(Radio Iowa) — If you run out of adult beverages at your New Year’s Eve party, there are more outlets than ever in the state to buy more. Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division spokesman, Tyler Ackerson, says the fiscal year that ended in June showed an increase in licenses. “We had almost 17-thousand licenses issued throughout the fiscal year, and that’s a new high for us,” Ackerson says. “We also saw more than 21-thousand people being trained and certified in the responsible selling of alcohol through the online training program.” The increase in new liquor licenses was caused primarily by convenience stores. He says the law changed in 2001 to allow convenience stores to sell liquor, and he says that’s where they see the most growth. Convenience stores made up around 50 percent of the class E licenses.

The I-A-B-D suspended the licenses of 70 retailers in the last fiscal year. “The overwhelming majority of them are for licensees failing to maintain dram shop insurance,” according to Ackerson. “Whenever there is a lapse in that insurance coverage their license has to be suspended… there’s usually a short-term suspension until they can get that dram shop insurance put back into place.”  He says there are a couple of other issues that would cause a license to be pulled. “Nonpayment of taxes — that would be taxes due to the state — we can suspend the licenses for that reason. The other major category would be danger to the public. Fortunately, we did not have any licenses suspended for that reason this fiscal year,” Ackerson says.

Ackerson says they collected 157-thousand dollars in penalties for those who broke the rules while selling or serving of alcohol and. Those violations include things like selling to underage individuals or selling after hours.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Davenport is considering selling a city-owned fire department building for $200,000 less than it cost to build six years ago. The Quad-City Times reports that the land the building sits on was owned by Eastern Iowa Community Colleges, which sold it to Hawkeye Paving, of Bettendorf. The company wants to use the building as its new headquarters.

The proposed contract would have Hawkeye pay the city $600,000 and would let Davenport and other emergency agencies use parts of the facility for training purposes for free until October 2020. Movable training pieces such as the burn tower and a hazmat simulator would be sold to the city by Hawkeye for $1, and the city would have to pay to move those training pieces elsewhere.

The vote to finalize the building sale could take place as soon as Jan. 9.

Police in Creston arrested three people over the past few days. Sunday night, 59-year old Teresa Vivian Vaca, of Creston, was arrested at the Wal-Mart Store, for Theft in the 5th Degree. Vaca was cited and released at the scene. Saturday afternoon, 44-year old Cory McKinney, of Lorimor, was arrested in Creston for Driving While Barred. He was also cited for Fraudulent Use of Registration and Failure to Provide Proof of Financial Liability (Vehicle insurance). McKinney was released from the Union County Jail on a $2,000 cash or surety bond. And, late Friday morning, 26-year old Tina Louise Perrigo, of Creston, was arrested at the Fareway store in Creston, for Theft in the 5th Degree. She was released on a Promise to Appear in court.

(7-a.m. News)

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing copper wire in western Iowa that was soon tracked to his Nebraska home. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 39-year-old Brian Cave was sentenced Thursday in Council Bluffs after he pleaded guilty to theft. The judge says the sentence will run the same time as a theft sentence Cave is serving in Nebraska.

Court records say some wire was stolen in May from a Union Pacific yard in south Council Bluffs. Police put a GPS tracking unit inside another spool of the wire at the yard. It was soon stolen as well. Authorities say the GPS attached to the spool showed its new location as Cave’s home in Omaha.

A reminder, fireworks may be used in Atlantic to celebrate the coming of the New Year, but there are restrictions on when they may be used. City Code says fireworks are permissible “New Year’s Eve starting at 6 p.m. and ending on New Year’s Day at 12:15 a.m.” Also, “No fireworks of any type shall be discharged within 300 ft. of any Public school building, assisted living facility, or hospital.”

Penalties for violating the Ordinance is as follows:

A. “Any person who violates the provisions of the fireworks discharging ordinance or without reckless intent causes injury, property damage or a fire shall be guilty of a scheduled municipal infraction punishable by a $250 fine in addition to established court costs.

B. Persons who violates the discharging fireworks ordinance after having been found guilty of a previous municipal infraction involving fireworks shall be cited for a municipal infraction with a fine of $600 plus associated court costs.”

For other cities in the area, contact your local City Hall or look online for their posted ordinances, as available.