DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a woman stole about $40,000 from a Des Moines soccer club. Thirty-four-year-old Brandi Preul, of Carlisle, is charged with theft. Her attorney is Michael Culp, and he told The Des Moines Register that Preul will be pleading not guilty. She’s accused of stealing from the Greater Des Moines Over the Hill Soccer Club, which operates the Central Iowa Coed Soccer League. League commissioner Chris Beck says it has about 35 active teams and supports more than 500 players who play games around central Iowa.

Beck says Preul was the league’s commissioner earlier this year.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lottery officials say someone has won the record $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot. Mega Millions officials say a ticket purchased in South Carolina matches all six numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing. The massive jackpot is the world’s largest ever lottery grand prize. The winning numbers were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5. No details on where the winning ticket was sold were immediately available.
The jackpot has been growing since July, when a group of California office workers won $543 million. The lucky player overcame miserable odds. The chance of matching all six numbers and winning the top prize is 1 in 302.5 million. Mega Millions is played in 44 states as well as Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Police in Council Bluffs say a convenience store was robbed early this (Wednesday) morning. The incident happened at around 1:12-a.m., at the Kwik Shop located at 3632 Ave G. Police say a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with “Omaha” written on the back, a black mask, and light colored jeans, entered the store while brandishing a silver handgun. (See images below)

The suspect then left the store on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. He was described as being an Hispanic male between 20 and 30 years old, 5’06” tall, 250 pounds. The Council Bluffs Police Department is asking anyone with information to please call the Criminal Investigation Division at (712) 328-4728 or Crime Stoppers at (712)328-7867.

Kwik Shop robbery suspect (Still frame from surveillance video)

(Radio Iowa) — Three candidates are listed on the November ballot for the statewide post that will oversee elections for the next four years. Current Secretary of State Paul Pate is seeking reelection. Pate, a Republican, served as secretary of state for one term in the 1990s, then won another term in the office four years ago. Pate is emphasizing his role in shaping the new state law that requires new measures to verify the identity of voters. “You left your home, you locked your door at your house. You didn’t lock it because there’s a rash of burglaries in your neighborhood. You locked it because you valued the things inside that home,” Pate says. “and voting is one of
those things that we value.”

Deidre DeJear is the Democratic candidate for secretary of state. DeJear says Pate’s office hasn’t done enough to explain the “soft roll out” of the new law and it risks disenfranchising qualified voters. “I want to be the one that’s a champion for people’s voices and a champion for people’s votes and ensuring we’re getting as many eligible voters out there participating in the process,” DeJear says. DeJear was a voter outreach coordinator for President Obama’s 2012 Iowa campaign. She’s now a consultant to small businesses and non-profits. This is her first run for elected office. If DeJear wins this race, she would be the first black Iowan elected to statewide office.

The Libertarian Party’s nominee for Secretary of State is Jules Ofenbakh, an attorney from West Des Moines who’s a native of Russia. “The fact that Iowans have their constitutional right impeded upon by a voter ID is appalling to me,” she said at the State Fair. Ofenbakh’s family came to the United States 26 years ago as visitors and sought political asylum. She became an American citizen 16 years later.

The election is just 13 days away.

(Radio Iowa) — U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan has campaigned this week with two of the three Iowa Republican congressmen seeking reelection this year. Ryan toured a West Des Moines plant with Republican Congressman David Young Tuesday morning, then spoke briefly to plant employees in their break-room.”The reason we’re here is we want to see if the policies that David and I have been working on in congress are working or not,” Ryan said, “and it’s spectacular to see that you’ve added 44 jobs in just the last year.”

The company — eye-2-tech (i2-tech) — melts plastic pellets into parts that other manufacturers use to make things like John Deere tractors or Kawasaki motorcycles. Young says new expensing rules in the federal tax code provided certainty and prompted the company to buy new equipment. “I was here three years ago. There wasn’t as much activity out there on the floor, not as many employees, and to see what’s happening today — it’s just like it’s a brand new business,” Young says. “There’s such a great economic renaissance going on all throughout the country and here in the third district especially.”

The House speaker did a private event Monday with Iowa’s FIRST district congressman, Republican Rod Blum. Monday morning, Ryan delivered this argument for re-electing Iowa’s THIRD district congressman:  “David Young has worked his tail off in congress for his constituents here in Iowa,” Ryan said. “David Young is an impact player who has done so much work on water issues, one on the things that has been a big issue, on agriculture issues, but on economic growth, on tax reform.”

