LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it couldn’t wait for spring floods to recede before starting to dredge the Mississippi River because of the volume of sand that needs to be removed. Dan Cottrell is the Corps dredging manager for the St. Paul district, which stretches from Minnesota’s capital city to Guttenberg, Iowa. He told the La Crosse Tribune that the Corps starting dredging April 29.

He says the Corps has dredged 160,000 of the 1.1 million cubic yards of sediment that must be removed from his district. Cottrell says the Corps usually dredges about 980,000 cubic yards of sediment from April to November. Paul Machajewski, the district’s dredge material manager, says $29 million has been allocated for the operation to keep the river clear for navigation.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Police in several Iowa cities will hold events in the coming days to build connections with the communities they patrol. Police in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Marshalltown will hold “Coffee with a Cop” events, which allow the public to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know police officers.

In Iowa City, officers will sit down with residents at a booth during the Iowa City Pride Festival this Saturday. Free iced coffee will be provided by Java House. In Cedar Rapids, police will hold an event Wednesday morning at a Hy-Vee grocery. In Marshalltown, the sit-down will be June 22 at Tannin.

“Coffee with a Cop” was launched in California in 2011 as a way to establish friendly, informal contact and establish trust between police officers and residents.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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An accident Thursday afternoon in Fremont County resulted in three people, all from Columbia, Missouri, being transported to the hospital The Iowa State Patrol said Friday, 59-year-old Leo Holden was traveling north on Highway 275 in a 2006 Pontiac G6, when for unknown reasons, the car left the roadway to the right. When Holden over-corrected, the vehicle entered the east ditch and rolled once, coming to rest on its top. The accident took place at around 4:40-p.m., north of Sidney.

Authorities say Holden suffered undisclosed injuries, and was transported by Tabor Rescue to Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. Two passengers in his vehicle suffered serious injuries, and were also taken to Nebraska Medicine: 52-year-old Angelic Holden and 53-year-old Kimberly Overton. The Patrol says Angelic Holden was completely ejected from the car through the roof.

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Tabor Rescue, Sidney Fire and Rescue, LifeNet out of Clarinda, and numerous other first responders all responded to the scene.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) — The Grand Falls and Lakeside casinos each agreed to fines for gambling violations Thursday at the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission meeting. Commission administrator, Brian Ohorilko, says the violation was discovered at Grand Falls in Larchwood when a minor was stopped from entering the gambling floor.

“As part of that process the minor had indicated that he had been on the floor previously,” Ohorilko says. “Grand Falls conducted a review of their surveillance coverage and did confirm that that minor had made his way onto the floor in the early morning hours, was on the floor 70 minutes, gambled.” Ohorilko says the male minor was not challenged by security in the first visit.

“It was noted that Grand Falls did self-report the violation — however because of the nature of what had occurred — it would call for an administrative penalty. And Grand Falls agreed to pay the penalty in the amount of 20-thousand dollars,” according to Ohorilko. He says this is the second violation by Grand Falls in the last 365 days — which is why the penalty was 20-thousand. A third violation in the same time period would result in a 30-thousand dollar fine.

The penalty for the Lakeside Casino in Osceola resulted from a violation of the rules for gamblers who have banned themselves from casinos. “There was an individual who was on the statewide self-excluded list. That patron had contacted Lakeside and informed them they were receiving promotional mailings. If someone is on that statewide self-exclusion list, they are not permitted to receive marketing material,” Ohorilko explains.

He says the investigation by the casino determined this was not a single incident. “They also confirmed that there was a specific email that went out and 36 other individuals received promotional mailings,” he says. Ohorilko says the improper mailings came from a promotions company hired by the parent company of Lakeside. “Part of that process, the screening mechanism was not working correctly,” Ohorilko says. “So the situation has been rectified. Commission staff is comfortable at lest that this will not occur again.”

It was the first violation by Lakeside in the last 365 days and the casino was fined five-thousand dollars.

Red Oak Police report a Union County man was arrested Friday evening on a Pottawattamie County warrant. 32-year old Sean Patrick Bagby, of Creston, was arrested following a traffic stop at around 6:45-p.m., on a warrant for Violation of a No Contact/Protective Order. Bagby was taken into custody with the assistance of Montgomery County Sheriff’s deputies, and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where he was being held without bond.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad testified in a civil trial that he didn’t try to pressure a state official to quit in 2010 because he is gay. Branstad, now the U.S. ambassador to China, testified Friday in a civil trial in which he’s accused of discrimination against former Iowa Worker’s Compensation Commissioner Chris Godfrey. After being elected governor in 2010, Branstad sought Godfrey’s resignation. Godfrey sued in 2012, saying he was a victim of discrimination and retaliation.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — A homeless man charged in the killing of a former Iowa State University golfer has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. The Des Moines Register reports that 22-year-old Collin Richards entered the plea during a hearing Friday. Police say Richards fatally stabbed 22-year-old Celia Barquín Arozamena last September while she was playing a round at a public course in Ames, near the university campus, and leaving her body in a pond on the course.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man convicted of a slew of armed bank robberies in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors for Nebraska say 26-year-old Tyree Carney was sentenced Friday in Omaha’s federal courthouse. Carney also was ordered to pay nearly $193,000 in restitution to the banks. Carney had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and several counts of brandishing a gun during the spate of crimes between September 2016 and June 2017.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Officials in eastern Iowa say a 19-year-old man is behind bars after leading police on a chase and crashing into another vehicle, killing the driver. The Quad-City Times reports that Angel Domingo Ochoa, of Davenport, has been charged with vehicular homicide while driving recklessly and other counts. Police say an officer tried to stop Ochoa’s car Thursday and a chase ensued. Investigators say Ochoa was speeding and running red lights before hitting a car, killing 48-year-old Lori Ann Letts.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An Omaha man convicted of a slew of armed bank robberies in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.

Federal prosecutors for Nebraska say 26-year-old Tyree Carney was sentenced Friday in Omaha’s federal courthouse. Carney also was ordered to pay nearly $193,000 in restitution to the banks. Carney had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit robbery and several counts of brandishing a gun during the spate of crimes between September 2016 and June 2017.

Prosecutors say Carney and another person robbed banks at gunpoint in the eastern Nebraska towns of Springfield and Murray, as well as banks in the western Iowa cities of Crescent and Underwood. Police say Carney tried to rob a bank in Bellevue, Nebraska, but was unsuccessful in getting any money there. Investigators say Carney and an accomplice also carjacked vehicles in Omaha to use as getaway cars in the robberies.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — A homeless man charged in the killing of a former Iowa State University golfer has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. The Des Moines Register reports that 22-year-old Collin Richards entered the plea during a hearing Friday. He faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison when he’s sentenced Aug. 23. Richards had previously pleaded not guilty to the charge and was set to stand trial in September.

Police say Richards fatally stabbed 22-year-old Celia Barquín Arozamena last September while she was playing a round at a public course in Ames, near the university campus, and leaving her body in a pond on the course. Investigators say Richards he had been staying in a small homeless encampment in the woods near the public course.

Barquín Arozamena was a top golfer in Spain as a teenager and came to Iowa State to pursue her career.