Wells Fargo & Co. announced yesterday that its board had expanded its share repurchase authorization by 25 million shares to meet the requirements of its employees’ benefit plan, the Associated Press reported. In November the board authorized a plan to buy back 75 million shares, of which 24.4 million shares remained available for repurchase as of June 30. The company has about 3.3 billion shares outstanding.

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs released $2,221,695 in federal funds to Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) and the Iowa Department of Public Health. The funding was included in the fiscal 2008 appropriations process, and it was designated that $1,667,960 would go to DMACC to establish an electronic crime institute on its Ankeny campus. The institute will provide digital forensics education and training to criminal justice students, law enforcement professionals and the legal community. The Department of Public Health will receive $553,735 to help support the Iowa Jail-Based Substance Abuse Treatment Project, which provides in-jail and outpatient substance abuse and treatment services for nonviolent offenders.

West Des Moines-based Bank Iowa Corp. has received a 2008 Financial Marketing Award from the American Bankers Association for its 2007 annual report. The report introduced the bank’s new theme — “Live Iowa. Work Iowa. Bank Iowa.” — which will be used in future branding. Michael Thompson, vice president of marketing for Bank Iowa, worked with Todd Schatzberg, principal at Red Dot, to develop the bank’s annual report.

The Des Moines City Council has approved the temporary location and installation of one of the first sculptures given by Des Moines philanthropists John and Mary Pappajohn to the Des Moines Art Center. “Thinker on a Rock, 1997” by British artist Barry Flanagan will be installed on Thursday at the corner of 15th and Locust streets in Western Gateway Park, and will be permanently installed at the western end of the park in 2009. The Pappajohns plan to give a minimum of 17 major sculptures that will be installed over the course of the next several months, with completion slated for spring 2009. The groundbreaking celebration is scheduled for Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. at 15th and Locust streets, and is open to the public.

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based ISP Sports has signed a deal with Drake University to be the Drake athletic department’s multimedia marketer. ISP will market a variety of corporate sponsorship opportunities for Drake, including radio broadcasts at games, athletic programs, fliers for on-campus facilities, corporate hospitality and other events. The company will also serve as the sales representative for the Drake athletics Web site.

Wisdom Worker Solutions is conducting an online, interactive webinar from 1 to 2 p.m. today on how to work in a mixed-generation workplace. Registration for the event is $79 and registration can be done online by visiting www.wisdomworkersolutions.com.

Sen. Tom Harkin signed the duly enrolled copy of the Americans With Disabilities Amendments Act, which will now be sent to President Bush for his signature at a ceremony at the White House on Thursday at 10:45 a.m. Since the original ADA became law in 1990, a series of court decisions have narrowed the category of who qualifies as an “individual with a disability.” By raising the threshold for an impairment to qualify as a disability, some believed that individuals have been deprived of the protections Congress intended to provide. The ADA Amendments Act addresses this problem and restores workplace protections to Americans with disabilities.