Hanson sponsors bill to keep local tax money in Iowa; more

Hanson sponsors bill to keep local tax money in Iowa

DES MOINES ? State Rep. Curt Hanson of Fairfield has sponsored a bill in the Iowa House to give Iowa businesses first preference to win state and local contracts.

The bill is designed to give local businesses a boost and prevent the tax dollars of Iowans from going out of the state or country.

?When the tax dollars of Iowans are at stake, we should take every opportunity to use those tax dollars in state and help our local businesses,? said Hanson. ?This simple, common sense measure can help small businesses in communities across Iowa.?

Under current law, state and local governments must accept the lowest bid in any circumstance even if an Iowa business only bids $1 more than an out of state company. House File 2188 simply allows for an Iowa-based business to match the bid of an out of state company if it is within 5 percent or $10,000, whichever is lower, of the lowest bid.

Teen accused of shooting plot returns home

OTTUMWA (AP) ? An Ottumwa teenager accused of plotting to shoot other students at her school has been released to the custody of her father at home and is on probation.

The Ottumwa Courier reports the girl?s release earlier this month is a result of an agreement between the girl, her parents and attorney, prosecutors and the juvenile court. She?s to be on a type of probation for up to a year.

She was arrested in December on a charge of conspiracy to commit terrorism. Two more students were arrested later on the same charge.

Police began investigating after hearing that she was trying to recruit other teenagers to help carry out her plan to shoot students at Ottumwa High School.

The Associated Press generally doesn?t identify juveniles accused of a crime.

ISU student rally seeks retirement of coal plant

DES MOINES (AP) ? A group of Iowa State University students are planning a rally to encourage the university to retire its coal plant and replace it with cleaner sources.

The rally is scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday and will include speeches by the executive assistant to ISU?s president, the executive director of the Iowa Wind Energy Association, and a former national president of Physicians for Social Responsibility.

The student group ActivUs, which has protested the coal plant for two years, is organizing the event.

Models of wind turbines and a pile of coal were displayed Wednesday to kick off the protest of the coal plant, which uses about 148,000 tons of coal a year.

Students will collect petitions they plan to deliver to ISU President Steven Leath, who took office Jan. 16.

Winter weather expected back in northern Iowa

DES MOINES (AP) ? Winter is returning to the Midwest, with up to 8 inches of snow across northern Iowa.

The National Weather Service says rain and snow were expected to develop overnight across central Iowa, with all snow in the far north early today. Heavy snow was possible into midday. Snow amounts of 5-to-8 inches were possible.

The weather service issued winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings for portions of South Dakota and Minnesota, with winter storm watches for much of northern Iowa, southern Minnesota and Wisconsin.