Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Jurors are deliberating the case of an Iowa woman charged in the starvation death of her 16-year-old daughter. The Des Moines Register reports that lawyers gave closing arguments Monday in the trial of 43-year-old Nicole Finn, of West Des Moines. She has pleaded not guilty to murder, kidnapping and child endangerment in the October 2016 death of 16-year-old Natalie Finn, who weighed 85 pounds when she died.

OAKLAND, Iowa (AP) — Local and federal investigators are trying to determine why a fire erupted on a school bus in western Iowa, killing a student and the bus driver. The fire occurred Tuesday morning after the bus picked up a student at a farm southeast of Oakland, Iowa, about 35 miles east of Omaha, Nebraska.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds says she wants to give details on a proposal to cut taxes in Iowa during a key legislative speech early next year. Reynolds told reporters Wednesday she’d like to provide information about a tax plan during her Condition of the State address on Jan. 9. She says releasing those details are contingent on Congress passing its sweeping tax overhaul. The federal legislation is expected to make changes to how Iowa collects taxes.

WEST BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) — A school district in southeast Iowa has apologized after disciplining a student who is recovering from cancer treatment and violated the dress code by covering her head. The Hawk Eye reports that a 15-year-old student was disciplined last week at West Burlington High School for not following the school’s dress code regarding head wear. The district superintendent says their insensitive approach was an error in judgment and the district has taken action to prevent this from happening again.

Atlantic School District Superintendent Steven Barber, Wednesday night at the school board meeting, spoke about the Riverside School District fatal bus fire near Oakland that occurred earlier this week, and offered reassurances to parents of the District concerned about school bus safety.

Barber said “I want to share my thoughts and prayers with the Oakland-Riverside School District after that tragic event that took place yesterday [Tuesday]. I’m sure the communities, the families, the school districts are searching for answers and they’re trying to get that figured out. So, I extended my sympathies to Dr. [Tom] Mitchell (Superintendent at Riverside CSD), and asked him if there is anything they need we would help to support that if need be.”

Barber said also, “In light of that, our Transportation Director Dave Eckles is really involved at the State level in school bus safety, and just this afternoon he put a letter together for parents and staff about what’s required for our bus drivers, what’s required for buses, what do we do for evacuations in training, and the procedures that they do every day to ensure that our machines are ‘up to steam,’ as well as our staff, and also preparing our kids for an event such as the one that took place down there [near Oakland).”

In other business, Mr. Barber said the idea of a Regional Academy is still being discussed. Included among that is a pre-apprentice construction trades program and how Atlantic can develop a program to connect with some of the skills that are being taught here already. And, how to overcome the barriers that exist within trying to create this learning environment. A couple of more meetings are scheduled in the coming weeks to further discussion and future action.

And finally, Superintendent Barber said Iowa School Report Card (http://reports.educateiowa.gov/schoolreportcard) results came out Wednesday. The good news is that the Atlantic High School and Elementary School were ranked “Acceptable,” the Middle School was “High Performing,” and Schuler Elementary was “Commendable.” Barber said much of the results are based on the Iowa Assessment.

The area that needs attention is where the State Assessment data doesn’t quite match the Core Curriculum.That’s something many districts are struggling with.

OAKLAND, Iowa (AP) — Local and federal investigators are trying to determine why a fire erupted on a school bus in western Iowa, killing a student and the bus driver. The fire occurred Tuesday morning after the bus picked up a student at a farm southeast of Oakland. Sixteen-year-old Megan Klindt and 74-year-old Donnie Hendricks died in the fire.

Fire investigators and representatives of the National Transportation Safety Board examined the charred remains of the bus Wednesday. John Reynolds, a chief deputy with the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office, says a timeline for the fire investigation hasn’t been determined.

NTSB spokesman Keith Holloway says the agency may issue its preliminary findings within 30 days, but its full investigation could take at least a year.