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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that allows Iowa farmers to legally grow industrial hemp. The Iowa Hemp Act passed the Legislature with overwhelming support last month. The bill Reynolds signed Monday allows licensed growers to cultivate the crop on up to 40 acres. First, however, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship must develop a plan and submit it for approval of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The USDA must still release its own regulations this fall.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that establishes a legal way to bet on professional, collegiate and international sporting events. It also legalizes fantasy sports contests and internet fantasy sports betting, but delays betting based on college sporting event statistics until May 2020. Betting is expected to begin as early as this summer.

KNOXVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an 11-year-old Iowa boy whose bedroom was covered in plastic sheeting told an investigator that he hadn’t been outside in several months. His parents have been charged with kidnapping, child endangerment and neglect. Marion County court records say 49-year-old Rocky Wooldridge and 43-year-old Jennifer Wooldridge, of Knoxville, are scheduled for arraignment June 6. The records don’t list an attorney.

INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) — A group is trying to raise money to repair the roof of a historic one-room schoolhouse near Indianola and prevent damage to documents inside the building. The Des Moines Register reports a nonprofit group that manages the Hoosier Row schoolhouse is trying to raise $7,000 to replace the roof after storm damage this past winter. Group secretary Genie Hansen says the 119-year-old building is filled with maps, slate chalk boards and other items. It’s the last one-room schoolhouse in Warren County.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — China’s announcement Monday of higher tariffs on $60 billion of American exports — retaliation for President Donald Trump’s latest penalties on Chinese goods — hit particularly hard in the farm belt. China’s vast consumer market has been a vital source of revenue for American farmers.

Since December, when U.S. and China negotiators called a truce to tariffs and began signaling that an agreement might be reached, soybean farmers had been holding out hope that sales to China would resume, said Todd Hultman, an Omaha-based grain market analyst with agriculture market data provider DTN. In the meantime, the farmers had been storing a record stockpile of nearly 1 billion bushels.

The latest news of a new round of tariffs, with no agreement in sight, spooked the financial markets and some farmers who had been tentatively optimistic. In a statement Monday, the American Soybean Association reacted with frustration edged with anxiety. “The sentiment out in farm country is getting grimmer by the day,” said John Heisdorffer, a soybean farmer in Keota, Iowa, who is chairman of the ASA. “Our patience is waning, our finances are suffering and the stress from months of living with the consequences of these tariffs is mounting.”

A slowdown in soybean sales, and the huge stockpiles that result, has a ripple effect. Farmers in many parts of the corn belt have suffered from a wet and cooler spring, which has prevented them from planting corn. Typically when it becomes too late to plant corn, farmers will instead plant soybeans, which can grow later into the fall before harvest is required. Yet now, planting soybeans with the overabundance already in bins and scant hope for sales to one of the biggest buyers in China, could raise the risk of a financial disaster. “This is the fifth year of low prices, basically, for crops,” Hultman said. “I think time is just wearing us out.”

To Brent Gloy of Grant, Nebraska, many farmers like him appear to be facing only bleak alternatives for planting. On Monday, Trump told reporters that a new program to relieve U.S. farmers’ pain is being devised and predicted that they will be “very happy.” The administration last year handed farmers aid worth $11 billion to offset losses from trade conflicts.

Trump seemed to suggest that the aid will make up for, or partially cover, the $15 billion that he said represented “the biggest purchase that China has ever made with our farmers.” In fact, U.S. farm exports to China approached $26 billion in both 2012 and 2013 and equaled $19.5 billion in 2017 — before his trade war began taking a toll on agricultural sales to China.

Gloy, an agriculture economist and a partner in the online research website Agriculture Economic Insights, said he fears there may be no end in sight to the Trump administration’s trade dispute with China. And he noted that most crops that farmers could plant aren’t profitable right now. He said worries that the entire agriculture sector could face severe trouble if the dispute lasts indefinitely.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that establishes a legal way to bet on professional, collegiate and international sporting events. It also legalizes fantasy sports contests and internet fantasy sports betting but delays betting based on college sporting event statistics until May 2020.

