(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Senate’s Oversight Committee will hold a hearing to examine the state Judicial Branch contract with a security firm that led two employees break into two county courthouses.  Two employees of an international cybersecurity firm were caught breaking into the Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines — and the two were arrested inside the Dallas County Courthouse in Adel.

The company issued a statement Wednesday. It said the scope of the contract for testing the security of Iowa’s electronic court system wasn’t clear to them or officials in the court system who hired them. Senator Amy Sinclair a Republican from Allerton, is chair of Senate’s Oversight Committee. She says the panel has “a number of questions” — including how “staged burglaries” improve court services.

A date for the oversight panel’s hearing has not been set.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating a stabbing incident that resulted in a man being transported to the hospital. Authorities say at around 8:14-p.m., Thursday, officers were sent to CHI Mercy Hospital on a stabbing call. Upon arrival, officers were informed by Mercy security that the victim, 43-year old Michael Dean Watson, of Council Bluffs, had been dropped off at the hospital by a white male with a beard in a black two door vehicle. Officers were informed Watson suffered a stab wound to his chest.

A short time later, officers were informed by medical staff that the stab wound did not strike anything major and that they were stitching Watson up. Watson refused to cooperate with detectives and refused further medical treatment. At this time the case is currently under investigation, Detectives are attempting to locate a crime scene.

The investigation is ongoing by the Criminal Investigation Division. Anyone with any information that was in the area at the time of this incident is encouraged to contact this Division at 712-328-4728 or they may call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:30 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Agriculture is proposing a new set of administrative rules that could significantly improve the lives of dogs, cats and other companion animals in a state long regarded as among the worst in the nation for animal protection. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says he will submit the new set of rules to the state on Friday, beginning a process that requires a legislative panel review and public comment.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The former administrator of Iowa’s third-largest city is suing the area’s biggest newspaper, claiming that its coverage was unfair and cost him his job. Former Davenport city administrator Craig Malin’s lawsuit against the Quad-City Times is set for trial Monday. A judge ruled Malin didn’t meet the high bar to sue for defamation but did allow him to sue for contract interference. Press freedom experts say the case is troubling.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some Democratic presidential candidates are trying out new strategies to appeal to voters with just over four months until Iowa’s leadoff caucuses. Kamala Harris said Thursday that she would spend more time in Iowa and add some 60 staffers. Bernie Sanders is shuffling his early state staff, and Beto O’Rourke has turned his calls for gun control laws into a national strategy. The shifts signal that the race is entering a new stage, with precious few months for candidates to change their fortunes.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — The field manager of an Iowa hog farm has testified that a woman he was having an affair told him last year she was deathly afraid of her husband _ a man now accused of using a corn rake to kill her. Jerry Frasher took the stand Wednesday in the trial of Todd Mullis, who’s charged with killing Amy Mullis on Nov. 10 at the farm about 40 miles west of Dubuque. Frasher said he told Amy Mullis they had to cool things after Todd Mullis confronted him about text messages Frasher exchanged with Amy.

(Radio Iowa) — A sign hoisted by an Iowa State student in the crowd gathered for E-S-P-N’s “Gameday” telecast from Ames last weekend has now generated more than 200-thousand dollars for the University of Iowa’s Children’s Hospital. University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld talked about 24-year-old Carson King’s fundraiser at Thursday’s Board of Regents meeting. “Iowans responded. As of 7:30 this (Thursday) morning, he’s received 75-thousand dollars of contributions,” Harreld says.

Harreld says Busch Beer and Venmo were impressed after the Altoona man said he would keep enough money from his “Venmo” account for one case of beer and then would donate the rest to the hospital. They’ve agreed to match the donations. “So that’s a total of 225-thousand dollars. And all the parties — including Carson and the donors have agreed to keep the campaign open until the end of the month,” according to Harreld, “so any of you who are so inclined to donate might go to his website and do so.”

Harreld says it was a great gesture that says a lot about our state. “Carson is an Iowa State student and I applaud him for his creativity and his thoughtfulness of donating to our wonderful Stead Family Childrens’ Hospital,” Harreld says. “While we’re clearly very competitive on the field, he is clearly showing how collaborative all Iowans really are…and how we’re all in this together.” So thank you, Carson, thank you Iowa State, and Go Hawks.”

King says he was surprised his sign got on T-V and then got so many responses afterwards. His fundraiser has gained national attention on social and other media.

Deputies in Page County, Tuesday, responded to a report of a person walking on Highway 2 just east of Clarinda. The person was reportedly barefoot and the temperature was in the 90’s. When a Deputy arrived, he spoke with the female, 30-year old Ashley Marie Sveen of Isanti, MN.

During the incident, Sveen was arrested for Interference with Official Acts. She was transported to the Page County Jail and held on a $300 bond.

Ashley Sveen