Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Newly released documents indicate a recently retired top official overseeing Iowa’s mental health and disability services programs knew of plans to perform sexual experiments at a state-run institution as far back as nearly two years ago. The Iowa Department of Human Services has released letters, emails, and other documents about Glenwood Resource Center indicating increasing concerns of staff members about sexual arousal experiments on patients. An email written to Rick Shults on May 21, 2018, shows he approved of a research plan drawn up by Jerry Rea, the former superintendent at Glenwood who was fired in December. It detailed experiments on patients at Glenwood and a separate state facility that holds sexual offenders.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has elected Justice Susan Christensen as its next chief justice. She becomes only the second woman in state history to rise to chief of the seven-member court. Appointed by Gov. Kim Reynolds in 2018, Christensen is part of a new more conservatively constituted court. Reynolds has named three justices to the court since becoming governor and will name a fourth after acting Chief Justice David Wiggins retires next month. Wiggins became acting chief after the unexpected death of Chief Justice Mark Cady in November from a heart attack.

WASHINGTON (AP) — For a majority of Democratic voters, going back to the days before Donald Trump isn’t good enough. In Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, the first three states to weigh in, voters have elevated the candidate promising the biggest departure from the politics of the past — not necessarily the clearest path to defeating President Donald Trump or a restoration of the Obama era. After fighting to a draw in Iowa, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who bills himself as the leader of a revolution, bested candidates in New Hampshire and Nevada promising a restoration of the pre-Trump era and those who focus mainly on their electability.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Jurors have convicted a man of murder in the killing of an Iowa high school student more than 40 years ago. It took jurors about three hours to convict 66-year-old Jerry Burns of first-degree murder in the December 1979, stabbing death of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko. Her body was found inside her family’s car at a Cedar Rapids shopping mall. Police arrested Burns on Dec. 19, 2018, at his Manchester, Iowa, business. It was the 39th anniversary of Martinko’s death. Burns was linked to the crime by DNA evidence. Burns didn’t testify, and his defense called only one witness. In Iowa, first-degree murder carries a mandatory term of life in prison.

CLARINDA –Officials with the Iowa Department of Corrections reported Monday night, that a correctional officer was assaulted at approximately 3:05 pm Monday, at the Clarinda Correctional Facility.

The officer was escorting two inmates to their units when one of the inmates unexpectedly attacked the officer. The inmate was able to land several closed-fist strikes to the officer’s face and head before the officer was able to restrain him long enough to call for assistance. Additional officers quickly responded to the incident and were able to place the attacking inmate in restraints.

The officer that was assaulted was evaluated by facility medical staff, and taken via State vehicle to the Clarinda Regional Health Center for further evaluation. It is believed he suffered bruising and soreness. The inmate involved in the assault suffered no major injuries.

The incident remains under investigation.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (The Gazette) — Jurors have convicted a man of murder in the killing of an Iowa high school student more than 40 years ago. It took jurors about three hours to convict 66-year-old Jerry Burns of first-degree murder in the December 1979, stabbing death of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko. Her body was found the next day inside her family’s car at a Cedar Rapids shopping mall.

Burns didn’t testify, and his defense called only one witness. The trial was moved to Scott County District Court in Davenport because of pretrial publicity in Cedar Rapids. In Iowa, first-degree murder carries a mandatory term of life in prison.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Newly released documents indicate a recently retired top official overseeing Iowa’s mental health and disability services programs knew of plans to perform sexual experiments at the Glenwood Resource Center, state-run institution, as far back as nearly two years ago. The Iowa Department of Human Services has released letters, emails, and other documents about the GRC indicating increasing concerns of staff members about sexual arousal experiments on patients.

An email written to Rick Shults on May 21, 2018, shows he approved of a research plan drawn up by Jerry Rea, the former superintendent at Glenwood who was fired in December. It detailed experiments on patients at Glenwood and a separate state facility that holds sexual offenders.

Officials with the SWIPCO (Southwest Iowa Planning Council) in Atlantic, said Monday that that three Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund (SWIHTF) grants were awarded for the demolition of dilapidated properties in Irwin, Logan, and Malvern. The awards were made at the February quarterly meeting of the organization. The grants, each of which is for a maximum of $15,000 per property, may be used for up to 50% of the actual asbestos removal and demolition cost for one dilapidated residential property in each community.

The communities applied in January during the annual grant cycle. In order to be eligible, the communities must have clear title to the property and demonstrated a plan for the removal of property. The applications are then scored, primarily based upon readiness and the positive impact that removal of the property would have on the neighborhood and community.

SWIHTF board chairman and Red Oak city administrator Brad Wright said “Everyone knows we need to increase the amount of housing stock in our area, but sometimes removing a blighted property can improve a community 10 fold, and there are few programs like this to help pay for that.”

The Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund was formed in 2005 and serves the counties of Harrison, Shelby, Cass, Montgomery, Fremont and Page. It is administered by SWIPCO, and provides down payment assistance, housing rehabilitation, and dilapidated property demolition services to its member communities.

Over the past 10 years, over 1,250 homes have been renovated through the work of SWIPCO and the Trust Fund.