The new law excludes betting on some events, including minor leagues and in-state college team players. Sports betting is limited to those 21 and older.

Reynolds, a Republican, has declined to suggest whether she supported the expansion of gambling in Iowa. She signed the bill on Monday. The law gives the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission regulatory authority over sports betting. The commission regulates the 19 state-licensed casinos in Iowa and its administrator, Brian Ohorilko, has said most of the state’s casinos are expected to set aside onsite space for betting.

The casinos also will contract with online and mobile application vendors to set up bets electronically. The commission has been developing rules that will determine how sports betting will work at the casinos, online and through a mobile application. Betting is expected to begin as early as this summer.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a bill into law that allows Iowa farmers to legally grow industrial hemp. The Iowa Hemp Act passed the Legislature with overwhelming support last month.

The bill Reynolds signed Monday allows licensed growers to cultivate the crop on up to 40 acres. First, however, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship must develop a plan and submit it for approval of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA must still release its own regulations this fall, with hopes of allowing farmers to grow hemp next year. Since the 2018 Farm Bill eased federal restrictions on hemp production, most states have either legalized production or are growing it under a 2014 law that allows limited commercial production or research plots.

Among those that haven’t is South Dakota, where the governor vetoed such a law last month.

The Cass County Health System Foundation recently awarded the Louie and Elsie Hansen Scholarships, which provide $5,000 to each student for the upcoming academic year. The 2019 recipients are:

·       Emily Beerman, Clarkson College

·       Madison Helvie, Des Moines Area Community College

·       Morgan Anstey, Iowa Western Community College

·       Tatum Heath, Morningside College

Dave Chase, CCHS Foundation Treasurer, said “We usually award two scholarships every year, but this is the second time the board has awarded four scholarships. We had a number of great applications this year. We’re very happy to be able to help these four exemplary students in their pursuit of a healthcare degree.”

The Louie and Elsie Hansen Scholarship was established through the generosity and careful planning of these two life-long Cass County residents. The Hansens believed in higher education, so much so that over 70% of their estate was bequeathed for that purpose, including a gift to the CCHS Foundation.

Under the supervision and guidance of the CCHS Foundation, scholarship opportunities are provided yearly. As per the Hansens’ wishes, scholarship candidates must have graduated from a Cass County high school and be enrolled in and accepted to an accredited nursing or medical doctor school pursing a degree as LPN, RN or MD.

The Hansens lived and farmed in the Marne area until they retired and became residents of Atlantic. Louie was a Cass County Supervisor and served on the county Agricultural Soil Conservation Committee. He is often remembered as a great story teller. Louie and Else are also remembered for their many collections. The Hansens were avid travelers, enjoying vacations throughout Europe and Hawaii. Being of Danish ancestry, their visits to Denmark allowed them the chance to discover relatives, traditions and special locations of their families’ past.

Deputies with the Mills County Sheriff’s Office engaged in the pursuit of a vehicle early Sunday morning, following an attempted traffic stop. The Mills County K9 Unit tried to stop a vehicle near 4th and Washington Streets at around 1:06-a.m., but the vehicle failed to stop and attempted to elude law enforcement for about 35 minutes, at speeds of up to 120-mph.

During the pursuit, law enforcement was able to successfully deploy multiple sets of “Stop sticks,” causing the vehicle to become disabled. The driver, 29-year old Christopher McDaniel, of Pacific Junction, and his passenger, 27-year old Shialea Cozad, of Council Bluffs, were arrested without further incident on multiple charges. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Glenwood Police, the Iowa State Patrol, Pottawattamie and Fremont County Sheriff’s Deputies.

And, at around 10:25-p.m. Sunday, the Mills County K9 Unit was called to assist with a suspicious vehicle in Pacific Junction. Upon investigation and a search of the vehicle, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were located. The driver, 55-year old Elden German, of Pacific Junction, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and OWI/1st offense. He was transported to the Mills County Jail without incident.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports 27-year old Matthew Whitt, of Shenandoah, was arrested at around 10:35-a.m. today (Monday), on a Fremont County warrant for Violation of Probation. Whitt was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $10,000 bond while awaiting extradition to Fremont County. At the same time Whitt was arrested, 23-year old Paige Clark, of Red Oak, was taken into custody for Possession of Drug equipment.

