DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Backers of a $117 million plan to bring recreation to downtown Des Moines say the rivers project would create a network of 80 water trails across central Iowa. Rick Tollakson is president and CEO of Hubbell Realty Co. and one of the project’s biggest supporters. He told The Des Moines Register that the project centerpiece would be a series of whitewater features that would replace three dangerous low-head dams along the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers.

He says the Des Moines business community is committed to underpin fundraising because recreational opportunities are the best way to attract and retain young workers. Project backers have discussed it with Iowa’s congressional members, hoping to secure a third of the cost through state and federal grants.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:50 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The president of the Planned Parenthood chapter for Iowa and Nebraska will step down as the organization prepares to join a larger chapter based in Minnesota. The Des Moines Register reports the agency announced Tuesday that Suzanna de Baca will step down effective Sept. 30. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland is joining Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota to form a new regional affiliate: Planned Parenthood North Central States.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Scott Walker is signaling he won’t push for a measure similar to a new Iowa law that would ban most abortions after the sixth week of pregnancy. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed legislation earlier this month that bans most abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, which is around six weeks of pregnancy.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The abrupt downfall of Iowa Senate Majority Leader Bill Dix soon became a cash windfall for the Republican Party of Iowa. The party accepted a $522,000 contribution from Dix’s campaign on March 26, two weeks after the Shell Rock farmer quit the Legislature. A party spokesman is defending the move, saying the cash “was raised to help elect and defend a Republican majority.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ campaign says it plans to return a $250 contribution from a former ally she fired over sexual harassment allegations. A campaign finance disclosure shows that then-Iowa Finance Authority Director Dave Jamison and his wife made the donation to Reynolds on March 1. Asked about the donation Tuesday, campaign spokesman Pat Garrett said, “we plan to return it.” Reynolds fired Jamison on March 24.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The president of the Planned Parenthood chapter for Iowa and Nebraska will step down as the organization prepares to join a larger chapter based in Minnesota. The Des Moines Register reports the agency announced Tuesday that Suzanna de Baca will step down effective Sept. 30 after leading Planned Parenthood of the Heartland since 2014.

Planned Parenthood of the Heartland is joining Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. Together they will form a new regional affiliate, called Planned Parenthood North Central States.

Sarah Stoesz, the longtime leader of the Minnesota-based chapter, will be the president of the new consolidated organization. De Baca plans to fill an unpaid seat on its board. De Baca says there are no plans to close any of the eight Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa or two in Nebraska.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa– A United States District Court in Pottawattamie County has sentenced a McClelland man to one-year plus one-day of imprisonment, for Tax Evasion. The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports Judge Stephanie M. Rose, on May 11th, also ordered 49-year old Michael Collins to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) amounting to slightly more than $70,274, and pay to a fine of $34,770. Collins will serve a three year term of supervised release following his prison term.

Collins pleaded guilty to tax evasion on December 21, 2017. According to documents and information provided to the Court, Collins was part-owner of a real-estate development firm that earned significant income in 2006. As a result of his ownership in the company, Collins received approximately $289,000 in income that year, but did not report it on his individual income tax return. In 2008, the IRS contacted Collins regarding the unreported income and Collins filed an amended return reporting the income and reflecting a tax due of more than $100,000. However, Collins did not pay the tax liability.

From 2006 through the present, Collins also operated an excavating and trucking company that generated more than $5.5 million in gross receipts. To evade payment of his outstanding tax liability, Collins registered the business as well as its bank accounts in the name of nominees, used nominee entities to conceal over $5 million in gross receipts from the business, filed fraudulent corporate tax returns that listed nominees as the owners of the business and paid his personal expenses using the business’ unreported income. Collins also filed fraudulent documents with the IRS claiming to have no gross business receipts for the company and falsely told IRS employees that his only source of income was unemployment benefits.

He admitted to causing a tax loss of more than $250,000. The case was prosecuted by Department of Justice, Tax Division Trial Attorneys Matthew Hoffman and Lee Langston and was investigated by Special Agents of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.

Sheriff’s officials in Adams County report a man and woman from Creston were arrested on drug charges late Tuesday morning (5/22). Authorities say at around 11:45-a.m., the Adams County K9 Unit conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of Highway 34 and Tulip Avenue. During the stop, K9 “Baxo” was deployed and indicated on the vehicle.

A probable cause search was conducted and a pipe used to smoke methamphetamine was located.

William Ridley

Michelle Peterson

The two occupants of the vehicle denied ownership of the pipe. The driver, William Ridley of Creston, was placed under arrest for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Driving under Suspension, and Providing False Identification Information. The passenger, Michelle Peterson, also of Creston, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Ridley and Peterson each have outstanding warrants for their arrest in other jurisdictions.