May 16, 2012

You are here: Home / 2007 / Archives for July 2007

Washington group files brief in Iowa gay marriage lawsuit

July 31, 2007 By

A Washington, D.C. law firm that argues cases revolving around issues of religious freedom has gotten involved in an Iowa case. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has filed a brief arguing that religious organizations throughout Iowa would be bombarded with lawsuits if same-sex marriage is made legal in Iowa.

Six gay and lesbian couples are suing, asking the courts to toss out the state law which stipulates the only legal marriages in Iowa are those between a man and a woman. Lawyers for that group of gay couples argue that law is unconstitutional.

The D.C. law firm arguing against that contends Iowa’s courts will be flooded with lawsuits. For example, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty argues ministers who preach against same-sex marriage might face "hate crime" charges, or churches that fire married gay employees might face anti-discrimination lawsuits.

Audio: Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson reports. :45 MP3

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Grassley won’t join in call for investigation of Attorney General

July 31, 2007 By

Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says he will not join Democrats on the Judiciary Committee who are calling for a perjury investigation of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Grassley, a Republican, says the latest accusations that Gonzales contradicted himself during congressional testimony are politically motivated and he’s not paying them any heed.

Grassley says it all stems from the Justice Department firings several months ago. Grassley says: "The president can hire a U.S. attorney one day and fire him the next day, so you can’t say the firing was illegal. You can sure say that it was done in a stupid way and the public relations of it was a terrible event for Bush, for Gonzales, for the Republicans generally, but nothing illegal."

Four Democrats on the Senate panel want Gonzales to face perjury charges for comments he made that allegedly contradict what the FBI director says occurred during initiation of a wire-tapping program. Grassley likens the flap to a political witch hunt and blames New York Senator Charles Schumer for fanning the flames.

Grassley says, "When this investigation is pushed most by Senator Schumer who’s chairman of the Democratic Campaign Reelection Committee, and he even mentions it in fundraising letters, he keeps pounding away and pounding away at it, then I have to question the motivations of people that are saying that there ought to be such an investigation."

Senator Arlen Spector, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, says the Justice Department would be better off without Gonzales, but adds, more facts are needed before a perjury investigation is launched. Grassley says he’s convinced Gonzales is the innocent victim of a political powerplay.

Grassley says, "As long as that cloud hangs over these accusations, then I’m going to be very reserved in making a judgment that there should be further investigations unless the Democrats that are promoting it, that have been using it for political purposes, stop their participation in it." Gonzales may again be called before the panel to clarify his comments or risk the launch of a perjury probe. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Police investigate robbery in Waterloo

July 31, 2007 By

Waterloo police are investigating an armed robbery of at a convenience store in which the clerk was pistol whipped, and the robbers left behind the loot. About 1:30 this morning, Waterloo police were called to the Kwik Stop on Independence Avenue on the report that three black teenage males entered the business displaying a handgun to the clerk at the counter.

A second clerk was ordered to the rear of the store. The three assailants took cash and merchandise, but before they left, one of the suspects hit the clerk in the head with the gun. As the suspects fled the store, they left behind the cash and merchandise. The clerk was treated at the scene.

Audio: Roger King report. :27 MP3

Filed Under: Crime & Courts

Appeals court upholds death penalty of Iowa woman

July 31, 2007 By

The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction and death penalty sentence of a former north-central Iowa woman for her part in the drug-related slayings of five people near Mason City in 1993.

Forty-two-year-old Angela Johnson and boyfriend Dustin Honken were convicted on federal charges of planning and carrying out the slayings of three adults and two children, including two federal drug informants who had dealt methamphetamine produced by Honken.

The bodies of Terry DeGeus of Britt, as well as Mason City residents Greg Nicholson, Lori Duncan, and her two daughters Kandace and Amber, weren’t located for seven years until they were dug up from two graves outside of Mason City in November of 2000. The appeals court did remand a technicality, saying that Johnson could not be sentenced for both aiding and abetting murder while engaged in a drug conspiracy and murder while continuing a criminal enterprise.

The court remanded the case back to U.S. District Judge Mark Bennett, ordering that he vacate the lesser charge of the conspiracy conviction. Johnson is in a federal prison in Fort Worth Texas, while Honken is in an Indiana federal prison and is awaiting his latest appeal. 

