This Hour: Latest Iowa news, sports, business and entertainment

Posted: Updated:

HEALTH EXPANSION-IOWA

Branstad to sign health expansion into law

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Gov. Terry Branstad will this week sign legislation that expands low-income health care in Iowa.

Branstad spokesman Tim Albrecht says Monday the governor will sign the bill Thursday in Mason City. Branstad says the location was selected to acknowledge two lawmakers from the region - Republican House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer and Democratic Sen. Amanda Ragan - who brokered the deal.

Under the plan, Iowa will accept federal dollars offered to states that expand Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The state will use the funding to create a new health plan for some poor residents and will pay the premiums for other low-income Iowans to get plans on the new health care exchanges.

The plan will require federal approval. Branstad says he is optimistic that will happen.

TEACHER-SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

Ex-Iowa teacher receives prison for sexual contact

ALLISON, Iowa (AP) - A judge has sentenced a former math teacher at a rural Iowa high school to up to five years in prison for having sexual contact with at least three students.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that former Aplington-Parkersburg teacher Ashley Nicole Anderson learned the sentence during a hearing Monday at the Butler County courthouse in Allison.

The 25-year-old had pleaded guilty in April to three counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee under an agreement in which prosecutors dismissed a fourth count.

Police arrested Anderson last fall after authorities said she admitted to sexual contact with four male students aged 16 to 18 during the 2011-2012 school year.

A criminal complaint said that Anderson, of Ackley, had sexual relationships with them and sent nude photographs of herself.

BANK ROBBERY-SENTENCING

2 men sentenced in robbery that injured officers

WAVERLY, Iowa (AP) - Two men in northern Iowa have been sentenced to 75 years in prison for their roles in a bank robbery that injured two police officers.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Jeremiah Mumford, of New Hampton, and William Clayton, of Osage, were sentenced Monday following a plea agreement that included each pleading guilty to 30 felony counts. They will serve a minimum of 30 years in prison.

Both men faced robbery and attempted murder charges in connection with the October incident in Maynard. Mumford and Clayton were accused of wounding two officers during an ensuing car chase. The men were captured near Frederika several hours later.

The police officers recovered. Mumford and Clayton face similar charges in nearby Fayette County because the chase extended into two counties.

BRAWL-STEAKHOUSE

Police look into brawl at Cedar Rapids steakhouse

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) - Authorities are investigating what caused a brawl to break out at a steakhouse in Cedar Rapids over the weekend.

Cedar Rapids police say the Sunday night fight at an Outback Steakhouse involved at least one suspect and three injured people.

Cedar Rapids station KCRG reports 30-year-old Matthew Sanders is accused of hitting a man at a nearby table. Police say the man's adult daughter intervened and also was assaulted. Witnesses say a pregnant waitress also was injured and taken to a hospital.

It's unclear the extent of the injuries. Police say Sanders and the victims did not know each other.

Sanders has been charged with assault with a weapon and willful injury. Court records do not list an attorney.

OFFICERS-STAIRS

Police: Iowa man tried to drag officers on stairs

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) - A Coralville man resisting arrest has been accused of trying to drag police officers down a flight of stairs.

Coralville police say 45-year-old Donroy Merrival Jr. called 911 Sunday night without an emergency. He's accused of trying to fight responding officers.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports police gave Merrival a warning about the false emergency report and began to leave his residence. But he was handcuffed on suspicion of public intoxication after confronting officers and yelling at them.

Police say a handcuffed Merrival attempted to pull the officers down a flight of stairs, injuring one officer. Merrival is also accused of kicking an officer twice.

Merrival faces a charge of interference with official acts causing bodily injury and public intoxication. Court records do not list an attorney.

CHIROPRACTOR-YOUNG PATIENT

Board: Iowa chiropractor gave patient drugs, booze

CLIVE, Iowa (AP) - A chiropractor in central Iowa has been accused of giving a young patient illegal drugs and alcohol.

The Iowa Board of Chiropractic says Cameron Hart, of Clive, sent the patient numerous text messages that were of a sexual and graphic nature. Hart began treating the patient when the patient was a high school senior.

Hart is accused of giving the patient marijuana and alcohol, and waiving co-payments without telling his third-party provider.

Hart faces five counts, including committing unethical conduct by having improper sexual contact with, or making suggestive, lewd, lascivious or improper remarks or advances to a patient.

Hart faces a disciplinary hearing with the board on Oct. 9. A message left at Hart's office was not immediately returned Monday.

STATE PARKS APP

Governor promotes app for state parks

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Iowa residents can get information on state parks and outdoor recreation through a new mobile app.

Gov. Terry Branstad announced the app Monday. He says this tool - which people can download on their cellphones - will help residents be active outdoors this summer.

The mobile app offers information about trails and other activities. It was created by the state and the Iowa Parks Foundation and is called the Iowa State Parks and Recreation Guide.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has also created a program to help Iowans find outdoor activities in all of the state's 99 counties. That is known as Health and Happy Outdoors or H2O and is available online.

WATERLOO GREYHOUND PARK

Trucking company plans to buy former dog track

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - A long-closed dog racing track in Waterloo would become the headquarters for a trucking company under plans released by the business.

The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Waterloo-based Warren Transport president Dick Donnelly says the company hopes to close on the purchase of the former Waterloo Greyhound Park by August. The company then would build its headquarters at the 64-acre site near the intersections of U.S. highways 20 and 63.

Warren says the company and National Cattle Congress, which owns the property, agreed on a price "in principle." He declined to name the price.

The track closed in the mid-1990s and has since been largely unused.

Cattle Congress Chairman Wally Mochal says the organization was asking $1.9 million for the property. He also declined to disclose the agreed-upon sales price.