Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Wal-Mart says it will increase wages for roughly 15,400 Iowa workers. The company announced that workers who were hired before Jan. 1 at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club locations in Iowa will be paid at least $10 an hour. Employees will see the increase on their paychecks beginning Thursday.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Officials have identified the woman who was killed in a Council Bluffs house fire. The Council Bluffs Fire Department identified 67-year-old Stella Neighbors as the woman who was found dead Friday after fire crews responded to her burning home.

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — Jurors began deliberating whether to convict a former Boone man of murder in the death of his wife. The jury started going through evidence and testimony after lawyers presented their closing arguments in a Winneshiek County court. Alexander Fazzino is charged with first-degree murder in the January 2012 death of Emily Fazzino. First responders found her on the bathroom floor of the couple’s home.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Public documents show an Iowa state trooper has resigned after being arrested following a drunken, late-night disturbance in which he repeatedly pounded on a female neighbor’s door. After his arrest, Cedar Rapids-based trooper Patrick Steinbach received special treatment at the Iowa County Jail, where the booking officer did not take his mug shot or require him to wear a jumpsuit.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Wal-Mart says it will increase wages for roughly 15,400 Iowa workers. The Des Moines Register reports the company announced Monday that workers who were hired before Jan. 1 at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club locations in Iowa will be paid at least $10 an hour. Employees will see the increase on their paychecks beginning Thursday.

Workers hired after the start of the year will continue to earn $9 an hour, which will increase after completing a skills and training program. There are 69 Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores in the state. Wal-Mart says it’s spending $2.7 billion over two years to fund wage increases and provide better training programs throughout all of its U.S. stores.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports an Audubon County man was arrested today (Tuesday), on alcohol and drug charges. 30-year old Ejay Edmond White, Jr., of Exira, was arrested on a felony OWI 3rd Offense charge, Possession of Controlled Substance Marijuana/1st Offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. White was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $5,000 bond.

And, 44-year old Michael Eugene Boggs, of Atlantic, turned himself in to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office Tuesday (today), on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for felony Domestic Abuse 3rd/Subsequent offense. Boggs was booked at the Cass County Jail and later released on $5,000 bond.

On Monday, Cass County Deputies arrested 31-year old Benjamin Dean Jameson, of Anita, on a charge of OWI 2nd Offense. Jameson was taken to the Cass County Jail where he was released the following day (Tuesday) on his own recognizance.

And on Saturday, deputies arrested 21-year old Nicholas Wayne Renner, of Huxley,  on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Renner was taken to the Cass County Jail where he remains held on $10,000 bond.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Officials have identified the woman who was killed in a Council Bluffs house fire. The Daily Nonpareil reports the Council Bluffs Fire Department identified 67-year-old Stella Neighbors as the woman who was found dead Friday after fire crews responded to her burning home.

Fire Chief Justin James says Tuesday the woman died of smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire is still unknown due to the home’s extensive damage. One neighbor says the victim may have used supplemental oxygen.

Firefighters and police who responded to the fire were unable to immediately enter the home due to the flames. Most of the home’s roof was gone and the back of the house sustained heavy damage.

Police in Council Bluffs say a second man has been arrested in connection with double shooting incident. 19-year old Ben Lein, of Council Bluffs, was sought for questioning in the incident that occurred during Monday evening’s shooting death of 22-year old Anthony Walker, and the attempted murder of 32-year old Patrick Schultz, both of Council Bluffs.

Bluffs Police located Lein this (Tuesday) morning, and upon the completion of an interview with the man, arrested him on three newly obtained warrants for 1st degree Murder, Attempted Murder and 1st degree Robbery.  Lein was also wanted on warrants for an unrelated matter, Escape from Custody and Violation of Probation.

Monday night, authorities arrested 22-year old Wesley W. Correa-Carmenaty, of Council Bluffs, after a traffic stop, during which he threw two guns out the window. One of the weapons was a BB pistol, the other a .40-caliber handgun. Correa-Carmenaty was also charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder in the connection with the incident. He too faces a charge of robbery in the first degree.

Police were called to an apartment in Council Bluffs at around 6:30 p.m. Monday, where they found Walker dead from a gunshot wound to his upper chest. Schultz had already been transported to the hospital by private vehicle for treatment a gunshot wound to his upper left arm. He was reported to be in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.

