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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A top aide to Tom Steyer in Iowa has privately offered local politicians campaign contributions in exchange for endorsing his White House bid. Multiple people with direct knowledge of the conversations told The Associated Press the overtures came from Pat Murphy, Steyer’s Iowa director. There’s no evidence any candidates in Iowa accepted the offer or received contributions as compensation for endorsements. Murphy said concerns about his outreach were the result of a “miscommunication.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A regional group says it has received a $25 million federal grant to help pay for the removal of a low-head dam in Des Moines and improvements to access points along the Des Moines River. The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization announced Thursday it had received the grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The money will go toward replacing the downtown Scott Avenue Dam with river features designed to increase safety and create whitewater opportunities.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two foundations affiliated with the Meredith Corporation are giving Drake University $3 million to fund renovations to a building housing the Des Moines school’s journalism program. Drake announced Thursday that the Meredith family’s foundation would donate $2 million and the Meredith Corporation Foundation would give $1 million toward improvements to Meredith Hall. The building houses Drake’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has agreed to take an appeal of an Iowa attorney who challenged a flight Gov. Kim Reynolds and her family took on a private jet to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis in December 2017. Gary Dickey filed a complaint with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board in September 2018, alleging the $2,880 claimed for four seats on the jet in campaign documents underestimated the value of the flight. The board and a district judge dismissed his complaint.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Department of Revenue is updating its income tax withholding tables for 2020 to comply with recent tax laws changes. Revenue spokesman John Fuller says employers will be trimming the amount of Iowa tax withheld from employees’ paychecks starting January 1st, meaning, changes in Iowans’ take-home pay.

“They will get more money in their paychecks which is always a thing most people like,” Fuller says. “It might be good to go on our website. We have a withholding calculator that they can plug some information in and see where they might end up.” So, how much more money will we be seeing in our paychecks next month?

“It’s really hard to answer that question because everyone’s different and everyone’s tax situation’s different,” he says. Iowans who mark “zero” on their withholding may consider raising that to a “one” or “two,” or they may not need to make any alterations at all to their W-4 form.  “I had a neighbor question me last year — this is the second year that we’ve done this,” Fuller says. “He said he didn’t really see a need to change and I didn’t change mine either. You may not need to.”

While it may seem like a nice reward to get a fat tax refund check every spring, Fuller says many Iowans like to adjust their earnings to come out closer to the break-even point. “The ideal situation for most people is to come out of the year not owing a lot of money on your 2019 taxes,” Fuller says, “and maybe not getting a huge check because that means you’ve missed out on that money throughout the year.”

The Iowa legislature enacted sweeping tax reforms in 2018 and the changes are being put in place gradually for the 2019 and 2020 tax years. You can find the new tax tables and the Withholding Calculator at the Iowa Department of Revenue website: tax.iowa.gov.

Adair County Auditor Mandy Berg, Thursday afternoon, released updated, unofficial election results from Tuesday’s City/School elections. The results contain updated write-in information. Berg reminds you that the results will not be official until canvassed by the Board of Supervisors. The results are as follows (Name/ votes; *indicates winners):

City of Adair

City Council (elect 3):

Jeremy Marvin Gettler  65*

Perry Lee Leeper  99*

Kyle Irlmeier  62*

Dave Richter 10

Mayor (elect 1)

John M Larsen – 92

City of Bridgewater

City Council (elect 3)

Debra J Tindle  24*

Kristen Walker  25*

Haley Williams  23*

Tyler Warrior  2

Marlo Smith  1

Mayor (elect 1)

Roberta Carpenter  25*

Keith Carpenter  1

Doug Miller  1

City of Fontanelle

City Council (elect 3)

James Campbell  94*

Marlene Davis  35

Dixie D Dukes  95*

John Huddleson  71*

Nichole Queck– 25

Mayor (elect 1)

Ryan Cooper  47

Mary Sturdy-Martin  70*

City of Greenfield

City Council (elect 2)

