Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa officials have launched an online voter registration system even though critics say it excludes tens of thousands of eligible voters who don’t have either a driver’s license or a state-issued ID card. Secretary of State Paul Pate says his office wants to address that gap when more funding is available to expand the online system.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Police are interviewing several adults and children about the shooting of a two-year-old boy in Dubuque but haven’t made any arrests. The boy was shot Sunday night at a Dubuque home and was later flown to an Iowa City hospital for treatment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The utility that provides water to 500,000 Des Moines customers says it’s set a record in 2015 for the number of days it operated equipment to remove nitrate from water. Des Moines Water Works said Monday its nitrate removal equipment ran 177 days last year, surpassing 106 days in 1999. Water Works CEO Bill Stowe says upstream farm drainage systems washing fertilizer from farm fields are the largest contributors to high nitrate levels.

NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have recovered the body of a 17-year-old boy who was missing after his canoe capsized in eastern Iowa. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office says Tanner Wymer’s body was discovered Monday morning in Coralville Lake. Wymer and 51-year-old Michael Felton were in a canoe Sunday afternoon when the boat capsized. Felton was able to swim to shore. Officials say the boat may have capsized when either Felton or Wymer stood up to take a photo.

There are now seven ways to register to vote in Iowa. “It’s the new year. You want to start fresh and you want to extend to people one more opportunity.” That’s Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate. “Electronic registration” went live on January 1st and, so far, about 200 people have used this new online method. It’s located on the Iowa D-O-T’s website and the Iowa Secretary of State’s website has a link to it as well.

“There’ll be an area right on there for voter registration. You click on it and it’ll basically walk you through three or four basic steps to verify you are who you say you are and to let you indicate which political party you want to choose and we’ll get you registered and then you’ll get an email receipt showing that you’re registered,” Pate says. “…Within seven days your local county auditor will mail you your official voter registration card.”

Some of the people who’re planning to participate in the February 1st Iowa Caucuses may choose this quick, online tool to either register to vote for the first time — or to update other information. “It’s designed so that you can keep your drivers license information current as well as voter registration information current,” Pate says. “If you got married and want to change your name or if you moved…and if you want to change your political party, these are all reasons why you might want to go online and do it.”

For years, Iowans have been able to register to vote when they renew their drivers license and the D-O-T has been cross-checking government lists to ensure the person is a legal voter. Mark Lowe of the Iowa D-O-T says after his agency launched its online drivers license renewal process, it developed this new online voter registration system. “I suspect it’s something that other states will be interested in,” Lowe says. It appears no other state has this kind of 24/7 website that immediately confirms a voter has successfully completed the registration process.

Iowans can now register to vote online, if they have a driver’s license or a state-issued I-D. Iowans can still register to vote at a government office or through the mail. Iowa law also allows people to register on Election Day or at their precinct on Caucus Night.

(Radio Iowa)

State officials have updated the rules so Iowa wineries, breweries and distilleries know just how much they can legally give customers as samples in their tasting rooms. Robert Bailey is a spokesman for the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. “It’s all based on alcohol content or potency,” Bailey says. Licensed wineries, distilleries and breweries in Iowa have been allowed to offer samples of their wares to customers, but

Bailey says the old rules that were written in the 1990s were too vague and didn’t list the size of the sample that was allowed. “What we wanted to do was the real amounts that you can have for a tasting of various forms of alcohol such as liquor or beer or wine,” Bailey says. The old rules were two sentences long. The new rules not only spell out how much alcohol a customer can be served as a sample, the rules specify where tastings may be conducted.

The practice of “trade spending” is covered in these new rules. “It’s allowed for an industry representative — a broker or a distributor — to go into a retail establishment — a restaurant or a bar — and buy a round for everyone in the place,” Bailey says. The rules call for those industry reps to buy the product from the bar or restaurant they’re in, plus there’s a one-round limit. These new rules for marketing alcoholic products in Iowa went into effect December 30th.

(Radio Iowa)

Atlantic Police say four people were arrested over the past few days. On Dec. 28th, 27-year old Justin Butcher, of Belton, MO., was arrested on a Shelby County warrant for Driving While Revoked. On Dec. 31st, 35-year old Jason Trotter, of Atlantic, was arrested on a Cass County warrant for Felon in Possession of a Firearm. And, on Jan. 1st, 30-year old Kevin Smith, of Atlantic, was arrested for Simple Assault.That same day, 20-year old Brandon Clark, of Atlantic, was arrested on a warrant for Failure to Comply with Treatment.

Each of those subjects were booked into the Cass County Jail.

(Noon News)

One person was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic following a collision Sunday evening at 7th and Walnut Streets. The Atlantic Police Department reports vehicles driven by April Jacobsen, of Atlantic, and Elizabeth Williams, of Marion, were traveling west on 7th St. at around 5-p.m., and had stopped at the stop lights.

When the light turned green, Williams proceeded forward, but Jacobsen’s vehicle had not yet begun to move. Williams’ vehicle hit the rear of the Jacobsen vehicle, causing a total of $4,500 damage. Jacobsen was transported to CCMH by Medivac Ambulance, for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Williams was cited by police for Following too Close.

(Noon News)

The Shelby County Board of Supervisors met in an organizational meeting this (Monday) morning, at the Shelby County Court House. During their session, the Board passed on the second reading, an amended Snow Removal ordinance. The ordinance says it is unlawful for any individual to deposit snow or ice onto a public roadway in quantities adequate to hinder utilization of the roadway by the traveling public.

The penalty for violating the provisions of pushing snow into the roadway will be:

• 1st offense – An individual pushing snow into the roadway will be contacted and given a copy of the winter road maintenance policy and a verbal warning. The warning will be documented.
• 2nd offense –$50 fine
• 3rd offense – $100 fine.

After the Christmas Eve snow storm, officials observed that over 80 instances where snow had been pushed across the roadways in amounts that were considered hazardous to motorists. With the passage of the ordinance, that type of activity will no longer be tolerated.

County leaders say with another rain/snow event forecast for the latter half of this week, residents clearing their driveway or sidewalks should follow the ordinance, and clear any snow that you may have thrown onto the roadway. An amendment to the ordinance, including cost of additional snow removal by the county, may also be in the works.

(KNOD/Harlan)