Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:48 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Federal inspectors have repeatedly ordered a southeast Iowa fur farm to improve the grim living conditions for ferrets, foxes, raccoons and skunks it sells to government laboratories and pet stores. Many of the animals have been forced to live in sweltering heat or maggot-infested filth, sometimes with decomposing carcasses in their cages. So far no charges or enforcement action has been taken against the Ruby Fur Farm.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — MidAmerican Energy plans to spend $1 billion updating more than 700 older wind turbines across Iowa. A MidAmerican Energy official says the turbines will be retrofitted with newer, more efficient components, including longer blades, to extend their lifespans an estimated 20 years. The company says each upgraded turbine will annually net between 19 and 28 percent more energy.

ROCK VALLEY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested a grandson of an 84-year-old man whose body was found by firefighters in northwest Iowa. The Rock Valley Police Department said in a news release Friday that 19-year-old Santos Rodriguez Jr. is charged with first-degree murder and arson in the slaying of Luis Luevanos. Court records don’t list an attorney for Rodriguez.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — A Waterloo city councilman wants the city to sell advertising space on city vehicles. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that Councilman Ron Welper has been working with city staff and an advertising agency on a plan to sell sign space on police vehicles, firetrucks and garbage trucks. He projects revenue of about $100,000 a year. The council took no action Monday after receiving information about Welper’s proposal.

A team of more than 70 Iowans and Nebraskans from the Omaha District of the Army Corps of Engineers has returned from a lengthy hurricane recovery mission in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Most of them spent eight weeks or more offering emergency assistance. Michael Welch, power plant superintendent at Gavins Point Dam, headed up the “Blue Roof Mission” which helped secure temporary covers of blue tarps atop damaged homes.

“Some houses were absolutely destroyed and the Blue Roof Mission could not be applied to those homes,” Welch says. “I would say the Corps of Engineers’ disaster response to the blue roof people was like the infantry. They’re actually boots on the ground, canvassing neighborhoods, directly talking people to people.”

Welch and his team were initially sent to the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he says they saw near total destruction. “It was also amazing how positive the people were,” he says. “It’s like any natural disaster. People realize it’s the basics of life that are important, that they’re alive and that all of the possessions they had can be replaced and that their family is safe. Those are the things that I’m reminded of when I go on a disaster response.”

Welch says the team members saw signs of recovery as they got ready to leave. “There were no leaves on any plants when we got there,” he says. “I got to St. Croix on the 24th of September and by the time we were leaving at the end of October, the trees had sprouted leaves and it was turning green again. It was amazing how fast nature can start the recovery process.”

Welch says the Corps will continue to rotate people into the hurricane areas as long as they are needed.

(Radio Iowa)

This Sunday (Nov. 12th), Fred Hubbell, Democratic candidate for governor of Iowa, will begin a four-day statewide mental health tour. One of his stops takes him to Harlan, he will be joined by rural mental health expert Dr. Michael Rosmann, former President of the National Sheriffs Association and current Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald, along with local community mental health stakeholders. His “Harlan Rural Mental Health Roundtable Discussion” take place at the Milk & Honey Restaurant, (1101 7th St.), beginning at 3-p.m., Sunday.

Hubble is a lifelong progressive and fifth-generation Iowan, holds vast experience in both the public and private sector, who successfully ran several large companies like Younkers Department Chain and Equitable of Iowa. His 10-stop trip across the state includes discussions in both Sioux City and Harlan, on Sunday.

Along the way, he will be joined by county sheriffs, mental health professionals, and community leaders to hear about Iowa’s mental health crisis and discuss solutions to restore care and support to the mental health community. At each stop, Hubble will discuss his vision to revitalize Iowa’s mental health care.

More information about him and his campaign, can be found at FredHubbell.com.

ROCK VALLEY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have arrested a grandson of an 84-year-old man whose body was found by firefighters in northwest Iowa. The Rock Valley Police Department said in a news release Friday that 19-year-old Santos Rodriguez Jr. is charged with first-degree murder and arson in the slaying of Luis Luevanos. The older man’s body was found Oct. 29 after firefighters extinguished the blaze at the home he shared with Rodriguez. Investigators have since learned that Luevanos had been stabbed several times.

Police say Rodriguez left for Utah after the fire and was taken into custody there. Iowa investigators went to Utah to interview him, and police say Rodriguez admitted stabbing his grandfather and setting the fire. Court records don’t list an attorney who could comment for Rodriguez, who remains for now in Utah.