A longtime deputy commissioner of the Iowa Division of Labor, who died just over a year ago, left behind a large gift that will benefit firefighters across the state. The bequest from Walter Johnson came as no surprise to his friend and former co-worker Mary Bryant, who says “Wally” spent 30 years in public service. “And he pretty much dedicated his life to safety for Iowa employees,” Bryant said.

Walter Johnson

A 130-thousand-dollar ($130,000) check was recently delivered to State Fire Marshal Dan Wood. Johnson, in his will, requested the money be directed toward the state’s Fire Service Training Bureau. “At this time, we’re kind of evaluating what we’re going to spend that money on so we spend it the right way, the proper way, and the most effective way…we have nothing specific yet planned,” Wood said.

Wood, a Clarinda native, became the State Fire Marshal late last year. Walter Johnson was a Hopkinton native who graduated from Maquoketa Valley High School in 1965. He died last February at the age of 69 due to kidney failure and other complications.

(Radio Iowa)

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has denied an appeal filed by an Iowa farmer-turned-reality television celebrity charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Chris Soules asked the Iowa Supreme Court to dismiss the felony charge before it goes to trial but the court denied his request.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A prominent basketball coach has left his organization amid an Iowa criminal investigation into secret video recordings of nude teenagers. The Iowa Barnstormers of the Amateur Athletic Union announced Thursday that 42-year-old coach Greg Stephen was no longer with the traveling organization, where several prominent basketball players have been on the roster. Court documents show the Division of Criminal Investigation served a search warrant Thursday at Stephen’s home in Monticello

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The owner of a gun that a 4-year-old boy used to accidentally kill himself in Iowa last year has been sentenced. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa says Daniel Henriksen was sentenced Wednesday to two months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. He had pleaded guilty last year to a federal count of possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of marijuana.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police have charged a man in the shooting death of another man last year near a Des Moines elementary school. Des Moines police said in a news release Friday that detectives arrested 19-year-old Jahmar Saheim Mustin, of West Des Moines, charging him with first-degree murder and criminal gang participation in the May death of 23-year-old Choice Elliston.

Officials with the Iowa DCI (Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation), Thursday, obtained a state search warrant for the residences of Greg Stephen in Monticello and Delhi, Iowa.  The search warrant affidavit states that a device had previously been obtained from Stephen’s  Monticello residence and was examined by law enforcement agents.

The affidavit states the device was found to contain video clips believed to depict young, non-adult disrobed male individuals.  Based on the investigation, the male individuals do not appear to be aware they were being recorded.

The DCI says it seeks any information regarding this investigation.  Members of the public with information or parents with questions or information should call 563-284-9506.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — The owner of a gun that a 4-year-old boy used to accidentally kill himself in Iowa last year has been sentenced. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa says Daniel Henriksen was sentenced Wednesday to two months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. He had pleaded guilty last year to a federal count of possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of marijuana.

Prosecutors say Henriksen had left his .45-caliber handgun in a mobile home where Jayden Choate and two other preschoolers were staying on June 17, 2016. Police say Jayden found the gun near where he and the other children were napping and accidentally shot himself in the head.

Henriksen had faced up to 10 years in prison.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court has denied an appeal filed by an Iowa farmer-turned-reality television celebrity charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Chris Soules asked the Iowa Supreme Court to dismiss the felony charge before it goes to trial. He contends Iowa law doesn’t require fatal wreck surviving drivers to wait for police but state prosecutors say it does.

Soules asked a judge to dismiss the case but the judge declined last month and Soules appealed. The high court Friday denied his request to hear the appeal. Soules appeared on “The Bachelor” and “Dancing With The Stars” in 2015.

He struck a tractor driven by a neighbor on April 24 last year in northern Iowa. He called 911 and waited for first responders but left before police arrived.