DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The House has passed a bill that would make several changes to Iowa’s gun laws, including removing the age limit for children to use pistols and revolvers under a parent’s supervision. The House voted 75-24 Tuesday to advance the bill to the Senate, where lawmakers are considering a similar bill. The bill would make it legal for a child under 14 to use pistols and revolvers under a parent’s supervision. It would also block public access to the names of people with permits to carry guns.

The bill would legalize the use of suppressors to help silence guns. It also makes changes to how some people acquire and renew their permits. It’s unclear what kind of support the bill will get in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – A prosecutor says a former Air Force captain who oversaw contracts in Afghanistan will plead guilty to an influence-peddling charge stemming from his later employment representing a vendor. Adam Pudenz is charged with making false statements and violating a law that bans ex-federal employees from trying to influence matters in which they were involved. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Murphy wrote in a court document Friday that the 35-year-old has agreed to plead guilty to both counts Tuesday and forfeit his home in Carroll, Iowa.

Pudenz managed contracts for clothing, shoes and boots for Afghan National Security Forces while stationed in Kabul in 2009-2010. Two went to Kabul Milli Trading Co. After leaving the Air Force, investigators say Pudenz was paid $247,000 by the boot manufacturer to influence his former colleagues.

The Atlantic Police Department has informed the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce about a purse that was stolen at around 5:15-a.m. today (Tuesday). The Chamber is warning its member businesses not to take any checks or credit cards with the name Karla Michael. If you receive a check, credit card or debit card with the name Karla Michael on it, contact Atlantic Police Depot at 712-243-3512.

Details about the checks and credit cards:

Checks: Karla Michael Iowa State Savings Bank, Lenox, IA
Debit Card: Karla Michael US Bank
Debit Card: Karla Michael PCSB Bank
Credit Card: Karla Michael Capital One

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A prison official says an Iowa work release inmate who’s been on the loose since Jan. 1st has been apprehended. Corrections Department Assistant Director Fred Scaletta said Tuesday that Timothy Denney was caught somewhere in Nebraska. Denney was placed on escaped status after he didn’t return to the work release center in Sioux City on New Year’s Day.

Denney was sentenced in August 2004 to 15 years in prison on convictions for robbery and going armed with intent. He’d been transferred to work release on Oct. 8.

Shelby County is entering its Spring Fire Season. Emergency Management Coordinator Bob Seivert says there is an abundance of dead material that is in the process of fully drying out. With limited access to fields due to thawing conditions, Seivert says they are going to start their bi-weekly updates to our Fire Danger Boards. Updates are Tuesday, and Thursday of each week.  From now through Thursday, Seivert is asking local businesses and fire departments to place their “Fire Danger” Boards into the MODERATE category. The next update on fire conditions will be Thursday morning.

Shelby County has four color coded distinct levels:

LOW – You are asked to call in and report your burning projects to dispatch at 712-755-2124, and notify your local Fire Chief.
Moderate – You are asked to call in and report your burning projects to dispatch at 712-755-2124, and notify your local Fire Chief. Timing for burns should be morning, or evening hours and extinguished by dark unless authorized by Fire Chief due to possible impacts to roads and health from smoke. Burns must be monitored at all times.
High – Burning of any kind is restricted unless approval is received from local Fire Chief. Controlled burns that are not reported will result in Fire Department being dispatched, and fires extinguished if determined to be un-safe. Please call 712-755-2124 with questions.
Extreme – Burning is prohibited, unless you have a signed permit from the local Fire Chief. Fires on Extreme days can grow rapidly and pose a risk to the Health and Safety of the Community. Citations can be issued if burning without permission.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Shelby County Emergency Management Agency at 712-755-2124.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Frontier Airlines has confirmed that it won’t be resuming service at the Sioux City airport. In October the company stopped its Denver service from Sioux Gateway Airport. In a statement Monday, Frontier said it had relied on connecting passengers flowing through Denver, but it now is focused on city-to-city service. The airline says Sioux City doesn’t fit into that business strategy.

Sioux Gateway’s only carrier is American Airlines, which offers two daily flights to and from O’Hare in Chicago. Airport officials have said they’re seeking other airlines to offer Sioux City service.

With Ric Hanson.

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Poised in the nation’s heartland between two big farm states, Omaha-Council Bluffs officials hope to benefit from the region’s strong agricultural sector to become one of the world’s top five agri-business leaders. Randy Thelen, senior vice president at the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, sees value-added agriculture as a key to making the metro area a global leader in food processing, biofuels and biochemicals.  “We’ve seen tremendous growth of the Cargill campus up in Blair over the years,” Thelen says. “We want to see that continue to grow and we see a new wave of investment taking place across the country in that space and we want to be a leader in that.”

Thelen says other opportunities include the growing precision agriculture industry as well as managing the huge amount of data collected to aid modern ag practices. Thelen says, “How can we best translate the data that’s being collected today in a meaningful way that provides better abilities to manage the farms, manage these businesses around the world, not just here locally, but around the world?”

Thelen says the region’s strong agricultural sector provides urban centers with great opportunities to foster agri-businesses.

(Radio Iowa)

One-quarter of the businesses in the state have plans to hire more employees, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today (Tuesday). Manpower spokesperson Karen Miller says the survey covers employers’ staffing plans for the months of April, May and June. Twenty-five-percent of the companies interviewed plan to hire more workers. “We had another 70-percent that expect to maintain their current staffing levels,” Miller says. “So, we’re looking at a solid 95-percent of employers that are maintaining their workforces or adding.”

Just three-percent of the companies surveyed indicated they’ll decrease staff levels in the months ahead. The last survey conducted by Manpower, released back in December, found 21-percent of Iowa businesses planned to add workers between January and March.  “First quarter was good, but second quarter is looking fantastic for those job seekers out there,” Miller says.

Another report released last week also indicated Iowa employers are optimistic about boosting their workforces. The Iowa Business Council survey found 55-percent of the CEOs of the state’s largest businesses anticipate hiring more employees over the next six months, while 40-percent expect “no change” in employment levels.

(Radio Iowa)

A business in Creston has reported to police some stole a lawn and garden tractor sometime over the course of the past week. Agrivision at 801 W. Taylor Street reported Monday afternoon, that a John Deere L-120 lawn and garden tractor was stolen sometime between March 3rd and 9th. The loss was estimated at $1,500.