Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A jury has cleared the city of Davenport, its mayor and its public works director in a negligence case that was brought after residents complained of sewer backups. A lawsuit accused the officials of failing to address Davenport’s main sewer system despite years of complaints. Homeowners had sought compensation for damage from major rainfalls in April and May of 2013.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A pledge by local businesses to hire military veterans has Sioux City set to become the state’s second city to qualify as a Home Base Iowa Community. Governor Terry Branstad will bestow the honor Wednesday. Sioux City reached the program’s goal to have at least 10 percent of local employers pledge to hire at least one veteran before December 31st of 2018.

FOREST CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Forest City Police Department could move into its repaired police station by late June. The station was damaged in an October 2011 fire. Construction crews and city employees have been working on the building since February.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — People who commit a misdemeanor in Dubuque might not have to worry about bail money soon. Dubuque City Manager Mike Van Milligen and Assistant City Attorney Maureen Quann will ask the City Council on Monday to eliminate jail time as a penalty for misdemeanor city crimes. Quann says a recent Iowa Supreme Court opinion prompted the proposed change.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A pledge by local businesses to hire military veterans has Sioux City set to become the state’s second city to qualify as a Home Base Iowa Community. The Sioux City Journal reports that Gov. Terry Branstad will bestow the honor during a news conference Wednesday.

Sioux City reached the program’s goal to have at least 10 percent of local employers pledge to hire at least one veteran before Dec. 31, 2018. Communities also were required to put together incentive packages for veterans and their families. The program seeks to make the state a top destination for job-seeking veterans.

Marion in eastern Iowa was the first Home Base Iowa city. Thirteen counties have been designated.

A man who fell asleep at the wheel of an SUV suffered serious injuries and was transported to the Montgomery County Hospital by Red Oak Rescue, after the vehicle crashed into a field drive Saturday morning. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office says 63-year old Jackie Kendrick, of New Market was driving west on 270th Street about seven-miles southeast of Red Oak, when he fell asleep at the wheel of his 2001 Chevy Equinox.

Kendrick woke up when the SUV crossed the center line of the road. He over-corrected, causing the vehicle to enter the westbound ditch before hitting a field drive. The SUV sustained about $13,000 damage during the crash that happened at around 7-a.m.

More area, & State news, w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The 7:06-a.m. report w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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A lifelong citizen of Elk Horn (IA) died yesterday (Friday) in a rural area pond. According to the Danish Villages News, Maynard Nielsen was found in a friends pond. Upon returning home the man recognized Nielsen’s vehicle parked nearby without him in it. He then discovered the man’s body in his pond, lying face down by the dock, in approximately 4 feet of water.

Nielsen reportedly suffered from cerebral palsy most of his life but it did not stop him from regular pursuits. After receiving a masters degree, he decided to return home to Elk Horn instead of becoming a counselor, and continued being an active member of the community. Only recently did he leave his job with the Village Station and move into the Salem Lutheran Homes to receive care.

A traffic stop early this (Saturday) morning, in Red Oak, resulted in an arrest. Red Oak Police say at around 12:30-a.m., a van driven by 35-year old Meri Ellen Kling, of Red Oak, was pulled over in the 1300 block of North Broadway. Following questioning of the driver, the Montgomery County K9 was deployed and alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle. Kling was subsequently taken into custody for Possession of drug paraphernalia and OWI/Drugged. She was also cited for having no insurance. Kling was transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where her bond was set at $1,000.

A Sioux City teenager died and three others were hospitalized after police say they became ill while smoking a synthetic drug. Officer Jeremy McClure of the Sioux City Police Department says emergency responders were initially called late Thursday night to War Eagle Park to check on a person who was sick. “Four subjects were transported to local hospitals for treatment after ingesting smokeable synthetic drugs. One those subjects, 18-year-old Austin McCloud of Sioux City, died while being treated,” McClure said at a news conference Friday. McCloud and the three other victims, between the ages of 16 and18, were found together in a car shortly after 11 p.m.

McClure said an autopsy will help determine exactly what caused McCloud’s death. Two of the teens were still be treated at the hospital, as of Friday afternoon, while the other teen was treated and released. The names of the other three victims are not being released, but McClure said they are all students at Sioux City West High School. It remains unclear exactly what substances were being used by the four teens.

“We’re not exactly sure what synthetic drug they were using at this time,” McClure said. “The substances that we found at the scene are being sent to the Iowa State Criminal Lab to be tested.” For now, no charges have been filed in the case.

(Radio Iowa)