Iowa News

VOTER FRAUD CASES        Iowa voter registration form legality questioned        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Voter fraud cases against several Iowans could be in trouble if a district court judge rules Iowa’s voter registration form is illegal.        The attorney for a Council Bluffs man charged with election misconduct says the voter registration form has smaller type at the bottom where the person signing certifies citizenship. State law requires the print on the form to be uniform throughout.        Attorney David Richter says Pottawattamie County prosecutors stipulated at a hearing Monday that the type differs. He expects a judge to find the form illegal.        If the judge believes that justifies dismissal of charges against Richter’s client, Albert Harte-Maxwell, prosecution in similar cases could be in trouble.        Five other people are charged with election misconduct for registering to vote without U.S. citizenship, a felony in Iowa.

STATE PURCHASING-IOWA        Democrats back plan to aid state businesses        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A plan to give Iowa businesses help to win some state purchasing contracts is getting support from Democratic legislators.        Under the legislation touted Thursday by Senator Liz Mathis of Robins, if an in-state firm bids slightly higher than an out-of-state business to provide goods, then the state would have to offer the local firm the opportunity to match the lower bid.        Mathis says the change would apply to purchases of under $500,000 for items like office supplies or computers. She says the plan, which failed to get approval last year, would help Iowa business owners.        Republican House Speaker Kraig Paulsen says House lawmakers will consider the bill if it passes the Senate, but he says he has gotten feedback that Iowa employers are concerned about the proposal.

VEGGIE BAN        West Des Moines council drops plans for veggie ban        (Information in the following story is from: The Des Moines Register, http://www.desmoinesregister.com)        WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The West Des Moines City Council is dropping plans to consider banning residents from planting fruits and vegetables in their front yards.        The Des Moines Register reports Mayor Steve Gaer says a resident who initially brought the issue to city council members has withdrawn his complaint. The council then decided not to move forward with any action.        Gaer says residents have expressed concern that such a ban would infringe on their rights as property owners.        The resident complained last fall about his neighbor’s front yard. A council subcommittee met Wednesday and had discussed plans to study the issue further.

BANK ROBBERY-LOCKDOWN        Iowa officials: Lockdown connected to bank robbery        (Information in the following story is from: KVFD-AM.)        FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) – Authorities in northern Iowa say they believe a school threat was called in as a diversion for a nearby bank robbery.        The Fort Dodge Police Department briefly locked down the Fort Dodge Community School District Thursday after Feelhaver Elementary School received a verbal threat by phone.        Police say at the same time, there was a bank robbery at a Citizens State Bank in Fort Dodge. Authorities say the suspect fled the scene on foot and remains at large. No injuries have been reported.        Authorities and school officials say they believe the threat was a diversion for the bank robbery. They do not believe there was a real threat to any schools.

HELMET PROPOSAL-IOWA        Lawmakers mull helmet law for young mo-ped drivers        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Friends of a young Iowa woman killed in a mo-ped accident are urging lawmakers to approve a law requiring helmets for underage mo-ped drivers.        College students Leah Murray and Olivia Lofgren testified before a state Senate subcommittee Thursday on behalf of legislation to require helmets for mo-ped drivers under 18. Both say they want to prevent an accident like the one that killed their friend Caroline Found in 2011.        Found died after she lost control of her mo-ped and hit a tree. The 17-year-old from Iowa City was not wearing a helmet.        The subcommittee approved the legislation, which now gets committee review. Democratic Senator Joe Bolkcom called the approval a victory. But he noted the measure will have a tough road, given the Legislature’s reticence to approve helmet laws.

DATA BREACH-IOWA        U. of Iowa apologizes for release of GPA data        IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The University of Iowa is apologizing after a temporary employee mistakenly sent an email to 2,000 students that included a document showing all of their grade point averages.        The school said Thursday that students served by the Center for Diversity and Enrichment received the e-mail Wednesday that included a data attachment with their names, number of credit hours and grade point averages.        University officials apologized to students, saying they understand the breach “may have caused undue stress.” The university said counseling resources were available and that steps were “being taken to remedy the situation and to ensure that such mistakes do not occur again.”        Students have been instructed to delete the attachment, and shred any copies they printed out because personal grade information is protected under federal student privacy law.

FATAL WATERLOO SHOOTING        Boy testifies at Waterloo man’s murder trial        (Information in the following story is from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com)        WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – A 7-year-old boy has testified at the trial of a Waterloo man accused of shooting his fiancee and killing her mother.        A prosecutor questioned the boy about Kevin Ambrose Thursday at Black Hawk County Courthouse.        The boy told jurors Thursday he saw Ambrose pull a gun on his father and shoot his grandmother. He says the gun pointed at his father jammed, and Ambrose chased his mother outside the house.        A defense attorney asked the boy about the order of events and whether he overheard adults recounting the incident.        Ambrose is charged with first-degree murder in the May death of Kay Straw. He also is charged with attempted murder.

WATERLOO-HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION        Iowa man pleads not guilty to first-degree murder        (Information in the following story is from: Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, http://www.wcfcourier.com)        WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) – A Waterloo man has pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge in connection with the shooting death of a Des Moines man.        Orlando Moore was arraigned Thursday in connection with the death of Anthony Gardner. Moore’s attorney demanded speedy trial rights.        Gardner was found in December lying on the porch of a home on the city’s east side.  Police say Moore and Gardner were seen arguing before the shooting.        Moore was arrested on unrelated charges near the shooting. He remains at the Black Hawk Count Jail with bond set at $2 million.

FIRE INVESTIGATION        Officials in Clinton look into cause of major fire        (Information in the following story is from: KWQC-TV, http://www.kwqc.com)        CLINTON, Iowa (AP) – Officials in Clinton are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out at a business that disposes materials for the food industry.        Davenport television station KWQC reports the fire happened Wednesday afternoon at Darling International.        Officials say the fire was contained to a maintenance garage, but it caused considerable damage to the building and the vehicles inside. Combustible fuel and gas tanks caused small explosions.        Officials say no one was inside the building.

UNI PRESIDENT        Regents choose Pennsylvania academic to head UNI        DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Board of Regents has chosen William Ruud as the new president of the University of Northern Iowa.        The board made the announcement Thursday after interviewing the final two candidates during a meeting in West Des Moines.        The Regents chose Ruud, president of Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, over Michael Wartell, the former chancellor of Indiana University-Purdue Fort Wayne.        A committee began a search for a new president August. The new president will replace Benjamin Allen, who has led the Cedar Falls university since 2006.        Allen announced he would retire last year after making tough budget cuts that eliminated 58 majors, minors and graduate programs and the Malcolm Price Laboratory school, a popular teaching program.

 

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