OAKLAND, Iowa (AP) — In an update to our story January 25th on KJAN, the Iowa Freedom of Information Council has released more information about a settlement reached between the Riverside School District in western Iowa, and the family of a 16-year old girl who died in a 2017 school bus fire. The settlement figures, which had previously NOT been disclosed, show the  school district will pay $4.8 million to the family of Megan Klindt.

FILE – In this Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2017, file photo, a burned school bus is transported by trailer near Oakland, Iowa. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

Megan, and the school bus driver, 74-year old Donnie Hendricks, died after the bus became stuck in a ditch, leading to a fire in the engine compartment that spread to the passenger compartment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (The Des Moines Register) — Iowa Democratic Party officials have agreed to hire two high-profile lawyers to investigate the factors leading to a meltdown in the state’s lead-off presidential caucuses and how the party responded. The party’s State Central Committee voted Thursday night to spend up to $50,000 to retain Nick Klinefeldt, a former U.S. attorney, and Bonnie Campbell, a former Iowa attorney general.

The Des Moines Register reports that officials hope the review will be completed within 45 days. The party has been reeling since the night of the caucuses Feb. 3 when problems with a mobile app and other issues prevented it from immediately releasing results.

Officials with Alliant Energey say they have received reports from customers in Wisconsin and Iowa that they are receiving calls from scammers pretending to be Alliant Energy. The callers are threatening to cut off the customers’ power in a few hours unless immediate payment is made. Alliant Energy does NOT call customers and demand immediate payment. They will not ask customers to purchase prepaid credit cards, and do not ask for payment over email.

Scammers can make it appear that the calls are coming from Alliant Energy. Some scammers may provide a different phone number that spoofs Alliant’s answering system and automated menu. Alliant Energy’s official phone number is 1-800-ALLIANT (800-255-4268). This is the only number to call.

If you receive a suspected scam call like the type mentioned, following these tips:

• STOP: Scammers are counting on you being too alarmed to check your account status. Hang up the phone.
• THINK: Chances are you do not owe the amount the scammers claim.
• CHECK: Log in on our website or call us. We can tell you how much is due and when.  Visit Alliant Energy online at: com or call us at 1-800-255-4268.

Callers who ask you to pay in a few hours or have power disconnected are not legitimate. But scammers are getting more sophisticated.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A man has been convicted of beating to death the 5-year-old son of his girlfriend in eastern Iowa. A jury found Tre Henderson guilty Thursday. The 28-year-old will be sentenced April 1 to life in prison without possibility of parole. Prosecutors say Ja’Shawn Bussell had 17 broken ribs, damage to internal organs and bruises from the top of his head to his ankles after Henderson beat him in April 2018.

Henderson and the boy’s mother, Jacqueline Rambert, were charged with child abuse for failing to seek prompt medical attention for the boy. They’re both from Chicago and were living in Davenport when Ja’Shawn died.

DES MOINES, Iowa (Iowa News Service/Mike Moen) – Landlords of larger apartment complexes in Iowa would have to disclose monthly utility costs to potential renters, in a bill now in the state Legislature. The proposal has already cleared the Iowa Senate with bipartisan support and is now up for consideration in the House. It would require owners of buildings with at least 12 units to provide a monthly estimate for all utilities before a lease is finalized. Republican Sen. Zach Nunn of Polk County supports the measure. He says renters are often focused on just how much the rent will cost, and are sometimes caught off guard when utility bills arrive.

“A lot of individuals might find themselves paying rent that is either affordable, or right at their cap,” says Nunn, “only later to discover – once they’re locked into a lease – that there’s a very expensive utility bill associated with it because the property is not well maintained.” Nunn says if a prospective renter knows if the utilities are costly, they might seek better options. But the bill is opposed by several groups, including the Iowa Landlord Association, which says it would place too much of a burden on landlords when renters can get that information from the utility companies.

Nunn counters that landlords can get the information just as easily. He adds that providing it could also be beneficial to building owners, because it give them ‘points’ for transparency. “Truth and transparency in a monthly cost for a renter is actually good for good landlords,” says Nunn. “And it’s good for the energy efficiency of the state. ” The Iowa Environmental Council is throwing its support behind the bill, saying it would convince more landlords to make upgrades that would reduce the carbon footprints of their properties.