rollover accident Sunday morning on Interstate 80 in Adair County. According to dispatch reports, the accident happened at around 9:05-a.m. on I-80 westbound, at the 89.2 mile marker, or about one-mile east of the Menlo exit. One of the women suffered from neck pain, the other from a cut or abrasion. None of the injuries were described as serious.

Additional information was not available.

A traffic stop early this (Sunday) morning in Fremont County resulted in the arrest of a man from Nebraska. Fremont County Sheriff’s Officials say 44-year old Jose Garcia, of Omaha, was taken into custody for OWI/2nd offense, Child Endangerment and Open Container. His arrest stems from a call to the Sheriff’s Office about a possible intoxicated driver traveling northbound on Interstate 29 near the Iowa/Missouri line. Deputies observed the vehicle driving erratically near the intersection of Highway 2 and Interstate 29 in Percival, Iowa. Garcia’s Blood Alcohol Content measured .110, which is over the legal limit of .08.

It was also determined that there was a 5-year-old passenger in the vehicle at the time of the offense. Garcia was transported to the Fremont County Jail, where he was being held without bond, pending initial appearance with the magistrate.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 5:35 a.m. CST

CRYSTAL LAKE, Iowa (AP) — A 100-turbine wind energy center in northern Iowa is getting an upgrade. The Globe Gazette in Mason City reports that NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, briefed the Hancock County Board of Supervisors about the project on Monday. Company officials say the project will generate more renewable energy over an extended period, which also extends the period they’ll generate payments to landowners and tax benefits.

TAMA, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa inmate who walked away from his job outside of the prison has been captured. The Iowa Department of Corrections says Michael Eugene Field was placed on escape status from the Newton Correctional Release Center after he allegedly absconded from his job at Quantum Plastics in Victor on Wednesday night. The 49-year-old was serving time for eluding, operating a vehicle without consent and operating while under the influence.

DENISON, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa town has hired a Des Moines law firm for an investigation related to three top city employees who were put on administrative leave. The Sioux City Journal reports that the Denison City Council voted 4-1 on Friday to approve the contract. Mayor Jared Beymer has declined to disclose the reasons for placing City Manager Terry Crawford, City Clerk Lisa Koch and Fire Chief Cory Snowgren on leave Tuesday. He also declined to say what the law firm will be investigating.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A new state report shows that Iowa-produced craft beers continue to surge in popularity. The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald reports that the amount of such beer sold in Iowa increased 11 percent from fiscal year 2017 to 2018, to nearly 685,000 gallons. The new numbers were released this week by the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. The market has seen strong growth for the second consecutive year.