She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond. Both arrests took place at 310 Park Avenue, in Red Oak.

Police in Council Bluffs, today, identified the person riding  a bicycle who was struck by a vehicle on Old Lincoln Highway near Northline Drive, early Saturday morning. He was identified as 55-year old William Shepard, of Council Bluffs. The accident happened sometime around 2:25-a.m. Saturday. Upon arrival, deputies found Shepard suffering from serious injuries.  The vehicle that struck him had left the area.  Shepard was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Later in the day, Saturday, a subject voluntarily contacted the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office and advised they had information about the bicyclist being struck.  When the subject was contacted, they admitted to being in the area and hitting something.  Their vehicle was seized as evidence.  There was damage to the vehicle.  The driver’s name will not be released unless charges are filed.

The case remains under investigation.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — School officials in Ottumwa say they’ll change how they raise money for student trips to abide by state guidelines even though the move could threaten a program that has helped thousands of children to travel around the country. Iowa Department of Education guidelines indicate the Ottumwa Educational Travel Program, which has operated since 1976, is no longer permitted to keep individual accounts for students.

The Des Moines Register reports that Evans Middle School travel program director Larry Northup says any funds raised by students moving forward will be shared and split evenly among the group. That includes the $14,500 that is currently in the students’ separate accounts. The district intends to start pooling the funds beginning next school year.

Northup noted that parents are unhappy with the rule change.

(*Updated 9-p.m. 5/13) — A public hearing will be held Wednesday in Atlantic, with regard to the Plans, Specifications & form of contract for an addition to the City of Atlantic’s Street Department Building. City Administrator John Lund has said $100,000 was set aside for the proposed project. He said funds for construction of the addition are coming from the Road Use Tax Fund, not property taxes or the Debt Fund. The hearing is part of the regular Atlantic City Council meeting at City Hall, that begins at 5:30-p.m.

During a Council meeting April 17th, Councilman Chris Jimerson asked Snyder and Associates Engineer Dave Sturm where the $100,000 figure came from, and if there were ways to reduce the costs. Jimerson said he looked at the Street Department facilities and asked what would be saved by remodeling the one stall employee restroom and knock-off 10-feet of the proposed addition dimensions. Sturm said the new bathroom would be ADA compliant, but wasn’t able to immediately furnish a cost breakdown. Right now, they have a bench to sit on in front of the building as a break area. Mayor Dave Jones they need the room and not just a plywood table and bench.

Following the Public Hearing, the Council will act on a Resolution approving the Plans, Specs and Form of Contract for the addition. They’ll also review construction bids for the project and award a contract for the project. Administrator Lund is recommending the Council accept the Lowest Bid. In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on an Order to Authorize the Sale of, and Solicit of bids for, the Atlantic Senior Center, with a minimum bid of $40,000, and a bid submission deadline of 4:30-p.m., May 30th. During an earlier meeting in April, the Council rejected a lone bid of $20,445 from the Elk’s Club. At a subsequent meeting of the Personnel & Finance Committee, members were split on selling the property, but they were agreed that the minimum threshold ($40k) should be met.

The Council is expected to hear an announcement from 3rd Ward Councilwoman Ashley Hayes, with regard to her resignation. Hayes moved out of her Ward in early December, but no action was taken to appoint her successor or hold a special election. The Cass County Auditor’s Office received a complaint from a concerned citizen and raised the issue with the City. The Mayor and City Attorney Mark Bosworth have concluded it would be appropriate for her to resign and to begin the process of filling the vacancy. Hayes had previously announced on social media, that she would not be seeking re-election for her term that expires Jan. 1st, 2020.

*The Council will act on an Order to accept Hayes’ resignation as 3rd Ward Councilwoman, effect May 16th, and on an Order to send notice that the vacant 3rd Ward City Council seat will be filled by appointment