DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A decade after a deadly freeway bridge collapse in Minneapolis, a study has found that thousands of Iowa’s bridges are deemed structurally deficient.

The Des Moines Register reports that a study released in February by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association found that almost 5,000 of the state’s more than 24,000 bridges are rated as structurally deficient. That means one of the bridge’s key elements — such as the deck, superstructure or substructure— is in poor or worse condition.

Most of those bridges are in rural areas and farming communities that see relatively low traffic.

State officials say a 10-cent-per-gallon state fuel tax increase enacted in 2015 will help fund improvements. The tax generates about $200 million for state and local road and bridge projects.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two Kansas men have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to their scheme to pilfer items from Wichita mailboxes.

Thirty-eight-year-old Shalan Hiatt of Wichita pleaded guilty Monday to one count each of mail theft and possession of a counterfeit mailbox master key. Thirty-three-year-old Jason Farner of Leavenworth pleaded guilty to two counts of mail theft.

Authorities say Hiatt and Farner admitted they were members of a group of people in Wichita who used counterfeited mailbox keys to steal mail containing checks and forms of identification.

Sentencing for both men is scheduled for Oct. 19.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Highway Patrol says two people were killed when the plane in which they were in crashed near an airport in Topeka, Kansas.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the victims of the crash shortly before 8:30 p.m. Monday were identified as 76-year-old pilot William Leeds of Mission and 55-year-old co-pilot James Bergman of Leawood. Both men died at the scene.

The patrol says the 1965 Piper PA-30 fixed wing multi-engine airplane went down near Philip Billard Municipal Airport.

Federal investigators are expected to help determine what caused the crash.

SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Police in the Kansas City suburb of Gardner, Kansas, say four people were injured in a crash involving a 15-year-old boy who had fled after striking a police officer.

An officer was checking on a car Saturday night when the driver suddenly sped away, striking and slightly injuring the officer.

Kansas Highway Patrol troopers later chased the suspect on Interstate 435 before he lost control of the vehicle trying to avoid an officer’s spike sticks.  The car sideswiped one, and then crossed into oncoming traffic which it collided head-on with another vehicle.  That vehicle left the roadway and overturned in a ditch.

The suspect was taken a hospital. Three other people, including a toddler, also were injured. The medical statuses of the injured were not immediately available Monday.

There was no immediate word about any charges.

RANDOLPH, Neb. (AP) — The mayor of a northeast Nebraska city has been charged with intentional child abuse and four counts of child sexual abuse.

Court records say 61-year-old Dwayne Schutt has bonded out of custody. He declined to comment Monday when reached at a Randolph number listed for him in court records.

Schutt’s attorney didn’t immediately return a call from The Associated Press.

A court appearance for Schutt is scheduled Wednesday in Hartington. He has been mayor of Randolph since 2011. The Cedar County city has about 940 residents.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in Topeka, Kansas, are investigating circumstances involving a fatally injured man found nude on a street.

Police say 18-year-old Joseph Daniel Irwin of Topeka was found unresponsive, naked and without identification on the street shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday. He died Friday at a hospital.

Police have not released details about how Irwin may have become injured, only calling the matter “suspicious.” But they have said they are looking for a small, hunter green sport utility vehicle with a roof rack.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — While many states grapple with a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that juveniles can’t automatically be sentenced to life in prison without parole, Kansas prison officials say that it is not an issue in the state.

The Kansas Department of Corrections says none of its inmates is serving life without parole for a crime committed while younger than 18. Such young offenders are barred from receiving that sentence in Kansas.

Five years ago, the Supreme Court barred mandatory life-without-parole sentences for anyone under 18 convicted of murder. Last year, the court made its ruling retroactive, saying the more than 2,000 offenders already serving such sentences must get a chance at resentencing.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — If you plan to livestream next month’s solar eclipse from one of the prime viewing spots, here’s a thought: Stick the cellphone in your pocket, put on your paper glasses and enjoy the celestial wonder.

Otherwise, frustration is possible since the best places to see the eclipse on Aug. 21 are largely in rural areas with spotty cell coverage. Even as the major cellphone companies temporarily upgrade service, there are no guarantees you’ll be able to post to social media as quickly as you’d like.

The solar eclipse will be seen first in Oregon and cut diagonally across 14 states to South Carolina. It will be the first seen coast-to-coast since 1918.

Cellphone companies plan to bring in temporary towers to boost connectivity at some of the big eclipse-watch events.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri changed its law to comply with a U.S. Supreme Court decision that deems mandatory life without parole for teens unconstitutional. But a legal fight still looms over whether affected Missouri lifers are getting a fair shot at release.

Under a year-old Missouri law, inmates who got life without parole for killings committed when they were younger than 18 can ask for a parole hearing after serving 25 years. But since last fall, 20 of 23 juvenile lifers who have sought release have been denied.

That’s according to the MacArthur Justice Center, which filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Missouri Department of Corrections and the parole board of running a system that denies juvenile lifers an adequate chance for freedom. That case goes to trial in November 2018.

BARTLETT, Tenn. (AP) — Millions of eyes will be fixed on the sky when a total solar eclipse crosses the U.S. in August. It’s likely many of them will be safely behind the special glasses churned out by a Tennessee company.

American Paper Optics ramped up production for this year’s eclipse and expects to make 50 million paper and plastic eclipse glasses.

The company in suburban Memphis is one of many businesses — hotels, campgrounds and stores — taking advantage of the total solar eclipse.

The total eclipse will move across the country from Oregon to South Carolina on Aug. 21. The rest of the U.S. will experience a partial eclipse, along with Canada, Central America and a bit of South America.

Cities and towns along the path are expecting hordes of eclipse watchers.