A judge says he'll rule by Friday on whether the defense attorneys for the man convicted of murdering Mollie Tibbetts should have access to state investigation records in two other cases. The attorneys for Cristhian Bahena Rivera say they learned hours after a jury convicted Bahena that another … [Read more...]
Groundbreaking warden retires after decades of work in corrections
The first woman to serve as a warden at an Iowa prison for men has retired. Chris Weitzel spoke during the Board of Corrections meeting last week and reflected on her career that started as a corrections officer. "When I started in 1982 at Mitchelville my goal was to be a warden. And I have had … [Read more...]
Arrests of Marshalltown teachers, death of one, shakes school community
The arrest of two Marshalltown teachers in two weeks on sexual exploitation charges is enough to keep tongues wagging, but when you add the apparent suicide of one of those charged, the spotlight gets even more intense. Marshalltown Schools Superintendent Theron Schutte says it's the first time … [Read more...]
Iowa birdwatchers asked to keep eye out for signs of sickness
The Iowa DNR is putting bird watchers statewide on alert to be vigilant for anything unusual they may spot with the health of songbirds. There's a sharp uptick in reports of sick or dead songbirds being found in the Mid-Atlantic states with reports as far west as Indiana. Rachel Ruden, the state … [Read more...]
Iowa Supreme Court upholds law barring Planned Parenthood from sex ed grant program
The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a district court decision, so a state law can go into effect that bars Planned Parenthood from getting state grants for sex education programs. The law was passed in 2019 by the Republican-led legislature, but Planned Parenthood and the ACLU of Iowa filed a … [Read more...]
Iowa Supreme Court overturns $1.5 million jury award in Branstad case
The Iowa Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling awarding damages to the state Workers' Compensation Commissioner former Governor Terry Branstad tried to fire. In 2019, a district court jury awarded Christopher Godfrey $1.5 million. Godfrey argued he was pressured to resign and his pay … [Read more...]
Iowa Lottery thrives in pandemic smashing sales, proceeds records
The Iowa Lottery has broken several records already with one month remaining in the fiscal year. Lottery CEO, Matt Strawn, says the amount of money turned over to the state set one of the records. "Through May, the Iowa Lottery produced nearly 95 million dollars in proceeds. This represents a 30 … [Read more...]
State board approves money for redevelopment projects in Ames, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Ft Dodge, Newton
The Iowa Economic Development Board has approved provisional funding from new hotel/motel and sales tax revenues for six Reinvestment Districts. The City of Ames has approval to spend $10 million on a proposed downtown district that includes an indoor aquatics center and a new full-service hotel. … [Read more...]
Hail damages crops in northwest Iowa
Hail storms blanketed large sections of the state Tuesday afternoon and heavy crop damage is reported in northwest Iowa's Plymouth County -- with thousands of acres impacted. Bill Tentinger, who farms east of Le Mars, says he has extensive hail damage to his corn, especially to the rows that run … [Read more...]
Body pulled from Missouri River near Decatur
The Monona County Sheriff's Office is trying to identify a body found in the Missouri River Sunday. A fisherman has found the body in the Missouri River near the Ivy Island Wildlife Area on the Iowa side of the river. Decatur Fire and Rescue dispatched their rescue boat to recover the adult male … [Read more...]