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

HAMPTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King is keeping a low profile in the closing days of a re-election campaign that has suddenly turned competitive. King has been engulfed in controversy for his past support of white supremacist groups and leaders in light of Saturday’s massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue. King has announced no public campaign events and is sticking to a light schedule.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A Roman Catholic diocese in Iowa is acknowledging that it kept quiet for 32 years about a priest’s admission to having sexually abused dozens of boys. The Diocese of Sioux City told The Associated Press in a statement Wednesday that it never contacted police or informed the public about the Rev. Jerome Coyle, despite his 1986 admission. With diocese assistance, Coyle recently moved into a Fort Dodge retirement home that’s across the street from a Catholic school.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) — A former friend of an Iowa father whose infant son was found dead and maggot-infested in a baby swing last year has testified he wasn’t even aware the man had a baby. The Courier reports that Jordan Clark testified Wednesday at the trial of 29-year-old Zachary Paul Koehn, who’s charged with murder and child endangerment in the August 2017 death of 4-month-old Sterling Koehn.

LARCHWOOD, Iowa (AP) — A former employee has bought out the owners of an animal vaccine plant in northwest Iowa. The Sioux Falls (South Dakota) Argus Leader reports that Eric Schuler completed the deal in mid-August for Elanco’s operations in Larchwood, where he once was head of engineering. He’s formed Vos BioTech and intends to retain as many of the plant’s employees as possible.

DORCHESTER, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a man killed when a farm machine ran over him in northeast Iowa’s Allamakee County was a Minnesota man. The Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office says first responders were called Tuesday morning to a farm field northwest of Dorchester and found 64-year-old Gerald Oren Myrhe, of Caledonia, Minnesota. The sheriff’s office says a combine had backed up over Myrhe when it was being maneuvered to unload corn.

Myrhe was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials with the Council Bluffs Police Department said Wednesday, that their 17th Annual “Operation Medicine Cabinet” take back prescription drug program held last Saturday, resulted in nearly 306 pounds of miscellaneous pharmaceuticals being turned-in, with 138 people participating in the DEA sponsored event.

To date, the Departments “Operation Medicine Cabinet” events have resulted in 6,050 pounds of miscellaneous pharmaceuticals being collected and over 3,295 individuals participating.

Officials say the Department’s success with these events would not be possible without the collaboration of several community organizations including Promise Partners and Prevention Means Progress; volunteers, the Council Bluffs Recycling center, Walgreens and Pizza Counter.

An accident in Mills County early this (Wednesday) morning, resulted in a woman from Missouri being transported to a hospital in Council Bluffs. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says 80-year old Audrey Brooks, of Kansas City, MO., was transported to Jennie Edmundson Hospital by Pacific Junction Rescue, following the accident that happened at around 3:30-a.m. on Interstate 29 at about mile marker 33.

Brooks was traveling northbound in the SOUTHbound lane of I-29 in a 2017 Honda. 25-year old Marcos Bautista-Ramirez, of Canton, GA., was traveling southbound on I-29 in a 2009 Toyota, when he noticed the wrong-way Honda. Bautista-Ramirez attempted to miss Brooks’ car, by swerving. In doing so, the left front side of his vehicle struck the left front of the Honda.

The Honda became disabled on the road during the collision, while the Toyota ended-up in the median.

In other news, the Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports 36-year old Nicole Jean Cronland, of Council Bluffs, was arrested Tuesday afternoon in Sarpy County, NE., on a Mills County warrant for Failure to Appear in court. Her bond was set at $10,000. And, at around 8:45-a.m. today (Wed.), 42-year old Steven Wayne Thompson, of Omaha, was arrested at the Douglas County, NE. Jail, on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation. His bond was set at $6,000.

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) — A former friend of an Iowa father whose infant son was found dead and maggot-infested in a baby swing last year has testified he wasn’t even aware the man had a baby. The Courier reports that Jordan Clark testified Wednesday at the trial of 29-year-old Zachary Paul Koehn, who’s charged with murder and child endangerment in the August 2017 death of 4-month-old Sterling Koehn.

Clark testified that he was aware Koehn had a young daughter, but said he didn’t know Koehn had an infant son, despite having visited Koehn’s Alta Vista apartment. Clark also testified that he, Koehn and the baby’s mother smoked meth, and that Koehn bought $20 to $40 worth of meth from him weekly.

A coroner’s report showed the baby died of malnutrition, dehydration and an infection caused after he was left in a soiled diaper for up to two weeks.

The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum will host a Veterans Tribute Celebration on Saturday, Nov. 10th, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The celebration includes a musical performance, vendor tables, luncheon and comments from retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Larry Spencer who spent nearly seven years as an American prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Spencer was born in Wichita, Kansas and grew up in Earlham, Iowa graduating from Earlham High School in 1958. He entered the U.S. Navy in February 1963, completing aviation officer candidate school at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. During Vietnam, Spencer had two deployments to Southeast Asia serving aboard the USS Ranger and USS Enterprise from 1964-1966.

On Feb. 18, 1966, while flying an F-4B Phantom II on reconnaissance escort mission over North Vietnam he was shot down and captured near Thanh Hoa. Spencer spent six days shy of seven years in captivity as POW, for a total of 2,551 days. Spencer was one of the first 20 American POWs to return from North Vietnam, arriving back in the United States on Feb. 14, 1973. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1985 after 22 years of service.

During the celebration the museum will host a supply drive for veterans with a collection point sponsored by Operation Barnabas of Des Moines. All donations will go to benefit veterans in central Iowa. Some examples of what to bring include coffee, canned goods, chewing gum, bath soap, and cleaning supplies. For a complete list go to www.iowamilitarysupport.org

The lecture will take place in the Col. Al Rolfes Education Center at the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum on Camp Dodge in Johnston, Iowa. Admission to the museum is free.

(Radio Iowa) — Republican Governor Kim Reynolds says Iowa needs more LEGAL immigrants to fill job openings and she “strongly disagrees” with some of the comments Congressman Steve King has made about the danger immigrants from places like Central America and Mexico pose to western civilization. “We are a country of immigrants and we celebrate that,” Reynolds says. “I disagree with what he said. I’ve said that before.”

Hundreds of Democrats cheered loudly last (Tuesday) night in Cedar Rapids as Reynolds’ rival Fred Hubbell called on Reynolds to remove King as a co-chairman of her campaign. “His reprehensible actions don’t represent Iowa values,” Hubbell said, to more cheers. Reynolds says King is “one of thousands” of campaign co-chairs who endorsed her bid for a full, four-year term as governor.

“I can’t be held responsible for everyone’s comments,” Reynolds says. “I can be held responsible for myself and I’m out there running for governor and focusing on building on the progress that we’ve seen.” Reynolds made her comments after a mid-morning campaign stop in Pella. “Double-down and do everything we can to make sure we that elect Republicans up and down the ticket,” Reynolds said to the crowd.

Other Republicans on the 2018 ballot are appearing at the governor’s bus tour events. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, the two Republicans who represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate, have joined Reynolds for stops today (Wednesday) in Pella, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa and Columbus Junction. Hubbell is campaigning today (Wednesday) in Spencer, Estherville and Emmetsburg.