DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Nationwide Insurance has more than doubled the number of Des Moines job cuts it announced last fall. Nationwide said in November that about 80 workers in Des Moines would lose their jobs as part of a company effort to eliminate about 1,100 positions across the country — around 3.6 percent of its workforce. The company issued 191 layoff notices this month, however.

Nationwide spokesman Joe Case told The Des Moines Register that, “as we’ve continued to implement our business plans, we are realizing a larger impact in Des Moines than what we originally shared in November.” Nationwide has said it is taking advantage of new technologies as it positions the organization for long-term success and growth.

(Radio Iowa) — Two Republican senators are advancing a bill that would require every Iowa business — even businesses with just one employee — to use the federal E-verify system to check the citizenship status of prospective workers. Businesses caught “knowingly” employing an “unauthorized alien” would lose any license or permit to operate in the state. Republican Senator Julian Garrett of Indianola patterned the proposal after an Arizona law.  “It’s really a pretty simple approach, I thought,” Garrett says. Senator Jason Schultz, a Republican from Schleswig, says it’s time for states to act because the federal government isn’t. “Unfortunately regardless of who controls what, it seems they are inept, they are incoherent and they are irrelevant with our daily lives,” Schultz said. “I’m kind of down with the federal government, so I think it’s down with the states to protect ourselves.”

The Iowa Chamber Alliance, representing the 16 largest chambers of commerce and economic development groups in Iowa, opposes the bill. John Stineman, the group’s executive director, says the E-Verify system is “wildly inaccurate.”  “We have audits that have been done in 2015/2016 that have showed the error instance can be as high as 54 percent in the E-Verify system,” Stineman said.  Senator Garrett responded: “I find that just astounding, quite frankly,” Garrett said. “…The research I’ve done, the error rate is minuscule.”  Dave Stitz, a vice president at the McAninch Corporation, says his construction firm has used the E-Verify system voluntarily for 12 years for all prospective employees. “It’s very simple to use,” Stitz says. “It takes us probably a minute-and-a-half to use the process online.”

Stitz told lawmakers he’d gladly hire “non-U-S citizens. We look for non-Iowa people harder than what we do Iowans because the work ethic seems to be better…Obviously, they should be taxpaying citizens like all of us, so let’s just get them in the mix and make them legal. That’s my personal opinion.”  The Iowa Association of Business and Industry raised concerns the bill might prompt a statewide hiring freeze if businesses can’t check the E-Verify system because of another federal government shutdown.

(Radio Iowa) — House Republicans have scaled back their plan to change the commission that nominates judges for district courts, the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court. Drew Klein, a lobbyist for American for Prosperity, says the amendment making those changes is still a good step toward making the commission more accountable to Iowans. “I don’t think the amendment would have arrived to the committee if it were not necessary to secure votes,” Klein said.

Late yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, all but one Republican on a House committee voted to let lawyers continue electing fellow lawyers to the Judicial Nominating Commissions for DISTRICT COURTS, but legislative leaders from both political parties would start choosing half the members of the commission that selects nominees for the Iowa Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, says the bill may get more tweaks as it advances to House debate.  “Iowa has a great judicial system, but that does not mean that improvements cannot be made,” Holt said.

Representative Andy McKean, a retired attorney from Anamosa, was the only Republican to vote against the changes. “There’s an old saying: ‘Be careful what you pray for,'” McKean said. “In my opinion, this bill adds a new political dimension to the way we nominate judges in the state of Iowa and I think it may very well come back to bite the proponents of this bill.” Republican Governor Kim Reynolds yesterday (Wednesday) revealed her second pick for an opening on the Iowa Supreme Court. James Carney, a lobbyist for the Iowa State Bar Association, says that shows the current system for choosing Iowa judges works well. “With Chris McDonald going on, he’ll be a great addition to the court. With that, there’ll be five Republicans on the Supreme Court and the two Democrats will be leaving in the next four years, we know for sure.”

The retirement age for Iowa Supreme Court Justices is 70. Democrats in the legislature are opposed to changing the system for nominating judges, but Republicans hold a majority of seats in the Iowa House and Senate.

Officers with the Red Oak Police Department arrested a man from Texas on a Public Intoxication charge early this (Thursday) morning. 23-year old Jose’ Jesus Carrillo, of Corpus Christi, TX, was arrested at around 12:04-a.m., in the 2400 block of N. Broadway Street, in Red Oak. Carrillo was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa commission has rejected a proposal from two environmental groups to adopt stricter standards for the state’s nearly 160 recreational lakes, saying the effort would be too expensive. The Des Moines Register reports that the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission rejected the proposal Tuesday because of the $205 million estimated cost. The Environmental Law & Policy Center and Iowa Environmental Council filed the proposal in November.

