(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Senate has approved a bill that seeks to shut down Iowa businesses caught repeatedly hiring people who are not U.S. citizens or legal residents. Republican Senator Julian Garrett of Indianola is the chief sponsor of the legislation that mandates businesses use the federal “E-Verify” system to confirm prospective employees are in the country legally. “The present system is very unfair to both legal workers — legal employees — and law-abiding businesses,” Garrett said.

If the bill becomes law, businesses caught employing undocumented workers would be on probation for three years and have to confirm to STATE officials that newly-hired workers are in the U.S. legally. A business would lose its operating license after getting caught a SECOND time with undocumented workers on the payroll. Rob Hogg (HOHG, rhymes with “vogue”) of Cedar Rapids was among the 13 Democrats in the state senate who opposed the bill. “We all agree that what really needs to happen is we urgently need comprehensive federal immigration reform at the nation level,” Hogg said.

One Republican senator voted against the measure, but the other Republicans present last (Tuesday) night in the senate voted for it, as did four Democrats. The bill now goes to the House and must clear a House committee by Friday to be eligible for a vote on the House floor later this spring.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Some county supervisors have criticized the lack of security screening planned for a symphony gala at the Woodbury County Courthouse. The Sioux City Journal reports that visitors normally must walk through a scanner and their bags are screened by a metal detector. Supervisor Rocky De Witt said at the board meeting Tuesday that said not requiring the same for Sioux City Symphony Orchestra guests “sends the wrong message” that symphony guests are more trustworthy than others who enter the courthouse.

De Witt says other groups that booked the courthouse for after-hours events went through security screening. Sheriff Dave Drew says the courthouse security plan aims to protect county and courtroom employees. He says because they won’t be present at Saturday’s event, security screening won’t be necessary.

A woman from Creston reported to Police Tuesday morning, that sometime between 3- and 4-a.m. Tuesday, someone entered her residence in the 400 block of N. Oak Street. The thief took a 40-inch flat screen TV valued at $300. Creston Police are investigating the incident.

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say one person died after a fire broke out at a condominium complex in southwest Cedar Rapids. Firefighters dispatched a little after 3 p.m. Tuesday encountered heavy smoke when they entered one of the units. They found a person inside a doorway who later was pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries have been reported.
The victim’s name and other information about the fire haven’t been released.

(Radio Iowa) — Missouri River floodwaters are receding slowly from the southwest Iowa town of Hamburg but a former mayor expects a few hundred residents likely won’t return. Terry Holliman owns the NAPA Auto Parts store, flooded when the Missouri River broke through the Hamburg levee March 18th and inundated about two-thirds of the city of a thousand. “It’s a big financial loss for most people that can least afford it,” Holliman says, adding, the poorest residents took the brunt of the flood. “The lower areas are the lower-income families, the ones who can least afford a loss. It’s going to be hard on everybody,” he says.

Not everyone will be willing to start over. “We have a lot of recovery, a lot of rebuild,” Holliman says. “A lot of people simply will not come back to town because of the loss of homes. We’ll probably lose, easily 200 people.”  He says residents remain resentful about how the U-S Army Corps of Engineers manages the Missouri River and he accuses the Corps of neglecting flood control measures. Holliman said the dams and the levees were built in the 1950s for flood protection.

“They’ve now switched that. They no longer are about flood protection, they’re about environmental and recreational,” Holliman says. “They sat there during the winter with their dams full, knowing they’re going to have runoff from snowmelt and no place to put it except down the river.”

Spring flood damage across Iowa is estimated near one-point-six billion dollars, with another one-point-three billion dollars damage in Nebraska.

Red Oak Police, responding to a dispatch at around 8:25-p.m., Tuesday about an unconscious man in the 600 block of Hillcrest Drive, ended-up arresting the subject. Officers arrested 28-year old Logun Matthew Hughes, of Red Oak, after he was transported to the hospital and medically cleared. He was taken into custody for Child Endangerment and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where Hughes’ bond was set at $2,000.

Fremont County Sheriff Kevin Aistrope reports that early this (Wednesday) morning, deputies arrested 56-year old Jules E. Gould of Shenandoah. Gould was located in the 300 block of Iowa street in Shenandoah where he was also taken into custody.

Gould was transported to the Fremont Count Law Enforcement Center and being held on $100,000 bond for the Delivery of Methamphetamine. Sheriff Aistrope said that the investigation is on going, and he expects more people to be arrested pending the conclusion of the narcotics investigation.

Deputies were assisted by the Shenandoah Police Dept.

J. Gould

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:45 a.m. CDT

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — In his fourth trial, a jury has found a man guilty in the 1990 killing of a 9-year-old girl whose body was found in Davenport. The Quad-City Times reports jurors Tuesday found 57-year-old Stanley Liggins guilty of murder in the death of Jennifer Ann Lewis. The Rock Island, Illinois, girl’s body was found the night of Sept. 17, 1990 in a field near a Davenport elementary school. Liggins has been twice convicted of murder but the verdicts were overturned. His last trial ended in a mistrial.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Senate subcommittee has approved a resolution that seeks to amend the state constitution and restore voting rights to felons who complete their sentences, but it’s unclear if the measure will get through a full Senate committee in time to meet a legislative deadline. It is a key policy initiative of Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds but some Senate members of her own party resist restoring rights for murders, rapists and child molesters and want other criminals to repay restitution first.

MARQUETTE, Iowa (AP) — A 66-year-old eastern Iowa man says only Alaska’s Denali thwarted his efforts to scale the highest peaks in all 50 U.S. states. In 2016, Don Smalley set himself the challenge to reach the highest point in every state. The Marquette resident high-pointed in 43 states between 2016 and 2017. Last summer, he failed in his attempt to summit Denali, the highest peak in North America. The Telegraph Herald reports that Smalley concluded his effort this February in Hawaii.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Officials say more than 40 Dubuque jobs will be lost after MidWestOne’s purchase of ATBancorp is completed. The two banking companies announced the agreement last August. MidWestOne spokesman Greg Turner said Tuesday that the deal is expected to close May 1. Turner says some of the 44 ATBancorp employees whose jobs will be eliminated because of duplication are retiring or already have found new positions.

Patrons of the Riverside Community School District have said No to the renewal of a 10-year PPEL (Physical Plant and Equipment Levy). Unofficial results from the Pottawattamie County Elections Office shows there were a total of 334 No votes (56.4%) to 258 Yes votes (43.6%). A 60% super majority was needed for the PPEL to pass. The votes are broken down as follows:

• Absentee: 8 Yes, 7 No
• Carson: 77 Yes, 63 No
• Macedonia: 36 Yes, 58 No
• Oakland: 137 Yes, 206 No

And, the voters elected Timothy Petersen to fill a vacancy on the Riverside School Board in District 5. There were two write-in absentee votes. Turnout for the election amounted to 21.3% of the 2,774 registered voters in the District.

If it had been renewed, the 10-year PPEL tax rate would have been $1.34/$1,000 taxable property valuation, and would have been used for critical updates such as replacing the HVAC units at the Elementary and Intermediate Schools. The district also wanted to update its bus fleet and technology.