Reporters were allowed to observe the tour and listen to Ryan and Young speak to employees, but questions from the media were not permitted. Later, Ryan did interviews with two Des Moines T-V stations. Cindy Axne, the Democrat who’s challenging Young’s bid for a third term in the U.S. House, is releasing a list of campaign finance reforms she’d vote for in congress.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — It isn’t immediately clear whether there’s at least one winning ticket in the $1.6 billion Mega Millions lottery jackpot. The numbers drawn Tuesday night are 5, 28, 62, 65, 70 and Mega Ball 5. The estimated jackpot is the largest lottery prize ever. It’s been growing since July, when a group of California office workers won $543 million.

ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa authorities say a body pulled from the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River last week has been identified as that of missing boater. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources said in a written statement Tuesday that the body is that of 56-year-old John Roe, of Burlington, Wisconsin. An autopsy conducted at the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s office in Ankeny shows Roe drowned.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa real estate regulator is leaving her post weeks after an investigation ordered by Gov. Kim Reynolds faulted her for failing to report sexual misconduct by her powerful boss. The Iowa Finance Authority says Iowa Title Guaranty Director Tara Lawrence will leave the agency on Nov. 2. A press release says Lawrence “has played a critical role in the development and success of the organization” during her six years as an employee, including the last three as a director.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is betting that his ubiquitous role in the midterm elections _ all Trump, all the time _ will pay off for Republicans trying to hang onto their perilous majorities in Congress. Trump’s campaign says it will spend more than $20 million on the November elections, including $6 million in national TV and digital ads beginning Oct. 29, and the president will be holding at least 10 more of his signature rallies.

The Harlan Police Department has released a report on arrests that occurred over the past few days. On Tuesday (10/23), 62-year old Gary Lyn McCoy, of Harlan was arrested following a call for a disturbance in the 600 block of Cyclone Avenue.  McCoy was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and public intoxication. McCoy had previously been arrested last Saturday, on an active Shelby County warrant.

31-year old Mark Allen Kent, of Omaha, NE, was arrested Tuesday, on an active Shelby County warrant.  Kent was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with Theft 2^nd degree.

Last Friday, 48-year old Nyakaka Deng Joka, of Denison, was arrested on an active Crawford County warrant following a traffic stop in the 1000 block of Highway 59.  Joka was transported to the Shelby/Crawford County line and turned over to a Crawford County deputy.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A group of New Jersey construction workers noticed that the sixth member of their lottery pool had abruptly left work. Turns out, he had a lottery ticket worth $38.5 million and claimed he bought the winning ticket separately with his own money. With the record Mega Millions jackpot now at a record $1.6 billion, it may seem like perfect sense to pool money with co-workers or friends to increase the chance of winning a giant payday. But “with this many zeros attached to it, it is a recipe for disaster,” said Rubin Sinins, the attorney for the five jilted construction workers in that 2009 case.

Sinins said such plans can turn into a protracted legal fight, hard feelings and court orders — like in the case of his clients, who eventually won a jury verdict and split the lottery winnings . But if you do venture down that road, he and other experts have some advice: draw up an agreement. “Document precisely who is part of the lottery pool so that there’s no misunderstanding later,” he said.

Other attorneys and lottery officials agree, though they acknowledge it can seem silly to draw up agreements and copy ticket stubs given the dismal odds of actually winning . The odds for Tuesday night’s Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302.5 million, while there’s a slightly better chance — 1 in 292.2 million — of winning the $620 million Powerball prize Wednesday night.

If there’s no winner tonight (Tuesday night), lottery officials said the estimated jackpot would jump again for Friday night’s drawing, to $2 billion. Mary Neubauer, a spokeswoman for the Iowa Lottery, said the key is to put a few rules into writing. That includes details about how any prize would be divvied up, members of the group, and what should happen if a regular player is away and didn’t chip in for a specific drawing.

And always make copies of group tickets — including identifying numbers on the back of tickets — before the drawing so everyone is aware of the potential winnings numbers. “You’re thinking about a best case scenario of winning, but you’re taking precautions about a worst case of fighting over the winnings,” Neubauer said.

The Missouri Lottery recommends people also have a plan for notifying group members if they win, figuring out who would be the group spokesperson and maybe even decide what outsider would serve as financial planner. Despite its importance, it’s understandable that such planning can seem unnecessary, acknowledged Christopher Burns, a tax and estate attorney in Minneapolis.

“Laying the groundwork is important, but most people would not bother to fully lay the groundwork because the odds are so small,” Burns said. “People aren’t going to typically expend the time or the effort to have anything in writing or take other steps because the odds are so remote.” Jennifer Volpert is among those going with the pool idea, but noted she and her co-workers in the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration would be prepared if they won the record jackpot .