MANCHESTER, Iowa (AP) — The state auditor found more than $250,000 in questionable travel-related expenses at a northeast Iowa hospital that prompted the CEO to resign two years ago. State Auditor Rob Sand issued a report Wednesday about its investigation into spending at the Regional Medical Center in Manchester, Iowa.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa Court of Appeals judge has been named by Gov. Kim Reynolds as the newest justice on the Iowa Supreme Court. Judge Christopher McDonald said Wednesday he will move to the state’s highest court in the next few weeks. Born in Thailand to a Vietnamese mother and a Scottish/Irish father, McDonald says he embraces the expectations placed on him as the court’s first minority.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a 15-year-old boy died after the “unintentional discharge of a weapon” in Davenport. The shooting occurred around 1 a.m. Sunday. The boy’s name and other details about the incident have not been released.

(Radio Iowa) — A Madrid woman is accused of stealing thousands of dollars of lottery tickets from the convenience store where she worked. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation has charged Taylor Wiese with four counts of theft of a lottery ticket and one count of second-degree theft. The D-C-I says a routine audit found more than 35-hundred dollars in pull-tab tickets were missing from the machine at the Git-N-Go store in Madrid. The D-C-I identified Wiese as a suspect and during an interview she admitted to stealing the tickets when she had worked at the store.

(Radio Iowa) — A central Iowa man will serve time in prison for mailing a threatening letter to a local teacher. Sixty-seven-year-old Mondell Olson was sentenced 18 months in prison after he admitted to sending a letter to a Nevada school teacher which contained a white powdery substance inside and a note indicating the substance was anthrax. Tests determined the power was not toxic. Olson had previously been convicted on harassment charges in Story County for leaving threatening voice mails to the Nevada High School and a student.

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Officer reports an Adair County man was arrested Wednesday on an active warrant out of Dallas County. 28-year old Matthew Alluisi, of Orient, was arrested in the parking lot of Michael Foods, in Lenox.  He was wanted on a warrant for Failure to Appear, on an original charge of Operating While Intoxicated. Alluisi was being held at the Taylor County Jail on $1,000 cash bond until he is transferred to Dallas County.

The Atlantic City Council met Wednesday evening. During their 25-minute long session, they Mayor and Council recognized Street Department full-time employee Tommy Gaines for his 20-years of service to the City. The Mayor presented Gaines with an award for his dedication.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones (right) presents Tommy Gaines (Center) with a Years of Service Award. Kirk Knudsen on the left.

In other business, the Council, approved by a vote of 6-to-1, with Councilman Chris Jimerson the lone No vote, a resolution “Establishing procedures for Collection, Interest and Penalties,” for delinquent Storm Water Utility Bills. City Clerk Barb Barrick explained nearly 25-percent of all stormwater bills are in such a state of delinquency, that they are rolled over into property taxes. Most bills are $17.10.

In order to encourage utility customers to pay their bills, the City (if the resolution is approved), would add a penalty for the issuance of correspondence stating the exact amount a property owner owes if the bill is not paid after six-months of non-payment. The fee amounts to $25 per parcel. Late payment penalties would not be changed, and remain at .15-percent (point 15%) per month. In other business, the Atlantic City Council set the date for a Public Hearing as March 6, 2019, to adopt the Proposed FY 2020 Ten-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), and passed a Resolution adopting the Preliminary FY 2020 Budget, as well as set the date for a Public Hearing on the Budget as March 6, 2019.

The estimated Total Tax Levy under the revised budget of $16-million 135-thousand 155-dollars ($16,135,155.00), amounts to $16.86 per thousand dollars valuation on regular property, and $3.00 per thousand on agricultural land. The City must approve the preliminary budget and set the date for a public hearing, in order to allow the public to examine the budget and provide their feedback to the Council. The final budget must be submitted to the State by March 15, 2019.

Atlantic Mayor Dave Jones, Wednesday, reminded the public you have 72-hours to move your vehicle from City Streets following a snow storm, before your vehicle will be ticketed and/or towed, if it remains on the street. Snow removal from sidewalks must be taken care of within 48-hours of the end of snowfall.

MANCHESTER, Iowa (AP) — The state auditor found more than $250,000 in questionable travel-related expenses at a northeast Iowa hospital that prompted the CEO to resign two years ago. State Auditor Rob Sand issued a report Wednesday about its investigation into spending at the Regional Medical Center in Manchester, Iowa. The report detailed $256,675.52 in improper expenses and another $28,000 in charges that weren’t properly documented.

Hospital Board Chairman Mike Briggs says several additional checks and balances were put in place after these problems were discovered, and the hospital will follow any additional recommendations from the auditor.