Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) — Nathan Bekke has accepted a job within Lee Enterprises at the company’s corporate headquarters in Davenport, Iowa. The 45-year-old Bekke will be vice president of consumer sales and marketing for the media company. Lee Enterprises owns 46 daily newspapers, and provides digital products and produces nearly 300 specialty publications in 22 states.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Des Moines lawyer has been appointed to head a division of state government that oversees worker’s compensation disputes in Iowa. Joe Cortese, a contributor to the Republican Party and its candidates including Gov. Terry Branstad, will begin work as Workers’ Compensation Commissioner on Feb. 16. The appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Officials in eastern Iowa’s Linn County are warning residents about phone call scammers pretending to be an officer and demanding them to pay a fine for missed jury duty. Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner says several people called Monday to report calls from a man saying he is Lt. Greg Allen with the sheriff’s office. Gardner says the scammer tries to collect money by saying someone has missed jury duty, ordering the purchase of a money order and threatening arrest if the fine isn’t paid.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad is hoping to reduce domestic abuse in Iowa through proposed legislation that would toughen penalties and oversight. Branstad says he supports a bill that would increase prison time for people repeatedly convicted of domestic abuse assault. It would also increase oversight of domestic abuse offenders by permitting the use of electronic monitoring in some cases.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad is hoping to reduce domestic abuse in Iowa through proposed legislation that would toughen penalties and oversight. Branstad said Monday he supports a bill that would increase prison time for people repeatedly convicted of domestic abuse assault. It would also increase oversight of domestic abuse offenders by permitting the use of electronic monitoring in some cases.

The bill has been drafted and will now be reviewed by lawmakers in the Legislature. Branstad said he hopes the bill will “end domestic violence in our state. Sheila Lynch said that tougher laws would have helped protect her daughter, TereseAnn Lynch Moore, who was killed by her estranged husband in 2009. Randall Moore was convicted of murder, kidnapping and sexual abuse and was sentenced to three life sentences.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A Senate panel has advanced a bill that would prohibit in Iowa the sale of cleaning products that contain a certain sanitizing agent. The bill would prohibit a person from selling cleaning products that contain triclosan (TRY’-kloh-san) for the purpose of sanitizing. The ingredient is found in products like soaps and deodorants. Members of a human resources subcommittee advanced the bill Monday. It now moves to a full committee for review.

The Food and Drug Administration said in 2013 that there is no evidence that anti-bacterial soap cleansers with ingredients like triclosan were more effective than regular soap. The agency is reviewing the safety of triclosan in response to studies about its alleged health risks.

Minnesota last year banned triclosan in most retail consumer hygiene products.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Senate Democrats are again seeking to increase funding for school districts that expand public preschool for 4-year-olds. A Senate panel gave preliminary approval to a proposal Monday that seeks to expand the Iowa Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program, which was established in 2007. The legislation now moves to the Senate Education Committee. A similar bill failed to win full legislative approval last year.

Sen. Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, introduced the bill. He says students benefit from early education and the state should help more students participate. He said the price tag for the proposal would depend on the number of new students enrolled.

Rep. Ron Jorgenson, a Republican from Sioux City, said he had not reviewed the bill, but that he was concerned about the potential cost.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — A Sioux City mom has pleaded guilty to leaving her 10-month-old son alone in a bathtub while she smoked marijuana in another room. The Sioux City Journal reports 21-year-old Maricela Vasquez submitted her plea deal Monday to charges of child endangerment resulting in bodily injury and possession of a controlled substance.

Authorities say Vasquez was arrested in August when they responded to a 911 call, found evidence of marijuana in the apartment and discovered the baby had nearly drowned. The boy was taken to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Regional Medical, where he was treated, released and removed from Vasquez’s custody.

A sentencing hearing has been set for Feb. 24. Vasquez faces up to five years in prison.

Officials with PRIDE (The Progressive Rural Iowa Development Enterprise) said Monday, two legislative coffees have been scheduled in Cass County for the 2015 session. The first is at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 14, at the Cass County Museum in Griswold, 412 Main Street. Cumberland is the second host Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. at the Fire Station, 216 Main Street.

Clarke Gerlock, vice-president of PRIDE said “The greatest thing about these coffees is our ability to talk with our elected leaders like they are our friends and neighbors, because they are.” Representives Jack Drake and Clel Baudler, and Senators Tom Shipley and Jake Chapman frequent legislative coffees in the district to hear what patrons have to say about what matters most about their children’s schools, employment and business opportunities and other important issues.

P.R.I.D.E. is the economic development organization that works on behalf of communities, businesses, and citizens for Southwest Iowa development. For additional information, please contact Clarke Gerlock at 712-774-5476, or Kenner Baxter, president, at 781-2395.