Senator Joni Ernst says a bipartisan proposal to help Afghan civilians who worked with the U.S. military is included in a security-related bill that easily cleared the House and Senate yesterday. There's money for processing special immigrant visas as well as travel and housing assistance in the … [Read more...]
State Representative John Landon has died at age of 71
A central Iowa man who's been a member of the Iowa House since 2013 has died. Seventy-one-year-old John Landon, a Republican from Ankeny, was reelected to a fifth term in the Iowa House last November. A post on Landon's Facebook page announced he was surrounded by his family as he died this … [Read more...]
Reynolds among Republicans urging Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade
Governor Kim Reynolds is among a dozen GOP governors who're urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn previous rulings on abortion and give states the authority to regulate the procedure. Reynolds signed onto a legal brief that argues the court's 1973 Roe v Wade decision is an "unwarranted … [Read more...]
Reynolds close to filling vacancies so public health board can operate
Republican Governor Kim Reynolds says she's filling openings on the state Board of Public Health so it can conduct business this fall. "We're really close," Reynolds told reporters Wednesday morning. "I think if not, we are at a quorum right now." When the terms of several board members … [Read more...]
Reynolds may send state troopers back to Texas/Mexico border
Governor Kim Reynolds says undocumented immigrants and illegal drugs are "infiltrating" Iowa and she may send state troopers to Texas to provide border security in the future. "As the federal government effectively ignores its constitutional duty to secure our border, states must act and Iowa … [Read more...]
Reynolds says new CDC masking guidance punishes those who are vaccinated
Governor Kim Reynolds says it is "counterproductive" for the Centers for Disease Control to issue new guidelines recommending people wear face masks indoors to prevent the spread of the new, easier to transmit strain of Covid-19. "It's frustrating. It's confusing. They're sending mixed messages … [Read more...]
ISU seeks approval to renovate Gilman Hall
Iowa State University officials are asking the Board of Regents for permission to start planning for significant upgrades to one of the oldest academic buildings on the Ames campus. Gilman Hall was built in 1914 and housed ISU's chemistry department for nearly a century. The building's currently … [Read more...]
Sentencing judge describes Waterloo man as violent, dangerous
A Waterloo man described by the judge as a "very dangerous person" has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Twenty-eight-year-old Trenton Sliekers pleaded guilty in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office Slickers … [Read more...]
Pork Producers push for year-round visas for foreign born workers
An Ankeny woman who is president of the National Pork Producers Council is urging members of the U.S. Senate to reform the visa system so immigrants working as farm hands or in meat packing plants can stay permanently. "Our foreign born workforce is an essential part of our supply chain and we … [Read more...]
Two of 18 Iowa DOT driver’s license centers moving this summer
The Iowa DOT's driver's license center in Waterloo is closed today and will reopen Tuesday in a new location. Darcy Doty, director of customer service for the Iowa DOT, says the new location is near the now-closed site inside Waterloo's Crossroads Mall. "Being in the mall, we are required to … [Read more...]