Holly Dullard  69

Rod McMorran  333*

Joshua Nelson  247*

Jeff Clayton  39

Park Board (elect 1)

William A Raasch  342

Mayor (elect 1)

Jimmie A Schultz  371*

Ron Smith  22

City of Orient

City Council (elect 2)

Josh Madison  38

Gary R Metzger 50

City Council (To Fill Vacancy) (elect 1)

Clarissa Pashek  51

Mayor (elect 1)

Matt Swanson  30*

Justin Boswell  3

Gary Metzger  2

Shawn Subbert  2

City of Stuart

City Council (elect 2)

Michael Kalbach  58*

Kristina A Renslow  39*

Kevin Guisinger  28

James Morgan  6

Adair-Casey School Board At-Large (elect 2)

Randy Carney  104

Dallas Dinkla  97

Nodaway Valley School Board (District 2) (elect 2)

Rebecca McCann  505

Susan Stevens  445

Orient Macksburg School Board

District 2 (elect 1)

Andrew Zellweger  16*

Kristie Davidson  3

Ryan Frederick  2

Lance Mathiews 2

District 3 (elect 1)

Eldon Ray  75

District 4 (elect 1)

Jana Scott  79

Des Moines, Iowa – Two men from Nebraska have entered guilty pleas in an Iowa Arson for Hire Scheme. 35-year old Peere M. Shackelford, of Omaha, NE, pled guilty in Pottawattamie County District Court on October 31st, to Conspiracy to Commit Insurance Fraud (a Class D Felony). As part of Shackelford’s plea agreement, the charges of Arson 2nd Degree and Conspiracy to Commit a Non-Forcible Felony were dismissed. Shackelford received a 5 year deferred prison sentence, a suspended $750 civil penalty, and was placed on probation for one year.

Pott. County Sheriff’s Office photos.

In January 2019, Shackelford’s co-conspirator, 36-year old William Odinas, of Omaha, NE, accepted a plea deal to a lesser charge of Arson 3rd Degree (Aggravated Misdemeanor) for his role in the scheme. Odinas was originally charged with Arson 2nd Degree (a Class C Felony) and Conspiracy to Commit a Non-Forcible Felony (A Class D Felony). Odinas was sentenced to 74 days of incarceration with full credit for time served. Odinas received a $625.00 fine.”

The guilty pleas by Shackelford and Odinas stem from a joint investigation completed by the Council Bluffs Fire Department and the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau beginning in October of 2018. The investigation determined that after Shackelford’s 2005 BMW became inoperable, Shackelford left the vehicle at a dealership in Council Bluffs. After allowing the vehicle to sit unrepaired for several months, Shackelford hired Odinas to set the car on fire, agreeing to pay him with insurance proceeds for committing the arson.

On the evening of the arson, Odinas was seen on surveillance video entering Shackelford’s vehicle and setting it on fire. Days later, Shackelford filed an insurance claim on the totaled vehicle. Shackelford’s insurance claim of $6,818.63 was eventually denied.

Iowans with information about insurance fraud are encouraged to contact the Iowa Insurance Division’s Fraud Bureau at 515-242-5304.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court will take an appeal of an Iowa attorney who challenged a 2017 flight Gov. Kim Reynolds and her family took on a private jet to a football game in Memphis, Tennessee. Gary Dickey filed a complaint with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board in September 2018, alleging the $2,880 claimed for four seats on the jet in campaign documents underestimated the flight’s value. The board dismissed his complaint, saying the estimate was reasonable. Dickey appealed and a district court judge in December 2018 dismissed his challenge.

Dickey says in his appeal to the Supreme Court that Iowa campaign finance laws guarantee citizens accurate information and the court should establish a citizen’s right to challenge reports when they’re false. The board’s lawyer argued the board and district judge didn’t err in their decisions and an appeal should be denied. Chief Justice Mark Cady said in an order filed Wednesday that the court would take Dickey’s appeal but will base a decision on documents already filed so no further briefs or oral arguments will be accepted. Reynolds attended the Liberty Bowl to watch Iowa State play Memphis.