Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

AREDALE, Iowa (AP) — An overturned construction crane has caused an estimated 10 gallons of diesel fuel and hydraulic oil to spill into a small creek in northern Iowa. No injuries were reported in the Butler County spill into Boylan Creek. The crane downed power lines at a construction site near Aredale.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials are investigating two more potential cases of bird flu in the state. Two probable cases were at farms in Clay and Hamilton counties. If the disease is confirmed, birds in the affected farms will be euthanized. The farm in Clay County has an estimated 1.1 million birds.

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — The death of a 29-year-old Iowa woman whose body was found in the Missouri River in southeastern South Dakota is being investigated as a homicide. Alicia Hummel, of Sioux City, Iowa, was found dead Monday in Vermillion near the Myron Grove boat launch.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lawmakers in the Republican-led Iowa House have approved a small funding increase for the school year that starts in the fall of 2016, but the move is not expected to win favor in the Democratic-controlled Senate. The plan would provide about $125 million in new dollars in that year.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Lawmakers in the Republican-led Iowa House have approved a small funding increase for the school year that starts in the fall of 2016, but the move is not expected to win favor in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

The House on Tuesday approved a plan that would provide about $125 million in new dollars in that year, with some of the money going to a teacher leadership program. But Democrats said the funding level was inadequate. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal said his members would not consider the proposal.

The Legislature is supposed to approve school funding levels more than a year before the academic year starts, but they often fail to meet that requirement. Lawmakers have reached a tentative agreement on funding for the coming school year.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Thirty individual health insurance plans in Iowa are proposing double-digit increases for next year, citing higher medical and prescription drug costs and greater use of services. The proposed hikes would apply to plans sold on the health insurance exchanges created under the federal health care law, as well as individual coverage sold through brokers and agents.

The rate proposals were posted online by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Rate increases were only disclosed on the website if they were proposed to grow by 10 percent or more. Wellmark Health submitted 16 proposed such increases, the largest being 35 percent. Coventry Health Care of Iowa proposed 12 plan hikes, the largest being 20 percent.

An Atlantic man was arrested Monday on a Trespassing charge. Atlantic Police say 33-year old Roberto Mijias Rivera was taken into custody and booked into the Cass County Jail.

Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors helped to celebrate McDermott & Son Roofing’s 80 Years in Business, recently. McDermott & Son Roofing is a fourth generation family-owned business that has been operating in Southwest Iowa since 1935. They specialize in flat roofs.

Pictured: Chris Schroder, Adam Carlson, Sonya Clausen, Rob Clausen, Sean Bloomfield, Justin Butcher, Blake Esbeck, Jamie Arnold, Ouida Wymer, Nedra Perry, Jamey Park, Dianne Gipple, Pat McCurdy, Desiree Hoye, Megan Roberts, Connie Wailes, JoAnn Runyan, Cate Christensen, Crystal Christensen, Dan Mehmen, Dr. Mitch Peerbolte, Keith Leonard D.V.M., Chip Hansen, Bill Saluk, Kerry Jepsen, Arlene Drennan, Lucas Mosier, Rich Perry, Dan Rossell, Russ Joyce, Tyler Mosier, Dr. Jim Kickland, Sue Muri, Debbie Leistad, Dolly Bergmann, Kathie Hockenberry.

They are a Master Elite Contractor for Duro Last Roofing products. They are also the recipient of the highest quality award given by Duro Last Roofing.

Southwest Iowa Mental Health Center (SWIMHC) is celebrating 50 years of service with an open house on Thursday, June 11th from 3 to 6 p.m., at their new location at 1500 East 10th Street in Atlantic. The executive director of SWIMHC, John Bigelow, Jr., PsyD and the entire staff will be on hand to talk about the services they provide and give tours of the facility.

During the open house, there will be a brief program given by John, along with former SWIMHC Executive Director Emerson Link and SWIMHC Board President Marie Rourick. The program will begin at 5 p.m.