Volpert bought seven Mega Millions tickets during her lunchtime Tuesday at a Little Rock convenience store. She planned to draw up a contract and have everyone sign when she returned, specifying the prize would be split seven ways. “We all said we’d turn in our resignation at the same time,” she said, laughing.

About 20 people at Todd Murphy’s media monitoring company in Omaha, Nebraska, also formed an office pool to buy Mega Millions tickets, but first they had to sign a contract that included a stipulation: “If we win, you’ll work 60 days after winning so we can replace you.” Murphy, the company’s CEO, said no one objected.

Of course, group lottery purchases aren’t for everyone. Mark Maddy, who works in a machine shop in Champlain, New York, said the nine people who work at the company love betting: “We’ll bet on anything,” he said, “even the first snow flake.” But not lottery jackpots. “We’re all too greedy,” Maddy said. “We buy our own tickets.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa real estate regulator said Tuesday she will step down weeks after an investigation ordered by Gov. Kim Reynolds faulted her for failing to report sexual misconduct by her powerful boss. Iowa Title Guaranty Director Tara Lawrence will resign Nov. 2 after six years with the program, including serving as director since 2015, the Iowa Finance Authority announced.

The authority said in a press release that Lawrence “has played a critical role in the development and success of the organization,” which sells title insurance to property owners and lenders. The statement thanked Lawrence for her service and wished her well in future endeavors. It made no mention of a report released last month that faulted Lawrence and agency lobbyist Wes Peterson for failing to report “egregious” sexual harassment that they witnessed by former authority director Dave Jamison.

Lawrence had taken issue with the report in meetings with state officials, saying it unfairly painted her as an enabler of Jamison when she was actually another one of his victims. In an interview Tuesday, she said the decided to resign after learning that Reynolds’ administration will not make any changes to the report or public statements exonerating her.

“It’s hard to work for an organization that treats its staff that way,” she said. “Because of the report and the conditions that have come about at work after the report, it’s impossible to continue working there.” Lawrence said she was saddened to leave and that she was unsure whether she would pursue legal action against the state.

The report said Jamison grabbed a colleague’s breasts at a bar in December 2016 in front of them during a work trip to northwest Iowa and they kept the incident quiet. A witness told investigators that Lawrence was drinking so heavily that night that she had trouble walking. Lawrence and Peterson were also aware of other inappropriate sexual comments and actions by Jamison, including that he showed a pornographic video on his phone to the groping victim during another trip, the report said. The two remained a part of Jamison’s inner circle, traveling and socializing with him at bars.

Peterson’s lawyer has said that his client was fired last month over the report’s findings, which he said contained unspecified inaccuracies. Lawrence, 34, said in an interview last month that the report gave an unfair portrayal of her role as well but that she was expecting to keep her job, which paid $122,000 last year and is responsible for managing 20 employees.

Iowa Finance Authority interim director Carolann Jensen appointed Lawrence’s deputy, Matt Rousseau, to serve as the program’s interim director. Reynolds ordered the independent investigation by the Weinhardt Law Firm in Des Moines amid questions about her handling of allegations against Jamison, who had been a close friend and colleague for 20 years. She terminated Jamison in March the day after two women contacted her staff to complain about his long-running sexual harassment.

The report found that employees may have not come forward sooner because Jamison bragged about his close relationship with Reynolds, which included giving input on her major speeches and frequently promising to go directly to Reynolds to get priorities accomplished. Lawrence had said that she didn’t report Jamison’s misconduct because she feared retaliation if she complained and that she had been sexually harassed by him, too. She told The Associated Press that Jamison showed her photographs of nude women, commented on her body and quizzed her about her sex life during meetings and work trips.

Lawrence said she didn’t cooperate with the investigation because she didn’t want to detail her harassment and wanted to protect her family and the agency from embarrassment. She said she was ashamed she drank too much on the night of the 2016 groping incident. Independent investigator Mark Weinhardt said he told Lawrence when they met for a voluntary interview that she could share details of any harassment confidentially, but that he also wanted to ask her about Jamison’s behavior toward the two complainants. Weinhardt said Lawrence declined to speak about any topic, saying she “anticipated litigation.”

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of two people from Creston on Tuesday morning following a traffic stop. The stop was conducted at 10:20am on a blue Jeep at the intersection of Highway 34 and Avenue of Industries. During the stop K9 Tracer was deployed and gave a positive response to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle. A marijuana pipe with marijuana inside of it was found in the vehicle. Deputies then arrested 56-year-old Julie Petro and 37-year-old Danny Petro of Creston for Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Their bond was set at $1,300.