DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Senate Democrats are proposing a plan for reducing commercial property taxes that they say would help small businesses more than Governor Terry Branstad’s tax proposal. Under the legislation unveiled yesterday, commercial property owners would gradually get a tax credit that’s the equivalent of a 40 percent tax cut on their first $324,000 in assessed property value.

DECORAH, Iowa (AP) — An attorney for a northern Iowa man accused of shooting at several people plans to say his client was intoxicated by drugs. Mark Anderson filed notice in Winneshiek County District Court of his intentions to rely on an “intoxication by drugs” defense for his 23-year-old client, Daniel Wildman. A trial is scheduled to begin February 27th.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an unloaded handgun and ammunition were found in a carry-on bag at an airport in Des Moines. The Transportation Security Administration says the gun was detected at a screening checkpoint Wednesday at Des Moines International Airport. Thirty-three-year-old Army Captain John Thompson told authorities he didn’t know the items were in his bag.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — For three hectic days in Des Moines, Iowans will too busy celebrating their love of wrestling to worry much about its Olympic future. Roughly 10,000 fans packed Wells Fargo Arena yesterday morning for the opening session of the Iowa individual wrestling tournament — a 72-hour spectacle that will pack local freeways, restaurants and hotels and draw as many as 80,000 fans to the state capital.