Southwest Iowa Mental Health Center partners with Cass County Memorial Hospital to meet the mental health needs of children, adolescents and adults. The treatment team includes board-certified professionals in the disciplines of psychiatry, social work, psychology and psychiatric nursing. Their specialized areas of expertise include child and adolescent psychiatry, family therapy, psychological testing, psychotherapy and marital therapy.

Inpatient and outpatient services include 24-hour emergency care, consultation, evaluation, education, targeted case management, school-based mental health services, employee assistance programs, and integrated health programs.

(Press Release)

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) – Authorities are looking into the death of a 29-year-old Iowa woman whose body was found near a boat dock in southeastern South Dakota.
Alicia Hummel, of Sioux City, Iowa, was found dead in Vermillion near the Myron Grove boat launch, which also is known as the Highline Area in Clay County.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says police are looking for information on any suspicious activity between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. in the area on Monday. Authorities say a dark-colored sedan with tinted windows and a loud exhaust system might have been involved.

Council Bluffs Fire Department spokesman Justin James reports 15 members of the Iowa Hazardous Materials Task Force were activated this past weekend to assist the USDA with the monitoring of bio-security, cleaning and decontamination activities at infected premises and landfills impacted by the Avian Influenza outbreak. Members of the task force are employed by fire departments from the Cities of Council Bluffs, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Muscatine, and Sioux City.

James says in addition, Capt. Mike Cheney, of the Cedar Rapids Fire Department HazMat and Special Operations provided technical assistance to the USDA in the development of cleaning and decontamination procedures, for use at impacted sites and landfills. Nine Iowa Dept. of Agriculture and Land Stewardship staff are also assisting at infected premises to help monitor bio-security, cleaning and decontamination activities.

On a related note, officials with the Mills County Emergency Management Agency said Monday, government officials in the County are closely monitoring the arrival of bird waste at the Loess Hills Landfill, which began last Saturday, with 11 trucks bringing 21 loads for burial. The transport and burial processes were completed according to protocol developed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Officials say there were reports that three trucks bringing empty containers were incorrectly using several gravel roads for access, rather than staying on Highway34, however, the issue has since bee corrected.

The Pottawattamie County Bomb Squad was called to a home at 22529 Tammy Circle in Council Bluffs, Monday evening, where a woman found her late husband had a grenade stored in an old foot locker in the basement.The call about a suspicious device came in at around 6:50-p.m.

An Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Technician (File photo from Pott. County S/O)

Sgt. Jason LeMaster with the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office says the device, which was described as being a flat green “pineapple” shape, with some blue paint on it,  was placed in a protective pouch and brought back to the Sheriff’s Office where it was placed in the bomb bunker for safe keeping, until it could be destroyed.  It’s not clear whether the grenade was live or inert, and meant only for practice.

No injuries were reported.

In an update to our earlier report, authorities in Pottawattamie County say an Atlantic man was arrested Monday evening in Walnut, following a high speed pursuit. Sgt. Jason LeMaster, with the Pott. County Sheriff’s Office, says a deputy in Avoca ran a license plate on a black 1996 Cadillac Deville at around 6-p.m., because the registered owner did not have a valid license. When the deputy initiated a traffic stop, the car, driven by 32-year old Sean Gifford, of Atlantic, sped away and went through several alleys in Avoca in an attempt to elude the deputy.

The chase continued onto Highway 83 toward Walnut, with speeds topping 100-miles per hour. The deputy terminated the pursuit because of the excess speed, but located the vehicle at around 6:18-p.m., as it was coasting unoccupied, and ended up in a residential yard. Other deputies and agencies converged on the town to search for the suspect, who was apprehended at around 8-p.m. near a residence at 226 Koeppe Street, in Walnut.

Gifford was charged with eluding, Possession of a controlled substance/Marijuana for personal use and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, along with Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. He was transported to the Pottawattamie County Jail and remains held on $5,000 bond.

LeMaster says Gifford told deputies he ran because he didn’t have a valid license. The Pott. County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by deputies from Cass and Shelby County, including the Cass County K9 unit, and Troopers with the Iowa State Patrol.