Ben Lein

Wesley W. Correa-Carmenaty

There are now three Republican candidates hoping to fill a seat on the Cass County Board of Supervisors during the June Primary. Today (Tuesday), Dale Retallic, of Atlantic, filed nomination papers with the Cass County Auditor’s Office for the District 1 Supervisor’s seat being vacated at the end of the year by Duane McFadden. Retallic, a Republican, faces a challenge from fellow Republicans Steve Green and Dave Jones.

Green is the Police Chief in Atlantic, while Jones is Atlantic’s Mayor. Jones filed his papers Monday, along with Cass County Sheriff Darby McLaren, and Cass County Auditor Dale Sunderman, both Republicans, who have decided to run for re-election.

The deadline for filing nomination papers is 5-p.m., March 30th.

(12-pm. News)

Authorities in eastern Iowa, Monday, recovered a fire truck that was reported stolen late last week from southern Iowa’s Union County. Cedar Rapids Police Department Public Safety/Communications Coordinator Greg Buelow told KJAN News a tip from the public led Police to recover the 2004 Ford F-350 Super Duty grass/field fire attach truck late Monday afternoon.

He says the Police Department received a few calls at around 3:30-p.m.from residents in the vicinity of 29th Avenue and Huxley Avenue, that a there was a truck with fire department logos and lights parked on the street. Officers arriving on the scene found the vehicle had not been damaged, and the keys were still inside. Their investigation revealed the vehicle may have been there for as long as a week.

The truck was brought to the Cedar Rapids Police Department headquarters and turned over to officials with the Lorimor Fire Department, this (Tuesday) morning. Beulow says they have no idea why someone would take a vehicle that is important to public safety and the prevention of property damage. While not wanting to comment on the investigation into the theft, Beulow said more often than not in these cases, the public will provide the clues.

He says “It’s going to be other people. Somebody’s going to be out there bragging about it, talking about how they ‘pulled a good stunt,’ or whatever reason why they did it. I would encourage anybody with information about who did this to contact local law enforcement or the Cedar Rapids Police Department.” In the Cedar Rapids area, you can call 1-800-CS-Crime. All callers can remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a cash reward.

Beulow says he doesn’t know why, or under what circumstances someone would steal a fire truck. The bottom line is, there’s nothing funny about it. Besides the fact the crime is a Theft, the person or persons responsible took an emergency vehicle out of service. The theft left a town or township without a piece of fire apparatus for a week. He said the crime “Is not something people should be proud of.”

The truck and its equipment were valued at $15,000. Beulow, whose background is in the fire service, says he’s glad who ever stole the truck left it intact, because it’s something many small communities cannot afford to replace.

One person was injured during a single-vehicle, rollover accident Monday afternoon, in Page County. The Sheriff’s Office reports 60-year old Karen Gay Spicer, of Shambaugh, was transported to the Clarinda Regional Health Center for treatment of unknown injuries, following the crash that happened at around 3:30-p.m., about two miles north of College Springs.

An investigation revealed Spice was traveling south on Nutmeg Avenue when her 2007 Ford Taurus drifted across the gravel and rolled once, coming to rest on its wheels in a ditch. Spicer was the only occupant of the vehicle.

Agencies assisting following the incident include: the Clarinda Ambulance Service, Clarinda Fire Department and College Springs Rescue.

Officials with the Cass County Health System (CCHS) report Dr. Chad McCance will present “A discussion about colon cancer: Myths and Misunderstandings” during this month’s CCHS Healthy U, which will be held at noon on Thursday, March 17th in Conference Room 2 at Cass County Health System.

Dr. McCance is a board-certified general surgeon who joined Southwest Iowa Surgery in 2008. He received his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Nebraska in 1992 and completed his general surgery residency in Des Moines at the VA and Methodist Hospitals in 1997. Prior to coming to CCHS Dr. McCance practiced in Price, Utah, for ten years. He performs general surgery, thoracic surgery and critical care procedures. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are used whenever appropriate. These include laparoscopic surgery, MIOS (minimally invasive open surgery), and thorascopic surgery (scope surgery of the chest).

Dr. Chad McCance

Healthy U is a free educational series offered by Cass County Health System that focuses on a different health topic each month. All registered attendees receive a healthy boxed meal in addition to the educational program presented by medical professionals.

For more information, or to make a reservation for Healthy U, call 712-243-7479.