DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa lawmakers are considering legislation that would legalize consumer sale and use of fireworks in the state. Rep. Matt Windschitl, a Republican from Missouri Valley, says the measure will receive necessary approval Monday from a House Ways and Means subcommittee. It will then go to the full committee for a vote.

The bill would allow anyone over 18 to purchase and use novelty and consumer fireworks within the state. Current law prohibits it, with violations carrying a simple misdemeanor charge.

Opponents say the bill opens up the state to an increased risk of injuries and structural damage. But Windschitl says he believes Iowans are responsible enough to appropriately handle fireworks.

Similar legislation has been approved in a Senate committee and is eligible for floor debate.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports two arrests over the weekend. 29-year old James Joseph Gade, of Omaha, was arrested late Friday night for Possession of a Controlled Substance. Gade was held in the Mills County Jail on $1,000 bond. And, Saturday night, 51-year old John Casey Davis, whose address was not given, was arrested on an OWI/1st offense charge. Davis was booked into the Mills County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Gov. Terry Branstad is ordering a comprehensive review of his administration’s policies to pay settlements to former workers who agree to sign confidentiality agreements.  Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds says she and Branstad did not know about agreements with six former employees who were secretly paid a total of more than $280,000 if they agreed to keep quiet.

Reynolds says she and Branstad learned of the payments and confidentiality agreements Sunday when The Des Moines Sunday Register published a story. She says the administration appoints competent agency directors and doesn’t micromanage them.

Many of the workers say they were asked to leave their jobs by Republican Branstad’s administration because they have Democratic ties. Branstad is on vacation in Arizona and was not at the administration’s weekly news conference.

Iowa’s unemployment rate went up slightly in January. Kerry Koonce crunches the numbers for Iowa Workforce Development. “Our rate was at four-point-three percent (4.3) — it’s a tenth of a percent up from four-point-two (4.2) in December. Part of that is due to benchmarking as the numbers change a little bit. But, compared to January 2013 — we were at five percent — so we are significantly below where we were a year ago,” Koonce says. The benchmarking Koonce mentioned is the annual process where they bring all of last year’s monthly numbers up to date before figuring the new year numbers. Koonce says the numbers released each month sometimes don’t include all the information available.

“Sometimes it’s a quarter later when all of the data comes in, January’s data, it can be April before we see everything. So we go back and true up those numbers to what the real information is from what employers report on their quarterly information and those kinds of things,” Koonce says. “And so you will see some changes in each month’s numbers of the previous year which overall can have an impact on what the annual rate is and those kinds of things.” The numbers show the state lost 73-hundred jobs from December to January.

“The majority of that came in the trade, transportation and utilities area…most of it in retail trade. And what it looks like is the seasonable adjustment numbers maybe didn’t capture everything. So, we are expecting that maybe next month that’s going to kind of even back out,” according to Koonce. Fifty-six-hundred of the lost jobs were in that trade, transportation and utilities sector.

“We think that when the February numbers come out — and those will come out later this month — we will see where we are normally at this time of year,” Koonce says. Regardless of how the numbers are adjusted, she says the overall picture is improving. “We’re almost a full percentage point below where we were this time last year. So that’s a significant improvement for our economy as we continue move forward,” Koonce says. “Plus, our unemployment claims continue to decrease, new claims continue to go down.”

The January 2013 unemployment rate for the state was five percent. The U-S unemployment rate for January inched down to six-point-six-percent (6.6) percent from six-point-seven (6.7) percent in December. This was the lowest national rate since October 2008.

(Radio Iowa)

A new initiative is seeking out Iowa gardeners for help in reducing food insecurity in the state. Cultivate Iowa aims to promote the health benefits of food gardening and to increase produce donations to food pantries. Angie Tagtow, program coordinator for the campaign, says 400-thousand Iowans don’t have access to healthy food. Tagtow says, “We thought gardening would be an innovative strategy to improving access to healthful food, improving self-sufficiency, and hopefully improving overall food security and health of low-resource populations.”

Tagtow says studies find people with less money have higher rates of diet-related chronic disease because they eat fewer fruits and vegetables. She says growing food will benefit the community but it can also help the gardener.  “The cost of food is going to be going up and so by growing your own, it actually saves a tremendous amount on your food budget in comparison to what the food prices really are,” she says.

Households and individuals who can’t afford regular access to food are considered food insecure. The project is being organized by Food Access and Health Work Group, which connects the Iowa Food Bank Association and other pantries to state agencies.

(Radio Iowa)

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports two men were arrested on drug charges earlier this month. On March 8th, 61-year old Kenneth Allen Frazee, of Shenandoah, was arrested for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. And, on March 5th, 43-year old Jeffrey Wade Massey, of Hamburg, was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Failure to have Insurance, Driving Under Suspension, and failure to show proof of vehicle registration.

Page County Sheriff Lyle Palmer reports a man from northwest Iowa was arrested Sunday afternoon on a Woodbury County warrant. 48-year old Frederic W. Wissing, of Sioux City, was taken into custody at the Jail in Clarinda, on a warrant for Unlawful Use of a Prescription Drug. Wissing was being held in the Page County Jail on $2,000 bond, awaiting transport to Woodbury County.

The Page County Sheriff’s Office reports an investigation is underway into an accident that occurred sometime around 10-p.m. Saturday, March 15th. Authorities say the exact location of this accident is unknown at this time.  The vehicle was first reported to be somewhere in the area of Jade Lane and 230^th Street or south and west of Yorktown,  according to directions from the original caller, who was a party involved in the accident which is believed to only involve one vehicle.

After an extensive search with numerous area Fire Departments, Ambulance services, Law Enforcement, and Mercy 3 helicopter from Clarinda, the vehicle was located approximately 1.4 miles south of 230^th Street on B Avenue, or about 12 miles west and south of the location given by the original caller.

While the accident is under investigation, no further information is being released at this time.