Iowa News

IOWA CAPITOL FOCUS        Worker compensation is question in state budget        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Governor Terry Branstad has released his budget proposal, but one key part of the plan remains a question mark.        That’s compensation for the roughly 20,000 union represented state workers in Iowa. And the acrimonious tone between Branstad and union officials suggests the current contract talks will not be easily resolved.        Like many other Republican governors, Branstad wants to win concessions from public sector workers, such as requiring them to pay a portion of their health control costs. Union president Danny Homan, of Iowa Council 61 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, calls this an attempt to weaken the union.        Given that Iowa has emerged from the recent economic downturn in fiscally robust condition, analysts say Branstad’s position seems based on conservative ideology, rather than financial need.

VETERAN LICENSE DELAYS        Iowa veterans complain about wait for new licenses        (Information in the following story is from: KWWL-TV, http://www.kwwl.com)        WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – Some Iowa veterans who want to showcase their military service on their driver’s licenses are disappointed they have to wait until their current license expires.        KWWL reports a new law took effect last week allowing Iowans to have a veteran designation on their licenses to help them get discounts.        Rex Eyestone of Waterloo says he wanted to get a new license immediately because he’s proud of his service in Vietnam.        But state officials say Eyestone and others will have to wait until their license is due for renewal.        Mark Lowe, director of the Motor Vehicle Division, says the problem is that the state loses almost $8 every time it issues a duplicate license.        Lowe says officials are looking at whether the fees can be changed to allow more duplicates.

FIRED EMPLOYEES REHIRED        Iowa says its list of fired workers was wrong        (Information in the following story is from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com)        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa officials say they made a mistake in releasing the records of 328 state employees because nearly half of those resigned to avoid being fired.        The Des Moines Register reports the state says 145 of the people included in the initial list of fired employees resigned to avoid having a termination on their record.        Earlier this month, the Register reported that 33 employees who had been fired were later rehired by the state.        Now Governor Terry Branstad and some lawmakers are talking about changing the law to make more disciplinary records of state employees available to the public.        Representative Kevin Koester, an Ankeny Republican, says the public should know when state employees are disciplined or fired because public safety may be on the line when a bad employee is rehired.

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AWARENESS        Iowa hazardous materials week begins Sunday        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa emergency management officials want everyone to be more familiar with hazardous materials, how they should be used, stored, and disposed of so they’ve created a hazardous materials awareness week.        The week, so designated by Governor Terry Branstad, starts Sunday and runs through January 26th.        Brochures and fact sheets about hazardous materials safety are available for download on WWW DOT BeReady DOT Iowa DOT gov.        The Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division also posts updates at his Facebook page and on its Twitter feed throughout the week.        The division leads, coordinates and supports homeland security and emergency management functions in Iowa.

MEDITATION FIGHT        Legal fight over calming technique lacks harmony        FAIRFIELD, Iowa (AP) – The followers of a meditation practice that has its roots in ancient India are in a dispute over the control of its teaching.        The feud pits the Iowa nonprofit that has taught transcendental meditation in the U.S. for decades against Thom Knoles, a former associate who left and built his own group of followers.        The outcome could decide whether the Maharishi (mah-hah-ree-shee) Foundation will continue to control the teaching of U.S. transcendental meditation – or whether rivals can market similar services and benefits without obtaining a license.        The two sides are fighting for customers and to protect their own reputations. With such stakes, the litigation over a technique that supporters say can reduce stress and blood pressure is getting tense.

DRAKE-N IOWA        Northern Iowa routs Drake 85-55        CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) – Deon Mitchell scored 20 points, leading four Northern Iowa players in double figures, and the Panthers routed Drake 85-55 on Sunday.        Jake Koch had 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds, and Seth Tuttle and Anthony James scored 10 points apiece for Northern Iowa (10-9, 3-4 Missouri Valley), which shot 60 percent from the field, making 30 of 50 shots.        The Panthers led 37-22 at halftime, and their biggest lead was 36 points.        Richard Carter led the Bulldogs (8-10, 2-5) with 16 points. Jordan Clarke had 10 points and eight rebounds for Drake in Cedar Falls.        Northern Iowa has won 19 straight games when scoring 80 or more points going back to 2008.

T25-PURDUE-IOWA        Iowa defeats No. 12 Purdue women 62-46        IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Jaime Printy and Melissa Dixon scored 15 points apiece and Iowa never trailed in defeating Number 12 Purdue 62-46 on Sunday.        Theairra Taylor had nine points and 10 rebounds, and Samantha Logic had 10 assists as the Hawkeyes (14-5, 3-2 Big 10) handed Purdue its first conference loss of the season.        Bethany Doolittle had eight points, nine rebounds, three steals and three blocked shots for Iowa. Taylor was 3 for 3 from 3-point range, and Printy and Dixon also made three 3s.        The Hawkeyes led 41-18 at halftime. They were up 17-3 before Purdue managed its second basket with 8 1/2 minutes left in the half. In the second half, the Boilermakers only got as close as nine points once before Iowa built a 17-point lead again.        Courtney Moses led the Boilermakers (15-3, 4-1) with 11 points. Purdue’s only previous losses were to Number 2 Notre Dame and 3rd ranked Connecticut.

T25-IOWA ST-OKLAHOMA ST        No. 17 Oklahoma St women rout No. 24 Iowa St 71-42        STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) – Liz Donohoe had 18 points and eight rebounds and Number 17 Oklahoma State rolled past Number 24 Iowa State 71-42 on Sunday.        ISU scored the first five points and led for much of the early going, but the Cowgirls (14-2, 3-2 Big 12) went on a 10-0 run sparked by Morgan Toben’s 3-pointer to take a 25-15 lead.        It was 31-21 at halftime and Oklahoma State scored the first 20 points of the second half, holding the Cyclones without a field goal for the first 8 minutes of the half.        Hallie Christofferson led Iowa State (13-3, 4-2) with 14 points and 10 rebounds in Stillwater. The Cyclones’ only other losses have been to Iowa and top-ranked Baylor.

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