DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Polk County sheriff’s detective convicted of punching an Ankeny firefighter in a bar fracas has left the sheriff’s force. The Des Moines Register reports that John Negrete sent a letter announcing his retirement from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 3, three days after Sheriff Bill McCarthy wrote that he planned to fire Negrete. McCarthy retired in mid-December.

Court records say Negrete and his girlfriend, Tereasa Sunberg, were sentenced to a year of probation and given deferred judgments at their sentencings in September. The deferred judgments means their convictions can be removed from court records if they complete their probation terms.

The two were convicted of assault causing injury. Authorities say Negrete punched an Ankeny firefighter, Ross Frank, and Sunberg punched Frank’s wife, Danielle.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A Fort Dodge man has been accused of scheming to defraud the Iowa Lottery. Webster County court records say 39-year-old Nicholas Hanson is charged with money laundering, conspiracy to commit lottery fraud, extortion and marijuana possession. Authorities say Hanson wanted to redeem a winning lottery ticket but didn’t want his winnings taken by various creditors, including the state of Iowa. The court records say he enlisted the aid of another person, who went with him to claim the lottery winnings.

The criminal complaints don’t say exactly how much money Hanson and the other person picked up at Iowa Lottery headquarters, describing it only as “a substantial amount of U.S. currency.”

Red Oak Police, Wednesday night, arrested 42-year old Chrystal Rush Stewart, of Red Oak. Stewart was taken into custody at around 7-p.m., for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 cash bond.

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

UNDATED (AP) — President Donald Trump’s State of the Union call for a ban on late-term abortions is unlikely to prevail in Congress with Democrats controlling the House. But Republican legislators in several states are pushing ahead with tough anti-abortion bills of their own that they hope can pass muster with the Supreme Court. Several of the bills propose to outlaw abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The agency that runs Iowa’s affordable housing programs will reimburse the state $4.15 million for payouts to victims of sexual harassment by its former director. The Iowa Finance Authority board voted to grant Gov. Kim Reynolds’ request to reimburse the general fund for the cost of the settlements. The state will pay $2.35 million to one former employee, and $1.8 million to a current employee to settle claims stemming from their harassment by former Iowa Finance Authority director Dave Jamison.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Jurors have found an Iowa woman guilty in the death of her infant son, whose lifeless body was found in a baby swing. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports it took the jury about four hours Wednesday to find 21-year-old Cheyanne Harris guilty of first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death. The charges stem from the death of 4-month-old Sterling Koehn, who was found dead Aug. 30, 2017. The baby’s father, Zachary Koehn, already has been sentenced to life in prison in the case.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines man has pleaded guilty to animal neglect and abandonment after being accused of throwing a 2-year-old Chihuahua named Oscar into a trash bin. The Des Moines Register reports 35-year-old Derrick Peterson pleaded guilty Jan. 23 and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, with 55 days suspended and credit given for two days of time served. During 12 months of probation, Peterson can’t own any animals and must complete an animal welfare course.