Filed Under: Crime & Courts Tagged With:

Softball tournament opens today with a new format

July 31, 2007 By

The girls state softball tournament changes tradition today by opening on a Tuesday. The new format this year will allow the championship games to be played on Saturday afternoon. The action begins in class 1A. Des Moines Christian is top ranked and takes a 36-2 record into its first tournament appearance against a Westwood team that is 18-21.

After that, number 4 Highland plays a Don Bosco team that is making its third straight appearance in the tournament after finishing second in each of the past two years. Ninth rated Stanton is 23-2 and goes up against an 11th rated Southeast Webster team that is 34-8 and second ranked New London takes on IKM Manilla. New London is 29-6 and is making it’s second straight appearance in the tournament after a sixth place finish in 2006.

The final games of the opening night will be in class 2A. After winning the state title in 2003 with a predominately young squad Solon looked like a dynasty in the making, but the Spartans have come up short the past three years. They finished third in 2004 and lost in the title game in each of the past two years. They enter this tournament 49-3 and top ranked.

They open against a Pleasantville team that is 25-14. Also in 2A, 14th ranked North Butler takes a 33-7 mark into a matchup with 29-8 Treynor. The rest of the opening round in class 2A is Wednesday night. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With:

Historical Society unveils restored battle flag

July 31, 2007 By

Iowa’s effort to restore the state’s Civil War battle flags has reached another milestone. The State Historical Society Monday unveiled one of it’s works…a blue silk flag with gold fringe that was carried into battle by the 10th Iowa Infantry. It’s the first regimental flag to go on display at the Capitol after receiving full conservation treatment.

Conservation Assistant Lori Lee-Rameriz says the flag lost some of it’s pieces, thanks to "souveniring." Souveniring is the term used to describe the cutting of the flag by soldiers, who wanted a piece of the flag after the war. "At first I was kind of appalled by that," Lee-Ramirez says, "but now I totally understand. These flags were that important to them, they were part of the unit, just like one of the troops."

The Iowa Civil War battle flags conservation effort was launched in 2001. Lee-Ramirez says the flags are needed for educational purposes, "we need these flags around for our children, so we never ever forget why we have the freedoms we have today." The 10th Iowa Infantry flag was first carried into battle in 1861. The unit had 1,319 soldiers. Sixty-three of those soldiers were killed in the war.

The 10th Infantry flag replaces the 6th Infantry flag in the statehouse display. Lee-Ramirez says the 6th Infantry flag will be placed in climate-controlled storage, away from public viewing for up to four years.

Audio: Radio Iowa’s Pat Curtis reports. :47 Mp3

Filed Under: Human Interest, Military

Dubuque health officials seek to educate in wake of water illness outbreak

July 31, 2007 By

Health officials in Dubuque are trying to quell an outbreak of waterborne illness. Public health specialist, Mary Rose Corrigan, says there have been 20 cases this month of Cryptosporidiosis, otherwise know as Crypto. She says almost all the cases are children 14 years old or younger. Corrigan says they’ve gotten exposed through the river, swimming pools and well water, several family members have contracted it also.

Corrigan says the disease is contracted through contact with a source that contains the parasite. The Cryptosporidium is in human or animal waste and it gets into your intestinal tract through water or food and causes severe diarrhea, cramps and sometimes fever. She says it is passed most often through hand to mouth contact or the swallowing of contaminated water.

Corrigan says they believe there are so many kids involved because they tend to put their hands in their mouths more and drink water while swimming. She says it doesn’t take a lot of the germ to make you sick, and it can be passed fairly easily. Infants and older adults are at the highest risk for more serious symptoms, but she says nothing major has turned up.

Corrigan says they haven’t had any really serious outcomes from the illness. She says there’s no medication for it, so it has to run its course, and that takes seven to ten days. Corrigan says the effort now is trying to prevent more cases.

Corrigan says they’re educating people to not go swimming if they have diarrhea, and she says it’s best to shower before and after swimming, and to not swallow pool or river water. Cryptosporidium is not killed by chlorine, so you can contract it from filtered pools. For more information on healthy swimming, visit: www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming  

Filed Under: Uncategorized
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »