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

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to coast to victory in the first Republican primary contests of 2020, but that doesn’t mean he’s taking them for granted. Without a credible challenger, Trump’s team sees the first elections beginning next week as a test of the Trump campaign’s organizing prowess. It is pouring resources into the contests, dispatching surrogates and staging presidential rallies. The goal is to put Democrats on notice and to demonstrate that Republicans are excited about supporting the president. Trump’s campaign views Monday’s Iowa caucuses and the Feb. 11 New Hampshire primary as a challenge to meet sky-high expectations and an opportunity to flex political strength.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Joe Biden plans an address Thursday in Iowa at the same time President Donald Trump is to stage a rally in Des Moines. And the Biden campaign is promising an aggressive and direct counterstrategy ahead of Monday’s Iowa caucuses, as the former vice president fends off a new onslaught of GOP attacks over his son’s business overseas and faces piling pressure to show Democratic voters he can handle the incoming. Republicans have amplified their allegations against Biden in a series of charges stemming from Trump’s impeachment trial.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Hours after a group of Republican lawmakers proposed a bill to amend the Iowa Civil Rights Act to remove protections against discrimination for transgender people a committee chairman declared the measure dead. Gender identity was added to the state law in 2007 that already offered protections for race, color, religion and others. Nine Republican House members sponsored the bill introduced Wednesday morning to remove transgender protections. However, hours later Republican Rep. Steven Holt, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee said he will not assign it to a subcommittee, killing it. He says it would have had many unintended consequences.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire Warren Buffett is giving up on the newspaper business. He’s selling all of Berkshire Hathaway’s publications to Lee Enterprises for $140 million. The deal announced Wednesday covers 31 daily newspapers in 10 states as well as 49 paid weekly publications with digital sites and 32 other print products. Buffett is a lifelong fan of newspapers but he has said for several years that he expects most of them to continue on their declining trajectory, save for a handful of national papers such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Lee has been managing the BH Media publications since July 2018. Berkshire Hathaway is providing about $576 million in long-term financing to Lee.

The Atlantic School Board held a Work Session Wednesday evening to discuss matters that included conducting a Needs Assessment/Culture and Climate Survey. They heard via video connection from Tony VanderZyl, Surveys and Research Coordinator with the Iowa Association of School Boards, who said the survey would cost the District roughly $1,400.

All surveys with teachers, staff, students and parents would be done online, and completely anonymous. VanderZyl said the survey needs to be taken at least two months before the end of the school year, in order to better assess the data and formulate a course of action for the next school year.

The Atlantic School Board also discussed the District’s Protocol for Transportation incidents, such as when a bus became stuck last week. The current procedure includes:

• The bus driver ensuring that all students are safe, or if other actions are needed to secure their safety. Superintendent Steve Barber says the procedure is “thrown out the door,” if there is a bus rollover, or accident with injuries. In that case, 9-1-1 is of course called first, to elicit an emergency response.
• The bus driver communicates with the bus garage, to inform them of the situation and the bus’ location.
• Once the location of the bus in trouble is known, the policy is for another bus to be taken to the location of the disabled bus. Students on the bus with a problem, will be transferred to the new bus upon its arrival. The regular bus driver then assumes control of the replacement bus, and finishes the route or transports students to their school.
• Parents of the students who have not been picked up, will be informed that the bus is running late, and the district will try and provide them with a timeline for pickup.

Superintendent Barber says Transportation Director Mark Weis is working on a Hard Surface-Only plan. Once the plan  is completed, it will be communicated to parents. The option will primarily be used in the Spring, when gravel roads are soft due to frost removal.

In further discussion, Board member Laura McLean asked how the message is communicated to parents when there is an issue involving a bus. She suggested the message include more details as available, so students aren’t waiting outside for a bus (especially in the winter), and how the message is communicated to parents.

Steve Barber said the question is, should the message be sent to everyone via JMC, or just those parents whose students are on the bus with an issue?  Parents can also contact the Atlantic bus barn if they have questions about where the bus is and when it may arrive.

Board member’s Kristy Pellett and Jenny Williams said parents need to be aware with the use of social media, they may find out BEFORE they can be notified by the District, and in some cases before the bus barn/district itself is aware of an issue. Pellett said parents need to understand “We’re not going to be instantaneous with our communication. It is likely that you might hear about it from your child or somebody else before[hand], but we will do our best once we have the situation under control, to notify you what actions is being taken or if you are needed.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican lawmakers have proposed a bill to amend the Iowa Civil Rights Act by removing protections against discrimination for transgender people. Current Iowa law prohibits discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, ancestry and disability. Gender identity was added by lawmakers in 2007 when Democrats had control of the Iowa Legislature and held the governor’s office.

Nine Republican House members are sponsoring the bill introduced on Wednesday. The GOP took control of the legislature in 2017. Groups that fight for civil rights and gay rights immediately criticized the measure as shameful.

A man and woman were taken into custody on separate drug charges this week, in Shenandoah. Authorities say 37-year-old Karly Jean Glidden, of Shenandoah, was arrested today (Wednesday) at around 2-a.m., for possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Glidden was found in the middle of the road in the 500 block of West Lowell Avenue, when she was questioned and taken into custody. She was transported to the Page County Jail and on $1,300 bond.

And, a traffic stop at around 10-p.m. Tuesday, in Shenandoah, resulted in the arrest of 39-year-old Donald Pearce, from Willow Springs, Missouri. He was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and released from custody after receiving a court date.

The driver of an SUV was cited following a collision this (Wednesday) morning, in Red Oak, but no one was injured. Red Oak Police cited 27-year old Aundrea T. Clay, of Red Oak, for having no Valid Driver’s license, following an accident at around 7:37-a.m. at N. 6th Street and Hillcrest Drive. Authorities say a 2016 Chevy pickup driven by 65-year old Kenneth W. Hamman, of Red Oak, was traveling west on Hillcrest Drive and approaching the intersection with N. 6th Street, when his vehicle was hit on the driver’s side by Clay’s 2009 Jeep Compass. Police say Clay was driving too fast for the snow/ice road conditions, but citations were not issued for the accident itself, because of the road conditions. The collision caused a total of $5,000 damage.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Police have released the name of a man found fatally wounded in a northern Cedar Rapids apartment complex parking lot. Officers sent to the scene before 3:40 a.m. Tuesday found 22-year-old Jose Millan-Ramirez, who’d suffered several gunshot wounds. Police say he was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No arrests have been reported in the homicide investigation.